Ultimate Ears has churned out one sterling audio equipment after another, offering insanely good portable speakers that are rugged enough to withstand the elements while looking ridiculously cool. Our choice for the best Bluetooth speaker for 2019, the Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3, is the epitome of superior portable sound, the recipient of a nearly perfect score from our hard-to-please team of editors.
This sharp-looking and great-sounding wireless speaker is available on Amazon for 15% less. Make the Megaboom 3 fuel parties with headbanging tunes for $170
The cylindrical Megaboom 3 comes in many colors, including Lagoon (blue), Night (black), Ultraviolet (purple), and Sunset (red). It has two massive volume buttons on the side — Ultimate Ears’ signature look — and its exterior is protected by a high-density fabric that makes it ideal for outdoor use.
With an IP67 water-resistance rating, this portable speaker can withstand virtually any type of abuse. You can take it with you while swimming (this speaker floats) or tag it along on muddy camping grounds. Just make sure the water is no more than three feet deep and it won’t stay submerged for more than 30 minutes. Its multifunctional top button — Ultimate Ears calls it the “Magic button” — can be used to play and pause a song, skip tracks, and even pull up an assigned playlist. You don’t even need to pick up your smartphone to listen to your favorite tracks.
One of the issues of the older Booms and Megabooms is you have to turn them upside down in order to charge them. Thankfully, Ultimate Ears has repositioned the Micro USB charging port of the Megaboom 3 on the side, so you can now charge it upright. This speaker also pairs with smartphones via Bluetooth quickly, and its signal strength is strong enough to continue playing even with several walls in the way. You can also set it up to play simultaneously with other Ultimate Ears speakers.
When it comes to sonic performance, the Megaboom 3 is powerful, punchy, and perfect. It can go incredibly loud without sacrificing audio quality, and the way it disperses sound is pretty impressive. It projects a bold and vibrant sound in all directions, which can easily fill a room and won’t sound tinny outdoors. Finally, the Megaboom 3 is guaranteed to make parties last longer, thanks to its 20-hour long battery life.
Unfortunately, you can’t engage with Siri or Google Assistant with the Megaboom 3, and there’s no built-in mic so you can’t use it as a speakerphone.
The Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3 is extremely rugged, looks gorgeous, lasts long, and sounds amazing. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better Bluetooth speaker at its price range. In fact, its performance puts to shame other more expensive brands.
For more options click here for our best Bluetooth speakers for 2019. And for more awesome deals visit our curated deals page.
