UE Boom 3 review

There are some design and feature improvements here, but the positioning remains largely the same — it's a loud, exciting speaker that can take more than a few splashes of water. Let's review the UE Boom 3.

The UE BOOM 3 is the best-sounding speaker, it creates up for that with a some useful features and an improved portable design that makes it a lot easier to take with you wherever you go. This is a best cheap speakers if you want something similar to the JBL Flip line of speakers. Continuing its line of rugged outdoor speakers, the UE Boom 3 is built to endure whatever life throws while delivering loud and punchy sound. The look has been stylishly upgraded from its last incarnation. And with a high level of water and dust resistance, you can take the Boom 3 almost anywhere.

Ultimate Ears BOOM 3 is a portable Bluetooth speaker with a built-in hook so you can hang it on your bag or backpack when you are traveling. It is small and lightweight and has an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance, although we have not tested it at this time. Unfortunately, its sound profile is a bit uneven and does not reach a high volume. However, you can use the graphic equalizer and presets in the Ultimate Ears app to adjust the sound to your liking.

Design

Like the UE Boom 1 and 2, the latest model in the line of portable speakers has a cylindrical design for 360-degree sound and, at about 18 cm tall, is comfortably compact and easy to hold when on the move. The UE Boom 3 is available in a range of two-tone iridescent fabric finishes, including Sunset Red, Lagoon Blue, Forest Green and Midnight Black.

We tested the Forest Green design, which features a two-tone khaki and gold fabric finish that glows beautifully when it catches the light. This particular color scheme may not suit everyone, but with the many options available on the Ultimate Ears website, even the most discerning customer is sure to find a combination to their liking. Not only is this fabric beautiful to look at, but it is also super durable, having originally been developed for motorcycle jackets and firefighter gear.

UE Boom 3’s calling card is its incredible water resistance, allowing it to be fully submerged in water for up to 30 minutes thanks to a super-sticky interlocking fabric and a fully protected charging port. If you plan to take a dip in the pool, the Boom 3 will float even though for most of us waterproofing will prove more useful in the shower.

Sound

The company states that the performance of the Boom 3 is unchanged from that of the brilliant Boom 2. We really liked the Boom 2, but the competition has caught up and standards have been raised in the three years since our review. We start Apple Music streaming and are amazed at how exuberant and loud this little speaker can be.

We are barely halfway through the volume and the Boom 3 emits a sound that fills the room with panache and power. The Boom 3 has the same bold and dynamic character as its predecessor, with pop hits and grunge rock anthems resonating with an abundance of detail, confidence, and fun. The tempos are precise and the songs whizz along happily with a good dose of grit and attitude.

The Boom 3 does a great job of getting to the heart of a song and is an overall enjoyable listen. However, while the fuller bass of its big brother Mega boom 3 evens out the tonal balance and gives the lower mids a bit more power, the Boom 3 sounds more weighted because of its thinner character. It never becomes annoyingly high-pitched or bright, but it would need more richness and solidity to make the sound easier to listen to.

Battery life

Battery performance is an important factor to consider when buying a speaker. Depending on your needs, you may want a speaker that can last a long time so that you can use it for long outdoor listening sessions. You may also want a speaker with a power-saving feature that turns off after a period of no audio playback.

This saves the speaker’s battery and you don’t have to remember to turn it off yourself. Some speakers do not have a battery, especially those designed for home use. Instead, they have a wired design, so they have to be plugged into a power outlet to use them. However, speakers that are versatile or designed for outdoor use are likely to have a battery.

Features and performance

With a maximum volume of 90 decibels, this small speaker is certainly very powerful, with two 2-inch drivers and two 4-inch passive radiators for room-filling sound. The tapered design allows for 360-degree audio, and we found the sound to be spacious with good frequency separation. While the low frequencies sounded good for the size of the speaker, the mid frequencies did not excite us, as, being heavy on vocals and keys, they seemed slightly muffled compared to the bass.

The high frequencies presented the same problem, with a general lack of clarity in the higher notes. We tried heavy tracks such as Belle and Sebastian’s “Your Cover’s Blown” and found that the high frequencies would have benefited from a sharper kick. If you are not satisfied with the equalizer’s default settings, you can change them in the dedicated app, which has four different presets: Standard, Cramped Spaces, Voices and Bass Jump.

Switching from one setting to another did not affect the audio output much, although the adjustable tuner allows you to create your own custom EQ settings by moving the sliders on the bass, midrange and treble tuners up and down until you find a clay you are happy with.

Wireless and setup

The new Boom and Mega boom app offers some useful functions, but also eliminates others. It allows the Mega boom 3 to be paired with the previous model and with UE’s Boom 2 and Boom 3 speakers, something we wish more Bluetooth speaker apps allowed.

You can select playlists to assign to the Magic Button. Once assigned, simply press the button for 3 seconds to start playback. You can also choose from preset equalizer settings or create your own. However, there is no longer an alarm clock function in the app, and it is no longer possible to activate Siri or Google Assistant gadgets on the phone through the speaker.

Connectivity

Fortunately, the UE BOOM 3 does not seem to have any problems with dropped connection or hiccups on SBC. There is no need to worry if you stay within about 50 feet. It can do its job even at about 30 meters in height, without walls getting in its way. It does not seem that many companies have had too many problems with Bluetooth connectivity in recent years, at least in terms of staying connected.

Price and Value

The Boom 3 is available at various prices, the latest models and colors are available directly from Ultimate Ears for $199.95 Australian dollars. Alternatively, you can purchase one on Amazon for about $150. If you are looking for a wider choice of two-tone colors, electronics retailers offer the Boom 3 for AUD $149.

At $149, the Boom 3 represents good value for the speaker’s performance and specifications, but we would not be inclined to spend much more. If you need a little more bass or prefer longer battery life, you can upgrade to the MEGA Boom 3 for an additional $100.

Final Words

Overall, the UE Boom 3 is a solid little speaker that solves some of the problems of its predecessor, the UE Boom 2. With a 15-foot increase in wireless range and greater waterproofing, it is certainly an improvement over the previous generation. But Ultimate Ears has not achieved perfection with the UE Boom 3. At this price, it is puzzling that Ultimate Ears has not made significant improvements to the audio quality, which while powerful, lacks clarity and precision, particularly in the mids and highs.

Jonathan Williams
Jonathan Williams
Jonathan Williams, a prominent content writer at Bollyinside, renowned for his expertise in hardware products. Specializing in list-based articles, Jonathan simplifies intricate tech details about laptops, phones, tablets, and accessories, making them accessible to readers. Off-duty, he indulges his passion for fiction and tech sci-fi, exploring new realms of creativity.

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Ultimate Ears BOOM 3 is a portable Bluetooth speaker with a built-in hook so you can hang it on your bag or backpack when traveling.UE Boom 3 review