The Logitech S715i dock, from UE’s parent company no less, is half the price, sounds better and has a battery too. The prices of speakers like this, the Beats Pill and the Jawbone Jambox feel as though they’re inflated for the sake of seeming like ‘premium’, desirable items. However, this whole product type is problematic, because all the style-driven speakers of this type are too expensive to be considered ‘good value’. It looks good, it sounds decent and it’s seriously loud. Its waterproofing misfire is unfortunate, but the Ultimate Ears UE Boom is one of the better portable Bluetooth speakers. This decent sound quality means it’s a great little speaker to use in the kitchen or bedroom, rather than just when you’re out at the park. It does start to sound quite strained by the 75 per cent mark, and ugly in the last 20 per cent, but at lower volumes it’s tonally pleasingly balanced, aside from the lack of lower-frequency bass. It’s capable of going seriously, bafflingly loud – the volume to volume ratio here is immense. What’s more impressive is the UE Boom’s volume. But its depth and impact are naturally still seriously limited. The 1.5-inch drivers are paired with 2-inch passive radiators, which are designed to improve bass response.įor a speaker this small, bass is good. There’s very little ‘dead zone’, though, and the speaker is not picky about where it’s positioned. Ultimate Ears claims the UE Boom offers ‘360 degree’ sound, but what that amounts to is a 1.5-inch driver on each side of the speaker blasting out a mono signal. Aside from this performance is solid – with decent range and robust streaming. However, its Bluetooth performance becomes a bit sketchy as its battery reaches its dregs. You can sync a phone with the speaker manually through its settings menu, or the Boom also features NFC that lets them hook up (once paired) with a swipe over the speaker. Unless you’re using the auxiliary 3.5mm socket, the Ultimate Ears UE Boom uses Bluetooth. This will be true when playing at reasonably low volumes but we tested the speaker at mid-to-high volumes and it lasted for a solid 8-10 hours. The UE Boom’s battery is rated for up to 15 hours of use. You could probably count the number of people who will on one hand, though. The rubbery power button sits on top, there are clear volume buttons on its side and there’s a threaded screw point on the bottom that you can use to attach to, for example, a tripod. UPDATE: Ultimate Ears has confirmed that the UE Boom will now ship with a “protective cap to cover both ports”, restoring its water resistance credibility. Wet grass is no friend to the UE Boom, and the park seems like a perfect place for a wireless speaker like this, too. They are completely exposed, and in real-life use where is water highly-like to be a problem? That’s right, on the ground. On the underside of the UE Boom are a microUSB port used to charge the internal battery and a 3.5mm aux input. There is a serious problem with its approach to waterproofing, though. Droplets simply cascade off it rather than being absorbed, so you can run the UE Boom under a tap and it won’t die. The UE Boom’s top and bottom are rubberised, and the speaker grille is tough woven fabric that’s waterproof. Aside from its dazzling array of colours, its styling has a light, low-key touch. The UE Boom is also one of the better-looking portable Bluetooth speakers. Unlike some other portable speakers of this size, such as the Philips Shoqbox, it’s designed to stand upright, rather than on its side. With a design based on a bottle of water, the Ultimate Ears UE Boom is small enough to grip in one hand and has a teeny footprint. Ultimate Ears UE Boom – Design and Features It’s a lovely little speaker, but expensive at £170. The Ultimate Ears UE Boom Bluetooth speaker is one of the best you can get at this size, but the whole market is afflicted by sky–high pricing. Tykes who used to annoy people by playing tunes on their mobile phones on the bus have apparently grown up into adults who like the idea of a wireless portable speaker to crank tunes out of. One of the few areas in audio tech to have grown over the last few years is the Bluetooth speaker.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |