I’ve been a big fan of the Ultimate Ears range of audio products, since the days of UE Boom. The company, which comes under Logitech, has evolved with its products ie wireless speakers, and in 2017, you can buy a 360-degree Bluetooth speaker for under 10K called the Wonderboom.
What separates the UE range from other audio speakers is its ability to withstand mishaps like water splashes. They’re ideal for those who like to carry their music which is where Wonderboom needs to convince us it can.
Pros:
- 360-degree speaker output
Sturdy design - Delivers good sound quality
- Mid levels are impressive
- Long battery life
Cons:
- No microphone/audio jack
- Not very portable
What’s Good?
First quality Bluetooth speakers became affordable, and now you can actually buy a unit with 360-degree sound output for less than 10K. It still don’t categorise in the ‘budget’ market for Indian consumers, but, hey, things are getting better, especially if you’re a music buff of the highest order.
The Wonderboom is one such addition to the UE family, carrying all the traits of a rugged audio device. The built-woofers are competent enough to match up to other speakers in this segment, may be even better them. The cylindrical shaped Wonderboom has been made for those who like to connect and play music from their mobile devices.
In terms of the overall sound quality, you’d like the Wonderboom for its loudness, yet subtle and understated mid-tones. The sound does become crankier at high volume, but that’s a given for most speakers at this price point, so not a big deal breaker for me.
This means, for bass enthusiasts, Wonderboom is a sure-shot option in the sub-Rs 10,000 bracket, with its deep levels of bass, grooving to the favourites tunes. But that’s not all, with its mid-tones being effective as well, pure classics, who like their music to be more than just the sound, have something to go for.
The IPX rating ensures, you can take the Wonderboom to your rough adventures, and enjoy the company of quality music, even at the top of mountains. This feature is greatly aided by the 8-hour battery life on offer with the Wonderboom. We managed to plug and play the device via Bluetooth for over 7 hours on single charge over the course of a week.
What’s Bad?
The definition of portable speaker can be subjective for various reasons. The shape of the Wonderboom isn’t exactly portable, and weighing over 425 grams, this is a speaker which isn’t the lightest in its category either. Most people like the Bluetooth speaker to be flat bed-shaped, but as you can see, Wonderboom is anything but that, which can take more space in your carry then one would like.
Logitech has designed the speaker as a true-blue mobile-centric device, which is why they’re missing the 3.5-mm audio jack. Now that’s something I and you can live with, but how would they justify getting rid of speakerphone option?
You can pair two UE speakers to switch from mono to stereo, but that’s only happening if you buy two of these speakers.
Why Buy It?
For Rs 7,995 I have very few reasons to say that you shouldn’t buy the Wonderboom, especially if it’s in your budget. Rugged speaker, with 360-degree sound output, longish battery life, without costing a bomb would appeal to most buyers, and rightly so.
Having said that, UE also has its Roll 2 speaker which is priced 600-700 bucks more than what you pay for the Wonderboom, and in fact you can even look at the Sony XB30 if you need the microphone option. If that doesn’t bother you one bit, then pick up the Wonderboom right away.
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