Skip to main content

The Boom 3 and Megaboom 3 aim to make great speakers even better

The original Boom speaker from Ultimate Ears was among the early Bluetooth speakers that made people actually stop and notice that portable speakers were no longer cheap, thin-sounding toys, but could actually provide powerful sound in a relatively small package. Later, the Ultimate Ears Megaboom took that form factor and supersized it, adding a significant boost in bass and sound quality in the process, to the point that it still remains our favorite outdoor speaker. Now the next generation of those speakers has arrived in the Boom 3 and Megaboom 3, and they look poised to make these already-great speakers even better.

While the iconic look of the speakers remains, they have seen subtle updates, with the most notable being the two-tone fabric covering, which is also used in motorcycle jackets. The USB port has also been repositioned, letting you plug the speakers in to charge them while keeping them upright. The bluetooth range has been increased to 150 feet on both speakers, while the new IP67 rating means the speakers are waterproof, shock-proof, and dust-proof. They even float, meaning you don’t need to worry about losing them at the bottom of a lake.

Related Videos

Much of the control is handled by the brand new Magic Button, which sits on top of the speakers. By itself, this acts as a multifunction button, letting you play, pause, and skip tracks right from the speaker without having to find your phone. When used with the Boom and Megaboom app for Android and iOS, the button gets even more useful. Integrating with Apple Music on iOS and Deezer on Android, you can even skip playlists, keeping the party going when the music seems like it’s about to run out. Ultimate Ears says more music services will be supported moving forward.

The app also lets you control custom equalization options, turn the speaker on and off directly from your phone, and pair as many as 150 speakers. While you can charge the speakers with a USB cable, the Ultimate Ears Power Up charging dock will be sold separately for $40, letting you charge your speakers simply by placing them on the stand. Until we get our hands on them, we can’t say how the speakers will sound, but Ultimate Ears has said the Megaboom 3 will have even more bass than the previous model.

Both the Boom 3 and Megaboom 3 will be available in night (black), sunset (red), lagoon (blue), and ultraviolet (purple) color varieties and will be available beginning in September. The Boom 3 will retail for $150, while the Megaboom 3 will sell for $200. For more information on the speakers, see the Ultimate Ears website, and for a look at the competition, see our list of the best Bluetooth speakers you can buy.

Editors' Recommendations

MediaTek’s new Pentonic 1000 processor may make your next TV even better
MediaTeck chip logo.

MediaTek today at its annual MediaTek Summit unveiled its newest flagship system on a chip for televisions — with the Pentonic 1000 looking to future-proof your next television.

The multi-core, multi-CPU chipset will enable all kinds of specs and features that you've likely heard of before, but they'll be all tucked inside more TV sets than ever, with more video and audio codecs and broadcast TV standards, all in a single platform. (And, hopefully, enabling lower prices.)

Read more
Devialet managed to pack two subwoofers into a speaker the size of a small purse
Devialet Mania portable speaker.

French audio company, Devialet, has always attempted to create speakers that blend high style with high performance. Its latest creation, the $790 Devialet Mania, adds a new twist to that formula: portability. It comes in black, grey, and an available $990 Paris Opéra edition, which uses 24-carat "moongold" embellishments. All three are available to order from devialet.com.

Standing at under 6.7 inches tall, the spherical Mania is tiny -- just a fraction of an inch larger than a Google Pixel 7 Pro -- but inside, it packs four full-range drivers plus two subwoofers, which helps to explain why, despite being so small, it still weighs about five pounds. Also contributing to its weight is a built-in rechargeable battery that Devialet claims will power the Mania for up to 10 hours. It charges over USB-C, but you can also buy an optional $80 wireless charging base.

Read more
House of Marley is back with its loudest, sustainably-designed Bluetooth speaker
House of Marley Get Together 2 XL Bluetooth speaker.

You've got endless options when it comes to choosing a powerful Bluetooth speaker, but if you want one with a kinder approach to the earth, it's hard to beat House of Marley's (HoM) new Get Together 2 XL, a big, $450 speaker that the company says is its loudest model to date.

In typical fashion for House of Marley, you'll find lots of sustainable materials like the bamboo front face plate, the company's signature Rewind fabric, its Regrind silicone, and easily recycled aluminum. Inside the 12.6-pound body, HoM has packed 60 watts of power split between two one-inch tweeters and two four-inch woofers, and a large, rear-mounted passive radiator. Want even more coverage for your parties? You can extend the sound to other HoM Get Together 2 speakers via party mode or create a stereo pair between two Get Together 2 XL for much better stereo separation.

Read more