34

Ultimate Ears Megablast Review

True Score

81
82
13

Experts

90
0

Consumers

Product Awards

GR Certified

Expert Rankings

Expert testers commended the MEGABLAST speaker for its decent bass output, water and dust resistance, and portable design. Specialists were impressed with how well it worked with Alexa and had a great time navigating its app. However, they didn’t appreciate its missing speakerphone functionality and the sound distortion at high volumes.

$88.99

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Product Snapshot

Overview

The Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST was first launched in late 2017 as a top-shelf Bluetooth speaker designed for outdoor use. The speaker can be used with Amazon Alexa through a WiFi connection, and weighing only 2.4 pounds, it is one of the best speakers for users who are constantly on the move. The manufacturer claims that its battery lasts up to 16 hours, and to help keep it on for this long, it has a power-saving feature that can be used to have it shut down after a set time. Its Bluetooth connectivity range is also pretty good, and even though the best Bluetooth speakers on the market can maintain a strong connection for up to 334 ft, the MEGABLAST has strong signal strength for devices up to 216 ft. Its Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity is an advantage it also shares with the Sonos Roam and Amazon Echo Dot, which you can find out more about in our Sonos Roam review and our Amazon Echo Dot speaker review. Those who’ve placed a very high focus on design over anything else might enjoy our Edifier Prisma BT 2-1 Bluetooth speakers review.

Consensus

our Verdict

The Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST received critical acclaim from product testers for its impressive portability, build quality, and ability to play stereo content, which created an immersive experience when watching movies. Analysts from Rtings were delighted with its voice assistant performance since, during their tests, the speaker could pick up voice commands quite well. They also lauded it for its easy-to-use Ultimate Ears app and were pleased that they could adjust its sound quality through its graphic EQ. Testers from What HiFi liked how loud the speaker could get and were satisfied with its bass response when playing music. Another excellent alternative for bass lovers is the Sonos Five, so have a look at our Sonos Five review if you’re interested.

However, the MEGABLAST did not delight testers with its lack of compatibility with Google Assistant and Siri. Testers also noted that its sound gets distorted at loud volumes and were disappointed with its missing speakerphone functionality.

Reason to Buy

  • Great build quality
  • Decent bass response
  • Works great with Alexa
  • WiFi connectivity
  • Graphic equalizer

Reason to Avoid

  • No speakerphone function
  • No support for Google Assistant/Siri
  • Sound distorts at high volume

Ultimate Ears Megablast Specs

Battery LifeBattery Life16 hrs
Built In MicrophoneBuilt In Microphonen/a
Charge TimeCharge Time2.5 – 3 hrs
SizeSize3.5" (w) x 3.5" (h) x 9.4" (d)
Smart AppSmart AppBlast & Megablast
Speaker PairingSpeaker Pairingn/a
Water ResistantWater ResistantYes
WattageWattage15W
Wireless RangeWireless Range330 ft

All Specs

Test Results

Battery Life (Hours)13.0333
Volume Output (dB)93.5333
Low End Roll Off (Hz)73.36
High End Roll Off (Hz)5,046.596

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Product Comparison

Ultimate Ears Megablast Review

JBL Charge 4 Review

JBL Charge 4 Review

True Score

81
88
86
NR

Ranking

#

34

/

109

#

1

/

109

#

5

/

109

#

/

109

Market Context

The Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST was first launched in late 2017 as a top-shelf Bluetooth speaker designed for outdoor use. The speaker can be used with…

The Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST was first launched in late 2017 as a top-shelf Bluetooth speaker designed for outdoor use. The speaker can be used with Amazon Alexa through a WiFi connection, and weighing only 2.4 pounds, it is one of the best speakers for users who are constantly on the move. The manufacturer claims that its battery lasts up to 16 hours, and to help keep it on for this long, it has a power-saving feature that can be used to have it shut down after a set time. Its Bluetooth connectivity range is also pretty good, and even though the best Bluetooth speakers on the market can maintain a strong connection for up to 334 ft, the MEGABLAST has strong signal strength for devices up to 216 ft. Its Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity is an advantage it also shares with the Sonos Roam and Amazon Echo Dot, which you can find out more about in our Sonos Roam review and our Amazon Echo Dot speaker review. Those who’ve placed a very high focus on design over anything else might enjoy our Edifier Prisma BT 2-1 Bluetooth speakers review.

While buyers might find that the Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST and the Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3 look almost indistinguishably similar, the MEGABLAST features voice assistant support…

While buyers might find that the Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST and the Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3 look almost indistinguishably similar, the MEGABLAST features voice assistant support and WiFi connectivity while the MEGABOOM 3 does not. We’ve looked into the MEGABOOM 3 in our Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3 review, so feel free to check that out.

The Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST also has voice assistant support and WiFi connectivity, while the Ultimate Ears BOOM 3 does not. However, the BOOM 3 is…

The Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST also has voice assistant support and WiFi connectivity, while the Ultimate Ears BOOM 3 does not. However, the BOOM 3 is smaller in size, and it also has a longer 13.7-hour battery life than the 8.1-hour playtime of the MEGABLAST. See what else its got to offer in our Ultimate Ears BOOM 3 review.

The Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST has a graphic equalizer while the JBL Charge 4 does not, and it also comes with voice assistant support and WiFi…

The Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST has a graphic equalizer while the JBL Charge 4 does not, and it also comes with voice assistant support and WiFi connectivity, which are both missing on the Charge 4.

Battery Life

16 hrs

20+ hrs

15 hrs

Built In Microphone

n/a

No

n/a

Charge Time

2.5 – 3 hrs

3 hrs

2.75 hrs

Size

3.5" (w) x 3.5" (h) x 9.4" (d)

7.2" (h) x 2.9" (w) x 2.9" (d)

Smart App

Blast & Megablast

Yes

Yes

Speaker Pairing

n/a

Yes

Yes

Water Resistant

Yes

Yes

Yes

Wattage

15W

12W

90W

Dig Deeper

Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3 Review →

Ultimate Ears Boom 3 Review →

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  • $88.99

    Availability

    In Stock

    Free Shipping

    No

Score Card

E

Expert Score

82

*.75

We place a 75% weighted value on Expert Test Scores

C

Customer Score

90

*.25

We place a 25% weighted value on Customer Scores

True Score

81

Any product with a True Score above 80 is a Absolutely Fresh

Expert Score Breakdown

  • Rtings
    102.6

    Category Trust Score

    75
    At £270, the Megablast isn’t cheap, but it certainly is an impressive smart speaker, with… read more

    By:

    What Hi-Fi?
  • PC Mag
    54.9

    Category Trust Score

    80
    If you want to take Alexa on the go, the UE Megablast is one of… read more

    By:

    Unknown
  • Tom’s Guide
    68.04

    Category Trust Score

    80
    This Bluetooth smart speaker packs musical power, all-day battery life, and Amazon Alexa integration into… read more

    By:

    Emma Boyle
  • Trusted Reviews
    48.27

    Category Trust Score

    80
    With the Megablast, Ultimate Ears has created one of the best looking and sounding portable… read more

    By:

    Unknown
  • Techradar
    46.31

    Category Trust Score

    80
    Ultimate Ears is still very focused on audio quality and design, and the MEGABLAST proves… read more

    By:

    Jon L. Jacobi
  • The Master Switch
    53.53

    Category Trust Score

    NR
    Alexa voice control is a bonus, but we love this portable speaker’s fun, energetic and… read more

    By:

    Alyssa Castle

Customer Score Breakdown

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