Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Logitechs's UE Boom 2 Bluetooth wireless speaker comes packed in a nice container. Which would be great for storing, however, we purchased this for a backpacking trip, so sadly the clamshell packaging won't be used anymore. The attention to detail they took with the packaging gives you a hint about how well engineered this device is. On removing the Boom 2 from the clamshell, you immediately notice it's heft. At 1.2 lbs, it feels solid. The fit and finish are excellent, which is what you should expect from a $200 bluetooth speaker. Both the adapter and the Micro-USB cord come in a bright yellow color, which is very handy when trying to figure out which cord belongs to which electronic device, believe me, I know. The "Challenger", comes with a short 1 meter (3.2 feet) versus the UE Boom 2's 4 ft or 1.2 M cable, it makes a huge difference. The Boom 2 also comes with a 2 amp wall "travel" adapter, this is handy as it will charge the Boom 2 in about 3 hours, and you can also use it for your iPhone 6 or iPad. The Boombottle does not. You must supply your own (probably repurposed) 1 amp charger. The challenger has a 2,300 mAH battery (2.3 amp hour), while the Boom 2 has a larger battery than it's predecessor (the original boom had 3.7v with 2100 mah) however they most likely upgraded to a larger 18650 cell with 4000 mah to keep the party going for longer. The Boom 2 charges very quickly, in around the 3 hour mark, compared to some other models, that use a 1 amp charger and take 8-10 hours to charge. Li-ion batteries have a finite number of cycles before they die, and you CAN replace them on this unit. Instructions are included on how to do so, but as this hasn't hasn't died yet, I wont be yanking my new toy appart anytime soon. The speaker controls for pause/skip are gesture controls that are only activated once you pick it up, and are controlled with touches on the top. The 3.5mm jack plug and the Micro-USB charging interface are on the bottom, as well as a d-ring for attaching a lanyard. You can remove the d-ring to allow a standard camera mount to screw in. From some of the advertisising, ostenstibly this is to allow you to put it on a stick to help keep it out of water. The headphone jack and charge port are hidden behind covers which fit tightly and make them waterproof, even with the covers uncovered, it is still waterproof. The gesture controls say to pick this up and tap once, with two fingers to play\pause, or two times to skip tracks. However, this has varied in my tests. Perhaps a later update or some muscle memory will yield better results. On a note, when you are charging the Boom 2, you flip it upside down (?) to access the mini-usb port, so the gesture controls cannot be used. To connect to the speaker, just power it on and look through your bluetooth devices. Once you chose the UE Boom it will ask you if you want the app. You can choose to download the app or not, but you can be up and running in a matter of seconds in either case. The app allows you to add another UE Boom, Boom 2 or UE Megaboom (untested). You can also access a DSP ( digitial signal proecessor) that will give you some preset EQ settings or customize your own setting, giving you control over the output, and tailor it to your liking. Larger units, such as the Megaboom will have a better bass response, and most articles will point out the lack of low end response. Frequency response is billed as 90Hz-20kHz, which means that you will get the more audible bass, but are out of luck for any really deep or bass intense tracks. This unit has slightly larger, (1 3/4" ) drivers as well as 2 (1 3/4' x 3" ) passive radiators. The original UE Boom 2013 UE Boom had two 1.5in drivers and twin 2in passive radiators. While I don't have an original to compare it to, having heard my friends UE Boom before, I have a feeling that the 90Hz isn't limited by the size of the drivers, but by the DSP to prevent the drivers from bottoming out or distorting. On a note about the DSP, until you hit at least 3\4 volume, the DSP doesnt appear to attenuate the bass (90Hz and up) on all but the deepest tracks. The DSP does a great job of rolling off harmful low frequencies, allowing maximum voume with minimal distortion. You can also power it off or set an alarm, for those that are deep sleepers, and can't be woken up by their puny cell phone speaker. The app also allows you to have total control over the volume, without needing to manually set it on your phone first, then the device. The app will overide your phones volume as you push the buttons on the speaker itself. I found myself leaving my phone in the other room more and more, where before with other products, you had to fiddle with settings or have your phone close by for tweaking the volume. The Boom 2 is IPX7 rated vs the UE Boom (IPX4) which is "Splash rated". As I can confirm from having the challenger splashed, the IPX4 rating really means a light splash. The IPX7 rating means it should come out fine after being submerged at 3 feet for 30 minutes (plenty of time to pick up the bottle). Tossing this around at a pool party would probably mean disaster if it sunk in the deep end, but would be fine if dropped in a bathtub. However, I don't want to submerge my new $200 speaker underwater just yet. :). Both the challeneger and the original Boom had a maximum bluetooth distance of about 33 feet if you were lucky and had a clear line of sight (optimal conditions). The Boom 2 claims 100 feet in optimal conditions, and from my testing, it has no problem at all with me leaving my phone in the other room or vice versa. Even through walls it didn't disconnect, whereas the challenger would have trouble maintaining a connection if you walked to the kitchen. They claim this is 25% louder than the original UE Boom, and from the specs, and DSP magic, I am sure it is. I don't have the original boom for reference, but I can tell you, this thing gets plenty loud. It has no problem filling a large room or area with music. At full volume, you basically need to yell at each other to be heard over this thing. As mentioned before, the bass rolls off around 75% volume, and with the magic of the DSP, it still sounds clear even maxed out. Audiophiles, or those without my damaged old ears, might notice some distorotion at full volume, but most will not. Since I am not one to purposefully drop a $200 speaker, I will just go with thier shockproof claims. However, with how rugged this unit is, I dont think an accidental drop from a normal height will do much damage. I cant say the same about some of it's comeptitors though. To conclude, I was a bit leery at the $200 price point, and just happened across this while looking at the original boom. I am glad I purchased this. It absolutely destroys my old bluetooth speaker in every way. My wife, also leery of a $200 bluetooth speaker, loves it. She carries it in the bathroom while getting ready, or just hanging around the house. EDIT: 11/07/2015 I was being absent minded, and accidentaly set the business end (the one wiht the 3.5 mm jack and charge port) inot about 3" of water in my cooler. Don't asl :). I quickly noticed the sound and pulled it out. The sound was more direct, and richer, as my head was directly above the cooler. However, I quickly pulled the UE out and all was rigth with the world. A quick shake off of the UE Boom 2, and no harm no foul. It never skipped a beat. Bluetooth speaker - I would NOT recommned using it as a bluetoooth speaker. No microphone inputs, and the output is way below average. However, I have not been happier with a bluetooth speaker, and my wife loves it so much, she wants to get one for everyone on the list. At $200, thats not going to happen, but I would recommend this to anyone.