Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 review

Price upon review

$99.99

Best prices today: Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4

$85.99

Since the beautiful Wonderboom 2, Ultimate Ears has made minor but not major updates to this Editors Choice Bluetooth speaker. From Wonderboom 2 to Wonderboom 3 there were minimal changes (longer battery life and Bluetooth range), and now the fourth generation gets the slight upgrade we’ve come to expect.

That doesn’t make the Wonderboom 4 an essential upgrade, even for owners of the second-generation model, but keeps it at the top of the pile for portable Bluetooth speakers.

The compact, waterproof and durable portable speaker looks and sounds the same, but has been improved with a new Podcast mode and the welcome replacement of the clunky MicroUSB charging port with a more modern and easier-to-use USB-C.

Design, construction and colors

The Wonderboom 4 retains its cute, chunky, colorful design, built with eco-friendly materials. The feel of the center speaker section is a slightly coarse substance.

It’s small (95.3 x 104mm) and light (420 grams), so you can carry it in a backpack without noticing, although it’s probably too bulky to fit in a briefcase or slim laptop bag.

It’s waterproof enough to take to the shower, bath, pool or beach – it even floats – with an IP67 dust and water resistance rating that promises safety if submerged in water up to 1 meter deep for 30 minutes.

According to the manufacturer, it is drop-resistant up to 1.5 meters. It should still work after such rough treatment, but we assume it won’t be without some scuffs after a fall.

There is an elastic loop at the top, so you can hang the speaker anywhere nearby.

Purchased directly from the Ultimate Ears store and available in Active Black, Cobalt Blue, Hyper Pink and Joyous Bright (light gray with yellow accents). Depending on which country you shop in, Amazon will add some additional color options, such as Spruce Green, Digital Lavender, and a less cheerful gray.

The controls are limited and simple. The most obvious are the gigantic Plus and Minus volume buttons on the front. At the top there are buttons for Bluetooth, on/off and play/pause songs and forward/backward. Pairing with your phone or other Bluetooth device is easy.

You’ll need to hold the speaker upside down to find the bottom button that toggles between Outdoor Boost and Podcast Mode options, or returns to standard mode. You can also quickly check the battery level of the speaker via the volume buttons.

Its environmental friendliness is due to a minimum of 31% post-consumer recycled plastic, and it is packaged in a sustainable fabric made from 100% recycled polyester. The packaging is FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified.

Sound quality and features

Ultimate Ears has nailed the natural sound quality with the second generation Wonderboom 2 and kept things as they were in the next version. As far as we can tell, this hasn’t changed the sound of this speaker at all, which is fine with us.

The two 40mm active drivers and two 46.1 x 65.2mm passive radiators provide 360° sound. The maximum volume is 86 dBC in standard mode and 87 dBC when Outdoor Boost is enabled. That’s enough to fill a medium-sized room, and that extra volume boost outside will help in nature, in the park, or in your backyard. However, in Outdoor mode you lose a bit of bass.

The Wonderboom 4 delivers clear, well-rounded sound that’s tailored to most genres. There’s enough bass to add depth and warmth without being overwhelming, rounded mids and slightly thin treble – but it does enough to get the job done.

Similar speakers can tend to lose bass, but the Wonderboom 4 retains its bass impressively for such a small device. There may not be enough oomph for hip-hop or heavy rock fans, who might prefer the Anker Soundcore Motion 300, which features a BassUp mode.

Outdoor Boost mode pulls back the bass and boosts the treble, further extending sound into expansive outdoor spaces and giving you a welcome second sonic option.

The new EQ Podcast mode delivers crisper, clearer vocals, although some users have said it can make an audiobook narrator’s dramatic voice sound rather thin, monotone and featureless.

If you purchase a second Wonderboom (version 3 or 4), you can connect the two together to double the volume or create a two-channel stereo pair.

The Bluetooth range remains large up to 40 meters. There’s no physical wired option to connect, so you’ll need to keep the battery charged to use the Wonderboom 4.

Battery and charging

On a full charge, the Wonderboom lasts 4 to 14 hours. Unless you’re a real party animal, that means it should keep you going before you drop. And it could probably last long enough for a short camping trip.

Press the plus and minus volume buttons simultaneously to determine the current battery level.

Fortunately, the Wonderboom 4 now charges via USB-C instead of troublesome MicroUSB. Personally, I’d upgrade from the Wonderboom 3 just to throw another MicroUSB cable in the trash.

Ultimate ears

Ultimate ears

Ultimate ears

Price & availability

The Wonderboom 4 costs $99.99 / £89.99, which is just under the limit of what we consider a budget Bluetooth speaker. There are cheaper ones, but as always you get what you pay for.

You can of course pick it up from Amazon and Amazon UK, along with the usual retailers like Best Buy and Walmart in the US, or Argos, Curries And John Lewis in Great Britain

The Anker Soundcore Motion 300 is $20 cheaper (same price as the Wonderboom 4 in the UK) with a similar sound profile, but lacks the rounded charm of the Wonderboom.

Check out our full ranking of the best cheap Bluetooth speakers we reviewed for more options, including affordable ones like the JBL Clip 4 and EarFun Uboom.

Pronunciation

The Wonderboom 4 is an excellent, rugged portable Bluetooth speaker with fantastic audio range, long battery life and easy operation. It’s barely changed from the previous model, but the small changes are welcome.