Too much choice can also be a problem. Like the smartphone market, the segment of Bluetooth speakers spawned by proliferation of mobile phones is also becoming confusing to say the least. There are wireless speakers to fit every budget, music taste and design preference. But that is only going to make picking up one of them extremely difficult. The latest in this wonderful mix is the Ultimate Ears Boom. Here is the review. Ultimate Ears Boom Price: Rs 14,995 Bluetooth speakers are trying their best to differentiate themselves from the competition. So the Ultimate Ears Boom offers a 360 degree sound making full use of its cylindrical form factor. It is about the size of a hand torch, if this generation has seen one. It is not very heavy and weighs just about 538 grams. But the best thing about the Boom is the fact that it is water and stain resistant. So you can take it wherever you want your music to go. The mesh is not metal and feels more like fabric while the rest of the body has a rubbery finish that seems like it is built to last. And you don’t really have to bother how to rest the speaker. I preferred to stand it up and I got the feeling that gave the sound the best chance to impress me. On one end of the cylinder are the power and pairing buttons, both of which have embedded LED lights to tell you what is happening. On the other end you have a Line in option and the micro-USB port for charging. There is also a small loop that you can use the hang the boom to your backpack or bicycle. After all, this speaker is made to go anywhere you want it to. What is good? Of course, the best thing about the Boom is its sound quality. Despite its rugged disposition, it can be classy with classical or pure vocal numbers and rise to the occasion if you want to party with Tubthumping. Yes, it can be extremely loud if needed. And I am convinced it is more inclined to the latter than the softer stuff. The design is amazingly practical. It is almost as good as plug and play and there are hardly any controls to be bothered with. Which means there are just volume buttons, and that too extra large ones, to control the music. Some people might, however, have wanted the option to mute or to switch songs. The UE Boom also comes with its own app which you can use to customise your music playback. There are some presets like Bass Jump and Voices, but there is also the option of taking things to a whole new level with your customs settings. However, for that you will have to yoke your device to a PC. In fact, UE uses this app to push software updates for the speaker, which is good. The app also lets you use the speakers to double up as an alarm and wake you up with your favourite music. There is also the option of using the app to rig two Booms together. However, I doubt Indian buyers would look at this option. If they want to spend Rs 30,000 on a Bluetooth speaker, they are likely to buy one that costs that much and offers more features than invest in two speakers. What is not that good? The audio quality is good, but it has some weaklinks. For instance, playing a song with a chorus or multiple vocals does not give you the desired clarity. The Boom seems to prefer single vocal tracks. Also, the lack of mute/pause and forward buttons could be an issue with some users. The Boom does not let you answer calls, a feature most Bluetooth speakers in this price point offer. That could be something that puts off some buyers. Verdict The UE Boom is certainly one of the best Bluetooth speakers in its price range. However, you should be clear how you want to use this one. This is better suited for the outdoors and for music that is essentially meant to be played out loud. For those who need to make calls and have a more sophisticated music taste, there are other options in the market.
