The New EPICBOOM, It’s All In The Name
Logitech today announced their brand new bluetooth speaker, the Ultimate Ears EPICBOOM. Chances are you’re already familiar with the gigantic plus and minus buttons to know what you’re getting into when you see one of these things, but after spending a few days with one myself, I’m impressed.
The unboxing is a quick and easy process but the first thing that struck me was just how big it is in person. I have a similarly sized permanent speaker set up in the lounge for entertaining but the EPICBOOM offers the same experience in a much more transport friendly form factor This isn’t a dinky speaker to be strapped to your backpack, this is a full on unit featuring a 4.6” woofer for bass clarity. It’s decently weighty, and has a sturdy strap on the back to make carrying it one handed easier. A nice touch of detail is a small magnet in the strap which keeps it pinned to the main unit when it’s not in use. It’s little flourishes like this that tell me Logitech really wanted to make a premium device in a crowded market.
It’s oval shaped to deliver loud 360 degree audio and comes in two colourways, Cotton White + Lipstick Red and Charcoal Black + Lime. The unit I got to play with was the Cotton White. The rubber on the underside is speckled nicely with orange flecks thanks to the 59% post-consumer recycled plastic which sets it off surprisingly well. The rest of EPICBOOM is wrapped in 100% post-consumer recycled polyester which gives it a texture that’s as synonymous with the range as the bright red volume buttons.
Getting it going was a breeze. Three white LEDs underneath the fabric let me know it already had charge for me to give it whirl, and I opted to not even bother going into bluetooth pairing, instead using the NFC on the top to instantly connect with my phone. Bluetooth range is about 55 meters. I did all this without the accompanying BOOM app, which unlocks a range of options if you wanted to get the most out of your unit allowing you to play with the mids, highs, and lows of your sound, if you’re a stickler for getting the exact right sound out of your speaker. For more casual on the fly tweaks the BOOM app allows pre-set EQs including Signature, Bass Boost, Game/Cinema, Podcast/Vocal, and the all-new Deep Relaxation mode.
Charging is done via USB-C cable and can deliver up to 17 hours of playtime. The USB-C port has a rubber plug which spends its days making sure the EPICBOOM keeps it’s IP67 rating, making it waterproof, dustproof, and floatable. As I have said in previous reviews I’m not about to go testing how floatable exactly. I was taught to respect technology when I was growing up. But it’s good to know that it can take a splash in a pinch if I set it down next to the pool or spa.
It has minimal buttons on the top, running left to right, power, bluetooth pairing, outdoor mode, and play/pause, with NFC positioned just underneath these. Outdoor mode is nice to have and a internal microphone will dynamically adjust EQ and balances sound depending on your environment.
If you wanted to get a full sound that’s both portable, easy to use, and with zero compromises I can fully recommend the Ultimate Ears EPICBOOM.
You can buy the EPICBOOM here, and will be available in retail from September 25th.
