Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3 review – in pictures

WELCOME TO BOOMTOWN

Our imaginary pool parties would be nothing without Ultimate Ears’ ever-swelling arsenal of ultra-durable and extraordinarily loud Bluetooth speakers. We’ve had plenty of fun with the Alexa-enthused Megablast and smaller Roll and Wonderboom models in recent years, but it’s about time the Megaboom was given a refresh. Sporting a fetching redesign and a couple of fun new features, the Megaboom 3 is a predictably great addition to the line, and you’re looking for an all-but indestructible audio companion that you can take anywhere, you likely won’t find better.

MEGA MINIMAL

Ultimate Ears prides its speakers on their ability to withstand the roughest treatment. Whether you’re dunking it in the deep blue, passing it between pals at a muddy festival site, or accidentally drop kicking it against a tree, the tough-as-three-Schwarzeneggers material that encases the Megaboom 3 means it lives up to its name without interruption. Owners of the 2015 model will notice that volume controls no longer live on a chunky rubber strap running down the front of the speaker. That’s gone, leaving the Megaboom 3 look decidedly naked in comparison. In its new exhibitionist guise, Ultimate Ears says you get fuller 360 sound. The downside is that, without their own space, the still enormous plus and minus symbols aren’t as easy to find if you’re not looking at the device, and they’re simply not as satisfying to press. Boo.

IT’S A (KIND OF) MAGIC

The other major addition is the modestly-dubbed ‘Magic Button’ that sits between the on/off and pairing buttons on the Megaboom 3’s bonce. We were hoping it’d make it levitate or transform into a labrador puppy, but (somewhat disappointingly) the button’s actual functions are limited to music control without needing to rummage for your phone. A single press will pause/play, while double pressing skips through tracks. If you’re an Apple Music or Deezer subscriber, long pressing keys up your choice of up to four preloaded playlists.

A KICK IN THE BASS

You won’t find many sonic tweaks from the original Megaboom, save for a modified passive radiator that gives the Megaboom 3 a bassier sound. It packs a real thump, and I’d recommend having a twiddle of the EQ if you find it to be too dominant. But nothing much had to change; the Megaboom was already a great-sounding speaker. As is traditional with Ultimate Ears speakers, its size belies its monstrous max volume. It’ll easily fill a normal-sized room with punchy 360 sound, and I didn’t feel like the speaker let down any of my song choices, even if the mids leave a little to be desired. You’re never going to get a flawless soundstage from a £170 Bluetooth speaker, but the Megaboom 3’s is well-balanced and, above all else, just plain fun.

ULTIMATE EARS MEGABOOM 3 VERDICT

The Megaboom 3 didn’t have to do a whole lot to build on the brilliant foundations set by its forerunner. It’s still rugged as hell, easy on the eye and gloriously noisy, while the low end enhancements make it easy to recommend. If, like this writer, you’re of the Apple Music persuasion, summoning playlists with the Magic Button is great, and I can see it being a popular feature for those who work out at home. It’s just a shame the Spotify crowd aren’t afforded the same privilege. The speaker feels nice in the hand, but I’m equally happy to fling it into my backpack without a care. For holidays, road trips, festivals and all-day picnics in the park, Ultimate Ears’ latest is a no-brainer. Booming brilliant.