Ultimate Ears Boom Wireless Bluetooth Speaker - Black

I will throw out my disclaimer and just say that I do not consider myself an "audiophile" or tech junkie. I'm just your average music lover. I was looking for a wireless speaker for toting around the house in the rooms that don't have surround sound, as well as to take when traveling and/or camping. Wow! When I first turned it on, it was at full volume and it made me jump. This baby is LOUD! I tried a few different genres of music, from bluegrass to hip hop to hard rock, and they all sound great. Better than my car stereo, in fact. :) I love the construction; it seems really durable. The design is nice and sleek. It's a tad heavier than expected, but that just means (to me) that it's really sturdy. I plan to take this camping with me, and the water resistant feature was what made me choose this over the Bose Soundlink Mini. I love the fact it has a hook to hang from a tent or canopy, and while I doubt I'd attach it to a tripod, it's a nice little feature. I've only had it one day but it's evident that this is a high quality speaker with really well balanced sound. I'm pretty happy with my choice, and feel like it's probably worth what I paid for it, though time of course will tell. **EDIT: 09/30 - So I have used it a lot these last few days. I have about a solid 8-9 hours of use at the upper mid level volume, and it says I still have a 60% charge on it. Not bad! **EDIT: 10/07/13 - I took this camping with me last week and everyone was asking where I got it, and three people went out and bought one the next day. Battery life is pretty amazing - not really sure why there are some reviews toward the opposite because my experience has been really great. I am incredibly happy with this purchase, and feel like it is well worth the money. **EDIT: 12/31/13 - After having this for a few months, I am still really impressed with this speaker. Side by side with the Bose Sound Link Mini, in my opinion this has the better overall sound (though yes, they are quite comparable). The quality of the sound on this speaker means that anywhere I take it, someone will ask me where I got it. I took it on a backpacking trip and, while it performed great (batter life doesn't seem to be affected by the cold at all and was able to use it three consecutive days on the trail), it is a tad heavy for that application. Enter the UE MINI BOOM. Yes, I love this original Boom so much that I bought the smaller version. (see separate review) I was pleasantly surprised to find that with the UE Boom app, I was able to double up both the large and small version. I knew you could pair each one with its same version, but when we tried (just for kicks) to put both the Boom and Mini Boom together it was super easy. Very cool! To sum up, if you are the sort that would be likely to travel with a speaker and want to be able to toss it around a bit, this won't let you down. Very sturdy, great sound, love the battery indicator too. ***UPDATE 08/11/17 - So I have had this for four years now and it's still going strong. It sounds as good as ever, holds a charge as well as it ever did, and has taken some hard knocks over the years. I've taken it rafting with me a few times - this thing has gotten drenched in the boat, plus I left it out one night in the rain... still going. It seems virtually indestructible. Still pairs well with the mini-boom as well. I know that since I bought this speaker, others have come out that are waterproof, (insert element)-proof, etc. but I have no desire to buy a new speaker as long as this one keeps performing as it has. No regrets whatsoever and it has more than paid for itself over the years. HIGHLY recommend!! ***UPDATE 04/10/18 - I keep adding updates because this thing continues to amaze me. It has been nibbled on by a dog, left out in a two day torrential thunderstorm (battery port side up and open), soaked in a raft, dropped from 20', run over by a golf cart.... It has a lot of character by now, being a little battered and bruised. And still it's going. I feel like eventually it is going to stop working but so far nothing seems to affect it. Still sounds great, too. I'd like to see Bose perform so well for so long.

First off, I have looked around stores and Amazon for over a week searching for a Bluetooth speaker. When I found this one, I read up on EVERYTHING. I browsed several of the reviews and saw that even the though the majority were 5 stars, the 1-2 star ones were quite abundant--which was a red flag to me. Many of those reviews said things relating to the battery life and the speaker stopped working after a few weeks of use. These reviews really hindered my decision-making process. The look and design of this speaker was everything I wanted, but I did not wan to spend $200 on a speaker that wouldn't last or hold a charge long. But I gave in! I purchased a UE Boom having read several of the negative reviews and found that I was one of the fortunate ones! This speaker is absolutely amazing. It is very loud, and the design is spectacular. It is the perfect speaker for being outdoors and moving about! Being the careful person I am, I also purchased the Molded Hardshell Case from Amazon (Surf To Summit vendor). Although I did not like the price of it, it is definitely well-built and fits the UE Boom very well and you can listen to music even with the case on without any degradation in quality. I have no regrets buying the UE Boom or the case for it! I definitely recommend both. When I first turned on the speaker, it had 50% battery life. I started playing music at about 50% volume on my iPod and had the speaker volume around 75%. I was shocked at the battery life. I played it from 9:00am until 8:00pm, and it went from 50% to 20%. After that, I charged the speaker back up to 100%, which took about 3 hours. Then I went ahead and tested it for real! I turned the volume on the speaker to full, and listened to different volume levels on my iPod. After hours of testing I've found that keeping the speaker volume at full, and your mp3 device around 50% volume, this speaker will lose 10% charge after about 70-80 minutes give or take. This is about 13 hours or so for the battery life, which I feel is great considering how loud 50% is on your device with the speaker on full blast. I took it outside to the tennis court to test the battery life with the volume turned up louder as well as testing the Bluetooth distance and quality. I had the speaker all the way up, and my iPod around 75-80% volume. This is where the battery life drained faster, as after testing it for 5 hours, the battery charge went from 90% to 30%. So if you plan on keeping the volume high and cranking the tunes, plan on losing about 12-15% of battery charge per hour. --As for the Bluetooth, the company claims 50 feet. Well, with my phone (Moto X) and my UE Boom, I stood 100+ feet from the speaker in clear sight (end of double tennis court to the other) and it was getting perfect reception. Now, that's in clear sight with nothing blocking the path. I have played games of tennis with my phone in my pocket playing music and have not had any issues with it cutting out, with the distance during play ranging from 10 feet to 60 feet away. I also tested it in my house and saw that the range was around 30ft before it started cutting out. But that was going through walls and such. So in conclusion, I am exceptionally happy with my purchase. This thing gets 2 thumbs up, 5/5 stars! I'm upset that 2 weeks after I purchased it, the price dropped $20! But what can you do... I downloaded the UE Boom app for my Android phone, and it works very well. You can name the speaker, tweak the EQ settings or choose from a couple presets, and also check the battery level. One last thing, the battery is NOT REPLACEABLE. There are instructions that come with it that shows the user how to remove the li-ion battery that is inside to dispose of it, but Logitech (Ultimate Ears) has not produced any replacement batteries for this speaker. I believe they say this battery should last about 500 charges or so they say. I sure hope it can last that long! I only charge this thing like twice a week tops, so that's years of use for me if it will last the 500 charges. Maybe down the road Logitech will get enough complaints about not having replacement batteries for this speaker and start selling them. Until then, I just hope that this battery will last me a very long time!

I'll start out by saying that I'm a 20-something male that enjoys traveling and I wanted something that I could bring with me to various places including friends' houses, the beach, the mountains, etc. Essentially, I wanted a bluetooth speaker that is rugged and can take a little moisture and a decent level of bruising (for accidents), but also sounds great at all sound levels with any genre. I've owned this for approximately 4 weeks now, so I'll address a few common concerns first among people in the same boat that I was: Battery Life: Absolutely this has the longevity that it claims. I haven't measured to exactly 15 hours at half volume because I'm not a tester. I do use it about 1 hour daily at half volume (the range is 0-15, so I used '7'), as well as about 5-6 hours/night when I sleep at a lower volume. Normally I will charge it about once every 10-14 days. Charging from < 10% takes approximately 2.5-3 hours. Volume: Half volume (7-8) is plenty, unless you plan to rig the sound system at Dallas Cowboy's stadium. This speaker produces a surprising volume. I use 7 when I'm by myself in my apartment and it pretty much fills the place (in all honesty, it's sometimes too loud, depending on what I'm listening to). In more open environments, even 8 is generally plenty, but it still performs well at louder sound levels. Sound: I split this up into volume/sound because they're different things. Let's transition this by discussing sound distortion at higher sound levels: to be honest, I only tried to max out the volume a handful of times, and during those times, no distortion was noticeable at very high volume. Otherwise, the sound seems to be very full and rich. It delivers great highs, mids, and lows. Its lower threshold is probably around 50Hz, if I had to take a guess. All-around great sound for any kind of music. Ruggedness: I've dropped it a few times on my carpeted floor and tossed it around a bit. It's been at a blazing hot worksite and at the beach twice and at the pool twice. It also was in my checked baggage on two connecting flights across the country (we all know how gentle the kind airline staff are with our luggage). Of course, I've only had it for about four weeks, but it still sounds great and there's nothing noticeably different than the first day I bought it (cosmetically, audibly, or otherwise). As much as I'd like to test the limits of this device for testing purposes, I'd still like to see this speaker last a while. Connectivity: This is something that really impressed me. First of all, it pairs in literally under 5 seconds (including the first time it paired to my phone). With a clear line-of-sight, I've walked approximately 80 feet away before the sound dropped (they claim 50 feet). I've also walked around my apartment with my phone (player) in my pocket and it still played while in another room and through walls. However, I did notice that if it goes through too many walls, it seems to drop sporadically or altogether. All-around great connectivity, though. App: The UE Boom app is basic, which is great. You have four pre-set EQ settings and that's it. I'd much rather be able to choose which frequencies to amplify; the app doesn't even show you what is changing from setting-to-setting, and I generally can't tell much of a difference between any of them. In the end, your pairing device has specific EQ settings, too, so it's probably to change it on there anyways. You can double up with another UE boom (never tried this), check your battery (more on this below), and a few other misc things like alarms, etc. Speakerphone: This is something that I actually use frequently. My apartment doesn't have the best reception for phone service except near the windows. When I'm on the phone, I will often set my phone near the window and bring my speakerphone around my apartment so that I can have conversations while I'm walking around. This is one feature I truly enjoy, because my signal will drop completely about 15 feet away from my windows. Sound quality during calls sounds better than the speaker on my phone. Logitech claims dual microphones, but I don't know where they are (this would influence where I hold the speaker). Misc: You can check the battery by pressing the + and - symbols simultaneously. Power button and bluetooth pairing button top. Charging port, audio input (cable not included), and tripod hookup on bottom. Price is a bit much, but I would truly say that it's worth the price, as long as it continues to last for a few more years. ***** Conclusion: Has great volume, great sound, with a long-lasting battery, excellent build quality, and maintains connection with a reasonable distance from the paired device. In all honesty, I wasn't even considering this price range for bluetooth speakers, but I did a lot of research before purchasing this and chose this because of how well everyone had described the important factors listed above. While I haven't physically compared other devices, this speaker has met and exceeded my expectations in virtually all major areas. If you're in the market for a bluetooth speaker, and even if you've been thinking about buying a slightly less expensive one, I would definitely recommend this one. In the end, good luck with your shopping and decision!

So first off this really would be a 4.5 star review but figured I'd give UE a 5 star on Amazon because they are really, really close with this. Like many I did some research on portable Bluetooth speakers and didn't stumble upon the UE Boom until late and I'm glad I did. I had originally bought a Soundfreaq and had it for an hour before returning it. While I'm not expecting much bass out of a small Bluetooth speaker, you need a little kick. I listen to mostly electronic, bass-heavy music so the Sounfreaq was out straight away. Yes it's half the price, but buy cheap, buy twice. If you're reading this and are considering a BT speaker in the $200 range, by now you've probably figured out it's really down to the Boom and the Soundlink Mini. If you haven't yet, you will soon. While I haven't listened to the Mini, I have an old Bose Sound Dock and listening to the Soundlink in the store, I'm sure the Mini delivers good sound, probably better than the Boom, at least bass-wise which is what I'm after. Now, I have the old Bose dock which sounds good, but it's 2013 and Bluetooth tech has made strides and let's face it I can't be having my phone docked in a Bose when I'm at a party, those things were made for iPods. Many of you are probably like me and in a similar boat. And like me you were used to the nice solid bass the dock produced. But whenever making a decision like this you have to figure out what your needs are and what you're willing to sacrifice. For me, the reason I was in the market was I'm going on a vacation and wanted something portable with a small footprint that could still deliver sound. I knew I'd have to sacrifice some low-end bass and that was that. I was planning on purchasing a Mini to compare, but honestly, the Boom is so good I don't even have to bother. Here's my list of pros: Form Factor Very small footprint. I almost thought the package was wrong when it arrived as I had listened to it at Best Buy (sorry you didn't have any in stock, guys; your loss is Bezos's gain!) and in my mind it was larger (I was probably just remembering the sound!). While I've only had this for the night, I'm sure I'll have no problem tucking it in a backpack or sticking in a water bottle holder and being on my way. One negative it's marketed as being able to stand vertical or horizontal, but laying flat it kind of rolls, not optimal. Big, Big Sound What the Boom lacks in true booming bass, it more than makes up for in sheer volume. I mean, this is LOUD. When I was listening at Best Buy, I had to have it only at 50% and even that felt way too loud. And as far as bass, certain songs sound better than others. If I'm listening to some super low end trap like RL Grime or crazy bass heavy stuff like James Blake or Jamie XX, yeah there is no way this thing can hit those frequencies. But listening some 4/4 techno or dance with standard dance music bass kick drum, it has enough that you know it's there. But man, it just fills out the room. You honestly have to hear this to believe the sound is coming out of this little tiny thing. It does sound a little harsh when it gets up past 70%, I can't imagine listening at that level unless there is a lot of background noise, but it will get a party started. I think I saw someone else here refer to it as a sound bomb or sound grenade, and that's an apt description. This thing is the thermal detonator of Bluetooth speakers. Simplicity but with Attention to Design Dead simple. Easy sync. Only two big volume buttons. Micro USB. A little hook if you need to hang it. Line in for non-BT devices. A battery meter shows up in your iPhone info bar at the top of the phone when you connect. It's the little things. No bloat here, but also nothing I find missing. Personality Looking at the color schemes and marketing photos, it's obvious the market UE is going after here, they want the mobile party crowd and they hit their mark. Just little details like pressing the buttons gives you a cool volume announcement. You get your choice of colors. The app lets you name the device, which while stupid is fun. And it makes neat little drum sounds when pairing. The USB is an easy-to-spot yellow and flat cord, again with portability and practicality in mind. Little things. Rugged While I haven't taken it on the road yet, I can already tell by the build that this will be a rugged piece of tech. You can get it wet, and it just has a solid feel that you won't worry about it knocking about in a bag or getting kicked over at a party or getting sand on it at the beach. That was a deciding factor against the Mini: it just looks too nice. I'd want it just sitting on my deck or in my office, I wouldn't want it on a boat or a on the beach or who knows where else. Battery Life Haven't put this to the test yet but I'm going to charge fully in morning and go to work and leave my iPad at half volume (which is plenty loud!) and we'll see where it is at the end of the day. Everything I hear though is you can get near the 15 hours if you aren't cranked. Now as far as the cons: Limited Low End This has been addressed. But also, I find it does get harsh and shrilly at higher volumes but you'll probably only need to go that high at a party with competing noise. If you really need serious bass, you're just going to have to give up size and portability and go with a bigger player. Missed Opportunity with Case The case it comes in comes sooo close to doubling as a carrying case, but ultimately the cap doesn't fit right and it's too cheap looking. I'd gladly have paid an extra $10 if they made a slightly upgraded version that had a better case. As it is there is nothing on the market to carry it in, I'll probably have to get a bottle holder. Honestly, those are the only negatives I can think of. End of the day, this is the device for you if you're looking for a speaker that: -Is Portable and easy to fit somewhere -You might get it wet or bump it -You'll be taking it on the road or to parties -Delivers loud sound without booming base -Will allow you to listen to music all day when you're away from a charge I'd look elsewhere if you: -Won't be taking a speaker on the road and just want something for the deck or office. Mini is probably for you. -Need bigger bass sound. You probably want a bigger speaker. Honestly, I had only thought I needed a speaker for the occasional trip or pool side party, but I have a feeling the Boom will be so easy to carry around I'll take it everywhere I might possibly use it. I used to debate if I was going somewhere if I was going to lug my Bose dock with me, but not anymore. Without a second thought I'll grab the Boom and that'll be that. I haven't been this happy with a tech purchase in a long, long time, and I buy a lot of stupid crap. :)

Lots of reviews on this thing, with everyone focusing on some aspect (usually sound quality). So this review is for the people out there looking for a portable speaker for bike riding purposes. I own 2 of these. I use them as speakers for my bicycle. I use these every time I ride to provide music for myself and my friends. Headphones are dangerous on a bike, this lets me still enjoy my music, share it with my friends, and hear traffic / other ambient sounds. First, since everyone else focuses on this: SOUND: Highest quality out there? Beats every other speaker on the market? Who knows and who cares! For bike riders, we want sound that is clear, of good quality, and loud to overcome other ambient noise or city noises. That being said, yes the quality is very good, and except for audiophiles who obsess over these things, just know it's better than many other speakers, and great for bikers. The number one issue bikers will encounter is not the speaker itself, but the quality of the files you are playing if you use downloaded music. Some songs are quiet, some are loud, depends on your source and the quality of the music files themselves much more than the speaker. PORTABILITY: This things fits perfect in 95%+ of water bottle cages that come standard on many bikes. Even the fancy carbon ones. This works on my mountain bike with a cheap metal cage, on my fixie with a slightly fancier bottle cage, and on my road bike with a partial carbon cage. For metal cages, you can just flex/bend the cage if it's too loose or tight, however, I just use a tiny S shaped slide lock to hook it to the cage. Even better, I've started using a bendable Nite Ize Gear Tie set up (search on that term here on Amazon) to hold the speaker in place. Again, no need for these really, but some rides are bumpy and I like the extra security. DURABILITY: No problem! This thing is a little brick. I've ridden with them in a pouring rain, still pumping out the tunes. I've dropped one a couple of times, no issues. FEATURES: Here's where the UE Boom seriously disappoints us bikers... 1. The UE Boom has a mobile app! Awesome! It even lets you remotely power on and off the device. For a biker, fantastic! It also shows your remaining battery life on the app, yes, yes, we're on a streak now! And the most important feature, remote volume control! Oh, no wait, they left that last one out... What the heck man?!? You can power this thing on an off without having to reach down and do it while riding, but you can't change the much more important volume remotely while riding? Shame on you logitech, like seriously shame on you, that's a major 'D'oh' and minus one star for you. I turn it on when I first get on the bike, remote power on is not even that useful. I turn it off when done riding, remote power off also not super useful. (Both features still appreciated though). But volume needs to be constantly adjusted while riding!!! Side story: I called Logitech about this since their website, user guide, and mobile app store page clearly advertise remote volume control as well. Man I tore them a new one over the phone about false advertising claims about this. Result of that call? They removed the feature highlight from their website, guide, and app page. Haha! So they listened to me, just not in the way I wanted. ADD THIS FEATURE LOGITECH!!! 2. You can press the up/down volume buttons together to get an accurate statement on remaining battery life, or use the app. Awesome. Now let me just reach down here and press the volume up button and it will tell me what % of total volume I am playing at... Oh wait, now it doesn't. What the heck?!? There is no way to know what % of total volume you are currently listening to! So for bikers, here is what you have to do every single time you ride with one of these. Turn it on, start playing a song, then press the volume up over and over to get to the max volume (beeps when you hit it), then press the volume down the correct number of times you have calculated so that you hit the sweet spot of loud enough but not battery draining super fast (for me that is 4 - 6 times pressing down after hitting max). Sure you can find your sweet spot and just leave it there, but then you end up riding with friends and they want it louder, and then later you're riding alone through a neighborhood at night and know that grumpy gramps on the corner doesn't like to listen to the Stones, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Mos Def, Daft Punk, or Snoop Dogg/Lion at a high volume after 10pm and you need to turn it down some. 3. Volume controls on the device are big and I can press them while riding without looking at the device. Perfect, thanks! However, a >> and << button on the device for forward and back would be a nice improvement for anyone not using the device with the app. It's like they can't decide to make the device fully remote or not. I can't do volume control with the app, but I can't control the track being played from the device. I've done QA and SD work before, c'mon logitech, you're better than this. 4. The last feature I will touch on is the ability to sync 2 of these speakers via the mobile app. Love this feature. As I stated above, I have 2 of these, and 2 bottle cages on my road bike. I double up these bad boys to really crank out the music for my larger social cycling night rides and it works perfect. Sometimes it's a little clunky getting them to double up properly, but I just pair each speaker with my phone individually first, then power them both down. Then turn on 1 and wait for it to connect to my phone, open the app, go to double up, then turn on the second. It works most of the time. Sometimes it has trouble for whatever reason, but I use these with 2 phones, a laptop, a tablet, etc, so it's a mess to begin with based on my use. Once it does double up once, it usually never forgets for subsequent needs. BATTERY LIFE: Ugh... not so great. 15 hours? Ha! No way, not possible unless you have the volume at 1%. However, all companies inflate their battery numbers, and yes Logitech you are inflating, as I do not care that you can get 15 hours with volume at 1%, no one would ever use it that way, and you know that you and every other company out there should be required to state total life at 1%, 50%, and 100% at a minimum, so consumers have the true info on real life usage of these products! Anyway, at 100% volume on the speaker and the cell phone, you're lucky to get an hour or two out of these. However, that's some loud music. Now, here's my solution. I double up my speakers usually, but it works single use also. I power them up, get the music going, and then adjust the volume to usually around 75% (guessing since logitech doesn't include a volume readout... see above). That volume will usually last for normal rides, but I do a lot of longer rides (multiple times per week I ride for 3 - 6 hours at a time). So, I use a Ravpower or Anker external battery to keep the speakers going as long as I need. I put the speakers in their cages on the bike, and connect a cable to the power port on the bottom of each. I wrap that cable around the frame of the bike and connect it to the external battery that I keep in a saddle bag under the seat of the bike, and then I have music that lasts as long as I need. Other notes: My road bike is 90% black with some red and white accents, so I have the dull black with red accents version of the speaker (seriously, please buy a colored version unless you are trying to be invisible with your setup like mine). My USB cables (for power) are also black, my saddle bag under my seat is black, etc. Also my RevoLights on my wheels are black and shine white or red light (front / back). So for me this whole setup is virtually invisible, especially at night. I've been stopped well over a hundred times now (use these daily for the past year) by people who are like, where is the music coming from, there's no way your cell phone (mounted to the front of the bike using a Koomus mount) is that loud. It sounds great, and with your light setup, man that's awesome! 90%+ of people love the setup, the music, etc. Again, I ride daily and frequently in groups. Also in weekly open to the public city rides with 1000's and 1000's of people around riding. I get stopped so often because people want to know what brand speaker I use and where I got it (also, I use like 10 different lights on my bike at night, so many times it's for my light setup as well, check out Nori lights, RevoLights, Monkey lights, etc). The best part is, my setup is minimal in size and look. Many people I ride with have louder music, but they have to use a hitch and trailer for their full size speakers, or a rack on the back to carry a large speaker, with my setup, you don't even see where the sound comes from because at night it's invisible, and even during the day when I come to a stop, my legs block the view of the speakers in their cages. Occassionally (less than a dozen times so far in a year) you get the Debbie Downers, Negative Nancy's, and Grumpy Gramps who don't like that the music is contributing to overall ambient noise (yeah my other option is headphones and not going to kill myself because you get upset that you hear my music for the less than 2 seconds that it takes me to fly by you like a blur). I pause my music when stopped at a red light with people around, because I get it, no one likes the stereotypical late teen / early 20's wannabe in the modified car with all 4 windows down and music blasting, etc... I try to fit in with my surroundings, but at the same time, screw you overly negative people, life is short, I'm on a bike not contributing to the pollution problem, while also getting exercise, and arriving at my destination frequently before car users even. I am a educated and polite cyclist (stop for people, lights, stop signs, signal my turns, follow rules of road, don't go on sidewalks, use bike lane if one exists), but I also am aggressive and defend my rights as a road vehicle (own the full lane when I have a right to, don't let you come over on top of me or turn in front of me from another lane or tailgate me, etc; don't do something illegal or dangerous around me, because I will confront you on it immediately, not in a road rage way, but I won't let you get away with endangering me, and you probably will be on video). Ok done with the soapbox speech! Ride smart bikers, but enjoy your rides and be aware of your surroundings (and polite to the people our there), this speaker is a great add-on for a bike! Final rating: 5 stars for general use; 3.5 stars for bike riders (Add remote volume control logitech!!! And add a volume readout, be more honest on battery life, and for V.2 of the speaker, add track controls to the device.)

I recently moved into an apartment with a balcony. A pretty nice balcony. The kind of balcony that sells you on living in an apartment. Understand? So, I'm sitting on this balcony, overlooking the city, drinking a beer, and I think to myself, "I should be listening to Paul Simon's 'Graceland' album instead of cars and busses driving by." Whip out my phone, start playing the album, and I can't hear a damn thing. And thus begins the search for a bluetooth speaker. I read some reviews, everybody was talking about the UE BOOM and the Bose Soundlink Mini. None of the stores around me had both, so I couldn't do a side-by-side test. So, I ordered both from Amazon, knowing I'd return one and have to eat the shipping cost. I got the UE BOOM first, and I was blown away by how good it sounded. Granted, I'm streaming 320kbps MP3s from my phone to a battery-powered speaker, so it's not like listening to music in a studio. But, man, does this thing sound good. And it gets LOUD. I mean, too loud. Obviously, when it's too loud, you turn it down with the conveniently large and tactile volume buttons. But this would be great for an outdoor dinner party, cookout, pool party, whatever. And the speaker audibly alerts you when you've connected your device to it. A bongo noise comes pa-rum-pum-puming out, and you're ready to play. My second day with the unit, I had a call come in while I was listening to music. The UE BOOM also works as a speakerphone--it has a built in microphone--and the call sounded great on both ends. It's a functionality I thought I wouldn't use, but it sure beats wearing my headset for work conference calls everyday. Sounds better, too. The case is rubberized, and the grill surrounding the speakers feels metallic. It's a solid-feeling product, and the cylindrical shape makes it easy to pack in a shoulder bag for trips. And, it fits in the cupholder in my car, meaning I have a legal hands-free device when I'm driving. I also got the Bose Soundlink Mini. Which sounds INCREDIBLE. I didn't believe anything could sound better than the BOOM, and the Soundlink freaked my earholes. I mean, you get deep, full lows that you can't get with the UE BOOM (unless you use an EQ to do bass boost, which I do on Google Music, but it doesn't sound as good). If you're looking for bass only, the Soundlink is your pick. Lacks some of the UE BOOM feature set (no speakerphone, no audible battery announcement, proprietary battery charger, etc.), but it sounds good. The Soundlink is also designed with a user-replaceable battery, which is a big deal. People on the internet are worried about the BOOM because the battery is not "meant" to be replaceable. But the instruction manual for the BOOM explains how to remove the battery for disposal, so I'm thinking you could buy a new one and stick it in there. But I digress. I decided against the Soundlink for a few reasons. First, you get those deep booming lows, which is great. But you ALWAYS get deep, booming lows. Even on spoken word. So, I'm listening to a podcast, and my table shakes whenever there's a male voice. There's no EQ, and no app built for the phone (unlike the UE BOOM), so I'd have to download an EQ app and play with it constantly. Second, the Soundlink sound distribution is very localized. The BOOM speakers are on both sides of the device, which means you get 360 degrees of sound. One friend said during a sound test, "I can tell where the music is coming from with the Bose, but with the BOOM, I just hear the music all around me." Third, I felt like the Soundlink was more fragile. Yes, it's an all-metal housed device--but that just made me worried. Worried about scratches, and drops, and wear and tear. The BOOM is rubberized, and water resistant, and has a carabiner clip, so you feel comfortable with it rattling around. And I couldn't fit the Soundlink in my cupholder. Bottom line, both the UE BOOM and the Soundlink are great devices. If I wanted a speaker to keep inside my apartment at all times, I might pick the Soundlink. However, I've got my turntable, and my Polk AudioMonitor 70s, and who needs more than that? So, for outside usage, traveling, and the benefit of speakerphone, I've gotta pick the UE BOOM. Happy to answer questions, if folks have them.

This speaker is simply amazing! This speaker truly is a marvel of engineering. The sound it emits is crisp and clear, and it is very versatile. When I first purchased it over a year ago, I was slightly disappointed with the bass performance of the speaker but outside of that, the mids and highs were crisp and clear. In recent months, they did release an update version of their application (more to come) which had an EQ preset for bass boosting and it actually adds quite a bit of bass. Admittedly, the Bose Soundlink Mini provides a louder/larger bass experience but the highs and mids do not come close to this speaker. Regarding the application, it allows you to choose from 4 pre-set EQ settings, or customize your own EQ settings. It also allows you to sync a second BOOM and thereafter choose whether you wish for one to act as a left stereo speaker and the other as the right. in the alternative, you could have each speaker emit both the L/R channels. This speaker stands ahead of competitors for several other reasons: First, the fact that it is micro USB rechargeable almost guarantees that you will have no trouble finding a charger whether at a friends house, work, or home. Heck, who doesn't have an extra micro USB cable lying around? Second, the speaker does offer water resistance (but not water proofing!). This is very useful if you want to use it buy a pool, in the bathroom while taking a hot/steamy shower, or if you live in a humid environment. Third, it is very durable. I have dropped the speaker a couple times and it took it like a champ. The construction is simply remarkable. Fourth, pushing the + and - volume buttons provides you with the remaining battery life - i.e., "40% charged. On a full charge, I easily get over 12 hours of playtime. Fifth, the recent software updates (which you can get by plugging BOOM into computer) fixed prior issues with distortion at high levels of volume. Now, you can go up to maximum or near maximum volume without distortion or shrill sound. Also, it is now easier to find your preferred volume since a recent update changed the original 16 step volume system to 32. By this, I mean that there are 32 volume levels from 0% to 100% volume. However, using the volume adjustment on the speaker still provides 16 so the app will need to be used to get the 32 steps. Sixth, the speaker can be used to make/receive phone calls with its own speaker and mic. This is beneficial if you get a call when listening to music and allows you to clearly and effortlessly have a conversation without messing with the phone/speaker. My only advice here is to be by the speaker (within 10-15 feet i'd say) as the speaker mic is the one you use, and not your phone's. Seventh, the sound is nearly 360 degrees, meaning it will easily fill a room, allowing you to place the speaker at the center of a room. This is because the speaker is round and different than the traditional front-facing design of many competitors including Jambox, Bose, etc. Eigth, placing the speaking in a corner (i.e., on the kitchen counter in a 90 degree corner facing the wall) provides an even louder sound stage. Try it! Lastly, there is a hook at the bottom of the speaker that allows you to hang the speaker from a hook/carabiner. I have used it to attach the speaker to my backpack with a carabiner during a hike. All in all, this is a GREAT product that not only continues to amaze me but also amazes everyone that see and hear it. Many people that have witnessed and experienced its excellence have actually gone out and bought one for themselves. Give it a try - you won't be disappointed!

I couldn't find any reviews comparing the speakers I was interested in, reviewing the features I cared about...so here it is! I was looking for a speaker to be 'portable' (size and battery life, more on this later), rugged (or at least replaceable), and loud enough to fill a reasonable outdoor area with sound without distorting. I compared: - Logitech UE Boom, $180, 2100mah battery http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CM0XHNS/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_1 - Braven BRV 855s $234, 8800mah battery, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DP3QE90/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_0 - Fugoo Tough, $230, 4400mah battery, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IBJ3OBO/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_0 - Sharkk Mobile Boombox, $64, 4400 mah battery, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ES2BQ7M/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 RUGGED: The UE Boom, BRV855s, and Fugoo are all plenty ruggedized. I could buy 4 Sharkk's for the price of 1 Fugoo, so it's replaceable enough for me to not mind that it's not rugged. Everyone scores even! COST: The Sharkk is litterally 1/4th the cost of the BRV 855s and the Fugoo, 1/3rd the cost of the Boom. Sharkk wins for price/value by a mile. SIZE: The BRV855s is much larger than the other 3. The UE Boom, Fugoo, and Sharkk are all about the same size, while the round soda can shape of the Boom makes it more portable and versatile, I feel like. The D-ring on top is nice, I could clip it to my pack or something. UE Boom wins for size. https://www.dropbox.com/s/6ihz2t88hs18uxf/2014-12-20%2013.27.49.jpg?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/cj7x23w8zcpkr3w/2014-12-20%2013.28.31.jpg?dl=0 BATTERY: The UE Boom claims 15hr battery life, but that doesn't seem likely given the tiny (by comparison) battery. I hear reports of less than 4 hours on a full charge. The Fugoo and Sharkk have a 4400mah, while the Braven rocks 8800mah and a 3A charging port to top off your phone. Braven wins for battery by a lot. A side note, only the Braven requires a proprietary DC adapter to charge, the other 3 can charge from standard USB. LOUDNESS: Here's where it gets good, this is really what I cared about. I want to fill up an outdoor area, and get people moving! To compare, I cranked all the speakers to 100% and switched them back and forth on the same track. The Fugoo Tough was sorely disappointing. I updated the firmware and started it in 'loudness' mode, and even then it was by FAR the quietest, and had by FAR the most distortion. Yuck. The Sharkk sounded much better (still a little distortion, but not bad), and got much louder as well. Not quite as loud as I'd really like, but very loud. The UE Boom got a little bit louder than the Sharkk (it was noticeable, but not huge), while distorting less. The Braven blew them all away! WAY louder, very minimal distortion, and then putting it into DTS mode seems to make the speaker really project the sound even further. VERY impressed with the Braven, this thing gets LOUD. SOUND QUALITY: The Fugoo is pretty much disqualified from this category due to all the distortion at max volume. That said, it sounds reasonably well balanced until it begins to distort. The UE Boom seems to lack mids, and completely lack bass on some more bass-heavy songs. It's helped by the EQ in the UE Boom app, but not a ton. The Sharkk sounds surprisingly good! A bit tinny, but plenty of bass, present mids, good clarity. The Braven blows them all away again! Bass is punchy and extends low and tight, sound is balanced, mids are present, highs are crisp and not sibilant...shocking how good this thing sounds! DTS mode kicks it up another notch by offering a surprising amount of soundstage from a couple speakers placed inches away from each other. Braven wins hands down again! NOTES ON 'DOUBLE-UP': The UE Boom and the Braven 855s allow you to pair two of the same speakers together for a L/R stereo pair (yes, this would be $360 for a pair of UE Booms and $470 for the pair of Bravens...a ton of $$). I have used two UE Booms in double up mode extensively - DO NOT BOTHER BUYING TWO UE BOOMS. There is a serious bug with the Boom that causes audio to speed up and drop out when paired in double-up: http://forums.logitech.com/t5/Logitech-UE/UE-Boom-audio-drops-out-every-few-seconds-while-in-Double-Up/m-p/1333545/highlight/false With how much sound one Braven puts out, the idea of having two working as a stereo pair is really exciting...but also really expensive. CONCLUSION: I'm keeping the Braven! This thing gets significantly louder, sounds better, and has more battery life than the other units, while being able to charge my phone. It is larger, and requires a proprietary adapter to charge, so it gets docked a couple points for that. 5-stars in my eyes :) If the size is hard to stomach and you don't need quite as much sound, the UE Boom would be a good choice if you can deal with the shorter battery life. The fact that you can charge it from any USB should help with that. It's got a good shape, the d-ring is handy, it sounds pretty good, and gets nice and loud too! 3 stars, due to poor battery life, sound/loudness, and failure to support double-up If you simply want to be amazed at how much quality you can get for $65, get the Sharkk! This thing is surprising at every turn. Plenty loud for most people (any indoor setting, etc), good battery life, small enough to tote around, and CHEAP! If you're worried about damaging it in the rain or something, buy two! 5 stars due to value! I really wanted to like the Fugoo Tough. It's easily the most rugged of the speakers, and seems really well designed, with all sorts of cool accessories to clip it to bikes and poles and things. Unfortunately, it just doesn't sound good at the volume levels I need, and so I can't recommend it. Also, the voice prompt dude is REALLY annoying. 2 stars, not usable as a speaker for me, despite how much I wanted to like it :(

Turns my Apple phone into a excellent device for a conference call

Love this. Great distance. When my phone is in range it automatically connects!

V Good speakers. Excellent sound, the high and mid are V good and most Indian film songs fall in that range, I couldn't raise vol. to more than 50% inside the house. Tried for 4 hours after full charge now it's 87% so battery life is great and all this for 7.9k

This speaker is compact and has an amazing sound! I definitely recommend the UE Boom products!

Great sound I will be buying another to complete the pair.