STEREO GUIDE verdict
The Ultimate Ears Hyperboom can not only play loud. It also convinces with an extremely successful tuning in the review. Another plus is its long battery life of up to 24 hours.
Pros
- Balanced reproduction
- Very powerful, deep bass and high dynamics
- Very versatile in use
- Long battery life
Cons
- Not easy to transport due to its shape
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Tonal balance / transparency8
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Sound: Bass / Dynamics8.8
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Usability / Connectivity9.8
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Price / Performance8.6
Bluetooth speakers that are also suitable for a party in the park are often martial in design, preferably with a “ghetto blaster” look. If you walk past such a spontaneous party and cannot recognize a suitable speaker despite the booming bass, you are most likely dealing with the largest Ultimate Ears: The Ultimate Ears Hyperboom promises sufficient acoustic reserves with a weight of 5.9 kilograms and a height of 36.5 cm, but is surprisingly discreetly disguised and kept in an inconspicuous tower format.
As such, one would rather place it visually in the living room, where it alsol cuts a good figure. The UE Hyperboom is also supposed to make the change acoustically easily: Its equalizer has a real-time calibration via microphone, an essential unique selling point in this class. However, the battery life of up to 24 hours and the carrying handle embedded in the back betray the outdoor seriousness, in this respect it is simply at home in both worlds.
High packing density for battery and chassis
The 24 hours of battery life are record-breaking, but also bring the weight to a level that you do not want to lug around on the strap for too long. The tower case is also fully equipped acoustically: Two full-fledged 2-way stereo systems are hidden in the two adjacent baffles. These each consist of a tweeter with a horn-like sound guide and a bass-midrange speaker of 11.5 centimeters each.
These can only be moved to bass forces with the support of two additional passive membranes, which measure 19 centimeters in height in the oval format and thus use a large part of the surface behind the discreet fabric cover for sound generation.
The manufacturer does not write anything about the amplifier’s performance in the data sheet, but we can report: There is enough power even for an open-air party. You should be careful with too rough use; with protection class IPX4, it can tolerate a downpour, but not jet water.
Operation and functions
Operation is performed with touch surfaces on the smooth, clear top side. The plus and minus icons for the volume are so huge that you can’t miss them at all. The input selector is much smaller in a four-position arrangement, and you can conveniently switch between two connected smartphones or start the one-touch function here with the multihost function. This starts a predefined playlist on demand if you have connected a corresponding account at Deezer, Spotify, Apple Music or Amazon.
The inputs include Bluetooth 5.0, an analog AUX-in via 3.5 mm jack plug, and a rare optical digital input. This comes in handy when you want to connect a TV, CD player or streaming bridge at home.
The self-adjusting equalizer function is also more than practical in this area of application, because bass-strong speakers tend to drone and fatten up in rooms, especially when used on a lowboard or a shelf corner. The Ultimate Ears Hyperboom permanently controls this via a built-in microphone and adjusts its playback accordingly when the position changes. This really worked amazingly in practice.
Further sound adjustments can be made in the UE Boom app, even quite detailed with a 5-band equalizer . In practice, however, you will rarely need this, because nothing more than fine-tuning is necessary here. The app can also pair multiple Ultimate Ear speakers, even if they are different models.
This is how the Ultimate Ears Hyperboom sounds
In open air mode, the Hyperboom conjured up a pretty massive bass wave in the park that delivered enough danceability even for medium-sized parties. In addition, its reproduction was clean, balanced and clear in the trebles.
This did not change even in rooms, unless the listeners had to sit too close to the speaker, because then the Hyperboom sounded a bit too direct in the highs. The automatic equalizer regulated the bass to a sensible level almost without delay, and it remained surprisingly punchy, deep and precise.
Tonally, the Hyperboom played on the balanced side with a slight emphasis on the extremes on both sides of the frequency band. Voices sounded very direct, dynamic and present, but also not overly subtle in the trebles. To achieve a certain stereo image in rooms, the Hyperboom should be placed at a 45-degree angle to the listeners.
Alternatives to the Ultimate Ears Hyperboom
The concept of a speaker that is perfectly equipped for both indoor and outdoor use and still adapts acoustically in each case is unique and sets the Hyperboom apart from its competition.
For pure outdoor use, the Sony SRS-XG500 would be a sharp competitor, offering similar performance with a bit more sound transparency for a bit less budget. However, it is also a bit bulkier and more martial in appearance than the discreet and more versatile Ultimate Ears.
Ultimate Ears Hyperboom: Technical specifications
- Manufacturer’s suggested retail price: 450 euros
- Dimensions (W x H x D): 19 x 36.5 x 19 cm
- Weight: 5.9 kg
- Battery life up to 24 hours
- Special features: IPX4 splash protection, virtual stereo, automatic EQ calibration, analog and optical input
- More at: www.ultimateears.com
