Forget Sonos Move 2, the new Ultimate Ears Epicboom puts more boom in your room for less

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New Ultimate Ears Epicboom could shakeup the best Bluetooth speakers category

UE Epicboom in balck and white color options on diving board over a pool
(Image credit: Ultimate Ears)

Timing is everything (or so the saying goes), and it's surely no coincidence that the Ultimate Ears Epicboom portable speaker was unveiled at the same time as the official unveiling of the Sonos Move 2 (September 6). 

While we'll need to hear both side-by-side, the Epicboom looks like a close rival for entry into the best Bluetooth speakers category and a top contender for the best outdoor speakers thanks to its IP67-rating that protects it from water splashes and short-time submersion.

Ultimate Ears Epicboom: More boom for less

Ultimate Ears' speaker line up

(Image credit: Ultimate Ears)

The Epicboom is a stereo speaker using two 1.5-inch active mid-high frequency speaker drivers partnered to a single 4.6-inch woofer driver. 

Along with the Boom app that can be used to tailor the sound to your liking via different preset EQs, the speaker's internal mic dynamically adjusts to balance the sound output depending on its surrounding and proximity to boundaries. Presets include Signature, Bass Boost, Game/Cinema, Podcast/Vocal, as well as an all-new Deep Relaxation mode.    

As an all-new series in the Ultimate Ears lineup, the Epicboom bridges the gap between the company's Megaboom 3 and the Hyperboom models. Battery life for the Epicboom claims to deliver up to 17 hours of playtime, which actually sounds like a conservative figure based on the real-world playback times we've seen on other UE models versus what's claimed. Full recharges are said to take around 3 hours. There's an LED battery indicator and a USB-C port for recharges.

Ultimate Ears Epicboom on a dinner table with diners

(Image credit: Ultimate Ears)

Other neat Epicboom features include one-touch NFC feature available for NFC-compatible smartphones with Android 8.0 or later, allowing users to simply power on, pair, connect, and play. PartyUp lets owners pair multiple Ultimate Ears speakers together, while Outdoor Boost cranks up the bass even further.

As one of the larger Bluetooth speakers we've seen introduced recently, it'll be interesting to see how its sound stacks up against the similarly-sized Sonos Move 2. Keep checking back for our reviews and face-offs on both models when they arrive.  

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Lee Dunkley
Lee Dunkley

Lee was Tom's Guide's audio editor, where he covered all things audio for Tom's Guide, including headphones, wireless speakers and soundbars and loves to connect and share the mindfulness benefits that listening to music in the very best quality can bring. As a former editor of the U.K.'s Hi-Fi Choice magazine, Lee is passionate about all kinds of audio tech and has been providing sound advice to enable consumers to make informed buying decisions since he joined Which? magazine as a product tester in the 1990s. Lee has joined the passionate audio experts at audiograde.uk where he writes about luxury audio and Hi-Fi.