Our complete meta-review found that the UE Boom 2 is the most recommendable portable Bluetooth speaker out right now. That survey, however, did not take into account bigger speakers like the UE MegaBoom, and our readers have been asking us about it and how it compares to its famous littler sibling.
Both are excellent speakers and quite similar, but there are a few differences to be aware of, as shown below.
Side-by-Side Comparison: UE Boom 2 vs. UE MegaBoom
Further on we’ll go into the details of who thought what about these speakers, but here’s a quick overview of each.
UE MegaBoom
• A bit bigger: 8.9 in. tall, 3.3 in. diameter (22.6 x 8.3 cm)
• Weight: 1.93 lbs (0.877 kg)
• Top-rated sound: More on reviewers’ reactions below
• Slightly louder
• Frequency range: 65Hz-20kHz (deeper bass)
• Slightly bigger drivers: Two 51 mm active drivers and two 51 x 102 mm passive radiators
• Fully waterproof: Rated IPX7
• 20-hour battery
• Several colors
UE Boom 2
• Tall-beer-can sized: 7.13 in tall, 2.75 in. diameter (18 x 6.7 cm)
• 38% lighter: 1.2 lbs (0.55 kg)
• Top-rated sound: More on reviewers’ reactions below
• Loud enough to fill a mid-size room or animate a small beach party
• Frequency range: 90Hz-20kHz (bass not quite as deep)
• Drivers: Two 45 mm active drivers and two 45 x 80 mm passive radiators
• Fully waterproof: Rated IPX7
• 15-hour battery
• Many (wild) colors
Where They Are Alike
Both of these speakers stand out for their durability and could even be dropped in the bathtub for a half hour and still be fine. They each make use of Logitech’s apps for iOS and Android to form a stereo pair if you buy two of either one. They offer analogue inputs and can work great as speakerphones (though you’ll likely just use this feature on your phone instead). They both have exceptional two-year warranties, or twice that of most competitors’ warranties.Pricing
Pricing for these speakers has gone up and down over the last few months, and on Amazon prices can be different for different colors. We link above to the lowest priced colors at the time of this writing, but click through to Amazon to check current prices (and if you’re looking for a deal, be sure to click on each color as this changes the price). The UE Boom 2 is always much cheaper than its big sister, and we think it’s overall a better buy.
Critical Meta-Review: Sound Quality of the MegaBoom vs. the UE Boom 2
These two speakers sound similar because they share essentially the same design; both have the ability to belt out 360-degree sound at volumes that are suitable for a small party outside, or filling a mid-size room.
The American consumer testing organization preferred the sound of the MegaBoom, but other reviewers didn’t notice or note much of a difference; all really liked both speakers. The British consumer testing organization, in a rather inexplicable twist, claims that the Boom 2 is both better sounding and easier to use than the MegaBoom, but we suspect this is due to the reviews being completed at different times (and by listeners judging on different standards?) — the ease of use is exactly the same for both.
Which is louder, the MegaBoom or the UE Boom 2? While they are both marketed as delivering “maximum sound levels of 90 dBA”, the Megaboom has been tested as delivering over 95 decibels and Boom 2 as delivering 86.2 or just-over-90, depending on who you ask; in both cases they sounded best when putting out 85 decibels.
The MegaBoom has slightly larger drivers and can deliver a bit deeper bass.
Wrap-Up
You could, we suppose, buy one of each and use them as a pair with the UE app; this will double the sound (great for outdoors), but you cannot use them in stereo mode in this way. For stereo, you have to own either two MegaBooms or two UE Boom 2s.
For those willing to sacrifice durability and waterproofing for a slightly more refined sound, see our comparison of the UE Boom 2 with the Bose Soundlink Mini II.
I have 4 Megabooms for outside parties. I am looking to buy 2 more. Does the Boom 3 or Mega Blast connect with the original mega boom?
You can play multiple mega boom linked together at the same time but the boom2 does not have this feature.
That’s not true. Has the same pairing capabilities via Bluetooth – up to 8.
Is there a hack that anyone knows of to have a mega and a boom work together in stereo?
i previously had the UE boom roll which turned out to be amazing and after reading your review i feel like buying the UE megaboom as well.
90db is the speaker sensitivity, and since they are the same it’s not relevant for volume. The smaller UE Boom is 12 watts, while the megaboom is 36 watts, so the larger one can definitely play louder.
Thanks for your comment. UE states 90 dBA as the maximum sound level for both, and doesn’t state watts or sensitivity unfortunately; we’ve updated the post above with info on the actual tested loudness from various reviewers. In any case, yes, the Megaboom gets a bit louder than the UE Boom 2 and sounds better doing so.
Both the Boom 2 and Megaboom are at 90db so does this mean that they are equally loud? This seems obvious, but I don’t really understand the point of a larger speaker (other than more battery life and bigger bass) if it isn’t actually louder.
Basically, I’m considering which one I should get, and since my main consideration is outdoor parties, the ability to be heard (how loud it is) is the biggest consideration, more than quality. Since I already own an UE Roll 2, I feel like I could get more out of it by pairing so that’s the other main consideration for staying within the UE family.
We’ve updated this post to address your question; the UE Megaboom is tested as going a bit louder. However, if you already have a UE Roll 2 (also a speaker we recommend), we’d recommend doubling up the sound by purchasing another UE Roll 2 to pair it to; this way both speakers will be delivering the same sound profile and you’ll have a better portable stereo pair.