UE Wonderboom 2 tested: A speaker for a day at the lake
28.6.2019
Translation: machine translated
Just in time for summer, Ultimate Ears is relaunching its smallest Bluetooth speaker. The Wonderboom 2 is said to have more bass and run longer than its predecessor and is now not only waterproof but also dustproof.
The first Wonderboom was already a good-sounding companion for the beach, the park or a picnic. I'm curious to see what Ultimate Ears has changed in the Wonderboom 2 and whether the new Bluetooth speaker has really become noticeably better.
Optically, both models are very similar. There are changes to the Wonderboom 2 in the details. For example, the distinctive plus and minus signs for the volume, which are rotated by 90 degrees, have become slightly wider and the fabric cover is no longer completely monochrome, but has slight splashes of colour. In the black version, they are grey.
The carrying strap, which easily fits a finger, has become wider and incorporates the manufacturer's lettering on a plate, which is located on the top of the speaker on the predecessor. There is now a round button that you can use to stop and resume music playback and switch to the next song.
Lots of sound - alone and together
Pairing the Wonderboom 2 via Bluetooth works without any problems. It then provides good 360-degree sound: you can place the speaker in the corner of a room or in the centre of a picnic blanket.
The Wonderboom 2's bass is powerful and the treble is clearly audible. Only the mids are very flat and barely present. Something is missing. But you have to make compromises somewhere with this size of housing. The small housing still has room for two active 40 millimetre sound drivers and two passive 46.1 x 65.2 millimetre coils. Compared to the first Wonderboom, the bass is slightly stronger as promised, but the difference in sound is not huge.
A new feature of the Wonderboom 2 is the "Outdoor Boost", which you activate with the button on the bottom. The preset equaliser is designed to make the speaker louder outdoors. This also works, but makes the overall sound thinner. You have to decide between quality and volume.
The "Double Up" function is still available. It allows you to pair two Wonderboom and play music through them at the same time. In the test, I connected an old and a new Wonderboom. This works well and the sound also plays in parallel. However, it is not clear to me when the playback is in mono and when in stereo - which sounds much better. Double Up only works with Wonderbooms. Other speakers from UE are left out
A day at the lake
According to the manufacturer, the battery life of the Wonderboom 2 has been extended by three hours to up to 13 hours compared to its predecessor. I don't listen to music for that long with the speaker, but that's about right. The battery is definitely sufficient for a day at the lake or a long evening in the park. However, you should charge it in good time. If the battery is completely empty, the charging process takes just over 2.5 hours. The battery is charged via a micro USB port, which is located deep in the housing. Not every plug will fit.
The Wonderboom 2 is waterproof and now also dustproof. UE has achieved IP67 certification for it. This means it is designed to survive 30 minutes under water. However, it does not submerge completely, but floats on the water surface.
UE specifies the Bluetooth range as up to 33 metres. However, this only applies in the ideal case. With walls in the home, I had to stop after about ten metres.
Conclusion: the predecessor as a competitor
Of course, there are speakers that sound better than the Wonderboom 2, but considering its size and price, it is a very good-sounding, easily transportable Bluetooth speaker. However, the biggest competition comes from within the company. You can get the first generation Wonderboom - with slightly less bass, slightly shorter battery life and without certified dust protection - for half the price of the Wonderboom 2, depending on the colour, and for the formidable UE Boom 3 you only have to pay a little more or, if you're lucky, nothing at all.
When I was but a young student, I'd sit in my friend's living room with all my classmates and play on his SuperNES. Since then I've had the opportunity to test out all the newest technology for you. I've done reviews at Curved, Computer Bild and Netzwelt, and have now arrived at Galaxus.de.
