The UE Boom 2 is a waterproof speaker that makes a splash into the market with its insane volume and amazing battery life. What it has for loudness does not make up for its audio quality. It aims to fix the flaws that the original UE Boom had. It comes with improved hardware and software. It is able to achieve this goal, but the price may not be for everyone.
The UE Boom 2 is on the Running for the Best Bluetooth Speaker To-Date
For its design, the UE Boom 2 retains many of its exterior aesthetics with its predecessor. It is a 67 x 180-millimeter tube that weighs 548-grams. It’s not exactly the most lightweight speaker in the market, but it’s not also the heaviest in the bunch. It features a 360-degree speaker grille that has a rubber strip running along it’s long side as well as the top and bottom faces. This band also houses the device’s physical volume and power controls.
The UE Boom 2 speaker is available in a number of color options. The colors being offered are vibrant which may not be to everyone’s liking. It also has a built to IPX7-certification standards. This means that it can survive being immersed in puddles, ponds, lakes, and even your bathtub of 1-meter up to half an hour.
As for the 360-degree sound, it was first seen, or rather heard from the original UE Boom. This time around, the company improved on this feature. However, when talking about the sound quality of its predecessor, it was able to provide maximum volume but the loudness was a double-edged sword. The more you crank up the volume, especially when you go beyond the 75-percent point, it will result in the device’s two 1.5-inch drivers and twin 2-inch passive radiators to struggle.
Ultimate Ears, the company who made these speakers, attempted to fix the issue by loading the 2nd iteration with larger 1.75-inch active drivers and 3-inch passive radiators. The audio quality was indeed rectified as it was improved, at least by Bluetooth speaker standards. The Bass now contains a suitable punch to it, although there are times it can drown out the mids. However, this can easily be fixed by tweaking the equalizer found on the UE Boom app (which can be downloaded on iOS and Android devices).
The UE Boom 2 retains its predecessors maximum output when it comes to bringing loud audio performance. The sound quality has been improved as well. However, there are times that the audio can distort at high volumes, but this can be rectified (to a degree) with the use of the UE Boom app.