Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 review

Final Ears’ Wonderboom 2 was an exquisite little bit of package, so you may’t blame the corporate an excessive amount of for making minimal modifications to the third technology.  

The moveable powerhouse seems to be the identical, sounds the identical, and even makes use of the identical outdated micro-USB port. Actually all that’s new is an additional hour of battery life, barely higher Bluetooth vary, and using extra environmentally pleasant supplies. 

That makes the Wonderboom 3 just a little tougher to get enthusiastic about, particularly for anybody who owns the final mannequin. However it could actually’t change the truth that that is as soon as once more a superb choice for a compact, moveable, waterproof Bluetooth speaker that may take a kicking and carry on ticking. 

Design & construct 

• Chunky, vibrant design 
• Waterproof – and even floats 
• Eco-friendly supplies 

The Wonderboom 3 seems to be equivalent to the Wonderboom 2. Actually, equivalent – it hasn’t modified within the slightest, apart from a slight refresh to the vary of brilliant, punchy colors it is available in. 

Dominic Preston / Foundry

That’s not likely a grievance although – Final Ears nailed it the primary time round, and this rotund little speaker is simply as charming as ever. It’s compact sufficient to throw in a backpack with out a second’s thought, gentle sufficient to lug round all day, and feels sturdy sufficient to outlive the expertise. 

It’s pleasant to make use of too, with just a few easy buttons on the highest for Bluetooth, energy, and playback, and two monumental quantity buttons on the aspect that you just actually can’t miss, which means anybody at a celebration can seize it and determine what to do. 

It’s as powerful as earlier than too, with an IP67 mud and water-resistance score meaning it could actually survive splashes and brief dips. It’s even designed to drift, which suggests the actually courageous can throw this into a shower or swimming pool, although I’ll admit I haven’t fairly dared. 

Dominic Preston / Foundry

The one actual change this 12 months is that Final Ears has tweaked the supplies underneath the floor. It now makes use of a minimal of 31% post-consumer recycled plastic and is wrapped in a sustainable cloth comprised of 100% recycled polyester. Even the packaging is FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) licensed. 

Sound high quality & options 

• Highly effective, well-rounded sound 
• Optionally available ‘Outside Mode’ 
• Stereo pairing with one other Wonderboom 3 (however not 2) 

If the Wonderboom 3 seems to be just like the two, it’s sounds much more alike. Put merely, Final Ears hasn’t modified this speaker’s sonics in any respect. 

Once more although, it could actually get away with that as a result of it just about nailed issues final time round. The Wonderboom 3 delivers brilliant, well-rounded sound that’s tuned to swimsuit most genres. There’s sufficient bass so as to add depth and heat with out overpowering, rounded mids, and barely skinny high-end – but it surely does sufficient to get the job completed. 

Dominic Preston / Foundry

Outside Mode additionally returns, activated with a single push of a small button that’s for some motive hidden on the speaker’s underside, with a tree icon to mark it out. This pulls again on the bass and ups the treble, serving to the sound to hold additional in expansive outside areas, and providing you with a welcome second sonic choice. 

Audio is simply dealt with by Bluetooth, now improved with a variety of as much as 40m, and pairing is fast and easy. After we reviewed the Wonderboom 2 we lamented the dearth of any bodily wired choice to attach, and whereas that’s nonetheless lacking it doesn’t really feel like such an issue any extra – you have been going to make use of Bluetooth anyway, proper? 

Dominic Preston / Foundry

You even have the choice of selecting up a second Wonderboom 3 and connecting the 2 to double the quantity or create a stereo pair. The large annoyance right here is that regardless of the equivalent audio you can’t pair this with one of many older fashions, a useless frustration for current house owners that’s sure to trigger confusion as individuals choose up the in any other case equivalent audio system and marvel why they received’t work collectively. 

Battery & charging 

• As much as 14 hours’ battery 
• Micro-USB charging 

The excellent news first: Final Ears has added an additional hour onto the Wonderboom’s already spectacular battery life, so it’ll now do 14 hours on a cost. 

Which means it’ll comfortably final all evening at a celebration, and might run for a number of days of occasional use on the trot whereas travelling. There’s no instant visible solution to establish the present battery stage although, so that you’ll wish to high it up every so often for those who’re undecided how a lot is left within the tank. 

Dominic Preston / Foundry

Now the dangerous information: it fees by way of Micro-USB, not the extra trendy USB-C. That’s one other hangover from the Wonderboom 2, however one which at this level is totally unwelcome.

Not one of the different tech I exploit day-to-day fees by Micro-USB any extra, so bringing this on vacation now means an additional cable I wouldn’t have to fret about in any other case. Except you’re utilizing a severely dated Android gadget there’s no method your telephone makes use of the identical port. That is merely an pointless inconvenience. 

Value & availability 

The Wonderboom 3 will set you again $99.99/£89.99, which is slightly below the road of what we think about a price range Bluetooth speaker. There are extra reasonably priced ones on the market, however as all the time you get what you pay for. 

You may choose it up from Amazon after all, together with the same old retailers like Finest Purchase and Walmart within the US, or Currys and John Lewis within the UK. 

Dominic Preston / Foundry

Take a look at our full rating of the most effective low cost Bluetooth audio system we’ve reviewed for extra choices, together with reasonably priced choices just like the JBL Clip 4 and EarFun Uboom. 

Verdict 

The Wonderboom 3 is a superb moveable Bluetooth speaker, however don’t let the identify tempt you into an improve from an older mannequin – it is a Wonderboom 2 in nearly all however identify. 

The transfer to eco-friendly supplies is welcome after all, as is the additional hour of battery, however the choice to stay with Micro-USB is the closest this has to a critical flaw, gifting away how dated the design actually is. 

Current Wonderboom house owners might be pissed off by the information that regardless of utilizing the identical sonics this may’t be paired with older fashions, however the remainder of us can take pleasure in a banging little Bluetooth speaker. 

Specs 

• 2x 40mm energetic drivers 
• 2x 46.1 x 65.2mm passive radiators 
• Frequency vary: 75 Hz – 20 kHz 
• Outside increase 
• Optionally available stereo pair (with second speaker) 
• 40m Bluetooth vary 
• Micro-USB 
• 14-hour battery life 
• 95.3x104mm 
• 420g 
• IP67 mud and waterproof