Logitech UE BOOM Review

Introduction

When speakers come to mind, we generally think of boxy contraptions that project audio in one specific direction – preferable towards us, as opposed to the opposite. Accessory maker Logitech is ditching that notion with its portable Bluetooth speaker, the UE Boom, seeing that it’s unique for the 360-degree audio experience it offers. The implantation undoubtedly strays from what we’re accustomed to, but it’s an intriguing one nevertheless.

The package contains:

• Owners guide
• microUSB cable
• wall charger

Design

Fresh, compact, water-resistant, and sturdy, the cylindrical shape of the UE Boom has a surprising kick to its design.

Being different is what the UE Boom achieves with its design, one that’s essentially a long cylindrical shaped thing that surprisingly has some kick. Available in different color combinations, where our particular unit boasts a pleasant contrasting white/red paint job, there’s no arguing that the UE Boom can stand out in a sea of speakers. Luckily for this one, it’s also extremely compact – though, don’t be fooled by its size because it’s pretty weighty. Of course, the weight lends itself in giving it that sense of sturdiness with its construction.

Wrapping around the body of the UE Boom is its tough red colored fabric grill, only separated on one side by the white soft touch matte frame that extends to the top and bottom ends of the speaker. On that strip, its oversized “+” and “-“ buttons make up volume controls. Obviously, it’s hard to miss them, but they’re rather stiff in response. The power button, Bluetooth button, and corresponding LEDs are all situated on the top edge of the speaker, while the bottom houses the unit’s microUSB port and hook to allow users to clip the speaker to something – a backpack, for example.

Underneath the grill, it houses two 1.5-inch 4 Ohm drivers and two 2-inch passive radiators, which delivers a maximum sound level of 88 dBA and a frequency range of 90Hz – 20kHz. Also worth mentioning, the UE Boom has an IPX4 certification, which gives it superficial water and stain resistant properties. It’ll survive a few splashes of water, but don’t think for a moment you’ll be pounding out your tunes from under the water.

UE Boom app

Thanks to an accompanying app for Android and iOS devices, the UE Boom app adds some useful touches to the speaker’s functionality. Essentially, it’s a portal that allows us to select different equalizer settings, give us a guided tour of the speaker, view the unit’s current battery level, transform it into a handy alarm clock, and even utilize the “double up” feature to daisy chain together two UE Boom speakers together. With the latter feature, two speakers can play music from the same source – giving us a more stereo audio experience you can say. Overall, the app is a nice touch that sprinkles a few noteworthy functions, but we wouldn’t necessarily say it’s something essential.

Connecting it to an HTC One M8 for the first time, we were a bit baffled how to connect it via NFC. The instructions included with the unit says to place the device in close proximity to the speaker, where it should automatically sense it, but in our experience, we had to hover our device towards the bottom end of the white frame for it to register. Once that spot is found, though, the pairing process is a cinch. As an alternative, you can also pair it through the normal Bluetooth process.

Performance

Bass is in full force with this one, but mids and highs become fainter in tone as the volume increases.

So, how does its audio quality fair? First and foremost, it performs at its best at the middle volume range, where lows tend to have more emphasis than the mids and highs. Using the UE Boom app and setting it to the “bass boost” equalizer option, it’s able to muster up a decent level of bass – even at the loudest volume. However, highs and mids become faint and indistinct at that level. In any event, we have to say that this compact speaker definitely puts out a commanding level of audio loud enough to fill larger rooms in the house.

With its 360-degree audio experience, it’s the kind of speaker that’s best enjoyed when it’s placed directly in the middle area of where you intend to use it. Unlike traditional speakers that project audio towards us, the UE Boom is able to encompass a wider radius with its 360-degree experience.

Battery

During our usage, the UE Boom is able to achieve approximately 12 to 13 hours of play time from a full charge, which is a little less than the 15 hours it’s claimed to offer. Nevertheless, we can imagine that playing songs at louder volumes attributed to the lower results, but we’re still pleased by what it fulfills. Naturally, lower volumes will extend the battery longer, so regulating that will increase its usage.

Conclusion

Logitech’s UE Boom speaker is an interesting prospect in the world of portable Bluetooth speakers. Visually, it’s a step up from most others in the space with its catchy and kickass design – one that’s also water-resistant. Perfect for the house or at the beach, it’s surely something that’ll play nicely in a variety of conditions and environments. However, its sticker price of $200 is a bit tough to swallow. Indeed, it’s a pricey investment, but if you’re the kind of person that spends a great deal of time outdoors, this will surely get the job done with its audio quality and durable form. Conversely, you’ll probably want to invest the money in some other kind of dedicated home Bluetooth speaker if you’re primarily listening to tunes indoors.