Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST Portable WiFi Speaker Review

Whether you’re a music aficionado or enjoy listening to your favorite tunes in your spare time, a travel-friendly speaker for those on the go is a must nowadays. That’s where the Ultimate Ears Megablast Portable Wi-Fi Speaker comes in.

It has a battery that will last up to 16 hours, is compatible with Amazon Alexa, and works with a bunch of different music streaming services like Spotify, iHeart Radio, and Amazon Music.

Unfortunately, not everyone has a great experience with this portable speaker. Some users found it was not easy to connect with other speakers, and it’s inhibited by its need for Wi-Fi connection.

Nonetheless, before you make your final decision, let’s take a more in-depth look at the Ultimate Ears Megablast Portable Wi-Fi Speaker.

Ultimate Ears Megablast Portable Wi-Fi Speaker: The Details

Specs

• Product Dimensions: 6 x 10.1 x 5.5 inches.
• Product Weight: 8 lbs.
• Product Type: Portable speaker.
• Compatible with Amazon Alexa: Most media and apps on the speaker can be controlled using Alexa.

How Does It Work?

The set-up for the Ultimate Ears Megablast Portable Wi-Fi Speaker is rather simple once you consider its range of abilities.

First, you must download the Ultimate Ears App on your smartphone. With this, you can operate the speaker remotely.

Once installed, the app will lead you through the set-up prompts and connect to your Wi-Fi and Alexa. With Alexa all setup, you can control the speaker via voice command.

The speaker also allows you to connect with any music-streaming service you choose, including Spotify, Apple Music, and iHeart Radio. With its Bluetooth feature enabled, it can connect with any other Bluetooth devices as well.

Through the apps, you can receive the weather forecast, check your calendar, convert different measuring units, listen to the news, or do a bunch of other activities – all thanks to Alexa. Also, if you have other smart devices in your home, you can control them from this speaker as well.

The Megablast has a micro-USB port, should you wish to play some music from a USB drive or from your computer. Additionally, the speaker updates itself when connected to Wi-Fi.

Ultimate Ears: The Brand

Founded in 1995 by Mindy and Jerry Harvey, Ultimate Ears is based in Irvine and Newark, California. The company mainly designs custom in-ear monitors, speakers, and earphones.

As of 2008, they became a subsidiary of Logitech International. They began just selling their products to professional musicians, but now make speakers and earphones for the everyday user as well.

They want their products to deliver the “ultimate sound, ultimate design, and the ultimate convenience” for their customers.

Ultimate Ears Megablast Portable Wi-Fi Speaker Review

The Positives

Great Sound

According to users, the sound in this portable speaker is amazing! While the device isn’t exactly on the cheap side, the sound will impress you and make the money worthwhile.

Just place the speaker anywhere in your home and enjoy 360 degrees of roaring sound quality. You’ll even be able to feel the bass in your feet if you stand close enough to the speaker.

And don’t worry that cranking up the volume will distort the sound. That’s not the case with the Megablast. Multiple users noted how crystal clear the sound was even at higher volumes.

Versatile

The Megablast speaker accommodates each of your unique needs. You can control nearly everything on this speaker using Amazon’s Alexa, as she will hear you even if the music is blasting.

You can use most of your favorite streaming services, including Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, and TuneIn, making this an all-in-one device.

Also, because Alexa is connected to the speaker, you can look up things on the internet, find restaurants in your area, or just tell her to change the song.

Make sure you’re connected to Wi-Fi or a mobile hotspot, and you can even take calls without stopping the music.

Great Battery Life

You don’t have to worry about running out of battery life either. Quite a few users mentioned that the battery lasts between 12 and 16 hours when fully charged. That’s a lot of music!

You could be jamming to tunes or having Alexa look up things off and on for days before you actually have to charge it.

Nobody wants to worry about when the music will shorten the party, and with the Megablast you won’t have to.

Easy to Set Up and Use

Users also mentioned how easy the Megablast Portable Wi-Fi Speaker is to set up and use. The settings are straightforward to establish, allowing you to enjoy the device mere minutes after unboxing.

The only problem is that the device does not arrive charged, but if you plug it in immediately after unpacking, you can get started right away.

Once you’re all charged and going, the device is just as easy to use. Customers have found the device to be pretty intuitive, especially with the help of Alexa.

Connecting to Alexa wasn’t a challenge to start, and users found the Megablast to be responsive.

Compact

The Megablast couldn’t really be portable if it was huge, so luckily, Ultimate Ears gave it the perfect dimensions. At 5.6 x 10.1 x 5.5 inches, it’s ideally sized to take with you on the go.

Throw it in a bag or toss in a suitcase to bring it on vacation with you. It won’t take up much space at all.

Weighing in at under five pounds, this portable speaker won’t weigh you down, and it won’t be daunting to carry around with you, whether in your purse, backpack, or in your hands.

Durable

The Megablast is made of solid material that is both dust-proof and waterproof. So, if you take the speaker to the beach or a pool party, you don’t have to worry about its getting a little wet.

It can withstand being in water for 1 minute and 30 seconds, according to Ultimate Ears, saving you from dealing with any disasters if your speaker were to fall into a puddle of water while on the go, or at the pool (this is also great news for those that like to enjoy their tunes in the shower!).

While we don’t recommend tossing your smart speaker around, the Megablast will stand up to any accidental drops or bumps that happen without damaging its body or its overall quality.

Customers will also get a two-year limited warranty with their Ultimate Ears Speaker, which means the company will foot the cost of any repairs or replacements needed to be done to your speaker.

This warranty only covers faults from the manufacturer, so be sure to handle your device with care, no matter how durable it is.

The Negatives

Wi-Fi Connectivity

Multiple users complained about the Wi-Fi connectivity of the app and the speaker. The Ultimate Ears app doesn’t always sync to the device right away.

Also, because the speaker requires a constant connection to work, it’s hard to operate outside your house or while at the beach. No Wi-Fi means no speaker unless you decide to connect via Bluetooth.

Thankfully, users will have this second option to assist with this issue, but if you’re hoping to always stream to this device through Wi-Fi, know that you’ll have to rely on your smart device’s internet connection when away from a hotspot.

Charging Base Not Included

One of the biggest upsets with the Megablast speaker is that it doesn’t come with the charging dock. That is a separate purchase.

When you’re already spending a couple hundred dollars on a speaker it would be great to have this included for free.

The speaker does arrive with a cord to charge via a wall socket, but the dock makes the speaker that much more portable and easy to use.

That being said, those who don’t feel they need the charging dock won’t be bothered by this.

Can’t Easily Pair Speakers

A number of users mentioned that it’s not easy to pair these speakers together. So, if you want multiple speakers blasting your music, it’s a complicated process, and may be impossible altogether.

This seems to be a one-speaker-at-a-time kind of device, which is unfortunate for those looking to create a booming system of sound.

Price

While the price tag for the Megablast on Amazon isn’t exactly overwhelming, quite a few users found the price to be too expensive, considering its pitfalls.

While you can get a speaker cheaper than this, those models all lack the extra smart technology. However, when that technology doesn’t work properly, it’s easy to see why some may feel the price is too high.

Here’s a video showing what the Ultimate Ears Megablast looks like out of the box.

Overall Verdict

After going over all the positives and negatives, we are recommending the Ultimate Ears Megablast Portable Wi-Fi Speaker. The great sound quality and the ability to connect to so many different services is fantastic.

However, if you can’t get the speaker to connect easily to those services and/or to your other devices, it’s a problem. The speaker’s inability to operate without Wi-Fi is also difficult to overlook when this device is advertised as portable.

Nonetheless, it achieves its goal as an extremely smart device that allows you to play some of the best music of your life.

If you aren’t bothered with the specific downfalls, this speaker would make a great addition to your home or outdoor party.

Where to Buy the Ultimate Ears Megablast Portable Wi-Fi Speaker

Ultimate Ears has proven themselves in the world of smart audio with their line of portable speakers, and while the brand is still one that many may not know of, it’s definitely rising in popularity thanks to the success of their products.

Backed by a long-standing brand like Logitech, Ultimate Ears is able to grow both as a brand and in popularity, with retailers featuring items like the Ultimate Ears Megablast Portable Wi-Fi Speaker on their shelves both in-store and online.

The Megablast and others in their line have been raved about by customers and enthusiasts, and experts in the niche are keeping a watch on Ultimate Ears to see what devices they come up with next.

While it’s usually best to check tech, home department, and specialty stores, you can kick-start your search for this speaker by checking out the following online retailers.

• Best Buy (from $174)
• Target (from $249)
• BH Audio Video (from $299)

And of course, you can also find the Megablast speaker on Amazon.

That’s all for our Ultimate Ears Megablast review. Are you tempted to give it a try?