Is this small wonder still a winning formula?
Bluetooth speaker | £90 | whf.cm/Wonderboom3
The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 is the latest portable wireless speaker from a brand known for making colourful, feature-packed, great-sounding Bluetooth speakers. Its predecessor, the Wonderboom 2, is a previous What Hi-Fi? Award-winner, so expectations are high for this next-gen model.
For this iteration you get longer battery life (by one hour), longer Bluetooth range (by 10m) and the use of more eco-friendly materials – specifically “a minimum of” 31 per cent post-consumer recycled plastic (i.e. plastic sourced from end-of-life electronics) has been used. The drivers have been updated, so we are expecting an improved sound too.
The Wonderboom design formula – colourful, buoyant, portable – is one of the best of its kind, and that remains unchanged. It is small and light, and the bright colours with contrasting buttons are appealing in a sea of all-black products. Our review sample is a bright pink, but there are also blue, black or grey finishes. The IP67 rating means the speaker is water- and dust-proof, and it will also float, just like previous Wonderbooms.
Connection is straightforward, swift and stable and we find that it reconnects to our phone every time automatically, instantly and without fail. We don’t experience any dropouts or glitches, even when our connected phone is at the opposite end of the house. You can connect two phones to the speaker at the same time, while other features include Outdoor Boost that reduces bass frequencies so highs and mids can be heard more loudly outside, and Double Up, that pairs two Wonderboom 3s in mono or stereo modes for bigger sound. Sadly, this feature isn’t backwards-compatible with older models, which is rather a shame for existing UE owners.
Substantial sound
The Wonderboom’s 360-degree sound delivery returns, and inside the speaker are two 40mm active drivers and twin passive radiators. UE has confirmed to us that “the driver configuration has been updated based on the most up to date chipset” being used in the Wonderboom 3.
The Wonderboom 3 delivers a cohesive, detailed and substantial sound that still impresses at this price. There is an even balance to the tone, and the volume it emits from such petite dimensions is always surprising. It’s an enjoyable, crowd-pleasing listen. We have been using the speaker in various spaces – bathroom, kitchen, home office, garden – alongside our dedicated test rooms, and we never find it sound
