Ultimate Ears has a long history of making portable, powerful, and rugged Bluetooth speakers packed with features that simplify the listening experience. Whether it's a party mode that supports over 100 speakers at once or the ability to remotely turn off the unit using your phone, the company's devices have always been among the best. amazon;elmt:;cpos:3;pos:1″ href=”https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&featureId=text-link&merchantName=amazon&custData=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&signature=AQAAAYqFTyA81fp8cFpKwt3YdEkOSSBKFxcSNGKLzkK589Tr&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FUltimate-Ears-EVERBOOM-Charcoal-Black%2Fdp%2FB0BYC52LYP” class=”link rapid-with-clickid etailiffa-link” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank” data-ylk=”slk:the Everboom ($250);elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:amazon;elmt:;cpos:3;pos:1;itc:0;sec:content-canvas”>The Everboom ($250)a new option from UE that sits in the middle of its range in terms of size and power. Ultimate Ears’ practical features return, but so does the company’s lack of clarity and fidelity.
Permanent ears
Small enough to be easily transported, yet loud enough to liven up a party, the Everboom ticks many of the boxes for a UE speaker.
- Durable and waterproof
- 20 hour battery life
- Excellent features
- Authentic 360-degree sound
- The audio profile lacks midrange
- Expensive for a speaker of this size.
- Not to port
- Playlist feature limited to two services
amazon&featureId=dynamic-offer&itemName=Ultimate+Ears+Everboom&merchantName=amazon&itemSourceId=B0BYC52LYP&brand=Ultimate+Ears&categoryId=249&price=249.99&salePrice=249.99&custData=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&signature=AQAAAVYDL_n5ursqy0s4H93KwCqIOqX8Yyx9efj_NZvU989T&contentUuid=47b84d4b-1530-4ab9-b6c7-e9eb9aa5b2ae” rel=”noopener noreferrer nofollow” target=”_blank” data-ylk=”sec:large-product;subsec:commlist;cpos:1;elmt:amazon;pdid:Ultimate Ears Everboom;pid:amazon_B0BYC52LYP;aid:amazon_B0BYC52LYP;itemcost:$250;itmId:$250;sellerN:amazon;ll3:product-available;ll4:productoffer-auto;elm:affiliate_link;itc:0;slk:$250 at amazon;pkgt:horizontal-cta-1;pos:3″>$250 on amazon
Design
The Everboom is a little smaller than the average model in Ultimate Ears’ Bluetooth speaker lineup. The compact Wonderboom and the cylindrical Boom 4 and Megaboom 4 are the smallest options, while the Epicboom and Hyperboom are larger. The Megaboom 4 is actually taller than the Everboom, but the latter is wider, making it larger overall.
Aesthetically, the Everboom most closely resembles the Epicboom: an oval-shaped, cylindrical device with a rubber base. Where they differ, aside from size, is that the Epicboom has a strap attached to the back, while the Everboom has a loop. You can use the included carabiner or opt for a clip or hook. And, like all recent UE speakers, large “+” and “-” buttons are part of the design, putting volume controls right on the front of the speaker. On top, there are buttons for power, Bluetooth, Outdoor Boost, and play/pause. That last control also skips tracks with a double (forward) or triple (back) press.
Like most of UE’s latest speakers, the Everboom is very durable. The IP67-rated unit can survive being completely submerged, but you probably won’t have to worry about that because it also floats. While UE highlighted this aspect in the announcement, I should note that the Wonderboom also floats. The company says it drop-tested the Everboom at heights of up to one meter (about three feet), so the occasional trip shouldn’t be an issue beyond scrapes or scratches.
UE Boom App and Features
To use Everboom’s advanced features, you’ll need to access them in the UE Boom app. Once the speaker is connected, the main interface displays battery status above controls for power, Outdoor Boost, and a megaphone tool. There’s also a volume slider, as well as a media player and tabs for PartyUp and EQ. Megaphone lets you make announcements through your phone’s microphone, and Partyup is Ultimate Ears’ nomenclature for pairing multiple speakers. In fact, you can sync up to 150 units in the same setup, as long as they’re Boom, Megaboom, Epicboom, or Hyperboom models.
If you dive into the detailed settings menu, you'll discover even more useful tools. There's the option to add playlists from amazon Music or Apple Music so you can start them directly from Everboom's play/pause button (by long pressing). You can add as many playlists as you like and switch between them without having to pick up your phone. When a collection is playing, you'll also have access to the media player playlists within the app.
There are a few more items in the settings that I’ll point out. You can enable the Sticky PartyUp feature to keep your speakers grouped together if you change locations, and you can also disable the ability for other people to add your device to their PartyUp group. Bluetooth standby mode is on by default, and is how the app can remotely turn the speaker on or off. But it does affect battery life, so the company gives you the option to extend playback time by disabling it.
Sound quality
One of the best things about the Everboom is that the driver arrangement pumps out sound in 360 degrees. You can hear music clearly when you're sitting on the side of the device, though the tuning favors highs over lows. My main complaint with Ultimate Ears speakers is that it always seems like the company favors volume over fidelity. The speakers usually sound good, and the Everboom is more of the same, but it lacks the overall depth and detail that other Bluetooth speakers have.
The songs sound consistently compressed, with a noticeable lack of mids, despite punchy highs and booming lows. There’s just a general lack of clarity in the bluegrass melodies of Nickel Creek and the open, atmospheric instrumentation of Phantogram’s “Come Alive.” The vocals always sound clean, but the soundstage is limited to the two extremes of highs and lows. Live from the Garden Amphitheatre It's one of the best-sounding live albums I can remember, but Everboom dampens the energy of the show with a lack of dynamics in their tuning.
Of the EQ presets, Bass Boost is the only one that improves things, but not dramatically. Unlike most bass-heavy profiles, this one doesn't further muddy up the audio quality. However, for some genres, like the melancholic alt-rock of Balance and Composure, the added bass makes steady, rhythmic bass lines feel overbearing.
In open spaces, Outdoor Boost can help improve the listening experience. According to the company, this increases the volume by one decibel (from 90 dB to 91 dB) and that’s it. However, if you activate it indoors, you’ll be able to hear the tuning change slightly as well. Outdoors, however, all you’ll notice is a slightly louder, better-projected sound. The feature makes an obvious difference when you’re no longer in a confined space, addressing an issue that typically plagues Bluetooth speakers when used outdoors.
Battery life
The Everboom has enough battery to keep the music playing for quite a while. Ultimate Ears promises up to 20 hours on a charge, more than enough for a full day of music. After my testing, I can confidently say that the speaker will exceed that, unless you use it at full volume for hours on end (you won’t, trust me). After 12 hours, the UE app was still showing 70 percent battery remaining. These tests were mostly done indoors, where a volume of around 40 percent is plenty loud. Additionally, I didn’t notice that using Bluetooth standby to turn on the speaker with the app had any impact on battery life like the company warns.
The competition
As I mentioned, there are plenty of alternatives in the Ultimate Ears line if you're looking for similar features in a slightly different package. However, my recommendation is the Marshall Middleton ($250), a pick from our list of the best portable Bluetooth speakers for a speaker at this price and size. You can get it for the same cost as the Everboom right now, and it has several useful features that the UE speaker doesn't offer.
First up, there’s a joystick-style control knob on top, with a visual indicator for battery and volume levels. You can also make bass and treble adjustments on the device itself, and there’s a 3.5mm jack for wired input. Of course, you get all the style of Marshall’s iconic guitar amps, and a stack mode that lets you use multiple units as a more robust setup. The Middleton is IP67-rated for water resistance and offers 20 hours of battery life. Both of these specs are the same as the Everboom.
Also, don't forget about the new Beats Pill ($150). Admittedly, it's a smaller speaker, but it still delivers big sound. Bass performance can vary depending on the album or genre, but overall there's a nice low-end tone to be found in this compact unit. Plus, the angled drivers project sound better than previous versions, and you have the option to listen to lossless tunes via a wired USB-C connection. And perhaps best of all: You'll save $100.
Summary
Ultimate Ears are generally a safe bet for the price, though the best value is found in the company's smaller speakers. amazon;elmt:;cpos:8;pos:1″ href=”https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&featureId=text-link&merchantName=amazon&custData=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&signature=AQAAAYqFTyA81fp8cFpKwt3YdEkOSSBKFxcSNGKLzkK589Tr&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FUltimate-Ears-EVERBOOM-Charcoal-Black%2Fdp%2FB0BYC52LYP” class=”link rapid-with-clickid etailiffa-link” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank” data-ylk=”slk:Everboom;elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:amazon;elmt:;cpos:8;pos:1;itc:0;sec:content-canvas”>Always booming The new UE packs the best features of the UE into a new design, while maintaining its rugged protection against dust, moisture, and drops. All the advantages are offset by a deafening sound profile, but one that lacks the quality needed for detailed, immersive listening. Despite powerful highs and deep bass, the overall sound effect is muddy and dull in the absence of mids. Still, the fact that the speaker floats and the dedicated outdoor sound amplifier make this a decent device for adventures. And one that will undoubtedly annoy the folks at the campsite next door.
