Ultimate Ears' new EPICBOOM is a rugged bluetooth speaker with 360° sound and adaptive EQ ^↺

Logitech-owned audio brand Ultimate Ears, known for its high quality, rugged bluetooth speakers in a number of sizes, has just introduced the second largest member of that family – the EPICBOOM. While it's not a Wi-Fi enabled smart speaker equipped with a voice-assistant, its design at least is a bit reminiscent of the recently released Sonos Move 2, and it is priced lower at US$349.

The speaker houses two 45 mm mid to high frequency transducers and one 120 mm woofer, delivering “epic 360° immersive sound and big bass”. A noteworthy feature inherited from its bigger sibling the HYPERBOOM is Adaptive EQ, which the company claims “reads the room…and automatically balances the sound until it's perfect for your space”.

In terms of ruggedness, the EPICBOOM has an IP67 rating, making it resistant to dust, dirt, drops of 1 m/3 ft and submersion in water. Actually it floats in water, so it should be perfect for pool parties. Speaking of parties, the EPICBOOM is claimed to get seriously loud, and even has an Outdoor Boost button which instantly bumps the maximum volume from 94 to 95 dB. The battery is rated for 17 hours, which is adequate but not outstanding among other comparable speakers, and there’s a convenient handle on the rear, making this 4.3 pound/2 kg speaker easier to carry around.

The portable/rugged bluetooth speaker segment is by now rather crowded, with plenty of competition from more feature-rich models from JBL, Marshall, Sonos, Sony and even newcomers like Anker Soundcore. Hopefully the EPICBOOM can live up to Ultimate Ears’ reputation for solid sound-quality in a rugged package.

Buy the Ultimate Ears EPICBOOM portable bluetooth speaker on Amazon