How do you make the UE Boom, one of the best Bluetooth speakers you can buy, even better? You make it 25% louder, water- and dust-proof, and double its wireless range.
Two years after the UE Boom hit the scene with its fabric-woven cylindrical design and 360-degree sound, Ultimate Ears is finally back with a successor: the UE Boom 2.
The Boom 2 isn't so much as a complete revolution as it is an evolution. It's still roughly the same size as a water bottle and has an impressive 15-hour battery life on a single charge, but the details have been tightened and refined.
At first glance, the Boom 2 doesn't look very different than the Boom, but if you compare the two, you'll see the woven fabric exterior on the new model is tighter than the old one. Ultimate Ears' general manager Rory Dooley told me this closer-knit design will allow its partnered artists to create even higher resolution limited edition speakers; the Boom was released in 46 different versions.
The biggest improvement, is of course, within the speaker. Dooley says the Boom 2 is 25% louder with fuller and richer sound. I gave the speaker a brief listen, switching between a variety of different music genres, and the sound quality did seem less distorted at higher volumes.
Want even louder, more room-filling sound? Fire up the UE Boom 2 app (iOS and Android) and you can connect the Boom 2 to another Ultimate Ears speaker (any one) using the "Double Up" feature. The app also lets you power on/off the speaker from afar and set music alarms to wake up to.
And if you thought the Boom's 50-foot range was plenty, know this: the Boom 2 has a 100-foot range. There's even a tap-the-top-of-the-speaker to skip to a next song gesture control.
Aside from clearer and louder sound, the Boom 2 is water-, drop- and dust-proof design. The speaker is IPX7-rated and can be submerged in 3-feet of water for up to 30 minutes. Translation: the Boom 2 is the perfect beach buddy.
How much will this updated Boom 2 cost? The same as the old Boom. Ultimate Ears will start selling the speaker by the end of September for $199.99. The original Boom will be discontinued. And like the old Boom, it'll come in a bunch of different colors: BrainFreeze, Cherrybomb, GreenMachine, Phantom, Tropical, and Yeti.