Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2 Wireless Speaker, Deep Bass, 360 ° Surround Sound, Waterproof, 2 Speaker Connection for Powerful Sound, 13h Battery, Black

Product Information

We’ve been using the Wonderboom 3 in various spaces – bathroom, kitchen, home office, garden – alongside our dedicated test rooms, and we never found it sounded too boomy or too bright. We've had the pleasure of the Wonderboom 2's company of late, so watch this space for our imminent review... If you already own the Wonderboom 2, there’s no need to rush out and upgrade to the new model. While the Wonderboom 3 has improved its sound and features in increments, both versions of the speakers are well-designed, are long-lasting and perform admirably for their size and price. Again, this Fast Pairing only works with Android devices — so anyone with an iPhone will still have to manually pair the speaker.

WONDERBOOM 2 vs Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 3 Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 2 vs Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 3

The only real improvement with Wonderboom 3 is the Fast Pair feature. And honestly, this feature is pretty cool for those of us that use an Android device. The design of the two speakers is nearly identical. The only difference is that the Wonderboom 3 has a more eco-friendly design, using 31% recycled plastic. The fabric speaker cover also has a slightly changed feel, with the new version having a rougher, more course feel. While Outdoor Boost does increase overall volume, sound quality takes a noticeable dip when listening at lower volumes. With Outdoor Boost enabled at medium volume, cymbals sound splashy and mids are more emphasized - which is a good thing -and there’s slightly more bass than the original Wonderboom, which helps bring some warmth to the sound while not compromising on the highs. Mids are excellent with vocals sounding natural and detailed.

How long does the battery last?

Indoors, the performance is rather impressive. In smaller rooms, the speakers can easily fill the space with high-quality sound, providing an immersive audio experience. The wide soundstage these speakers offer also means that you’ll get good sound no matter where you place the speaker in the room. With a sensitivity of 86 decibels, the Wonderboom 2 is capable of producing loud and detailed audio even at lower volumes. It features a Bluetooth range of 33 meters, allowing for convenient wireless streaming without the need for a direct connection. Both speakers have a power on/off noise which is somewhat annoying. During testing, I never figured out whether this could be muted. It isn’t anything worth worrying about, but it is noteworthy because it could drive some people crazy.

Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2: stereo pairing, 13-hour battery Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2: stereo pairing, 13-hour battery

Each product has an IP67 (waterproof and dustproof for casual use) rating. And to increase the waterproofing further, the speakers also float. In crowded environments like house parties, the speakers hold up reasonably well, but don’t expect them to compete with larger, more powerful sound systems. They’re loud enough to be heard over a crowd, but the sound can become distorted at higher volumes. It’s important to remember that these are still compact, portable speakers and their performance should be evaluated with that context in mind.Many portable speakers have “dead zones” where the audio sounds poor (or quiet). Usually, these zones occur when you are standing behind the speaker, or at a diagonal to the speaker, or if the speaker has a higher or lower elevation than your ears. With the Wonderboom, there really aren’t any dead zones — instead, the speaker sounds similar from almost any position in the room. Both Wonderboom 2 and Wonderboom 3 have an “Outdoor Boost” mode that is accessed by a tree-shaped button on the underside of the device. This adjusts the sound settings to improve audio in outdoor environments. Design winner: Tie (both products feature an excellent design; however, other than the recycled plastic, there isn’t any improvement or change in the design) What Hi-Fi?, founded in 1976, is the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products. Our comprehensive tests help you buy the very best for your money, with our advice sections giving you step-by-step information on how to get even more from your music and movies. Everything is tested by our dedicated team of in-house reviewers in our custom-built test rooms in London, Reading and Bath. Our coveted five-star rating and Awards are recognised all over the world as the ultimate seal of approval, so you can buy with absolute confidence.

Ultimate Ears Speaker Support — Ultimate Ears Support

The Wonderboom 3 offers Fast Pairing for Android devices, a slightly improved battery life, and a more eco-friendly design with 31% recycled plastic. The sound quality, however, remains identical to its predecessor. Is it possible to pair a Wonderboom 2 with a Wonderboom 3?

Why is Ultimate Ears Boom 3 better than Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2?

Software winner: Wonderboom 3 (Fast Pairing is great for Android users, and the bluetooth version seems to have been updated, which also slightly improves battery life) However, the above assumption is tough to confirm since Ultimate Ears doesn’t like publishing information about battery size or bluetooth version. During side-by-side testing, nothing really stood out. Both speakers have punchy bass and a wide, three-dimensional sound that most portable speakers can’t compete with. With music streaming from Apple Music and Tidal, the Wonderboom 3 delivers a cohesive, detailed and substantial sound that still impresses at this price. There’s an even balance to the tone, and the volume it emits from such petite dimensions is always surprising. It’s an enjoyable, crowd-pleasing listen. The good news is that Ultimate Ears didn’t make any harmful changes with the new version. We completely support this, since the Wonderboom 2 is an excellent speaker. The bad news is that we waited three years for an upgrade, and the Wonderboom 3 feels more like an identical speaker than an actual upgrade.

Wonderboom 2 (English - 4 pages) User manual Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2 (English - 4 pages)

The speaker has a sleek design, with a cylindrical shape and a durable exterior that is resistant to dust, water, and drops. Its small size also makes it highly portable and easy to carry around. The only visible indication of battery life occurs when the small LED on top of the speaker turns red with low battery.The speaker’s already-long battery life has been extended by an hour: the Wonderboom 3 now lasts for an impressive 14 hours (previously 13). Another change is that the Bluetooth wireless range has been extended to 40m (131 feet) instead of the previous 30m (98 feet).