10 reviews for Ultimate Ears BOOM 3 Portable Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker – Night Black

1. 

   5 out of 5

   Omar SiddiqueOmar Siddique – February 22, 2020

   Nice clear mids & decent bass, in an attractive device, make this an all-around winner.On the negative side: there’s a mostly unnecessary app, oversized volume buttons, and a I’d prefer it had a USB-C power connector instead of the old “micro” connector.Over all, this is a great speaker. It also looks really nice, and feels solid in-hand. The UE is small/light enough that I use it as my travel speaker, although I prefer the boom-ier bass on my (heavier) JBL for workout and party music at home.This speaker sounds good, but not obtrusive– natural for various genres. The default tuning is “fine”. Unusual for a Bluetooth speaker, there is an EQ feature on the app, but it doesn’t let you turn one band up without decreasing the others. Good for tuning the sound quality for eg, spoken podcasts, but you can’t turn up the bass or the treble like you might on a usual sound system.The app also allows using the speaker’s top “smart” button to automatically launch playlists without otherwise interacting with a device. A clever idea, but since I usually use an AI (like Google Assistant) I find it unnnecessary, and better to not have too many random apps installed. The speaker works beautifully without the app– totally optional.I used to buy Logitech PC speakers long ago, and they still make good “gaming” speakers. It’s interesting Logi acquired Ultimate Ears, a brand I hadn’t heard of before. A good move on their part, as this is one of the two best speakers I tested recently in my search for the perfect hardware.Highly Recommended.

2. 

   5 out of 5

   Paul Perfetti – March 25, 2020

   Great Quality. Love the sound. I hang it in a tree at center of deck…sounds good all the way around.

3. 

   5 out of 5

   OneEyedGupy – June 18, 2020

   For my purposes, this is perfect!This stays in my car for kayaking, sometimes biking when in a group, party’s, golfing, working in the garage……you get it.Things I love: the size, the battery (usb C would have been greatly appreciated!), the controls, yes, it really floats (but the speaker is under water while it does, not really usable in a pool or spa) and it seems to be built VERY solid.The sound is a little better than average, and that’s comparing it to my best sounding Sony and a very nice Bose that both stay in or close to the house. I’m not a snob when it comes to portable speakers, great sound is achieved under controlled circumstances with much better equipment, this is good for what it is!The app is nice, but doesn’t add a lot for me, I can get most of the functions it provides elsewhere, except for the battery level, nice to check before heading out for a day or weekend.The only small flaw I’ve found to date is the lack of being able to answer a phone call with it. I’m torn on how important of a feature that really is, but it feels like they could have added it and still kept their minimal, clean, very simple controls in tact.I’m very happy with this speaker and it’s sort of become my go-to, it’s beating out a number of very nice options!

4. 

   5 out of 5

   EssieEssie – June 27, 2020

   I decided to trade size for a little more sound quality and these definitely do not disappoint. I’m no audiophile but I can tell the difference between pleasant balance and tones and shrill or distorted ones. Excellent overall sound quality ranging from pop, metal, jazz, classical, hip hop. What makes this speaker especially awesome is that you can drop it, throw it in the sand, leave it out when it rains.. I did all these within a week, and it’s still like new.Easy to pair, but if you have multiple phones or devices that are linked to it and you want to switch from one phone to playing from another, you need to hit the Bluetooth button again, which makes sense.If you’re looking for something cute to hang from a small backpack, this one’s probably too heavy and big for that. It’s definitely a solid dude. For toting around a beach bag, stuff in a backpack bottle holder or a bike basket, get this one!

5. 

   5 out of 5

   Abby – August 6, 2020

   I was torn between this and the Bose Revolve +, but I couldn’t justify the price of the Bose. I’ve got another UE speaker from several years ago (the first Boom, I believe) and it still works flawlessly and sounds excellent so I decided to stick with UE and I’m glad I did. The Bose sounds ever so slightly better, but it’s just that–ever so slight. You can adjust the Boom’s sound in the UE app, though, so I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything.The ability to press and hold the “magic button” (insert eye roll) to automatically start and sort through pre-selected playlists is pretty nifty.I particularly like how quickly UE products turn on and pair. Would definitely recommend this!

6. 

   5 out of 5

   HoppaguyHoppaguy – August 24, 2020

   The media could not be loaded.  The Good:-Great 360 degree sound quality from jazz to hip hop (video shows range of music)-Easy set up-Stylish design and small footprint so incredibly portable-Really does float (tested that by throwing it into the bathtub!)-Drop proof (dropped it from 3 feet and no issues)-Battery lasted 12 hours on LOUD volume-iOS app is well designed and works great with the speaker-Firmware upgradable-Can connect to other Boom speakers through appThe Bad:-Charging dock costs $40 but you can just use the included micro USB cableThe Bottom Line:I own many Bluetooth speakers including the Boom 2, Megaboom, Bang & Olufsen P6, and the BOSE Revolve. Of all of these, this BOOM 3 really is the best all around Bluetooth speaker of this size. I literally take this with me all over the place, I can take it from my office to the beach literally. The sound quality is great and the low range I find is better than the others mentioned above. It is stylish so I can really keep in my office and it’s small enough to fit in my bag. The speaker is almost indestructible as I really tested the floating capability and it works with no issues. It is also drop proof as I dropped it off the table from 3 feet and no issues (it’s also dust proof). As for battery life, I got 12 hours on loud volume and it took about 2.5 hours for a full charge from empty. Lastly the iOS app is very well designed and makes it easy to adjust the equalizer on the speaker. You can also hook up to other Boom speakers and also update the firmware. Overall, if you’re looking for the best all around sounding and take anywhere speaker, this is it!

7. 

   5 out of 5

   Stretched – September 18, 2020

   I listen mostly to jazz in the background while I’m reading or on the web, usually at low volume – sometimes rock at louder volumes. I’ve bought any number of blue tooth speakers, as a hobby I suppose, always in search of that nirvana sound. They’ve ranged from really small Fugoo units (with unbelievably good sound) to paired floor standing auditorium behemoths that will blow your contacts out. IMO, the UE Boom 3’s are not only a good value, they are superlative in sound from low to high ranges at easy and medium volume. Great for voice, too, e.g. podcasts. I have 2 paired and will likely buy another pair (stereo is nice) for another room.I recently tried the UE Megablast and they don’t hold a candle to to crispness and range of the Boom 3’s. They’re loud and have some nice control features but for sound, IMO the 3’s are the best by far, and uncannily the least expensive of over 10 other brands, up to $300. Unless you’re filling a large room with loud music I’d say the Boom is the best speaker in it’s portable class. Enjoy, and don’t worry about missing any sound – you’ll pleasantly hear it all!

8. 

   5 out of 5

   Labcoated – September 29, 2020

   I’ve been putting this speaker through its paces for the last few hours and I’m really impressed. Sound quality, water resistance, and build quality is all there. The app is well designed, pairing is quick and easy, and bluetooth range covers my entire apartment.It’s important to understand that you’re not gonna get crazy sub bass on this thing, but that’s not what they’re trying to do here. One thing I really have to hand it to UE for on this speaker is instead of trying to reproduce frequencies in those bottom sub ranges, they have obviously set a hard shelf on the EQ that totally eliminates those frequencies from the mix rather than try to make the small speakers in this unit try for it anyway. A lot of other bluetooth speakers I’ve heard fail pretty hard at that and you end up with distortion and a lot of muddiness in the low range because of it. The tradeoff is that especially low end music (namely drum and bass, dubstep, 808 heavy hip hop and trap, etc) isn’t going to exactly shine on this speaker.What does sound great, though, is just about everything else that doesn’t rely on sub bass. Rock, jazz, metal, most hip hop, most electronic, funk, r&b, podcasts, etc all sound really clear and have great dynamics. This speaker is also capable of going extremely loud. I couldn’t get it past around 70% volume in my apartment without it being excessive, yet the music sounded totally clear and free of distortion even when I cranked it.Also, I brought it in the shower to test and it got wet without issue and dried off quickly.I just got the speaker so time will tell how reliable it is, but count me as impressed. I’m looking forward to taking this on river floats next summer. Really happy that well made, waterproof electronics are readily available now. That was by far one of the biggest selling points to me after the sound quality.They should have used USB C, that’s maybe my biggest gripe, I’ve never cared for micro USB.

9. 

   5 out of 5

   Franklin – January 18, 2021

   I wanted something small and convenient to take along when I’m working outside, so I googled “best wireless speakers”. This one was near the top of the list and was only a little out of my budget, so I treated myself and got it. I wanted to be able to use the music on my iPhone to drive something that sounded decent, and would maybe last a couple hours between charges. I got all that and more. First off, the sound is excellent. I’m no audiophile, but I like clear music with decent bass. Got it, all of it. I was stunned at how good this thing sounds when I first started it up. It’s the size of a stinkin’ can of Comet cleanser, for hell’s sake, and it sounds nearly as good as the stereo in my truck. (It’s a good truck, trust me) And that two hour play time? I’ve gotten as long as nine hours of play time working in the garage. My iPhone also impressed me, running over 5 hours feeding bluetooth to the Boom. Really pleased with this product, and I heartily recommend it.

10. 

    5 out of 5

    Amazon Customer – February 10, 2021

    I stay in rentals and hotels a lot while meeting up with out of town friends so I bought this since it’s easily portable. I was looking for something that sounds better than a hotel alarm clock or cell phone speaker. I started leaving it in my bathroom at home too and listening to music when I get ready. This speaker isn’t going to replace your sound system in the living room or anything but it would be nice for camping or a kayak ride maybe. I haven’t tested it’s water resistance yet but it appears to be pretty well sealed. It’s the only device I own that still uses a micro-usb but those are still pretty prevalent.