Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2 Review - An Outstanding Party SpeakerWe reviewed the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2. It is a compact, dust- and waterproof speaker that produces a remarkable amount of power considering its small size.
We like this
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Portable and small
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Sleek design
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Waterproof and dustproof
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Strong bass and big sound
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Lossy Bluetooth codec
The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2 has it all: a 13-hour battery, waterproof and drop-proof design, as well as enough volume to drown out any background noise.
- Design
- Installation
- Durability
- Battery life
- Sound Quality
- Mobile Capability
- Prices
- Concurrence
- Final Verdict
- Specifications
The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2 was purchased so that our reviewer could fully test it and evaluate its quality. Continue reading to see our complete product review.
A speaker must stand out from a crowd of others to be successful. Many manufacturers are focused on one feature in order to make their product unique among the rest. Ultimate Ears' original Wonderboom was launched in 2018. It quickly became a popular choice for its rugged design and excellent sound.
In June 2019, the UE Wonderboom 2 was released. It offers a better sound quality and longer battery life, while still being waterproof and offering a wide range of colors. To find out how the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2 holds up against the ever-growing Bluetooth speaker market, we tested it.
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Design: Minimalist, functional design
The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2 is surprisingly small—at just over four inches tall and 3.75 inches wide, it's about the size of a softball and fit easily in our hands. The strap is also flexible and has a rubbery tab to keep it in place. It's minimalistic and stylish, with the volume buttons becoming a design element rather than something you hide.
The Wonderboom 2 was carried in a small backpack. It took up little room. The bag was secure and it felt comfortable. The water bottle pouch that is attached to the backpack's side also fits it. The top has three buttons: a Bluetooth button and power button. There is also a play/pause, play/pause, and Bluetooth buttons. Double-tap the play/pause button to double as the skip button. However, Ultimate Ears could have labeled it more clearly. You will find the outdoor boost button at the bottom. It is shaped like a Christmas Tree.
It feels sturdy and solid. The two-tone mesh seamlessly fits into the speaker's plastic surface. We dropped the speaker a few times on hard surfaces without any damage. The speaker's bottom and top are made of grippy plastic to prevent it from sliding on slippery surfaces.
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Setting up: Easy Bluetooth pairing
The setup process is as simple as can be—all you have to do is pair the speaker to your phone, laptop, or wherever you stream music from.
When the Bluetooth button started blinking, press the "Bluetooth" button at the top of your speaker. We then went to the Bluetooth menu and chose "Wonderboom 2". We were done. Wonderboom 2 can connect to three devices at once, and up to eight devices are stored so that it is easy to swap back and forth.
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Durability: Ready to go outside
Ultimate Ears claims that the Wonderboom 2 is a waterproof outdoor speaker for any environment. It lives up to its promises. IP67 is the rating of the Wonderboom 2, which means that it is dust-proof and can be submerged for up to one meter.
It was able to be used in both water and at the beach, with no adverse effects. Its claim of being drop-proof to 5 feet was also verified by us dropping the speaker from about shoulder height on a wooden floor. It didn't leave a mark or get dented. You don't need to be concerned about the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2 breaking down if you go outside.
Battery life: Lasts longer than 13 hours
The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2 is a rare company that under-promises but overdelivers. It didn't quit even after we ran it past the 13 hour mark. We played it endlessly for hours. The two of us looked at one another and asked, "When is it going to die?" We looked at each other and asked, "When will it die?" It ran out of power at 24 hours after we finished sharpening its stakes.
Ultimate Ears explained that battery life is dependent on speaker volume. The louder the speaker the less battery life. It took less than two hours for the battery to completely charge.
Sound Quality - Surprisingly powerful bass
When we started playing music through the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2, the first thing we noticed was the bass—it has a surprisingly big bass sound for such a small speaker. All kinds of music were played, including hip-hop to rock to classical. We could hear the bass driving us when we needed it, and also heard every nuance of classical music in quiet or bombastic mode.
However, we did notice some hissing under the music, but it wasn't noticeable unless we were within close proximity to the speaker.
The Wonderboom's excellent sound quality and Bluetooth range make it easy to recommend.
Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2 can cut through lots of background noise and is extremely loud. We couldn't even get it to play in our 700-square foot apartment. It was too loud for us and it hurt our ears. It was even possible to hear the speaker clearly when submerged in water.
It also worked well in a noisy park, where there were many water fountains. The speakers consist of two active 40mm drivers and two passive radiators (46.1 mmx65.2 mm) that provide this range. Although the speaker was great for outdoor use, it is not a replacement for home speakers. The SBC Bluetooth codec is not supported. This works well if the music you are playing comes from MP3, a compressed format. The SBC codec can reduce the quality of digital audio if you use a lossless, high-quality format. This is a serious problem with an indoor speaker but not so much for outdoor speakers. You won't hear the difference if you are playing music at a noisy beach or in the shower.
Wireless capabilities: Sometimes less than 100 feet
Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2 utilizes Bluetooth SBC codec for wireless audio. The speaker was easy to pair with different devices, and switch between them. Once we had successfully paired the speaker, all that was left to do is go into the Bluetooth menus on our phone and select the Wonderboom 2 as the connection option. It will automatically connect if we are using the same device as before.
Ultimate Ears states that the Wonderboom 2 Bluetooth range is either 100ft or 30m. However, this only applies to a world with no interference. It was tested in an urban park that had tall buildings and lots of interference. When we were closer than 30-40 feet, the audio would intermittently drop off. When we took it farther from the city, it performed a lot better—in every test it made it past 100 ft, sometimes past 140 ft.
To make a stereo system, the Wonderboom 2 and another Wonderboom 2 may be synchronized. This will give you twice as much sound power. The Bluetooth latency (or lag) was also evaluated while watching video. Audio lag was barely noticeable when we were watching television. A rudimentary audio lag tool was created and we were able to find out that it is much less than one tenth of a second. Although it's not perfect, we still enjoyed the Wonderboom 2 and watching movies outside using a projector.
Prices: In accordance with the competition
Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2 MSRP is $100, though you may find it for as low as $60. The Wonderboom 2 is in line with its competitors, who tend to be a bit higher or lower than the $100 mark. Although waterproof/dustproof Bluetooth speaker prices can be as low as $40 you will almost always sacrifice quality, range, volume and/or quality. The Wonderboom's excellent sound quality and Bluetooth range make it easy to recommend.
Competition: A great mid-range option
Anker Soundcore 2 The Anker Soundcore 2 is the budget version (around $40) of the Wonderboom 2. The Bluetooth range of the Soundcore 2 is just 20m. This makes it 10m shorter than that of Wonderboom 2. The IPX5 rating is lower, meaning that it can be wet but not as long as the Wonderboom. The sound is not 360 degrees. It does however have a Bluetooth microphone and aux input. You can get it cheap if you want. The Wonderboom speaker is better if you can afford it.
JBL Charge 4: The JBL Charge4 is an excellent speaker. It charges in about 20 hours and produces great sound. Our tester also raved about the extra features. You can charge other devices and the battery meter is visible so that you know exactly how full your device is. These extra features are priced at $150 MSRP. The Wonderboom 2 offers more value than the original.
Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2 speaker is perfect for any outdoor event, such as a backyard barbecue or beach party. The Wonderboom 2 is the perfect speaker for any occasion. It has a long-lasting battery, can withstand all backyard disasters, and produces booming bass.
Specifications
- Product Name Ears Wonderboom 2
- Produkt Brand Ultimate
- MPN 09785514824
- Prices from $100.00
- Release date June 2019,
- Weight 14.8 oz.
- Product dimensions 3.7x3.7x4in
- Color Red, peach, blue, grey, black
- Ports Micro-USB
- Maximum Volume 86 dBC and 87 dBC combined with Outdoor Boost
- Frequency range 75 Hz - 20 kHz
- Distance 100 feet
- IP Rating 67
- SBC Connectivity Bluetooth 5.0
- Battery life 13 hours
- Battery charge time 2.6 hours
- Limited Warranty of 2 Years
- What's included? UE Wonderboom 2, USB Type A to micro-USB cable, Owner's Manual
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