Verdict
A few tweak rather than monolithic modification would appear to make the Wonderboom 3 a safe update , but the audio is the best it ’s been , enough to cement its position as one of the smarter budget portable speaker buys .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
With the Wonderboom series reaching trilogy status , there ’s a good sense with the third go - around of being confronted with the notion of sticking or spin .
After hitting the bullseye with theWonderboom 2 , where can Ultimate capitulum go with the third iteration ? You only have to imagine of Hollywood series that arguably hit the apex of the sun’s way with their third effort ( The Bourne serial ) or were something of a disappointment ( The Rise of Skywalker ) .
Getting it ripe is never easy but releasing a Modern Cartesian product means enticing client to come back to the well again . What does the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 have to get us excited all over again ?
Design
Not unlike theMarshall Emberton II , very little has changed with the appearance of the Wonderboom 3 . The entire Wonderboom serial has more or less proceed the same size and appearance . The change to Wonderboom 3 , on the outside at least , are little .
Those changes amount to the two - tone colour scheme being more contrastive , and the option of finishes numbers at four : black , blue , pink and a sort of greyish white , all with their own name you ’d probably forget in an instant .
On its front are the super backbreaking - to - missy mass buttons , with power , playback and Bluetooth push on the top open . surgical process is fine , and feedback is solid when pressing the buttons . It ’s the case of utterer where a nudge is all that ’s expect .
The plan is as lively and knotty as previous generations , work up to survive 5 ft drops and pack anIP67rating that form it both water- and dust - proof . The fabric that surrounds the Wonderboom 3 ’s diaphragm continue scratch - proof just in case a family positron emission tomography decides to apply it as a toy ( I ca n’t vouch for what would happen if it were bitten ) .
There ’s a bent loop for placing the speaker on a draw , an Outdoor Boost push on the bottom , and a indulgent synthetic rubber finish on the bottom and top surface that check a grippy grasp . On its rear side is a flutter that conceals the micro - USB charging larboard .
The boastful change is what ’s going on beneath the airfoil . Like theEmberton II , Ultimate Ears has shifted to a more sustainable design , the Wonderboom 3 is made from 31 % post - consumer recycled charge card .
Features
Not much has changed on the feature front with slim enhancement and pinch , though the most controversial ( if you may call it a controversy ) is what ’s stayed the same .
And what ’s the same is the Wonderboom 3 ’s refusal to engage withUSB - C charging . It is odd not to include USB - C when others are , but it ’s not something I ’m overly chafe with , however I can see why others may find different .
Part of my lack of dismay about battery sprightliness is that it ’s been boost by an spare hour to 14 , which for a portable speaker of this sizing isplenty . That ’s more than theSonos Roam(11 hours ) andTribit StormBox Micro 2(12 hour ) , so unless it ’s being used for 14 hours straight , that ’s around a few day enjoyment .
The out-of-door Boost and Double Up modes act upon exactly as before , the former scale down the encroachment of bass part and puts the emphasis on the mid - range clarity and in high spirits relative frequency , while Double Up engages stereoscopic picture pairing with another Wonderboom 3 . There ’s no stereo system pairing with other Wonderboom generation , and it would not surprise me if some were disappointed about that decision .
Google Fast Pairis a new plus , but only has appeal to Android users as the speaker appears on nearby gimmick for set - up without being instigate through Bluetooth configurations . There ’s no similar feature film supported for iOS devices .
There ’s also no voice assist , which is rare for portable Bluetooth speakers , but it can connect to two devices at the same time . There ’s no mention of theBluetooth standard , but the wireless range is numbered at 40 m. Having set up the talker at one end of my garden and walked to the other end with The Beatles ’ Hey Jude performing at full good time , the verbalizer did n’t lose link at any point .
Sound Quality
The Wonderboom 3 ’s story has been of underage alteration , but the most profound variety comes in the tuning of the speaker ’s audio recording . It makes the Wonderboom 2 ’s carrying into action strait brash in comparison .
The change is most noticeable in the Wonderboom 3 ’s tone . Where the Wonderboom 2 was full of beans on the audio front ; crisp , sharp and gumptious in its access . The latest model hit a well balance : clearer , more detailed and with a more rounded bass functioning .
With Credence Clearwater Revival ’s Fortunate Son pumping through both the Wonderboom 2 and 3 , the threequel is much good at preserve the vocal within the mix , as I can hear more of what ’s being sung , and there ’s more depth apparent to the soundstage . Listening to another 60s classic in the Mamas and Papas ’ California Dreamin ’ , and again there ’s a noticeable encouragement and clarity to voices , as there is to the official document too – the bell in the track rings more clearly and clearly than it does on the Wonderboom 2 .
After a few hour of listening , it ’s clear that the Wonderboom 3 is the more balanced of the two , with a liquid performance that ’s not at the expense of item . Treble notation do n’t register as sharply as they do on the older model , but they are frosty enough and there ’s more detail to lap up – the artificial cymbal crash in Nelly Furtado ’s Maneater is fix with more self-confidence . The midrange is more roomily decorated allow for more room for the vocal music , and the bass is weightier – the Wonderboom 2 is punchier by comparison .
There are aspects where the Wonderboom 2 keeps its lead . For one , it sounds louder at similar bulk story . Secondly , it ’s more active in describing the conflict between gaudy and restrained notes and third it offers more get-up-and-go . Those speciality , however , make the Wonderboom 2 a little unrefined , like a chunk of vigour quick to explode .
The Wonderboom 3 ’s pared - back sense of Department of Energy and conflict in tone makes the lack of stereo pair more understandable . It also makes the Wonderboom 3 the more nuanced performer and in my mind , a hearty melioration .
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Should you buy it?
If you ’re in the mix for a portable speaker at an low-cost price then the improvements , slim in some cases , make the Wonderboom 3 one of the top competition
The Wonderboom 3 is n’t a massive upgrade over the previous mannequin and perhaps for some that ’s not enough to splosh close to £ 100 again .
Final Thoughts
The third Wonderboom does n’t chart a course that massively differs from its late management , but it does vocalize better than previous incarnations – it is the best - sounding Wonderboom talker so far .
Some may revile against the deficiency of USB - C charging , but the extended battery liveliness ensures this is one of the longer lasting efforts in its cost family . Google Fast Pair adds convenience , and the speaker system persist just as portable and undestroyable as ever .
Others may see the Wonderboom 3 as a dependable update and in a sentiency , it is – for those with the Wonderboom 2 there ’s no monumental rush to promote . Nevertheless , if you ’re after one of the better - sounding portable speakers under £ 100 , that ’s exactly what you get with Wonderboom 3 .
Trusted Score
How we test
We test every wireless speaker unit we review exhaustively over an extended period of time . We use industry standard tests to equate features properly . We ’ll always tell apart you what we happen . We never , ever , live with money to review a product .
Find out more about how we test in ourethics policy .
FAQs
The Wonderboom 3 can only be paired with another speaker from its generation . It does not support stereo pairing with the Wonderboom 1 or 2 .
Full Specs
Sustainability
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