Ultimate Ears' Wonderboom 2 promises big sound in a small package

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Ultimate Ears has launched its latest portable speaker, the Wonderboom 2, the second generation of its popular waterproof speaker.

The new speaker has been optimized for listening outdoors, with an 'Outdoor Boost' mode, an IP67 dustproof/waterproof rating, and an impressive 13 hours of battery life – an increase of 30% compared to its predecessor.

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The pint-sized portable speaker is available for a recommended retail price of $99.99 / £89.99, just like the original UE Wonderboom. In Australia, the Wonderboom 2 will be available from August for AU$129.95.

A spokesperson for Ultimate Ears told us that it would be phasing out the previous model gradually and wouldn't be applying a discount on its own website.

However, with retailers able to set their own prices, you may be able to get a decent discount on the original UE Wonderboom in the coming weeks. 

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Image credit: Ultimate Ears

Made for life outdoors

One of the calling cards of the new Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2 is its all-new Outdoor Boost mode. The company says that the mode provides "louder, crisper audio with a built-in and pre-adjusted equalizer (EQ) that compliments any outdoor environment".

The Outdoor Boost mode works by effectively reducing the bass frequencies and redirecting that power to the higher frequencies – this is because lower frequencies are often lost when using speakers outdoors, and increasing the power behind treble frequencies creates a more detailed sound. 

Another feature that could be useful for outdoor listening is the ability to pair two Wonderboom 2 speakers wirelessly, for a true left and right stereo sound.

You can also pair the Wonderboom 2 speaker with other Ultimate Ears speakers, but this will just double up the sound – so instead of a stereo experience, you're getting twice the volume.

The mini speaker comes in a two-tone fabric design in black, gray, red, blue, and pink colorways, so you should be able to find the perfect fit for your home if you do decide to take the Wonderboom 2 indoors.  

• Read our Ultimate Ears Boom 3 review

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