Logitech UE Boom 2

For those of us that have strong memories of untangling speaker cables, Bluetooth speakers can seem like witchcraft. Plonk a pill-shaped box on your shelf, or hang it up in the kitchen, then zap your music to it with

The UE Boom Bluetooth speaker literally made a big noise when it was introduced two years ago and now the follow-up – the UE Boom 2 – is taking it to the next level. The tubular UE Boom 2 speaker from Logitech looks almost identical to the original and it can stream your music from

Good sound, but rivals have caught up

This stylish, waterproof, handheld speaker is great for using by the pool or on the beach.

Today we have 5 updates from reviews as recent as this past summer and as far back as 2014. We like to revisit our past reviews to provide ongoing info about

Highly portable with tons of battery life, the UE Boom 2 from Ultimate Ears ticks a lot of boxes, but falls just shy of ticking the top notch sound one.

If you like making sure you have a soundtrack for your summer travels, the UE Boom will make your plans a lot easier.

Our favorite Bluetooth speaker gets an update. The new UE Boom 2 is waterproof, has better wireless range, and costs the same.

Ultimate Ears (UE) has proficiently managed to position itself along side popular names in audio (Bose, JBL, Beats), and for good reason. Backed by Logitech, the brand has been able to keep up its excellent sounding momentum. A couple years ago, UE expanded into the portable wireless speaker market, with the Boom. Today, we have its sequel to review for you guys - the Boom 2. UE promises big, impactful, and engaging sound. Bluetooth speakers often compromise audio quality for their portable aspects. Let's find out if UE manages to strike a balance and bring the boom, as its name implies. Design UE built the Boom with a cylindrical design, and I kind of dig it. It's a simple and concise package; all that a portable speaker should be. And the design's strategy makes sense. It doesn't shoot audio in one direction like a typical speaker. The cylindrical shape (paired with dual audio drivers) allows the sound to encompass. It's especially effective indoors, where sound can go in all directions and bounce off the walls. We'll get to the sound quality later in the review. UE also did a great job with the size of the unit. It's not too big or too small. The official dimensions are: 2.75" diameter and 7.1" height. It's not the lightest speaker out there at 1.2 lbs, but I'll take a little extra heft for a robust build and large battery. There is honestly not much to say on the Boom 2's appearance, and that's okay. There's an appeal to the simplicity. Most of what you'll see is a fabric weave around the device. The two-tone blue color that I was given is called BrainFreeze. UE has a bunch of different color schemes to tickle your fancy. A vertical, rubbery strip connects the top and bottom caps. The material's considerable thickness conveys the sturdiness of the build. The Boom 2 is made rugged and definitely feels like it can take some hits. UE says that it is also IPX7 certified (can be immersed in 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes). You won't miss those huge +/- volume buttons on the body. The shapes are slits that expose a different color (orange on my unit). Moving to the top, you'll find a covertly placed power button dead center. The extra button adjacent to it puts the Boom 2 back in discoverable mode, to pair more devices to it. On the bottom, you'll find an attachment ring for clipping the speaker onto a travel bag. Two flaps flank it, which seal the micro-USB charging port and an aux port (for wired audio input). Functionality As implied in the previous section, the Boom 2 is extremely user friendly. The buttons/ports are all placed neatly and concisely. And pairing your source is fortunately easy as well. On the initial power up, the speaker will be in discovery mode and await your source's connection. It will stick to that source henceforth. UE allows you to pair a whopping eight devices to the Boom 2. Simply hold down the secondary button (that is next to the power button) for 3 seconds and it will look for more devices. If you prefer to pair via NFC, that capability is built-in too. The packaging includes a flat charging cable and AC adapter. When you plug in the micro-USB connection for charging, you'll see an LED light indication to let you know the status. UE rates the battery at providing up to 15 hours of playback, which is great. Bear in mind that different volume levels affect how much battery is used. The charging time from an empty to full battery is 2.5 hours. In my experience, the strength of the Bluetooth signal was fantastic. My previous Bluetooth speaker would flip out if I put my phone in my pocket. Not so with the Boom 2. It maintains the signal like a champ. UE rates the mobile range as 100 ft (assumingly with nothing in the way). And for those keeping tabs, Boom 2 uses the A2DP Bluetooth standard. A couple notable tricks are: 1) If the speaker is idle for 15 minutes, it'll automatically shut off to not waste battery and 2) If you press both volume buttons simultaneously, a voice will tell you the battery level. Sound So does the Boom 2 bring the boom? In short, very much so. But first, let's briefly go over the internals. UE says that there are two 45mm active drivers. They output in opposite directions, which gives the encompassing, 360-degree sound. A frequency range of 90Hz - 20kHz on the Boom 2's spec sheet puts up a red flag, because it doesn't include sub-bass frequencies. However, UE sidesteps this concern via what it calls passive radiators. There are two of those as well and they simulate the deep bass response. So yes, there's a pleasant emphasis on the bass, but it's not done irresponsibly. It doesn't overshadow the other frequencies. With a name like Boom, I expected a boomy bass. But it's actually tight and punchy. With that said, don't worry if you're a basshead. There's plenty of satisfaction there. The bass is the star of the show. But the control pleasantly allows the other frequencies to join the fun. I was surprised how nice the treble range is done. It's clear and detailed. I also appreciated how the mid-range isn't pushed back. Vocals actually come through naturally and in your face (in a good way). It's not perfect, though. The overall sound could be fuller. Not saying that it's thin, but I see room for improvement. And to my ears, the bass isn't always spot-on. Some songs make it lean on boomy, while others had me question its accuracy. However, that's me nitpicking. I think that UE did a great job with the sound quality overall. Final Thoughts UE has a fabulous Bluetooth speaker here. In my opinion, this one is gonna be hard to beat. I love how ruggedized the build is. A portable speaker should be able to withstand life's perils. The 360-degree sound output is also well-thought; it just makes sense. I really appreciated that despite the Boom moniker, the audio was controlled and balanced. The sound quality is on par with what I would expect at the price range. Although, at a retail price at $199, the Boom 2 is not cheap. Check out retailers like Amazon for a slight discount. Or you can be a lucky winner in our UE Boom Giveaway! Like our Instagram post for a chance to nab one for free! UE Boom 2 product page

UE's newest artist version of the BOOM 2 is made in cooperation with Reka One. Street artist styling along with the original BOOM 2 performance should be a hit. We also get to play around with the multi speaker functionality of the UE BOOM 2.

With more ruggedness and a few new features, the UE Boom 2 makes for a good all-around portable Bluetooth speaker.

Ultimate Ears' line of BOOM speakers recently got updated with the arrival of the BOOM 2 speaker. The BOOM 2 shares the same footprint as the original BOOM, but has been updated with a few nifty features. Among these is wake-by-bluetooth and stop/start/pause slapping capability.

Back in mid-September, Logitech's Ultimate Ears brand rolled out the UE Boom 2, an upgraded version of its popular mid-level Bluetooth portable...

If you're looking for a Bluetooth speaker system to blast some tunes while on the go, you're likely looking for something compact, but can also provide good sound and a long battery life, as well as durability that'll take life's bumps. Even though it's not without its shortcomings, we think...