The Wonderboom is one of Ultimate Ears’ most popular speakers because of its small size that doesn’t compromise on sound, and earlier this month, Ultimate Ears launched the Wonderboom 2, an updated version of the Wonderboom with some new functionality.
Design-wise, the Wonderboom 2 has the same general size and shape as the original Wonderboom, albeit slightly taller. Ultimate Ears says the design was kept the same because customers liked the look of the Wonderboom. The Wonderboom’s small size, affordable price tag, and big sound have always made it my favorite speaker in the Ultimate Ears lineup, and now the Wonderboom 2 is a new favorite.
Ultimate Ears kept everything great about the Wonderboom in the Wonderboom 2, but added some useful new features like better weatherproofing, stereo sound capability when using two speakers, and better sound both indoors and outdoors.
The Wonderboom 2 is about four inches long and about 3.75 inches wide, so it’s about palm-sized. There are large volume control buttons on the front (an Ultimate Ears signature look), an extended loop for hanging on the back, and a covered micro-USB port for charging purposes. Physical controls for playing/pausing music, activating features, and turning speakers on and off are located at the top.
Ultimate Years hasn’t changed the size or shape of the Wonderboom 2, but there are new colors and a new two-tone knit fabric that looks more premium than the fabric used for the Wonderboom. It comes in a gray and white camo version with Deep Space Black, Crushed Ice, Radical Red, Bermuda Blue and Just Peach available exclusively from Apple.
Like all Ultimate Ear speakers, the Wonderboom 2’s spherical design was designed to deliver 360-degree sound, and it delivers impressively loud volumes for its price point. Even with the volume cranked up, the sound is crisp and clear in the midrange with excellent bass for such a small speaker.
I’m no audiophile, but I’ve always admired the sound that Ultimate Ears products are capable of delivering, and the Wonderboom 2 is no exception. Ultimate Ears actually bumped the bass in the new model for upgraded internals, and compared to the Wonderboom, it stands out. Despite the bass boost, the sound is still balanced overall. I don’t think the sound of the Wonderboom 2 can match the more expensive Ultimate Ears speakers, but it’s not. very far away
The Wonderboom 2 maxes out at 86 decibels in standard mode, but Ultimate Ears adds a new outdoor mode that kicks things up a notch. Outdoor Boost mode bumps the sound up to 87 decibels, and while it doesn’t sound like a huge boost, it makes a difference when playing music outdoors. You can tell when outdoor mode is active when the little tree below lights up.
Outdoor mode lowers the bass and boosts the midrange because the bass isn’t as effective outdoors, and this shift works great when you’re in the backyard, by the pool, at the beach, or anywhere else. Wide open area. You won’t want to use the new outdoor mode while indoors, even though it sounds terrible indoors.
The original Wonderboom was rated IPX7, and just as the new Wonderboom is water resistant, it also has a new IP67 rating for dust. This makes it both water and dust resistant, so you can take it to the beach and other areas where sand or dust might be a problem without worrying about ruining it.
I took the Wonderboom 2 in the shower and floated it in the sink and had no issues with water resistance, which I expected because all Ultimate Ears products are water resistant.
Wonderboom 2 has a few other neat tricks worth mentioning, including the Double Up mode. This is standard with most Ultimate Ears speakers, but a new feature on the upgraded model lets you use two Wonderboom 2 speakers in stereo mode, which is a great new addition.
Unfortunately, the Double Up’s stereo speaker mode is limited to the new Wonderboom 2 speakers, so while you can pair an original Wonderboom and a Wonderboom 2 to play the same sound, both new models are needed to use them in stereo mode. Double Up can be activated by pressing the top button on each Wonderboom 2 at the same time, no app required.
It’s easy to get going and it sounds great, so it’s a neat way to get stereo sound indoors or outdoors. However, once linked, if you turn on outdoor mode, it activates on both speakers instead of just one
Ultimate Ears has also boosted the battery on the Wonderboom 2 so it can last up to 13 hours, which is essentially all-day battery life. That’s up from 10 hours on the previous generation Wonderboom.
bottom line
The Wonderboom 2 is a great little speaker that’s perfect for both indoor and outdoor use. It’s super portable, sounds impressive, and isn’t too expensive at $100.
Compared to the original Wonderboom, this model is louder, has outdoor mode, three hours more battery life and doubles up stereo mode, making it a solid upgrade overall.
I probably wouldn’t shell out for the Wonderboom 2 if I already had a Wonderboom unless I wanted those specific features but for someone looking for a small, versatile speaker that doesn’t compromise on sound and can be used virtually anywhere. , Wonderboom 2 is worth considering.
If you don’t need the features of the Wonderboom 2, you can pick up an original Wonderboom from Amazon for around $55, which is a great price.
How to buy
The Wonderboom 2 can be purchased from the Ultimate Ears website or Amazon.com for $99.99. The Apple-exclusive camo model will be available in July.
Note: Ultimate Ears provided MacRumors with two Wonderboom 2 speakers for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.
