The new UE Epicboom is a $350 Bluetooth speaker
Where will you go after branding your speakers with names like Boom, Megaboom, Hyperboom and Wonderboom? Well, it seems like a natural progression that led Ultimate Ears to “Epicboom”. This is the new speaker that the company just announced today. It’s a chunky device that gives off more of a Sonos Move aura than UE’s signature cylindrical Bluetooth speakers. At $349.99, the 4.36-pound Epicboom promises 360-degree audio output from a 4.6-inch woofer and two 45mm tweeters.
This speaker has an IP67 dust and water resistance rating — that’s a win over the Move’s IP56 rating and means you can submerge it for up to 30 minutes — and it’ll last for 17 hours of playback on a charge, the company claims.
Basically this is still just a bluetooth speaker; There is no Wi-Fi element for better sound quality, nor any smart voice assistant function. But UE advertises an adaptive EQ function that customizes audio performance based on the speaker environment. And as always, you can use Party Mode to pair with other UE speakers you own to cover your space with music.
UE also includes NFC pairing for Android users, and Epicboom can connect to two audio source devices at the same time. It has several preset sound modes including Signature Bass Boost, Game/Cinema, Podcast/Vocal, and Deep Relaxation. (Consider me curious about the latter.) There’s also an external Boost button that increases sound by 1dB, according to the product’s website. And yes, Ultimate Ears’ customizable “magic button” is also still there for one-click access to your favorite playlist on your chosen music subscription service.
The Epicboom comes in black (with yellow volume button accents) or white (with red accents), and is available for immediate shipping. $349.99 it sure is there For a Bluetooth speaker only in this day and age. But Ultimate Ears has built enough brand strength with its Boom lineup that folks looking for better sound are sure to splurge on because it can easily be found at Best Buy and other retailers starting September 22nd. The UE formula may lose its luster for some people in light of the smarter alternatives, but as always, there’s something to be said for the easy, convenient and reliable option.
