UE Epicboom Review: An Epic Price for an Ordinary Speaker

In the competitive market of wireless speakers, a hefty price tag like $350 demands more than just the ability to play music. As we approach the end of 2023, consumers expect advanced features such as voice assistants, multi-room audio synchronization, and seamless integrations like AirPlay and Spotify Connect. Unfortunately, the new Ultimate Ears Epicboom speaker falls short, offering none of these despite its $349.99 price. What it does provide is a rugged and waterproof build, powerful 360-degree sound, and up to 17 hours of battery life. It also boasts a USB-C port, a first for any UE speaker. Yes, it’s 2023, and a USB-C port is finally here.

The Epicboom closely resembles the Sonos Move 2 in size and shape but is lighter at 4.36 pounds compared to the Sonos’ 6.6 pounds. Both speakers feature dual tweeters and a single woofer, but UE emphasizes wider sound dispersion to deliver its signature 360-degree audio, a hallmark of the Boom, Megaboom, and Hyperboom series. The speaker is covered in the familiar fabric mesh seen on other UE products and has a sturdy rubber base for drop protection. A magnetic carrying strap at the back prevents it from flopping around.

Verge Score: 6/10

UE Epicboom - $349.99

The Good:

• Durable, waterproof build

• USB-C port!

• Better sound than Boom and Megaboom

The Bad:

• Very few extra features

• Too pricey for what it is

• Fabric mesh can get dirty on the white speaker

Available at:

• Amazon

• Best Buy

• B&H Photo

Design and Build Quality

The Epicboom features UE’s iconic giant volume buttons on the front, with controls for power, Bluetooth pairing, and play/pause located on the top. An “outdoor mode” button boosts the speaker’s volume for use in wide-open spaces like camping or tailgating. Holding down the play button activates UE’s “magic button” feature, which plays a preset playlist from your chosen music service. The back houses a USB-C port, covered by a protective flap to ensure water resistance, making it safe to toss the Epicboom into a pool where it will float. However, the USB-C port is solely for charging and does not support line-in audio. The speaker lacks Wi-Fi connectivity, meaning no higher-fidelity music streaming, but it does support quick tap-to-pair via NFC for Android devices.

Controls other than the giant volume buttons are located up top.

Sound Performance

During testing, I found certain songs that seemed perfectly tuned for the Epicboom’s hardware, occasionally preferring its output over the more expensive Sonos Move 2. However, these instances were rare. Overall, the Sonos Move 2 delivers more detailed, distinct, and balanced sound compared to the Epicboom, which can sound boomy and ill-defined on some tracks, such as those from 1989 (Taylor’s Version). The Epicboom struggles to highlight the improved mix of the reworked album, which should be a given for a speaker in this price range. Additionally, bass enthusiasts might be disappointed as the Epicboom exhibits noticeable compression and some bass crackling at maximum volume.

Yes, that’s (finally) a USB-C port on an Ultimate Ears speaker.

Features and Functionality

The Epicboom includes adaptive EQ, designed to adjust the sound profile based on your environment. Despite moving the speaker between rooms of various sizes, I didn’t notice significant changes in sound quality. It did, however, perform well as a bathroom speaker, cutting through shower noise with surprising clarity despite the echoey acoustics. Nonetheless, spending $350 for a bathroom speaker is likely unreasonable for most. The UE mobile app allows for EQ adjustments and stereo pairing with another Epicboom or linking with multiple UE speakers in party mode.

The Epicboom isn’t far off in size from a Sonos Move 2.

Missing Features

The UE Epicboom lacks several features that are becoming standard in this price range:

• AirPlay 2

• Amazon Alexa

• Chromecast

• Deeper multi-room audio support

• Google Assistant

• Line-in (via 3.5mm or USB-C)

• Speakerphone functionality

• Spotify Connect

The adaptive EQ handled bathroom acoustics quite well.

Conclusion

The Ultimate Ears Epicboom fits neatly between the cylindrical Megaboom and the massive Hyperboom in UE’s lineup, but it’s hard to justify its high price given its limited feature set. At $350, consumers expect more than just basic Bluetooth functionality and rugged durability. While the Epicboom sounds good and surpasses the Boom 3 and Megaboom in performance, it doesn’t deliver the exceptional audio quality or features that would make it a standout in its price range. Unless you’re particularly loyal to UE products or find a substantial discount, the Epicboom's value is far from epic.

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