Description
Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM is a portable wireless speaker on steroids. Blast freakishly amazing 360-degree sound with deep, heart-pounding bass-everywhere you go. Audio Frequency Range: 60Hz (Hertz) – 20kHz (Hertz) .
From the manufacturer
Ultimate Ears
MEGABOOM
Blast freakishly amazing sound with the seriously waterproof wireless speaker that starts a party anywhere.
AllTheTech –
Ultimate Cycling SpeakerMegabooms are the ultimate cycling speaker! The overall mix of loud volume, tight upper bass at high volume, lack of distortion (dynamic compression) at high volume, battery life, and waterproof case makes this a clear winner.Party Up Mode: With the app you can pair 2 (up to 50) of these and play off a single phone! I’ve had 4 hooked up at once at a camp site and its a crowd pleaser. People will stop and ask you what speaker it is.. not because its loud, or even that the sound quality is mind-blowing.. Mostly because of the sound stage you get from having stereo sound (L and R speaker in different locations) in an unexpected location (not a house). Don’t underestimate the additional sound quality you get from having the drums and bass in the left speaker and vocals and lead guitar in the right. Especially at a camp site or backyard BBQ. Especially when one speaker is on your bike and the other is on your wife’s bike and you pass someone by going around them (one on each side) and they get a brief couple seconds of stereo sound, and are completely confused how you’re playing 2 speakers at once. A good sound stage delivers you an experience where you can visually place each instrument, and this feature allows you to do this just about anywhere. That alone makes this product incredible that you can do so just about anywhere. You can also do a party mode where you let as many people as possible create a public playlist through the app.. Cool stuff. Also, bluetooth range is amazing (when you have line of sight).Ok, think multiple speakers is a gimmick and you won’t buy 2? Fine. Its still an solid speaker if you only own 1. The bass is not the deepest out there (JBL Charge 2+ better bass, but not waterproof and doesn’t get very loud). If you want an outdoor speaker that has pretty good bass, high volume, waterproof, and low distortion at high volume there’s not anything else out there that checks all the boxes. Its case is robust so it makes for the perfect outdoor/cycling speaker. Oh, and the battery life exceeded my expectations by several hours.. or should I say days. I hoped I could get through an entire day of RAGBRAI (7 day bike ride across Iowa) at 3/4 to full volume. It lasted 3 days at 6-7 hours per day (not always at full volume, but at least half, usually 3/4). I think the battery is only like 2600mAh, but the speaker uses 2 x 2″ drivers and 2 x 4″ passive radiators, which is why you get the awesome battery life with only a 2600 mAh battery. Not to get too techy, but passive radiators use air pressure trickery from drivers and allows massive bass without actually powering the “bass speakers”, so to speak. Look up “passive radiators”.. cool tech. Ok, I’m in the weeds here.Mounting is a little awkward on a road bike since its bigger than most. I just stretched out my metal water bottle cage and added a velcro strap. Stays in place well enough for road biking at 20-30 mph. The internet mostly recommended the Topeak cage to mount a Megaboom to a bike, but I found it to be even more awkward and too tight, resulting in unnecessary rubbing and scuffing of my Booms. Emphasis on ROAD BIKE, not mountain bike. Your results may vary jumping off rocks from 5′. Tap Control doesn’t work very well.. Tap top of speaker twice for skip, once for play pause, and pulling out your phone is a pain. Your life will immediately improve if you buy a media button for cycling (Satechi Bluetooth Button
Brady Slaughter –
Even though its an almost outdated speaker (2015), it still is a great purchase.I’ve been a big supporter of Logitech for years starting with their G27 steering wheel and onto mice and keyboards and now speakers all with their typical little drawbacks because it’s Logitech. This Megaboom is superb with obviously a few drawbacks, but is overall a very great speaker. I was very surprised by its size the first time I opened the package which also was very well done and put together. I highly recommend purchasing a 12 inch waterproof tripod such as Ubeesize https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077PNS1L1/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1.The Good:For its cylindrical shape and small footprint, it packs a big punch with the equalizer set correctly.The app is very good and has no problems. When setting an eq, it basically flashes the memory of the speaker so that on any device, the speaker plays according to the equalizer last set on the speaker, so putting a bass heavy equalizer on it means that on my PC the sound will play like it still has the equalizer on it. In order to alter the equalizer, i have to connect it to whichever device has the UE app installed and change the equalizer and reconnect to a different device.Bass is fantastic with the correct eq setting, and it gets very loud in certain places. With a bass accented eq, a small room is easily filled up with sound.Voice and treble are fantastic with the correct eq setting, and also in certain places it gets loud and crisp. At the waterfalls with rocky surfaces everywhere, the flat eq does great with listening at a distance 3/4 volume to the point of the bluetooth starts stuttering because of how far away from the speaker I am (100ft).Controlling the music is relatively easy. You can tap the top to play/pause or double tap to skip, or even press the bluetooth button to activate Siri and tell her to play something.Battery life is outstanding obviously pending on usage. I usually never listen above half volume around a few hours every day of the week playing music or audio from a movie or tv show. I usually recharge it every 2-3 weeks and i have charged it probably 4 times since i got the speaker.The speaker is waterproof and floats, but it is not dustproof, only IPX7 which is fully submersible 1m 30 min. IP67 is full dustproof if i recall correctly. I test dropped in the pool and in a pond at the falls, and it dropped pretty quickly and a few feet deep but immediately floated to the surface. It turns itself off if the top (tweeters) get submerged but immediately turns back on and continues playing once its out of the water. If only the bottom (subwoofers) get submerged it continues playing. I have yet to dunk it in saltwater though Logitech put it in the sand and saltwater and it seemed to be fine on their website.It has the ability to wireless connect up to 100 other speakers using the UE app, not sure if have to be specifically Megabooms, and have yet to try that because I am the only one of my friends and family to own a Megaboom.Because the speakers is connecting by LE, the app still recognizes the speaker and connects to it even when it is turned off, so it can be remotely turned on and off and adjust the volume in the app.Charging is relatively fast at around a few hours from 10-100% with the regular 10watt charger.Because the speaker is set up with speakers 180 degrees from each other making it basically stereo, the 360 degrees of listening is pretty good depending on how you position the speaker.Having a hybrid/full smartwatch such as Fossil Q or Apple Watch helps with controlling music without having to look at your phone or touch the speaker for ease of use.The Bad:Every once in a while, there will be a few pops probably from the elongated source range but that seems to have occurred less with a couple software updates.The tap controls only work if your physically holding the speaker otherwise it will not work on hard tops. The controls will mostly register on softer materials like a comfy sofa chair and being held in the air, but not on a hard table.I dont like that it is not dust rated because I go to college in Daytona Beach and go to the beach every once in awhile, so having dustproof rating would be better peace of mind.Besides the few minor and major drawbacks, this speaker is a must if you travel a lot or even just travel to other rooms in your house. Its superb sound quality and ability to use with a tripod and near water means it can be put anywhere with great peace of mind. I spent days researching a good speaker between the JBL Xtreme and Fugoo XL and went with UE because of the dedicated app with equalizer and great cylindrical footprint (Fugoo is lengthy) with nothing showing that could be punctured (JBL subs).
Eudaimonium –
Feature Rich, but Sound Quality Deficient When Compared to Soundlink III.I had high expectations for the UE Megaboom since I was looking for something with more features and longer battery life to replace a Bose Soundlink III. Amazon had the charcoal version selling for over $100 off the normal price, and I thought that was a great time to try out the Megaboom since I’d read favorable reviews and liked the look of the design.I’ve been frustrated with the Soundlink III primarily because of the lack of features, most notably not being able to tell when it’s reached max volume with an audible cue and the fact that it demands you hold the volume buttons down to change the volume rather than allowing incremental presses (why can’t I take it to full, and then just back it off three presses?). The Soundlink III also only has a rudimentary light denoting battery level that doesn’t give you more of an indication than low, medium or fully charged. I liked that the Megaboom has these relatively simple features. I liked that Logitech has an app for their speaker and that they appear to make firmware refinements, whereas I don’t think Bose has done anything to update the Soundlink III to add some simple features despite having a dedicated USB port on the back for that purpose; even the Bose Mini II has more features than the dramatically more expensive Soundlink III.So, why only three stars for the Megaboom? Well, primarily audio quality. I’m odd in that I’m really not interested in a portable speaker through which to play music from a phone or tablet. I want to use it as a portable external speaker for my Traveler guitar using the AUX input. This use quickly demonstrated some shortcomings in the Megaboom.First, was that a strong bass note like the low E will make the Megaboom’s speakers buzz and breakup at high volume. This does not happen with the Soundlink III, at any volume. The same goes for hitting muted power chords. The Megaboom just can’t handle them gracefully the way the Bose speaker can. I should add here that the Megaboom is a bit louder than the Soundlink III at top volume, and when I lowered the volume of the Megaboom using a dB meter for a fair comparison the problem was less noticeable, but still there. When hitting a low E chord, the other higher notes helped to mask the buzzing from the bass note, but it was still there if you listened closely. I also tried using the equalizer in the Megaboom app, and the “Custom” equalizer setting knocked the bass back a bit emphasizing the mids and alleviated the buzz at the highest volume, but not still not entirely. When listening to music, you’d probably notice this while listening to any music at higher volumes with a strong bass line. This would bother me. Again, the bass on the Soundlink III remained clear and defined at all volumes without having to try and manipulate anything. I want to add here that the Bose Soundlink Mini II exhibited the same raspy buzz when confronted with deep bass notes that sounds very similar to that of the Megaboom, so I sort of feel like the Megaboom has a sound quality similar to that of the much less expensive Soundlink Mini II, while only offering a little more in terms of volume.The second thing I noticed was that there was a noticeable delay of about a 1/8 second from striking a note on the guitar to hearing it through the Megaboom, and this was through the AUX input, not via bluetooth. I can only imagine that the delay through bluetooth would be even more noticeable. I guess the Megaboom’s doing quite a bit of processing to the music, even to an uncompressed source coming in through the aux input. I’m sure there is somewhat of a delay using the Soundlink III and Mini II as well, but it wasn’t discernible and I’d be likely to drive myself mad trying to hear it. So, if someone’s application for the Megaboom speaker demands low latency (as in viewing video with audio), then it would probably be a disappointment. For simply listening to music, it would be fine.The third failing I noticed was while being paired with my iPhone 7. While paired, the Megaboom issued at high pitched hum/squeal. Not something you’d hear from a few feet away, but up close (2-3)’ and without any music playing it was audible. The sound would immediately disappear when I unpaired the speaker from my phone. Didn’t experience anything like this with the Soundlink III or Mini II.While I found the physical design of the Megaboom aesthetically pleasing, when placed horizontally, the cylindrical Megaboom obviously will want to roll. If you intend to use the AUX input and/or charge it while in use, you are basically forced to place the speaker into this horizontal position. Not really a big deal since it does find a resting place when the rubber strip along the side with the volume buttons settles onto a flat surface. However, in that position you want the speaker grill facing you, but that means the volume controls are now faced both away from you and slightly underneath the speaker which makes them hard to get to, to the point where I found myself having to pick the speaker up to change the volume. I’m pretty certain I would always find that annoying. You could place the speaker on end with the AUX and USB inputs facing up, but then the power and Bluetooth buttons are entirely underneath the speaker, which isn’t ideal either.Overall, I’d say that if you’re using the Megaboom at low levels in a quiet environment, these issues would probably not be issues, nor would they be if you’re using it in a loud environment at higher volumes where a lot of ambient noise would drown the deficiencies. My intended use was a bit more demanding than that from a sound quality perspective. If the many features of the Megaboom, durability, and considerably longer battery life are really important to you, then I’d say it’s a decent choice. For my purposes with the Traveler guitar, the Bose Soundlink III was clearly and immediately the better choice in terms of sound quality, so I guess I’m stuck with the niggling little deficiencies of that speaker for a while longer.
Jaimeperez –
Muy buenoTodo bien
Darl Clarkenberry –
Great water-proof speaker, awesome software features that continue to get better, and amazing sound.First off… this thing is amazing. I originally bought the BOOM and while it was great too, it just wasn’t enough for me. After almost a month with the MEGABOOM, the $100 difference between the two was totally worth it. I spent about a week with the UE BOOM, and the audio quality was great. I’m certainly no audiofile, but I know how good speakers should sound. The lows were so-so, a bit punchy and monotonous. The mids and highs were great, very clear. They remained clear just about all the way through the volume spectrum. The thing I didn’t like was that it really didn’t get loud enough for my taste. And the music I listen to is complimented well by good sounding bass. So, I forked over the extra hundred for the MEGABOOM, and ahhhhhhh. This thing sounds so good. I’ve brought it to parties, pools, the river, and everywhere in between. It always catches everyones eyes, and most importantly, their ears. This thing will easily fill up a backyard of loud people with plenty of sound. The bass is so much better. A bit boomy, but the equalizer can fix that problem pretty quick. As someone on here mentioned, the equalizer is not so much an equalizer (it seems to just slightly mute the frequencies that aren’t turned up the most), but it does the trick all the well. The features this thing has are amazing. It is full IPX7 waterproof (I haven’t fully tested this yet, I’m kind of scared. But, its good to know it has it in case something happens), 100 foot of bluetooth distance (I have tested this, and I can take my iphone at LEAST 100 feet away with no issues), it has 180 degree sound which is one of my favorite things about it (all of my previous bluetooth speakers didn’t, and it was one of the things I hated about them. You had to literally be right in front of them to get good sound), the battery life is crazy long, and it has an amazing app with bluetooth 4.0 that adds so many more features. I now use this thing as my morning alarm, and with the app you can set it to play music from any source on your phone (iTunes radio, spotify, stored music, and even music stream you can find a url for). At first I worried something would happen and it wouldn’t wake me up and I would miss work (which really would have been nice), but it never happened. Every single morning, this thing wakes me up with a gentle ramp up in volume of my favorite music. I press the bluetooth button, and it snoozes for 9 or 10 minutes, and then when I finally get up after 4 or 5 snoozes (I know, I have a problem), just hit the power button to turn it off. Sometimes it will lose the stream or the music app your using will close or something, but it will wake you up with a default built in alarm which isn’t as pleasant to wake up to, but at least it still wakes you up. I probably listen to it for at least 4 hours a day. And I charge it MAYBE once a week. Thats crazy.Great water-proof speaker, awesome software features that continue to get better, and amazing sound. Worth the price? In my opinion, ohh yes.EDIT:Do not purchase this thing until Logitech fixes the firmware. This speaker has gone from my favorite speaker I’ve ever owned, to pretty much useless over 2 firmware updates. No, you can’t roll back the firmware, and no, Logitech doesn’t seem to care to fix it.Issues that exist now that didn’t exist before:1. Double up (now called Party Up) doesn’t work at all. There is now no way to connect multiple speakers. It was supposed to be a new “feature” that you can now connect more than 2 of these, but it turns out now you can’t connect any of them. Read all the reviews on the app, no one has been able to get it to work since the update.2. Volume of sounds like volume and start up/shut down are now maxed out at full volume, which is extremely annoying and will wake up anyone sleeping within a 100 foot radius. There is no way to adjust it (when starting it up), just be prepared every time you turn the thing on your ears will get blasted. The only way to adjust it after it is already on is to play music, and then adjust the volume on the speaker or player (phone). It should then play sounds at that volume until it is turned off.3. The alarm feature is now useless due to the issue above. Any alarm you set will wake you at 100% volume, and usually won’t play the music you select. So, you get the default beeping sound at full volume and want to kill yourself. Effective at waking, but painful. Back to using my phone as my alarm.4. The app more than half of the time doesn’t connect to the speaker anymore. Takes a few restarts and re-pairing to get it to connect. This never used to be an issue.5. The new app layout is terrible. Yes it’s nice and fancy looking, but all it did was make it take more time to get the essential things done.It’s unfortunate that the software team has nearly ruined what is a great piece of hardware. There was a new firmware update that I installed this morning, hoping it would fix the issues, but of course it didn’t. I’ve removed 2 stars from my original review, and I’ll add them back once the issues are fixed. If I was on the fence about buying one now, I would hold off until the issues are fixed, or purchase something else from a company with a better software team.
IT Guy –
Absolutely Amazing Speaker – Great for the Outdoor Enthusiast!Long review, so buckle up! I bought the Megaboom after buying the Boom II. I’ll add a quick comparison overview at the end of this review.Short review: (scroll down for pros and cons) Excellent sound, excellent quality, and easy to use! 9.5/10Overview:The Megaboom is hands down the best wireless speaker I have owned.Utility: I bought it to use at several beach/river trips I had coming up during the summer. I tested to see if it actually floats in the pool, and it does! I threw it in, but it does takes a few seconds to resurface, but eventually it made its way back up. I clipped a carabiner and added a float device on as well so it would resurface quickly if anything happened, then hooked it to my tube and floated the river for 6 hours without any issues. I dunked it in the water a few times to show off a bit and everyone was impressed. I’ve taken it to the beach and set it in the sand and let it play. I even took it to a natural spring to hang out with friends. It is an absolute blast to be able to toss around the speaker and skip songs, or use the voice function to play a different one. Mostly I use this in the shower/bathroom when getting ready in the morning, and I typically have to charge it every 3-4 weeks, which is absolutely amazing!Sound: I am blown away by the sound from this wireless speaker. I have gotten compliments on it just about everywhere I bring it. I’ve already talked two people into buying it! The app does a great job of having some good pre-set sound settings (extra bass, voice boost for podcasts, etc.). The sound is extremely loud and can fill a room indoors. Outdoors it is loud enough to have a good time, without worrying about it easily being drown out. My only real complaint is that it seems to overheat in the sun and shut down after a few hours of direct sunlight, so I would quickly fix this by placing it under a beach chair or something similar.Pros:Shockproof!! (I dropped this (about 4 feet) in my bathroom on a tile floor and had a minor freak out knowing I joke broke my expensive speaker, but it just kept playing, no issues at all!)Waterproof/floatsVoice controlled audioExtremely strong soundMobileApp controlled/remote turn onVariable audio settingsLong battery life (sometimes I go 3-4 weeks without charging)Bluetooth range is extremely strong (I’ll carry it with my as I do chores on different floors of the house without losing signal from my phone)Cons:Shuts down when in direct sunlightBattery life is a bit shorter when using at full volume outsideLong charge time (although can still be used while charging)Some people may say that the price point is a con, but you get what you pay for. This is a solid speaker that is worth every penny for the outdoor enthusiast!Megaboom vs Boom III initially bought the Boom II and absolutely loved it. I used it mostly indoors, and have zero complaints. The sound quality is great, but outdoors, is where the Megaboom really shines. If you are mostly indoors in smaller rooms, the Boom II is more than powerful enough. However, if you have large open areas, or are outdoors, always pick the Megaboom!
Hoppaguy –
Go with Megaboom if you plan on using outdoors, big jambox if indoorsOk I know there’s tons of reviews on the large portable speaker segment but I own the big 3 which are the UE Megaboom, Big Jambox and the Bose Soundlink 3. To keep it simple, in my opinion it really depends on how you plan on using your speaker. I won’t call myself a professional audiophile but I can definitely tell that the Bose has the best quality sound BUT I would actually only buy either the UE Megaboom or the Big Jambox. The reason I say this is because the UE Megaboom is by far the best portable speaker if you plan on taking it outside like the beach, park, etc. Not only is it shock proof but it’s also waterproof up to 30 min in 1 meter of water. My speaker has been dropped off a table multiple times and just really abused and it’s still going strong. The sound is great and gets loud with decent bass (not as loud as Big Jambox, more on that later). The battery life is great too as I can get more than 10 hours on the loudest setting. The unique part about the Megaboom is the 360 degree sound which is great for outdoors because you don’t have to be directly in front of the speaker. The Bluetooth range is amazing too, I can go easily 50 feet and it does break up. There is nifty app in the iOS and Android store which you can do firmware updates and play with the settings. Now if you want the loudest speaker in this category, the Big Jambox is the loudest sounding speaker with good quality and bass. The reason for this is the speaker is front facing so if you’re standing in front of it, this thing can really blast some tunes with bass. The Bose doesn’t come close to being as loud. Even though this is the loudest with good quality speaker, I would still only buy this for inside use or for use in a back patio. The design of the speaker is not built for taking to the beach or anywhere it could fall. Plus in large outdoor spaces the UE Megaboom’s 360 degree sound is great. Finally back to the Bose, I wouldn’t buy this speaker because it’s not as loud as the Big Jambox and it’s not as rugged as the Megaboom. Overall the UE Megaboom is my favorite speaker to play n my office and then I grab it and take wherever because Aof it’s ruggedness!
C. Marvin –
Awesome speaker, no lifespanAs far as Bluetooth speakers go, the UE Megaboom KICKS. I’ve owned two of these and have used them paired together and separately for about 2 years.These are compact enough to fit in the cup holders on my backpack, but they still pump out some serious volume across the spectrum. The bass is enough to not feel flat, but it could be a smidge deeper. The rest of the spectrum shines through.Where these speakers really hit the mark is when they’re paired together. They pair in stereo so they have a left and right channel. I had them on opposite sides of a 25ish x 15ish room and it was the next best thing to having actual surround sound. I would place them in my backpack cupholders on opposite sides of one another when I longboarded and it was phenomenal.Here’s the bad:They’re inconsistent with charging, even when using the official UE charger. Sometimes they simply won’t charge despite the charging light indicating it is. Sometimes that light won’t even come on and you have to factory reset the device multiple times for it to work. Occasionally that won’t even work, and trying days later the speaker miraculously works again. I can’t explain it, but I’ve gone through two of these and they’ve both experienced this.Pairing both speakers together through the UE app is inconsistent at best. Pairing one speaker will sometimes unpair the other. It seldom worked on the first attempt. If you received a phone call while they both paired, one of the speakers would unpair and you’d have to undergo the pairing process through the app again. This was on an iPhone 7 Plus.This isn’t that bad of an issue, but more of a pet peeve. Even if the device is turned completely down, the “device voice” for low battery will be at seemingly max volume as will be the chime that plays when you turn it on.The really bad:I left the speaker unattended while charging (my fault), and when I came back, the mini USB connector had MELTED INTO THE CHARGING PORT. The shielding around the wire and mini USB connector melted into the material around the port. It was so melted together it took a decent amount of effort with a knife to cut it away. I was not home when this occurred, but thankfully it didn’t start a major fire and was cool to the touch when I found it. All products used were from the UE Megaboom box. There were no 3rd party components.All-in-all, I might actually purchase two of these again if the price drops. If it wasn’t for the potential fire or the charging issues I’ve had with these, they would EASILY get five stars.
Hezi –
I was replacing my amazing little Sony SRS X-33 with something I was hoping to be a big upgrade. I initially purchased a Sony SRI was replacing my amazing little Sony SRS X-33 with something I was hoping to be a big upgrade. I initially purchased a Sony SRS X-55 but something there was missing for the high price tag so I returned and after an internet research I set my mind on the UE Megaboom. While the Megaboom design and features were fantastic, it had a disappointing bass. I decided to stop at Best Buy for a quick survey of what’s available and what’s on display. My visit extended from 10 minutes to an hour. Best Buy has probably 20 portable wireless speakers connected to a music source one could test. Out of all the models, one shine above all the rest; the JBL Extreme. Best Buy didn’t agree for a price match so I decided to go home and buy it from Amazon.At home, I continued researching and I came across OontZ Angle 3XL ULTRA. One of the reviewers claimed to listen to it side by side with the JBL and wrote he and his friends picked it over the JBL for loudness and bass. I am not looking for loudness (though it can’t hurt) but I am looking for a rich and full sound. I decided to order the JBL and the Oontz. Today I was listening to the Sony, UE, JBL and Oontz side by side and here are my conclusions:#4 Sony SRS X-33: my little Sony still have an amazing sound, it just that it’s small and so is the sound.#3 OontZ Angle 3XL ULTRA: while louder than the Sony, the highs are not as clear as the JBL or UE and the lows are better than the UE but don’t come nearly close to the JBL (thank you dishonest reviewer with an agenda to glorify an undeserving speaker for probably personal profit)#2 UE Megaboom: the highs and mids of this speakers are fantastic and better then the JBL by a small margin. The design, waterproof built, size, battery charge via any micro USB are far superior to the JBL but the sound is missing on lows big time. Placing the speaker in a corner helps, but still, no pronounced base. More like a ghost of a bass.#1 JBL Extreme: while twice as heavy and large with an inferior tech in comparison to the UE, this was my speaker of choice. The sound is so rich and full, much superior to all the rest I tested. It worth noting it can get real loud and still sound fantastic. There are more features I didn’t mention like internal battery life and spec that does make a difference but I focused on what’s matters, the sound.
ZrowGz –
OK For most people probably, but I like higher quality sound and full range of bass notes. But look at the others I mention.I purchased multiple bluetooth speakers to compare and decide which one I wanted. I’m awaiting the Karmon Kardon Onyx 3 still, but I’ve tested the JBL Xtreme and the Fugoo XL Style alongside this UE Megaboom. This one was the smallest of the four, but not the cheapest. The size and weight are what give it the stars, as well as the ability to daisy chain multiple speakers together. But, when it comes to the sound quality, I was disenchanted in less than one minute. The bass is totally lacking. Not only does it not have the lower excursions, but the rest of the audio ranges all sound kind of mushy. It just lacks the clarity I’d expect from a speaker at this price, Even on sale for $240. Also, the audio is not truly 360. You have to face the controls away from you to get the best sound. But if you want decently portable and durable, OK. But check out these other ones:The JBL Xtreme is the largest and heaviest, and is great if you need LOUD, very LOUD, especially in the bass ranges where it has an extreme bass boost going on. It was excellent for EDM, but seems like a poor choice for many other types of music, even when switching my iPhone to Bass Reducer mode. Voices boom during TV shows, but it is great for dancing AND you can connect multiple together (not sure why you’d need to since it is so loud!). It’s also really really big. Like almost a half gallon mason jar sized tube. The audio only sounds good when you’re in front of that speaker. They claim water resistance, but the connections like power port and usb, etc are all just behind an awkward zipper which made the power plug keep falling out. Even so, I left it plugged in for over a day and it never seemed to fully charge, which makes me question it’s battery life.The Fugoo XL (style or whatever version you want) is crushing it. It is so waterproof in the style and sport shells that it floats. It is DURABLE. For sure. But most importantly, the sound quality is superb. It hits the lowest bass notes I’ve heard outside a 2.1 type system. It doesn’t come with the carrying strap unlike the JBL Xtreme, which is an unfortunate extra $30 purchase.This also doesn’t get nearly as loud at all in comparison to the Xtreme. But I got yelled at by my upstairs neighbors while testing it’s upper range. I heard distortion up at the absolute max setting, but same with all the others, including the JBL. The audio is crisp and clean with this speaker. And it literally has speakers sticking out of every side, so although it isn’t startlingly loud in one direction, it sounds just as excellent if you’re in front, behind, or to the sides. Put it in the middle of a room and you’re set. The outdoor mode seems to reduce bass and up the mid ranges since those are the areas that would be more drowned out. The style body looks gorgeous, but I kind of want to have the Sport version since the buttons on top light up in the dark, while these do not. I’ll order that and compare. The Fugoo XL is around $200 right now, so if you’re in the market for a larger speaker (slightly larger than a nalgene liter bottle) then buy it ASAP. Did I also mention that this thing has an estimated battery life of 35 hours?? That’s like 4 times what most other speakers get. It’s a winner. For SURE