Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 Review: Boom Boom Boom
Expert rating
pros
- Great sound
- Durable, eco-friendly design
- Good battery life
Minuses
- Legacy Micro-USB charging
- Unable to pair with (identical) Wonderboom 2.
Our verdict
Not much has changed with the Wonderboom 3, but you get great sound, long battery life, and a solid design – what’s not to love? Well, a Micro-USB port for one, but other than that it’s a great buy.
Price under consideration
$99.99
Best Prices Today: Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3
$84.20
$84.99
The Wonderboom 2 from Ultimate Ears was a fine bundle, so you can’t blame the company too much for making minimal changes to the third generation.
The portable power station looks the same, sounds the same, and even uses the same old micro-USB port. In fact, all that’s new is an extra hour of battery life, slightly increased Bluetooth range, and the use of more environmentally friendly materials.
This makes the Wonderboom 3 a little more difficult, especially for those who own the latest model. But that can’t change the fact that this is once again a great option for a compact, portable, waterproof Bluetooth speaker that can take a kick and keep ticking.
Design and assembly
- Massive, colorful design
- Waterproof – and even floats
- Eco-friendly materials
The Wonderboom 3 looks identical to the Wonderboom 2. Indeed, identical – it hasn’t changed in the slightest, aside from a slight update to the range of bright, punchy colors it comes in.
Dominic Preston / Foundry
That’s not really a complaint, though – Ultimate Ears got it right the first time, and this round little speaker is as charming as ever. It’s compact enough to toss into a backpack without a second thought, light enough to carry around all day, and feels durable enough to stand the test.
The bravest can throw it into the bath or pool.
It’s also convenient to use, with just a few simple buttons on the top for Bluetooth, power and playback, plus two huge volume buttons on the side that you really can’t miss, meaning anyone at the party can pick it up and figure it out. what to do.
It’s just as rugged as ever, with an IP67 dust and water resistance rating, which means it can withstand splashes and short-term immersions. It’s even designed to float, which means the really brave can throw it in the bathtub or pool, though I’ll admit I didn’t quite dare.
Dominic Preston / Foundry
The only real change this year is that Ultimate Ears has changed the materials below the surface. It currently contains at least 31% recycled plastic and is wrapped in eco-friendly fabric made from 100% recycled polyester. Even the packaging is FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified.
Sound quality and features
- Powerful, well-rounded sound
- Optional “Outdoor Mode”
- Stereo connection with another Wonderboom 3 (but not 2)
If Wonderboom 3 looks looks like 2 is sounds even more similar. Simply put, Ultimate Ears hasn’t changed the sound of this speaker at all.
Again, this can get away with because he pretty much nailed things last time. The Wonderboom 3 delivers bright, all-round sound that suits most genres. Bass is enough to add depth and warmth without overwhelming, rounded mids and slightly thin highs – but just enough to get the job done.
Dominic Preston / Foundry
Open mode also makes a comeback, activated at the touch of a small button that is hidden on the underside of the speaker for some reason, with a tree icon to mark it. This cuts out the bass and boosts the treble, helping the sound to travel farther into wide open spaces and giving you the much-anticipated second sound option.
Sound is processed only via Bluetooth, which has now been extended to 40m, and pairing is quick and easy. When we reviewed the Wonderboom 2, we lamented the lack of any kind of physical wired connection, and while there still isn’t one, it doesn’t seem like such an issue anymore – you were going to use Bluetooth anyway, right?
Dominic Preston / Foundry
You also have the option to take a second Wonderboom 3 and pair the two to double the volume or create a stereo pair. The big annoyance here is that despite the identical sound you Can not pair that with one of the older models, an unnecessary frustration for existing owners that is sure to cause confusion when people take otherwise identical speakers and wonder why they won’t work together.
Battery charge
- Battery up to 14 hours
- Micro USB charging
First the good news: Ultimate Ears has added another hour to the Wonderboom’s already impressive battery life, so it will now last 14 hours on a single charge.
This means it will comfortably last all night at a party and can run for several days, occasionally using it at a trot while traveling. However, there’s no visual way to tell the current battery level, so you’ll need to top it up from time to time if you’re not sure how much is left in the tank.
Dominic Preston / Foundry
Now for the bad news: it charges via Micro-USB, not the more modern USB-C. It’s another hangover from Wonderboom 2, but completely undesirable at the moment.
It’s just an unnecessary inconvenience.
None of the other technologies I use for everyday Micro-USB charging anymore, so bringing it with you on vacation now means an extra cable that I wouldn’t otherwise have to worry about. Unless you’re using a seriously outdated Android device, your phone can’t use the same port. It’s just an unnecessary inconvenience.
Price and availability
The Wonderboom 3 will set you back $99.99 / £89.99, which is just below what we consider a budget Bluetooth speaker. There are more affordable ones, but as always, you get what you pay for.
You can pick it up from Amazon of course, along with regular retailers like Best Buy and walmart in the USA or curry and John Lewis In Great Britain.
Dominic Preston / Foundry
Check out our full ranking of the best inexpensive Bluetooth speakers we’ve reviewed for other options, including affordable options like the JBL Clip 4 and EarFun Uboom.
Verdict
The Wonderboom 3 is an excellent portable Bluetooth speaker, but don’t let the name tempt you to upgrade from an older model – in almost every way but the name, it’s the Wonderboom 2.
The switch to environmentally friendly materials is certainly welcome, as is the extra hour of battery life, but the decision to stick with Micro-USB is the closest thing to a major flaw showing how dated the design really is.
Existing Wonderboom owners will be disappointed to learn that despite sharing the same speakers, they can’t pair with older models, but others can enjoy the small Bluetooth speaker.
Specifications
- 2x 40mm active drivers
- 2 passive radiators 46.1 x 65.2 mm
- Frequency range: 75 Hz – 20 kHz
- Raise outdoors
- Additional stereo pair (with second speaker)
- Bluetooth range 40 m
- Micro USB
- 14 hours battery life
- 95.3x104mm
- 420g
- IP67 dust and water resistant
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