Ultimate Ears, a company known for its line of rugged, colorful speakers with high-quality audio, today announced two new additions to its product lineup: the BLAST and the MEGABLAST. BLAST and MEGABLAST are Ultimate Ears' first Wi-Fi connected speakers.

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Designed as successors to the UE Boom 2 and UE Megaboom 2, the BLAST and MEGABLAST feature the same cylindrical body shape, bold design, and vivid colors as their predecessors, but Ultimate Ears has tweaked the look of the two devices, introducing less rounded edges for a sleeker form factor and a more streamlined color scheme.

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With the cylindrical design, the BLAST and MEGABLAST continue to offer 360-degree sound, and with the addition of Amazon Alexa support, the two speakers can be controlled hands-free with voice commands. Through Alexa, BLAST and MEGABLAST can play music from Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, and TuneIn, with support for Pandora and Deezer coming in the near future.

Wi-Fi support in the two speakers means music can continue to play even when your iPhone is in use, and through Alexa, the music can be controlled by anyone, making BLAST and MEGABLAST ideal for parties.

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Alexa integration is available in the United States, the UK, Germany, and Austria, and with a BLAST or MEGABLAST purchase, Amazon is offering a three-month subscription to Amazon Music Unlimited. Playing from Apple Music will continue to require a Bluetooth connection to an iPhone.

MEGABLAST has been engineered to be Ultimate Ears' loudest and best sounding speaker yet. It features two 25mm tweeters, two custom 35mm active drivers, and two passive radiators for a maximum output of 93 dBC, which is 40 percent louder than the Megaboom. According to Ultimate Ears, the MEGABLAST features a more powerful mid-range, deeper bass, and clearer vocals and instruments.

BLAST features two 35mm active drivers and two passive radiators with a maximum sound level of 90 dBC.

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Both BLAST and MEGABLAST are IP-67 water and dust resistant, drop proof (up to 5 feet) and offer all-day battery life. BLAST will last for 12 hours before needing to be recharged, while MEGABLAST boasts a 16 hour battery life.

Along with BLAST and MEGABLAST, Ultimate Ears is introducing the POWER UP, a sleek white charging dock that's designed to inductively charge BLAST and MEGABLAST. POWER UP is a standalone accessory, but will be sold alongside the two speakers in packages from some retailers.

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In the United States, BLAST and MEGABLAST will be available in Graphite (black), Blizzard (white), Merlot (red) and Blue Steel (blue). BLAST is priced at $230, while MEGABLAST is priced at $300. The POWER UP dock is priced at $40. All three products will be available for purchase from Ultimate Ears starting in late October.

Top Rated Comments

TimUSCA Avatar
92 months ago
It's honestly super weird that you guys are so triggered by a cross. I'm a Christian and didn't even see it until you guys pointed it out.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
adamneer Avatar
92 months ago
I can't for the life of me understand why they decided to arrange the volume buttons to look like a crucifix (cross). The overall designs this company has put out are actually pretty good, but I'd never buy a product with such a prominent religious symbol.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nycSAN Avatar
92 months ago
If it has Wi-Fi, will it have AirPlay 2 support? I assume not, but it would be great if any of the tech sites regurgitating a UE press release would actually try to find out :)

OK I just saw their FAQ, and they explicitly don't support AirPlay (never mind AirPlay 2). Too bad. NEXXXXT!
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lyngo Avatar
92 months ago
Cross or not. Religious or not. It’s their branding. And it is working. Look at where this thread has gone!

Back to the subject, I’m personally interested. I was think about picking up a pair of wonderboom speakers to set them up in stereo mode by linking them. I may just hold out for one of these. I do have a Beats Pill Plus, but the sound on these seems to be more worth it. Alexa on board is a bonus.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Blakjack Avatar
92 months ago
Wow!! Come on guys, it’s a plus and a minus symbol. It’s not a cross. And even if they did want you to see a cross why would it be so bad. Maybe the folks at the company are really religious. But if not, it’s a plus and a minus symbol. smh
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
yanki01 Avatar
92 months ago
is everyone trolling or are they serious? they're talking about the plus sign on a speaker to turn up the volume as a cross/religious symbol?

Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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