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The nine speakers we recommend in our back-to-school guide
Though our back-to-school guide includes plenty of headphones, we threw in just as many speakers. Whether you intend to host a few parties or just want the convenience of a smart speaker, we found a number of models that we feel earn their space in your dorm. As you might expect, our list of nine picks include plenty of smart speakers, including usual suspects like the Apple HomePod, Google Home and Sonos One. Our feeling is, if you're going to invest in bookshelf or desktop speakers, you may as well have the option of using voice commands. That said, nearly half of our recommendations are portable, with highlights from JBL, Bang & Olufsen and the category leader, UE. As a warning, not everything on this list is cheap (we're looking at you, Klipsch), but some, like the UE Wonderboom are much cheaper, with a street price of around $70. Find all that and more (plus those headphone picks we mentioned) in our complete guide.
UE's Blast and Megablast join the Alexa smart speaker family
These days, the launch of yet more speakers with Alexa onboard isn't the most exciting announcement. However, these aren't stout smart home speakers or a mere software update, but an entirely new line for Ultimate Ears -- a long-standing favorite for its speakers' audio output and resilience. Today, the company introduces the Blast and Megablast, the network-capable and Alexa-enabled siblings of UE's Boom 2 and Megaboom. This new line was built explicitly for the Amazon Alexa ecosystem of apps and features, and along with the Power Up charging base, offers always-on functionality to cater to your verbal demands. Unlike many other options though, this one also includes an on-board battery for portability.
UE's new PartyUp feature broadcasts to multiple speakers
Ultimate Ears' Boom and Megaboom Bluetooth speakers have been some of our favorites in recent years, and if you or your friends picked one up, today's new software update may surprise you. The company is launching a revamped app interface and OTA firmware update that now allows you to pair far more than two UE speakers at a time. This new feature is called PartyUp and leverages Bluetooth Smart LE to let you see, remotely turn on and add nearby speakers to your audio output. The company claims you can easily add up to 50 at once, provided they're all running the new firmware. To help kick off the party, you can pick up speakers from the company's website at a discounted rate in groups of five or ten, which will be offered through the holidays.
Engadget giveaway: Win a complete set of Ultimate Ears Bluetooth speakers!
Summer is here and, at least in the north-eastern US, it's providing strong sunshine paired with melt-inducing heat. Those vibes have been captured perfectly on Ultimate Ear's latest limited edition UE Roll 2, which features the "Drippy" design from artist Jen Stark. Known for her psychedelic blends of contrasting color and repetitive layers, Stark aimed to bring oozing motion to this speaker's fabric. This week's giveaway is courtesy of Ultimate Ears and includes one of the limited edition UE Roll 2 Bluetooth speakers, along with one of each of its siblings: the UE Boom 2 and Megaboom. These speakers will help you kick out the jams all summer long in waterproof style. Each model has its own level of portability and volume output to fit your activity, plus any two can be paired for stereo sound. Want to get in on the audio fun? Head on down to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning this full set of UE speakers, including the limited "Drippy" release. Winner: Congratulations to Sergio C. of Sunnyside, NY!
UE adds Google and Siri voice integration to its Boom speakers
Today, Ultimate Ears is pushing out a software enhancement that's available for both the UE Boom 2 and Megaboom Bluetooth speakers. With an app refresh and OTA update, users will now be able to access Google Now or Siri by pushing a button on the speakers themselves, as long as they're connected through the UE app on the host device. Since the Boom 2 and Megaboom are both IPX7 water resistant, this could be perfect for beach or pool time, letting you keep your phone or tablet out of harm's way. Friends can also use this to find a song they want without hassling you for your phone or lock screen code. This new feature puts the speakers in competition with devices like the Amazon Tap, which also requires a button push to access Alexa, its on-board smart assistant. I had few hours for a quick preview of the update using both of the compatible UE speakers and an Android device, and while the service works, there's certainly room for improvement.
Ultimate Ears Bluetooth speaker update lets friends share DJ duty
Ultimate Ears has been redefining its lineup of Bluetooth speakers lately, waterproofing them and fine-tuning their innards so they all have the same tech at their core. As part of this unification, the company's pushing a new over-the-air firmware update around 1PM ET that adds the Boom 2's tap control functionality to Megaboom speakers. That's not all: An app update for iOS and Android is also rolling out with a new feature called Block Party. It takes the multi-user playback feature (which, to be honest, I've rarely had much success with before) and gives it an easy-to-use visual interface. Up to three users (including the host), can connect to a UE Roll, Boom 2 or Megaboom speaker and jump in with their own tunes. To keep potential mayhem in check, the primary user can moderate that input by playing, pausing, skipping to the next track or removing a user entirely from the DJ roster. If a spot opens up, anyone with a Bluetooth connection can hop in and join the party, playing their own jams or letting the host skip through their playlist. It's yet another step forward for UE's speaker line, but there are a few inherent limitations to this new feature.
The best water-resistant Bluetooth speakers
This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a list of the best technology to buy. Read the full article below at TheWirecutter.com. If you are looking for the best all-around value in a water-resistant Bluetooth speaker today, the best one to buy is the UE Megaboom. While there are lots of less expensive models, most that truly approach the Megaboom's performance cost about the same, and none that we've seen can offer its mix of sound quality, features and ruggedness. We came to this conclusion after narrowing down 50-some Bluetooth speakers to 13 water-resistant finalists and testing each of them with the Wirecutter AV team and a deep swimming pool. The $300 Megaboom is pricey, but if you have other budgetary or functional needs, we have a few other picks as well.
Ultimate Ears' UE Megaboom is a larger version of its 360-degree speaker
The UE Boom has been a popular choice among Bluetooth speakers since its debut back in 2013, thanks in large part to its stellar design and ability to blast tunes in 360 degrees. In fact, we've been quite smitten with it here at Engadget HQ. After nearly a year and a half, and a number of new colors and artist collaborations, Ultimate Ears has a new version: the Megaboom. If you're thinking this looks a lot like the regular Boom, you're correct -- except it's bigger. The larger option is still waterproof and wrapped in a stain-resistant skin, and it's said to last 20 hours on a charge with a Bluetooth range of 100 feet. Free apps for both iOS and Android are in play as well, which means remote control, alarm and sound tweaks from your mobile device return. And if one isn't enough, the UE Megaboom can "double up" with a second or a regular Boom for a sound boost. The $300 speaker will arrive in the US and a few countries in both Europe and Asia later this month.
