Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Audio / Video
  3. News

UE refreshes its Wonderboom waterproof speaker with longer battery life, new colors

Simon Cohen
By

Ultimate Ears (UE) has just dropped a new version of its popular Wonderboom Bluetooth speaker, and while not much has changed, you know the old saying: if it ain’t broke …

The Wonderboom 3 keeps the $100 price intact, along with= size, shape, and its iconic, oversized volume buttons. It also keeps all of the other features that havemade it such a handy companion for the pool, beach, or patio, like its 360-degree sound pattern, IP67 water and dust resistance, and its ability to bob like a cork if you chuck it in the water.

Recommended Videos

You can still stream music to two Wonderboom 3 speakers simultaneously, and there’s also a stereo-pairing mode for a true left-right speaker experience. Somewhat surprisingly, UE has even chosen to keep the MicroUSB charging port instead of adopting the newer and almost ubiquitous USB-C connection.

Related
UE Wonderboom 3 seen hanging next to lanterns.
Ultimate Ears

So what’s changed? The third=generation model gets longer battery life (14 hours versus 13 hours on the Wonderboom 2) and longer Bluetooth range (141 feet versus 98 feet), plus it’s available in four new colors: Hyper Pink, Performance Blue, Active Black, and Joyous Brights. UE has also taken a step toward making its speakers more sustainable. The fabric grille is now made of 100% recycled polyester, according to the company, and the speakers contain a minimum of 31% post-consumer recycled plastic.

UE still backs the Wonderboom 3 with a two-year warranty, which is considerably longer than average, and it has designed the speaker to withstand some pretty tough abuse — you should be able to safely drop it from a height of up to five feet.

If all of that sounds like the Wonderboom 3 might be the portable Bluetooth speaker you’ve been looking for, you can order it staring August 17 at ultimateears.com, and probably all of the usual online and physical retailers.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Simon Cohen
Simon Cohen
Contributing Editor, A/V
Simon Cohen covers a variety of consumer technologies, but has a special interest in audio and video products, like…
New Sonos speakers apparently confirmed by accessory company
Rendering of a reportedly unreleased Sonos speaker created by The Verge.

If a document published by accessory maker Sanus is accurate, Sonos' next speakers will be called the Era 100 and Era 300, according to a report from Chris Welch at The Verge. Welch claims that The Verge had already learned from its sources that "Era" will be the public-facing name of the as-yet-unreleased smart speaker that he had previously reported on under the code name "Optimo," and that the Sanus document offers further evidence of this claim.

Sanus is a company that makes a variety of mounting solutions for AV products, including many Sonos models such as the Sonos Beam, Arc, and Sonos One. The discovered document, which was posted to the site device.report, is entitled "Sanus Elite - Adjustable Speaker Wall Mount for Sonos Era 100 and Era 300 Speakers."

Read more
Marshall’s latest Bluetooth speaker has four drivers for 360 sound
Marshall Middleton.

The Marshall Middleton ($299) is the company's latest addition to its lineup of guitar amp-inspired Bluetooth speakers, and it's available starting January 31 at marshallheadphones.com. The Middleton, as its name somewhat suggests, sits in the middle of the Marshall portable family -- it shares the same rectangular shape as the Emberton II but is heavier and more powerful than the Stockton II.

What makes the Middleton stand out is its unique quad-driver configuration, which places speakers on all four sides. There are two full-range drivers, each with its own 20-watt amplifier, and two tweeters, powered by a pair of 10-watt amps.  The Middleton uses the same "true stereophonic" system as the Emberton II to achieve what the company calls multidirectional, 360-degree stereo sound.

Read more
Bowers & Wilkins’ wireless earbuds get better battery life and longer range
Bowers & Wilkins Pi5 S2.

Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) has released new versions of its two models of noise-canceling earbuds: the Pi5 S2 ($299) and Pi7 S2 ($399). They're available starting January 25 and feature small but welcome improvements to their predecessors, the PI5 and PI7, which launched in 2021. The company says both new models have improved battery life and better Bluetooth connectivity.

The earbuds now come in new color options. The Pi7 S2 are available in Satin Black, Canvas White, and Midnight Blue. The Pi5 S2, which has seen a $50 price increase from the PI5, come in three new color options at launch: Cloud Gray, Storm Gray, and Spring Lilac, with a fourth color -- Sage Green -- coming later this spring.

Read more