Key Takeaways
- The UE Wonderboom 3 is durable, stylish, and delivers high-quality sound in a small package.
- This speaker offers impressive stereo sound, a waterproof design and easy portability for outdoor use.
- The lack of a Micro-USB connection and fast charging means powering it on can be a pain.
Ultimate Ears has long built a reputation for producing quality Bluetooth speakers that are meant for active outdoor use, but are also great for cozy evenings. Some of their speakers are even designed for use in the pool, not just by the pool. With colorful designs, big volume buttons, and somewhat confusing names, UE speakers are generally durable, portable, and strong enough for lively events, but they also look good. The Wonderboom 3 in particular is known as one of the best UE speakers for its size and price.
We put the Wonderboom 3 to the test to see how it stacks up against other portable devices. Bluetooth Speaker Here’s what I found:
Great, but shows signs of age
Ultimate Years Wonderboom 3
With an ideal combination of size, style, sound and waterproof design, this speaker is hard to beat.
- compact
- 360° Sound
- Outdoor Sound Boost
- Micro USB charging port
- Long charging time
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Specifications, Pricing and Availability
The UE Wonderboom 3 is available to purchase from Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, Target, and directly from UE.com. It retails for around $100, but you may be able to find it at a discount as UE promotes its new lineup of next-generation speakers. Of particular note is the stereo surround that the Wonderboom 3 offers, which sets it apart from mono Bluetooth speakers. It comes in a variety of colors with silly names like pink, green, blue, lavender, or a combination of beige and light green. I tried the black model.
What I like about the UE Wonderboom 3
Quality sound, great design
The Wonderboom 3 delivers great stereo sound that is crisp, clear and immersive at any volume. It might not hold up for big late-night parties, but it’s plenty capable for decent-sized gatherings in the backyard or park. The stereo setup with left and right channels isn’t as outstanding due to the speakers’ relatively small size, but it does help give the Wonderboom 3 an edge over competitors of a similar size and price. The speaker can be paired with another Wonderboom 3, with each speaker handling the left and right channels respectively, making for a much more enjoyable and comprehensive listening experience.
The wraparound grille allows sound to be emitted in all directions, making it convenient and versatile to use.
The Wonderboom 3’s durable construction and weather resistance make it a great speaker for outdoor use. It’s IP67 rated, meaning it can withstand rain and splashes of water. You can immerse it in water for up to 30 minutes, but we don’t recommend testing the Wonderboom 3 in this way, mainly because the sound it reproduces underwater just doesn’t sound as good. The Wonderboom 3’s construction is also dustproof, so you can basically take this speaker to the beach, the park, or on a hike without worrying. You can even drop it from a height of about five feet without worrying about damage. The Wonderboom 3 certainly feels sturdy, and while I’m not going to be throwing it around at my friends like people do in UE’s commercials, I wouldn’t worry about it tipping over, falling, or moving around while using it outdoors.
There’s a particularly fun feel to the Wonderboom 3 that has nothing to do with sound quality, and as a simple person who likes pops of color and striking design, I enjoy it.
In terms of portability, I found the sturdier Wonderboom just as easy to pack and store as its predecessors in the UE family, if not easier. I especially liked the bungee loop fabric that lets you hang or clip the speaker to it, and it’s color-matched to the speaker’s large volume buttons, which is a nice touch.
It’s certainly a beautiful-looking speaker, even the black model. The Wonderboom 3 has a particularly fun vibe that, while unrelated to sound quality, I like as a simple person who likes pops of color and striking design. It helps that looks complement sound quality, rather than being a substitute for it.
Controls for the Wonderboom 3 are simple. The three buttons on the top of the unit are conveniently placed, if not intuitively so. The power button is a small, depressed button with a single LED line that indicates on or off (though I didn’t initially think of it as a button to turn the speaker on). The middle button is multi-purpose; you can use it to play or pause music, skip to the next song, or pair with another speaker. The third button lets you pair via Bluetooth.
On the bottom of the speaker is a feature that’s almost hidden, but worth using: a button that activates the Outdoor Boost feature, an audio preset designed to optimize sound when you’re in an open space with no walls or ground. The difference in sound isn’t huge, but the boost is definitely noticeable.
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What I didn’t like about the WonderBoom 3
Outdated connection and slow charging
Of the Wonderboom’s shortcomings, one is worse than the others, due to our expectations of electronics: the bass is less powerful and you can tolerate some distortion and harshness at maximum volume, which isn’t necessarily unusual for a speaker of this size and price.
It’s annoying, though, that the Wonderboom 3 still uses a micro-USB cable to charge. The speaker comes with a cable, which is nice, but I don’t want to have to carry around multiple cords anymore. With so many products taking advantage of the power and convenience of USB-3, it would be much better if the Wonderboom could use USB-3 as well, so I could easily switch between devices. At home, it’s not so much of an issue, but when traveling, it’s annoying, since there’s likely only one device that needs such a cord.
It’s inconvenient that the Wonderboom 3 still uses a micro USB cable for charging.
The Wonderboom 3 starts to lose a bit of punch when used outdoors at a distance. It delivers crisp, clear audio that’s enough to fill a gathering of 15-20 people, but it won’t be the focal point of a larger group in a larger space. And while it’s got plenty of battery life — about 14 hours — to keep the party going, be prepared because it takes more than two hours to fully charge. The lack of quick charging is a bummer, but not a deal-breaker.
The Wonderboom 3 can’t connect to UE’s companion app, which wasn’t an issue for me but may be a concern for others. It’s also worth noting that it can only connect with other Wonderbooms, not with another UE speaker model.
Should I buy the Wonderboom 3?
The UE Wonderboom 3 is a reliable and durable Bluetooth speaker that will be a valuable companion for anyone who wants to take a speaker with them on the go. It’s great for small rooms and great for outdoor use and on the go, especially if you’re heading out on more active adventures. The beautiful look and design with large volume buttons, soft exterior and color options makes it a pleasure to look at and keep close by, even for aesthetically-conscious people like me. Worth the investment at the discounted price. Even though newer models have replaced it, it’s still worth it, especially since UE speakers tend to last for years.
Great, but shows signs of age
Ultimate Years Wonderboom 3
With an ideal combination of size, style, sound and waterproof design, this speaker is hard to beat.
1 Comment
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