Ultimate Ears announced two new speakers last month, the BLAST and MEGABLAST. These are kind of replacements for the BOOM 2 and MEGABOOM Bluetooth speakers, but not really. You see, these two are part of a new lineup, hence the changed names.

This Bluetooth smart speaker packs musical power, all-day battery life, and Amazon Alexa integration into a sexy and colorful package.

Plenty loud; with good bass response; Amazon Alexa integration; IP67 weather protection

Pricey; Can't charge other mobile devices; No speakerphone feature

In recent years, Ultimate Ears' Boom speakers have been among our favorite portable Bluetooth speakers. Compact and well-designed, they deliver big sound for their small size and are particularly well suited to outdoor use.

The UE MegaBlast is a portable, fully waterproof Wi-Fi and Bluetooth speaker that has Amazon's Alexa voice assistant built in; It sounds very good for its compact size, is durable and offers strong battery life

Somewhat expensive; speakers can't be linked; no Alexa voice support for Spotify playback (can only stream Spotify via Bluetooth); USB charging port is a little bit of a pain to access, making the optional charging base more of a must-have accessory for home use

While it's expensive and still a work in progress, UE's Megablast speaker is the best-sounding portable Alexa-enabled speaker out there right now.

The UE MegaBlast is a portable, fully waterproof Wi-Fi and Bluetooth speaker that has Amazon's Alexa voice assistant built in; It sounds very good for its compact size, is durable and offers strong battery life.

Somewhat expensive; speakers can't be linked; no Alexa voice support for Spotify playback (can only stream Spotify via Bluetooth); USB charging port is a little bit of a pain to access, making the optional charging base more of a must-have accessory for home use.

In recent years, Ultimate Ears' Boom speakers have been among our favorite portable Bluetooth speakers. Compact and well-designed, they deliver big sound for their small size and are particularly well suited to outdoor use.

While it's expensive and still a work in progress, UE's Megablast speaker is the best-sounding portable Alexa-enabled speaker out there right now.

The UE MegaBlast is a portable, fully waterproof Wi-Fi and Bluetooth speaker that has Amazon's Alexa voice assistant built in; It sounds very good for its compact size, is durable and offers strong battery life.

Somewhat expensive; speakers can't be linked; no Alexa voice support for Spotify playback (can only stream Spotify via Bluetooth); USB charging port is a little bit of a pain to access, making the optional charging base more of a must-have accessory for home use.

The UE Megablast is a powerful portable speaker that takes the solid performance and rugged design of the Megaboom and adds Alexa voice control to the mix. It easily overpowers the smaller and less expensive Amazon Tap , as well as the Echo itself.

Powerful sound; Rugged, portable design; Integrates Amazon Alexa voice control

Can distort on deep sub-bass; Lacks some voice control features; No speakerphone

Ultimate Ears has established itself as a leader in the portable Bluetooth speaker market with its Boom line, which includes the excellent Boom 2 and Megaboom. Now it's hitting the smart speaker space, adding Wi-Fi connectivity and voice control to the mix with its new Blast family. UE's Blast speakers look, feel, and perform a lot like their Boom equivalents, but with Amazon Alexa voice control. The $299.99 UE Megablast is the biggest of the bunch, as well as the most powerful speaker for taking Alexa on the go. Design The Megablast is similar to the Megaboom in size, but with starker, sharper contours for its cylindrical body. It measures 9.4 by 3.6 inches (HW), with a cloth grille interrupted by a wide rubber strip featuring the large plus and minus buttons that are now signatures of UE's speaker design. The top of the Megablast features a large power button in the center with an LED indicator, and a smaller Bluetooth pairing button with a smaller LED. The bottom of the speake...

If you want to take Alexa on the go, the UE Megablast is one of the biggest, most powerful smart speakers you can tote and expose to the elements without worry.

Powerful sound; Rugged, portable design; Integrates Amazon Alexa voice control

Can distort on deep sub-bass; Lacks some voice control features; No speakerphone

Most smart speakers require a power lead and cannot be taken on-the-go, but the Ultimate Ears Megablast is different; it has a built-in battery and is waterproof, so you can play your favourite songs by the pool, ask Alexa the weather and even order goods with your voice.

Waterproof; Beautiful design and build quality; Overall sound quality

Expensive; Lacks Alexa calling abilities; No Spotify streaming over Wi-Fi

From my experience, the Blast and Megablast have two main drawbacks. The first is price. At $230 and $298 for the Blast and Megablast, respectively, they are expensive. You can buy a range of other quality portable Bluetooth speakers, both rugged or elegant, for less.

ImageTagInstance gallery-c4d69082-4431-4663-b716-efe1a054f929 The portable Bluetooth speaker market is absolutely overflowing with options, but actual competition often comes down to a handful of brands. Ultimate Ears started out creating tailor-made earphones for popular touring bands to use while on stage. Later acquired by Logitech, UE transitioned into the Bluetooth speaker market and quickly made a name for itself among the top competitors. Speakers like the original Megaboom, which touted “intensely rich sound” and deep bass to match, as well as the ability to daisy-chain over 100 devices, served to make their speakers a fan favorite. But does the Alexa-toting, Wi-Fi-enabled Megablast deliver on the “thundering bass” and “stunning clarity” the company promises? Or, at $300, does it yield to more established competitors?Design ImageTagInstance gallery-60f8048c-0844-4314-b9df-68c8752a78ec The Megablast uses the same cylindrical design that UE has employed for years. This shape comp...

Sturdy IP67 water-resistant build; Loud, crisp highs and mids; Alexa integration;

Could use more low-end bass response; On-device music streaming over Wi-Fi offers needs better services; Companion app could use a bit more functionality; Cannot daisy-chain as you can with Megaboom;