Ultimate Ears Everboom review: Is it worth buying over the Megaboom?

Ultimate Ears has built its reputation on rugged Bluetooth speakers that offer “360-degree sound.” The new Everboom, with its oval design, adds a mid-sized option to the lineup. In this UE Everboom review, I’ll break down how it stacks up in the crowded Bluetooth speaker market, where it fits within UE’s own family of speakers, and if it’s worth the extra cash over a Megaboom.

What I like about the Ultimate Ears Everboom

The Ultimate Ears Everboom features a rubberized silicone top and bottom, while the rest is wrapped in a soft but durable fabric. While this fabric doesn’t feel as robust as the material wrapped around most JBL portable speakers, the Everboom is built to take on your next adventure with its IP67 protection rating. This makes it dustproof and waterproof, but it’s also drop-proof (from a height of 1m), and like most Ultimate Ears speakers, it floats on water. The included loop and carabiner are also a nice touch that helps with placement options.

Controlling the Everboom is simple. You can’t miss the massive Volume + and – controls on the front of the speaker, and you’ll find the rest of the controls along the top of the unit. However, the only button backlit is the power button, which doubles as your battery life indicator, so finding the other ones in a darker setting is a bit of a struggle. Ultimate Ears advertises a 20-hour battery life with the Everboom, which is on par with other mid-sized portable speakers such as the JBL Charge 5.

Downloading the Ultimate Ears Boom app will help you get the most out of the Everboom speaker. While there is little going on, you’ll at least want to take advantage of the EQ options, including the 5-band custom EQ to personalize your sound. Here, you can also link up with other Ultimate Ears speakers. I paired the new Everboom with a Megaboom 3, and running two or more omnidirectional speakers simultaneously sounds fantastic. It truly provides a much more “room-filling” sound than just using a single speaker and can seriously up the party vibes for larger gatherings.

Regarding sound quality, the Everboom contains two active full-range transducers and two passive radiators. Omnidirectional sound aside, this mid-sized speaker’s performance is acceptable and par for its size, but there isn’t too much to get excited about.

Using the 5-band EQ, you can squeeze a bit more low end out of the Everboom. This made for a more prominent pulsing bass guitar and kick drum when listening to “You Make My Dreams (Come True)” by Hall and Oates, without disrupting treble-related details from the accompanying synth line. Overall, the Everboom has an acceptable sound for your next outing, but you still won’t exactly be rattling any windows with its bass response.

What I don’t like about the Ultimate Ears Everboom

As mentioned, the Everboom doesn’t “boom” more than the existing, cheaper Megaboom series. Of course, this is the reality of smaller, portable Bluetooth speakers. While the Everboom sounds decent at lower volumes, cranking it up also reveals some distortion closer to the max volume, and even then, it doesn’t get super loud. You can easily still yell over the top of any music playing.

I struggle to understand the need for the Everboom in the Ultimate Ears lineup. It barely differs from the Megaboom, a staple for years for a tough-as-nails outdoor party speaker. They offer similar omnidirectional sound, the same battery life, and even roughly weigh the same. However, with its cylindrical shape, the Megaboom is more packable between the two.

Lastly, while not specific to the Everboom, all omnidirectional speakers shine when placed in the center of your gatherings, but are not ideal for personal listening around the house. While you experience 360 degrees of sound, your music is fired hard stereo left and right from the unit. If you’re facing the speaker directly (with the large Volume + and – facing you), you won’t hear all the details in the treble frequencies of your music, like the percussive attack of a drumstick tip on a ride cymbal, for example. Shifting your position to the speaker’s side allows you to face the drivers directly, and you’ll notice better clarity in the high end, but you’re still only hearing the left or right channel of your audio.

Should you buy the Ultimate Ears Everboom?

Overall, the Everboom doesn’t bring enough to the table to justify its $50 premium over the Megaboom series. In my testing, the Everboom and Megaboom 3 performed almost identically. Both deliver omnidirectional sound, a rugged build, app support, and similar battery life. The bass response between them was effectively the same.

If portability matters more to you, the newer Megaboom 4 ($149.99 at Amazon) is easier to pack and carry to your next outing. Otherwise, if you prefer more directional sound in an outdoor-ready package, the JBL Charge 6 ($199.95 at Amazon) is a strong alternative that really packs a punch. Lastly, if you want deep bass and a party-friendly speaker that offers a little something extra, the Soundcore Boom 2 Plus ($249.99 at Amazon) stands out with its built-in light show.

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