1. Home
  2. Audio / Video
  3. News

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

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.

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
Contributing Editor, A/V
Simon Cohen covers a variety of consumer technologies, but has a special interest in audio and video products, like spatial…
Soundcore’s new Motion speakers are tough little portables with hi-res sound

Anker Soundcore Motion 300. Anker Soundcore

Anker Soundcore has two new portable and rugged Bluetooth speakers that fall under the Motion family of products: the $80 Motion 300 and the $60 Motion 100. The metal-clad speakers come in three color choices and feature support for hi-res audio. They will be available later this fall -- you can buy the Motion 300 on October 9 (black only), with the other two colors coming in November/December. The black version of the Motion 100 will be available in November, with its two other colors coming in early 2024, according to Anker.

Read more
Tivoli Audio’s Model Two Digital speaker abandons terrestrial radio

Tivoli Audio's new tabletop radio isn't a radio at all. The Model Two Digital ($449) works with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and has a sleek new design that can be positioned horizontally or vertically. It eliminates the Model One Digital's oversized dial and screen in favor of a much simpler, single knob that does triple duty as the control for power, source selection, and volume. It also lacks an AM or FM tuner, making it the first Tivoli Audio "Model" series tabletop product to lack a terrestrial radio feature. The Model Two Digital is available for preorder starting September 19 and is expected to ship in November.

Tivoli Audio says the Model Two Digital, which is available in three color combos (walnut/gold, white/silver, and black/black), will appeal to the person that loves streaming and isn’t concerned about a traditional FM/AM radio feature because they can access their favorite terrestrial stations via apps like TuneIn. This effectively makes the Model Two Digital a wireless speaker.

Read more
Sonos Move 2: Sonos’ biggest portable speaker gets a big update

Sonos has unveiled the latest version of its Move portable smart speaker -- the

Move 2

Read more