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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.