Ultimate Ears Megablast vs. Megaboom 3: Which should you buy?

(Image credit: Ultimate Ears)

Two powerful Bluetooth speakers

The Megablast and Megaboom 3 are the two most powerful speakers Ultimate Ears offers. They each feature excellent bass, and are both totally portable. It's in the finer details and Wi-Fi capabilities that they differ.

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Header Cell - Column 0 MegablastMegaboom 3
Battery life16 hours20 hours
Pairs with8 other Megablast or Blast150+ Boom and Megaboom speakers
Wi-Fi/AlexaYesNo
Bluetooth range45 meters45 meters
Water resistanceIP67IP67
Number of color options44
Frequency range60Hz - 20kHz60Hz - 20kHz

The one major difference between these two speakers is Wi-Fi: the Megablast can be controlled using Amazon's Alexa assistant, and the Megaboom 3 cannot. It's as simple as that. The Megablast does get marginally louder than the Megaboom 3, and it does have slightly better bass, but at the realistic volume most people will be listening to these speakers, they'll sound quite similar.

In terms of water resistance, both speakers get an IP67, which means they're completely protected from dust ingression (6) and can survive submersion in up to one meter of water for 30 minutes. In this respect, they're both perfect for listening to tunes by the pool, on a hike (even in the rain), at the campsite, or wherever you listening habits take you.

There is no clear winner. You either want Alexa functionality or you don't.

In the end, there is no clear winner as to which you should buy. You should base your choice on whether or not you value you using your Bluetooth speaker as, essentially, an Amazon Echo device. If you have smart home devices to control, use Alexa, and want better sound than many of the Echo speakers, buy the Megablast.

If you're simply looking for a portable, water-resistant, excellent-sounding Bluetooth speaker, and you need none of the Wi-Fi functionality, then buy the Megaboom 3.

All that said, you can get the Megablast on Amazon for as little as $140-ish sometimes, and you might as well jump on that deal and get the best of both worlds.

Mick Symons

Mick is a staff writer who's as frugal as they come, so he always does extensive research (much to the exhaustion of his wife) before making a purchase. If it's not worth the price, Mick ain't buying.