Ultimate Ears Boom 3 review: Party-ready Bluetooth speaker

Specifications

• Diameter: 73 mm (2.8")
• Height: 184 mm (7.2")
• Weight: 608 g (1.34 lb)
• Maximum Sound Level: 90dBA
• Frequency Range: 90Hz - 20kHz
• Charging port: Micro USB
• Rated battery life: 15 hours
• Drivers: Two 2" drivers and two 2" x 4" Passive Radiators

Design

Hands down, the Ultimate Ears Boom 3 is one of the best looking Bluetooth speakers available in India. I like the fact that the Boom 3 has a simple design approach with minimalistic styling. The outer casing of the speaker is made using two-tone fabric, which is generally used in motorcycle jackets and fire equipment.

The dual-tone fabric increase the overall aesthetics of the speaker, and the lagoon blue color model has both style and substance. The speaker is available in three different colors, and each color looks quite different.

The Ultimate Ears Boom 3 has a micro USB port on the bottom of the speaker, with an air-tight rubber gasket, which prevents water and dust entering into the charging port.

On the top, the speaker has a one-touch magic button, which can be used to pause, play or skip tracks. The button can also be used to choose different playlists, albeit, the latter only works with iOS devices. There is a power button and a dedicated button to pair Bluetooth devices.

Overall, as I mentioned before, the Ultimate Ears Boom 3 speaker is one of the best looking speakers in the market around Rs 15,000 price point.

Water, dust, and shock proof

The Ultimate Ears Boom 3 is IP67 certified against water and dust resistance. The speaker can be used underwater (1 meter deep) up to 30 minutes. Like icing on the cake, the Boom 3 is designed to float on water, which comes handy for those who spend a lot of time around pools. The speaker can also take a few hits and can survive drops from 1.5-meter height.

Though I wasn't able to test the Bluetooth speaker in a pool, I used the Ultimate Ears Boom 3 as my shower speaker, and the results are as expected. The dual-tone, quite hydrophobic cloth helps the speaker to drizzle of the water from the shower and keep the speaker dry.

I usually keep my phone on the bed and connect the speaker to the phone and take it inside the shower. Even with more than 10 meters of distance (with a door in between) I did not face any issue with respect to Bluetooth reception.

The cylindrical shape also helps to keep the speaker on a flat surface without any issue. Yes, the Ultimate Boom 3 is definitely water-resistance. However, I would have liked to see the IP68 rating, which will improve the standby time of the speaker when immersed under-water.

Party-ready Bluetooth speaker

The Ultimate Ears is definitely is party Bluetooth speakers. Though the company claims that the speakers can last up to 15 hours of playback time, in reality, it offers around 12 to 13 hours of playback time (with 50 to 60% volume).

Even if you spill your drinks on the Ultimate Ears Boom 3, just take the speaker to a sink and rinse it under tap water to make it tidy, again.

Coming to the actual sound-output of the speaker, the Ultimate Ears Boom 3 delivers good sound profile. I did not notice any distortion in the sound quality even at 100% volume, which is an excellent thing for a Bluetooth speaker.

I have been using the Ultimate Ears Boom 3 Bluetooth speaker from the last few days, and I have spellbound for the rich sound the speaker offers. The speaker is capable of reproducing good quality sound with clear differentiation between bgm and vocals.

I was able to differentiate lows and mids even at extremely lower and higher volume range. However, the bass on the Ultimate Ears Boom 3 is not up to the mark, and changing the EQ settings did not make any difference. This does not mean that the speaker does not have a good bass profile, it just did not meet my expectation.

Ultimate Ears Boom app

The Ultimate Ears Boom 3 can be paired with either an Android or iOS device. Users can also download the Ultimate Ears Boom app (on iOS and Android) to further customize the sound profile of the speaker.

Using the Boom app the speaker can be turned off and there is an option to choose between different Equaliser settings like the standard, cramped spaces, voices, bass jump, or there is an option to create custom EQ, where the app gives an options to play with bass, mid, and treble.

The app can also be used to set the alarm with an option to choose the alarm music, and it allows to select different languages. The app also allows to pair up to 150 Boom and Mega Boom Bluetooth speakers under PartyUp settings.

A few drawbacks

The Ultimate Ears Boom 3 is definitely one of the best speakers that I have tested in the last few months. It offers a stealthy look. It is water and dust resistance. It has an incredible battery life and a lot more. However, at the asking price of Rs 15,990, I felt that the speaker should have offered the following features.

• IP68 rating for improved water-resistance
• AUX in/out
• USB type-C port with fast charging support
• microSD card slot

Verdict

The Ultimate Ears Boom 3 Bluetooth speaker is for those, who are looking for a premium, good looking Bluetooth speaker. Ultimately, the Ultimate Ears Boom 3 Bluetooth speaker is compact yet a powerful pool-side Bluetooth speaker, which can take an accidental liquid splash (water, beer, etc.).

If you are in the market for a Bluetooth speaker around Rs 15,000, then go for the Ultimate Ears Boom 3 speaker. You can easily find similar sounding Bluetooth speakers around Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 price with a few compromises, especially with the build quality and water-resistance rating.