The massive Ultimate Ears Hyperboom Bluetooth speaker is a portable sonic powerhouse with a water-resistant build and a useful companion app.

Powerful audio performance with intense bass depth; Adaptive EQ; Water-resistant build.

Pricey; No audio cables included; No track backward navigation button.

Ultimate Ears Boom speakers come in a few different sizes, but none as big as the Hyberboom. A supersize wireless speaker that tips the scales at a hefty 13 pounds, the Hyperboom makes the Megaboom 3 look unquestionably puny. Available in black only at launch, the Hyperboom costs $399 (399 euros, AU$599). That's not cheap, but it sounds better than a lot of the jumbo portable speakers on the market right now. (There's no word yet on UK pricing or when it will be released in the UK, but it'll likely match the euro price.)

It's not cheap, nor is it light, but the Hyberboom packs some serious punch -- and it looks and sounds more like a real speaker.

Big sound with strong bass and good detail; Up to 24 hours of battery life at moderate volume levels; IP4 water-resistance rating (splashproof); Good wireless Bluetooth range (up to 150 feet); Can wirelessly link with other UE Boom and Megaboom speakers; Integrated microphone automatically reads the environment and calibrates the sound to fill any space, indoors or outdoors;

Expensive; No Wi-Fi or voice assistant built-in; At 13 pounds, it's not a speaker you want to carry too far;

The $399 Ultimate Ears HyperBoom Bluetooth speaker is one of my favorite gadgets of 2020. It has great sound quality, near-360-degree sound delivery, long-lasting battery life, and elegant design — everything you can expect from the company’s previous models, but far bigger in size and power.

Excellent; powerful sound; Supports Bluetooth; aux; and digital optical; Easy to use

Isn’t made to sit sideways; It’s huge; Expensive; Lacks Wi-Fi support

If you’re after the loudest portable(ish) Bluetooth speaker out there, the Hyperboom is it. And it isn’t volume for the sake of volume. Put simply, if you’re getting noise complaints, it won’t be because your music doesn’t sound good. Couple its impressive performance with the brilliantly implemented music-sharing features, and the Hyperboom really does have a lot going for it. It looks good too. But there’s no getting away from it: for a Bluetooth speaker, the Hyperboom is on the expensive side, and if a Bluetooth speaker is all you’re after, there are far more affordable options that will still do a fine job at a party. And while this is technically a portable speaker, its size and weight mean you won’t want it to be, so you have to ask yourself if you’d prefer it to a Wi-Fi smart speaker like the Sonos One or Amazon Echo Studio. Both high-fidelity, both excellent, both considerably cheaper. But if money is no object and big sound is what you crave above all else, it’s difficult to see anyone being disappointed with Ultimate Ears’ latest. Party on...eventually.

Brilliantly bassy ; Switching between connected devices is a breeze; Handle helps with portability; Long battery life ;

No voice assistant support without connecting one; Bluetooth-only; Very expensive ;

Brilliantly bassy ; Switching between connected devices is a breeze; Handle helps with portability; Long battery life ;

No voice assistant support without connecting one; Bluetooth-only; Very expensive ;

The biggest Ultimate Ears speaker to date is still just about portable, while delivering massive sonics, bags of bass and a decent battery innings too. It's not exactly hyper when it comes to connectivity options - it's Bluetooth only in the wireless department - but if you can forgive that then...

Big and bassy sound; Dual Bluetooth connection easy to switch between connections; Easy-to-use app; Wired or battery powered; Physical controls and quick start playback

Bluetooth only - no Wi-Fi; No integrated smart assistant - you'll need to connect a device; App's EQ presets and adjustment squash the sound strangely; It's quite massive; High price

The biggest Ultimate Ears speaker to date is still just about portable, while delivering massive sonics, bags of bass and a decent battery innings too. It's not exactly hyper when it comes to connectivity options - it's Bluetooth only in the wireless department - but if you can forgive that then this physically massive speaker leaves a lot of the competition in the dust.

Big and bassy sound; Dual Bluetooth connection easy to switch between connections; Easy-to-use app; Wired or battery powered; Physical controls and quick start playback;

Bluetooth only - no Wi-Fi; No integrated smart assistant - you'll need to connect a device; App's EQ presets and adjustment squash the sound strangely; It's quite massive; High price;

I loved this so much I bought a second one. They sound great by themselves and truly awesome in stereo.

The Hyperboom is a big, heavy portable Bluetooth speaker, but the incredible audio performance makes it a worthy sacrifice.

Room-filling audio; Powerful bass; Long battery life;

Big and heavy; Difficult to transport; No smart assistant support;

Ultimate Ears’ biggest speaker is also one of its best, delivering superb sound at frighteningly loud volumes

Sounds great; Goes very loud; Impressive battery life;

Large and heavy; Lacks smart functionality;