Sony’s portable noise-maker had no problem filling a bedroom and living room with crisp sound that - for better or worse - goes especially big on bass. It also pumps out impressively loud sound for a speaker that’s shorter than a soda can. We completely soaked the XB100 via running water on several occasions, and it kept on jamming out just fine afterwards. The XB100 is IP67 rated, which means it’s fully protected against dust and sand and can survive being dunked in about three feet of water. Sony’s latest mini speaker looks a lot like its predecessor, with a 3.7-inch tall, 0.6-pound design that fit easily into the palm of my hand as well as a handy cloth strap for attaching the XB100 to your backpack, bike or pretty much anything else you’d like to have a Bluetooth speaker hanging off of. The XB100 doesn’t mess with what already worked on the XB13, which was our previous pick for best travel speaker. The UE Boom 3 lasted longer than other speakers that were closer to the $200 price point.Īt $130, the Boom 3 gives us what we’re looking for in a Bluetooth portable speaker and we have no doubt it will be blasting tunes for a long, long time. Quite impressive for a speaker of this size. In our testing, the Boom 3 lasted for a substantial 14 hours at 60% volume. It’s disappointing that the Boom 3 charges with Micro USB, but you won’t need to grab the included cord that often. We just wish you could save multiple EQ mixes. UE offers a few presets like “cramped spaces” or “voices” and leaves you with one “custom” mode that will save your selections. You get a full equalizer to play with and customize on the fly. And it’s an aspect that lets the Boom 3 stand out from the plethora of speakers we tested. If you want a stronger sound you can easily pair or group the Boom 3 with any other UE speaker.įor moments when you want to increase the bass or any aspect of the mix, the Boom & Megaboom app will be your best friend. And it’s not just good for pop-punk a track like “Fire” by Bruce Springsteen displays how the Boom 3 can tackle a more subtle mix - we could easily distinguish the opening bass and guitar tones before Springsteen’s vocal, drums and piano enter. It pushes sounds out in a 360-degree format, so you can put it anywhere and still get good sound. And the Boom 3 gets quite loud - at 50% we could easily fill a small room in an apartment and 100% let’s us hear it throughout the space. It’s impressively clear sound from a speaker this small. Boom 3 offers clear separation between instruments and we only heard any distortion with a lower-quality track at super-high volumes. After that we hit play on “Good 4 U” by Olivia Rodrigo to hear the smooth opening bass line her vocals were clear before the instrumental track built into a loud clash of a climax. It’s a fun feature, but not a necessary one.Ĭonnecting the Boom 3 to Bluetooth took a matter of seconds with an Android or iPhone. Via the Boom & Megaboom app for Android or iOS, you can choose that playlist from Amazon Music, Apple Music or Deezer. A triple tap skips and long-press resumes playback to a preset playlist. The more prominent button (UE calls it the “Magic” button) controls all other functions. It’s a taste of the sound quality to come. The smaller button at the top turns the Boom 3 on or off - and we love the quick bongo beat when you turn it on. Two large, easy-to-press volume controls are on the front, with all other controls accessed via two buttons at the top. Using the Boom 3 is as simple as its visual design. You wouldn’t want to take it snorkeling, but it can withstand splashes, make it through any hike or camping trip and take a dip in the pool. ![]() ![]() The Boom 3 has an IP67 rating, meaning it’s dustproof and can handle being immersed in water up to 1 meter deep for 30 minutes. Please, Ultimate Ears, switch it to USB-C. A wireless charging dock is available separately, but we’d prefer an up-to-date connector here too. This is outdated at this point, and one of the Boom 3’s few downsides. ![]() And on the rear, under a waterproof rubber door, is a Micro USB port for charging. The bottom has a standard tripod thread if you want to mount the Boom 3. A small cloth hook on the rear lets you hang the Boom 3 on a hook or clip a carabiner in. From hot pink with purple accents to a muted lavender (like the Boom 3 we’ve been testing) you’re sure to be able to match your tastes. You can customize the Boom 3 in hundreds of color and design combinations. Housed in a cylindrical canister just over 7 inches tall, it’s small enough to take with you (about the size of a water bottle) but puts out enough high-quality sound for almost any situation. Your CNN account Log in to your CNN accountįrom strong sound to long battery life, the UE Boom 3 checks off all the boxes.
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