Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 4 Review

The Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 4 is the mid-sized member of the brand's cylindrical speaker line, sitting above the smaller BOOM 4 and below the party-scale models. Released as the next generation of the MEGABOOM 3, it looks near-identical from the outside but adds the modern essentials: app support, IP67 dust and water resistance and a USB-C charging port. Independent laboratory testing rates it very good for outdoor use — a rugged, room-filling speaker with a couple of honest limits.

The MEGABOOM 4 is built for life outdoors. Its size and weight keep it genuinely portable, and its IP67 rating means dust and water — a splash at the pool, rain at a picnic — are no threat. The standout of the cylindrical design is its 360-degree output: because sound radiates evenly all around, the test found the audio stays nearly the same whatever angle you listen from, so there is no need to fuss over where it points. It comes in four colourways, from Active Black to Enchanting Lilac, that all perform the same.

For its size, the MEGABOOM 4 delivers a satisfying, even sound that fills a small room, and the app's equaliser lets you tune it to taste. The clear ceiling is volume: the test found it does not get very loud, and pushing it to maximum introduces some compression in the bass that flattens the low end. It is comfortably loud enough for a kitchen, a garden table or a hotel room, but a genuine party needs one of Ultimate Ears' larger models — or, for scale, the JBL Boombox 4. For its intended job as a personal or small-group speaker, though, the sound is more than up to it.

Connectivity is a strength. The test praised the long Bluetooth range, so your phone can stay across the room without the signal dropping, and the PartyUp feature lets you link compatible Ultimate Ears speakers together for a bigger, wider sound. Charging is now over USB-C, and the app adds the EQ and control options the older models lacked. The one notable omission the test flagged is multi-device pairing — you cannot keep it connected to two sources at once, so switching between a phone and a laptop means re-pairing.

The MEGABOOM 4 is the mid-range pick in our best Bluetooth speakers guide. Against the smaller, cheaper Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 4, it offers more oomph and app EQ at a higher price; against the JBL Charge 6 it trades some outright loudness for that even 360-degree dispersion. Those who want to fill a bigger space should step up to a larger model, while anyone after design-led style over ruggedness might prefer the Marshall Emberton III. Check the price on Amazon

The Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 4 is an excellent mid-sized outdoor speaker: rugged, genuinely portable, consistent from every angle and now equipped with the app control and USB-C charging its predecessor lacked. Its limits are the honest ones for its size — it will not get thunderously loud, its bass compresses when pushed hard, and it cannot pair to two devices at once. Accept those, and you get a dependable, tuneable speaker that sounds the same wherever you sit and shrugs off the weather. For a personal or small-group companion, it is easy to recommend.

This review is based on independent laboratory testing rather than our own hands-on trial.