This is my review for the Ultimate Ears Megaboom 2 waterproof bluetooth speaker, but first let’s get go all Scooby Do and have a little flash back to how things were…

Do you remember the good old days when we had big boxy speakers and cables and hi-fi systems stacked in a cabinet and you had a particular room for listening to music at home?

And if you wanted music when you travelled, if you were lucky, you carried a boombox ghetto-blaster that burned through a truck load of D sized batteries. You were considered totally hip or cool if you turned up to a party with tunes. One of the forms of social currency between mates was mixtapes…

happy days ay?

No? You don’t remember all that? No, me neither, I’m definitely not a 70’s child…

[Cough]

So where were we?

Audiophiles, this isn’t a review for you. I love music. I love it so much I even called my boat Boogie Nights. But if you are looking for a discussion on frequency response and speaker weights and specification, this is not a review for you.

I don’t know anyone who thinks a waterproof bluetooth speaker is hip or cool. They don’t carry any kind of social status as far as I’m aware. But they are just about light enough to carry.

This Megaboom weighs in at a hench 878grams, or 1.9lbs in retro old Skool weights.

At 23cm high and 8.5cm diameter it’s not a small thing to slip in your bag. But as a result of this weight and size, you do get some punchy sounds.

360 sound

It’s 360 sound too so it doesn’t matter where you stand, you’re getting it. So if your mum sneakily clags into it with her iphone and starts to play some of that Foster and Allen nonsense, you’ll have to leave the room to get away from the sound. Likewise, if someone thinks it’s funny to put on some Baby Shark, there’s nowhere to hide.

This thing is going to hit you from anywhere you happen to be in the room. If you’re not in a room but outdoors, the sound isn’t lost. You will entertain more than just your nearest vicinity though. Bear that in mind if you have neighbours. Then again, if it’s kicking about in the cockpit and you need to hear it above the sound of the wind and waves, then you’re in luck.

The Ultimate Ears Megaboom 2 shakes the room. 

The Ultimate Ears Megaboom 2 is pretty versatile as it happens. Hooking it up through a laptop, portable movie projector and my mobile phone has been pure simplicity.

I use the Ultimate Ears app to connect up my speakers, because yes, I have two of these! Yes I paid my own money for them. These are all mine and not commercial samples.

Pontoon Parties are so much more fun with a little bit of music, especially if the speaker is floating in the luggage cart that’s filled with cold water and beers.

The grippy feeling fabric cover dries out quickly after a dunking. I’d recommend giving a rinse with fresh water if it’s been covered in salt water spray though.

Sundowners in the cockpit or on the beach can have proper sound tracks and you know what, I actually love having a bit of music on in the dinghy when I row about fetching and carrying the shopping/dog/friends. When I’m sitting in my camper watching some Netflix or Disney+ on my phone, it all sounds so much better through one, or more of these speakers.

They have a removable screw in loop on the base which can be useful for securing it or to hang it. There’s a 3.5mm audio jack and the micro USB charging socket.

The app has an equaliser that is easy to use.

There’s a host of other controls via the app, including tap control which I’ve never found useful as I can more quickly and easily skip or pause a track using my phone or watch.

It is quite useful to be able to switch the speaker on and off remotely, especially if you’re in bed and don’t want to get up to switch it on.

The partyup option that allows multiple connection of devices, not just Megaboom but Boom and other Ultimate Ears Bluetooth portable speakers.

The Ultimate Ears Megaboom 2 review

The Megaboom 2 has a ruggedised feel with sturdy rubber top and bottom with a rubber panel running the full length too. It’s covered in a grippy fabric that comes in a variety of colourways. Both of my speakers are black and grey with yellow accents on the plus and minus volume buttons.

The Ultimate Ears Megaboom 2 speaker has been superceded by the Megaboom 3, but the two sound almost identical. There’s very little difference between them.

You can still find the Megaboom 2 for sale though. Lots of us prefer this speaker to the newer one they brought out, so for now, If I can afford to add to my collection, I’ll be adding the 2 not the 3.

Prices from £125

Buy the Ultimate Ears Megaboom 2 from Amazon

Buy the Ultimate Ears Megaboom 2 in Maclaren colours from Amazon

Buy the Ultimate Ears Megaboom 2 in various colours from Ali Express

For our Black Friday deals guide to waterproof bluetooth speakers, read more here

An extra gift from me to you, here’s an eclectic Gen X playlist of tunes, a mixtape, to belt out on a bluetooth speaker, so what are you waiting for…

Click the mixtape for some tunes