Of course, most people won’t be listening to the Everboom on a desktop, so I did most of my testing outdoors, where the speakers really come into their own. I especially liked how they sounded from about 10 feet away or more. There’s impressive punch in the bass and midrange, refined clarity in the highs, and a touch of stereo separation. There’s a nice warmth to the sound when playing crisp percussion, gritty strings, or crisp vocals.
You can turn up the volume quite a bit to fill a large space, including turning on Outdoor mode for a bit more oomph, but you’ll notice that at maximum volume, digital compression kicks in and dampens the excitement. The Everboom easily delivers a fuller sound outdoors compared to the smaller Boom 4, my aging JBL Flip 5, and even the beefier Beats Pill, which tends to have sharper treble frequencies outdoors.
It is much harder to distinguish between the Everboom and the Megaboom 4. After a few hours of rigorous listening, we found the Everboom to have a smoother touch, warmer and fuller mid-bass, and slightly more power. The Megaboom, on the other hand, is more mid-focused and has less refinement in the treble. This difference is unlikely to make much of an impression, especially when drinking at a barbecue or outdoor get-together.
Photo: Ryan Waniata
Neither speaker can delve into sub-bass territory with any force; if you want more bass, you’ll probably need to upgrade to a larger option like the Epicboom (which we haven’t tested yet) or something even more expensive like the physics-defying Brane X (9/10, WIRED Recommended), but the latter doesn’t offer the go-anywhere, do-anything peace of mind that the Ultimate Ears offer.
What’s really appealing about UE’s “Boom” speakers is their balance of high performance and premium durability. Like its cheaper sibling, the Everboom offers a great combination of sound, features, and battery life in a frame that looks like it could be thrown through a wood chipper and come out unshrunk. do not have Do so, and our best Bluetooth speakers list has plenty of cheaper options.
The Everboom’s high price tag isn’t really justified; if you want a speaker that can charge your phone, I’d recommend the tried-and-true Megaboom 4 or JBL’s Charge 5. If you’re on a budget, you’ll get similar benefits from the Boom 4 or JBL Flip 6, and that’s where I’d put my money unless there was a sale.
