Praised as Ultimate Ears’ most powerful speakers, Megablast vs Megaboom 3, both units certainly pack a punch. While some find the Megablast as the perfect fit, others argue that Megaboom 3 meets and exceeds all expectations. Triggered by this dilemma, we researched both units and wrote a small article, Megablast vs Megaboom 3. Although we were impressed by their features, the question remains, what exactly makes the one better than the other? Heads-up…….it turns out size doesn’t matter!
1. UE Megablast
Like every other Ultimate Ears Bluetooth speaker, Megablast is waterproof and dustproof. The main difference between the Megablast and its close cousins from the Boom line is the built-in Amazon Alexa, but we’ll talk about all the differences and similarities further in this article.
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At first glance, the Megablast has a familiar design, not much different than its predecessor, the Blast. Despite the typical cylindrical shape and weaved mesh speaker grille, Megablast is a bit flatter at the ends. Moreover, it is so far the largest speaker from the Ultimate Ears bunch, measuring in at 237 x 88mm.
There’s a power button at the top of the speaker and a smaller, dot-shaped button that both serve to indicate different types of interactions with Alexa. You can also activate the Bluetooth connection through the dot-shaped button. Megablast features the recognizable oversized volume buttons. However, we were a little surprised to learn that there is no play/pause button on the actual speaker.
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As expected, there is a D-ring at the bottom for users who prefer to hang up their speakers. In case you decide to opt for an optional charging dock just remove the D-ring and there’s the charging port.
Thanks to its high quality, durable, and rugged design, the Megablast can handle outdoors use with ease. Although primarily a portable device, the Megablast proves to be extremely home-friendly as it comes with integrated Alexa voice control that works on Wi-Fi. The speaker can tell you the weather, set alarms, and basically, control every smart device in your home. What we appreciate the most though, the Megablast doubles as a wingman; it can dim your smart lights or play a ballad if you need to set the mood!
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Due to the two active drivers, two tweeters and two passive radiators, the Megablast is the loudest speaker from this company. What’s astonishing is the fact that the sound quality remains the same even at the highest volume!
The battery is advertised to last for 16 hours without charging. However, numerous Megablast reviews by users state that the actual battery life is approximately 12 hours. As far as connectivity is concerned, this speaker supports dual-band Wi-Fi and up to eight different Bluetooth sources.
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The Megablast comes at a relatively higher price as compared to other Alexa-enabled speakers. But, if you feel like splurging, you can’t go wrong with this quality unit.
- High-quality, loud sound
- Build quality
- Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity
- Built-in Alexa fea
- Waterproof and dustproof
- Large unit
- Can’t connect to Spotify or make calls despite being Alexa-enabled
Continuing our debate on Megablast vs Megaboom 3, we’re about to take an in-depth look at the Megaboom 3 speaker.
2. UE Megaboom 3
Considered by many as the best portable Bluetooth speaker out there, the Megaboom 3 is an example of Ultimate Ears’ dedication to their customers. Extraordinary sound quality, ease of use, battery life, price and much more, the Megaboom 3 checks all boxes.
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Design-wise, there is not much that sets the Megaboom 3 apart from the Ultimate Ears Boom and the Megaboom. The same cylindrical shape that we’ve grown to love is present in this model as well, with some minor improvements. Although the company kept the prominent volume buttons in this model too, they no longer sit on the rubber strip. Instead, they are built in the speaker’s body.
Fun fact: the outer fabric of the speaker was produced by a Swiss company in charge of making materials for firefighters!
Another novelty is the “Magic Button” at the top of the device. Surely a worthy upgrade, the Magic Button helps users control music playback and launch playlists. It works as a pause/play button when pressed once, double tap skips to the next song, and a long press summons a playlist. Next to it are the power and Bluetooth buttons.
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The micro-USB charging port is moved from the bottom to the side for easier access. Megaboom 3 houses a silver contact point for wireless charging at the bottom. The Power Up charging dock for wireless charging is sold separately. Megaboom 3’s battery is estimated to last for 20 hours on a single charge. Compared to other Bluetooth speakers, Megaboom 3 battery life is surely a leader.
We were not disappointed by the quality of the sound either. The Megaboom 3 speaker delivers clear and evenly dispersed sound which contributes to overall satisfying performance.
What’s more, Megaboom 3 brings the ultimate party with the PartyUp mode! This enables you to pair up to 150 Ultimate Ears speakers (yes, you read that right) from the Boom line, one speaker to rule them all. It can also pair with a second Megaboom 3 speaker for stereo.
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Taking into consideration everything that Megaboom 3 offers, we came to realize that it is more than fairly priced.
- Waterproof
- Long battery life
- PartyUp feature
- Magic button
- No Wi-Fi/Alexa
Megablast vs Megaboom 3 – Key Differences and Similarities
As mentioned above, the main difference between the two speakers is the Wi-Fi/Alexa connectivity. While Megablast boasts Alexa features, Megaboom 3 has no ‘smart’ technology integrated. However, the built-in Alexa feature in Megablast works only on Wi-Fi, meaning it won’t be of much use outside of your home.
On the other hand, a feature exclusive to the Boom line of speakers is the PartyUp mode. In addition, while Megablast lacks play/pause buttons, Megaboom 3 is upgraded with the Magic button used to play/pause a song, skip a song, and even summon playlists.
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Although they are both fully waterproof, Megaboom 3 can also float, but we wouldn’t recommend it for long time intervals. The battery life is impressive in both of the devices. But, considering that Megablast and Megaboom 3 are portable speakers, the 20-hour battery life of the Megaboom 3 is unmatched.
As far as appearance is concerned, Ultimate Ears did a solid job in designing appealing, high-quality speakers that can survive even the most ‘sadistic’ hands. The Megablast is slightly bigger as compared to Megaboom 3, which we consider to be a drawback for a portable speaker.
Final Verdict
After factoring in a number of aspects, we feel confident to declare Megaboom 3 as the winner in the ongoing Megablast vs Megaboom 3 battle.
However, we’d like to emphasize that while Megaboom 3 won by our standards, the Megablast may better suit your needs. Hey, if you’re a firm believer that bigger is better, who are we to judge?
