Nowadays, speakers that feature virtual assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant have virtually overshadowed regular ones that just want to party and play music. But if you don’t want artificial intelligence to overhear every conversation you and your family are having, the Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3 is a great option. This Bluetooth speaker got a nearly perfect score from us and made it to our list of the best wireless speakers for 2019. Right now, the Megaboom 3 is available on Amazon for a cool 15% off.
Tap your toes to the this remarkably loud and incredibly rugged portable speaker for $170 instead of $200. What’s even cooler is that you can get an additional $50 off instantly upon approval for the Amazon Rewards Visa Card, bringing the price down to $120.
The Megaboom 3 is shaped like a cylinder and comes in various colors, including Lagoon (blue), Night (black), Ultraviolet (purple), and Sunset (red). It has two enormous 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.
When we say the Megaboom 3 is incredibly rugged we do mean it, as this speaker can withstand virtually any type of abuse. It has an IP67 water-resistance rating, which means 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 that it doesn’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 music simultaneously with other Ultimate Ears speakers wirelessly.
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 battery life.
Unfortunately, as we’ve already mentioned, 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.