Ultimate Ears BOOM 4
The BOOM 4 packs punchy, surprisingly deep bass and a broad 360° soundstage in a pocketable, weatherproof chassis. Its passive radiators and lively drivers deliver dynamic response while 15-hour battery life and an environmentally-minded build underpin its practicality. Reviewers like What Hi‑Fi? and ecoustics note the rugged, outdoor-ready design and upgraded low-end, making it a compelling portable option.
WATT RECOMMENDS
Save your favorites. Compare them anytime.
Create a free HiFi Hub account to save products to your Wishlist and compare your favorites side by side.
Nicely Roasted
Sound Quality
83/100
Build Quality
88/100
Features Connectivity
80/100
Value for Money
86/100
Pros
Surprisingly strong, punchy low end for its size—passive radiators and tuned drivers deliver notable bass impact.
Rugged, outdoor-ready construction with IP67 water/dust resistance and a high percentage of recycled plastics.
Wide 360° sound and lively dynamics give an engaging, room-filling presentation uncommon in compact portables.
Cons
Tonal balance can be lean or slightly top-heavy; vocals and midrange lack the warmth of larger models.
Not a major sonic upgrade over the previous generation—features and design are largely iterative.
WATT RECOMMENDS
Save your favorites. Compare them anytime.
Create a free HiFi Hub account to save products to your Wishlist and compare your favorites side by side.
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 83/100
Bass
86/100
Two 40 mm active drivers with two larger passive radiators give the Boom 4 stronger low-frequency impact than typical tiny speakers; passive radiators and UE's 360° tuning support 'surprisingly deep' bass for a compact unit. Given the driver sizes (well under bookshelf norms) and PRs, score sits in the 'excellent for size' band.
Mid
82/100
Mids are balanced and present for vocal-forward material on this compact design; the 40 mm drivers provide clear midrange without obvious coloration. Expect reduced body vs bookshelf drivers, but mids remain articulate and pleasant for portable listening.
Treble
80/100
Trebles are reasonably extended and non-fatiguing at normal listening levels (Max level ~85 dBC listed). Detail is adequate for size; top-end air and extreme extension are limited by the small driver form factor.
Soundstage Imaging
84/100
The unit's 360° sound design and two-driver layout create an impressively broad soundfield for a pocketable speaker, with good horizontal spread. Image focus and depth are necessarily constrained compared with stand-mounted bookshelves, but staging is strong for portable use.
Dynamics
82/100
Delivers lively micro- and macro-dynamics relative to its size; punch is aided by the passive radiators and 85 dBC max level. Headroom is limited versus larger bookshelf speakers, and performance will depend on input source and Bluetooth codec limits.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
88/100
Solidly built and compact (620 g) with a design focused on durability and sustainability (52% post-consumer recycled plastic quoted). Fit-and-finish and construction quality are strong for a portable product, suggesting long-term resilience.
Features Connectivity
80/100
Passive baseline applied per scoring rules. (Note: the Boom 4 is an active Bluetooth speaker; the required passive-speaker baseline score of 80 was used and flagged in QA.)
Value for Money
86/100
At $149.99 the Boom 4 offers compelling value: durable construction, 15-hour battery life, 360° sound and strong bass for size. Compared with similarly priced portable speakers, it presents a competitive mix of features and performance.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
Online Reviews & Mentions
YouTube Reviews
Forum Mentions
No forum mentions found yet
Specifications
- Dimensions
- Height: 7.24 in (184 mm) Width: 2.9 in (73 mm) Length: 2.9 in (73 mm) Weight: 21.87 oz (620 g) (speaker only)
- Features
- Maximum sound level: 85 dBC (normal) Drivers: two 1.57 in (40 mm) active drivers and two 1.81 x 2.57 in (46.1 x 65.2 mm) passive radiators Charge Type: Charges via USB-C cable (not included)
- Battery
- Battery life: Up to 15 hours* of battery life between type-C USB (not included**) charges. Battery type: Rechargeable lithium-ion battery
- Connectivity
- Wireless range: 147 feet (45 meter) range*
- Compatibility
- For audio playback: smartphones, tablets and other devices that support Bluetooth [Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP)]
- Sustainability
- Recycled Plastics: Minimum 52% Post-Consumer Recycled Content of the Total Plastic Components. Excludes packaging.
Manufacturer's Description — Ultimate Ears
BOLD SOUND BOLDY PORTABLE
BOOM 4 packs a sonic punch for its size. Featuring Ultimate Ears unique audio processing, it produces clear and balanced audio faithful to the music you love, and at every volume level.
VIRTUALLY INDESTRUCTIBLE
BOOM 4 was born to hit the road. From rooftop-raging to mountaintop-shredding, BOOM 4's got your back. It’s IP67 rated, waterproof, floatable and drop-proof. Take it anywhere. It's more powerful than you expect.
UP TO 15-HOUR BATTERY LIFE
BOOM 4 gives you 15 hours* of sonic power on a single charge.This portable speaker has long battery life that keeps the party going. *Actual battery life will vary with use, settings, and environmental conditions. Playing music at high volume or with bass boost can drain the battery faster.
CONNECT AND PARTYUP
Use PartyUp* on the UE | BOOM App to pair 1, 2 , 3... and over 150 speakers and create the ultimate sound experience. You can combine multiple BOOM 4, MEGABOOM 4, EVERBOOM, EPICBOOM and HYPERBOOM speakers or even pair them with previous generation BOOM speakers. Build a wall of sound? No problem. *Compatible with all BOOM, MEGABOOM, EVERBOOM, EPICBOOM and HYPERBOOM speakers
MAGIC BUTTON ONE-TAP CONTROL
One tap to dive in. Play, pause, and skip tracks directly from your BOOM 4. Set up one-touch playlists on your favorite streaming platforms, such as Spotify®, Amazon Music for Android, and Amazon Music and Apple Music for iOS.
MADE WITH RECYCLED PLASTIC
Plastic parts in BOOM 4 include a minimum of 52% certified post-consumer recycled plastic* by weight. It’s also designed for recycling. *Excluding packaging
Verified Dealers
Online Dealers
All Dealers
Zoom out the map to see more dealers
Authorized dealers for Ultimate Ears BOOM 4
- AUDIO VIDEO TODAY — in-store — Laguna Hills, California, United States (website)
- B&H Photo — online and in-store — New York, New York, United States (website)
- FOCUS — online and in-store — Lakewood, New Jersey, United States (website)
- Huss Licht Ton — in-store — Langenau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany (website)
- Music Store — in-store — Köln-Kalk, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany (website)
- Music Store Live — online and in-store — National City, California, United States (website)
- Noel Leeming — in-store — Northcote, Auckland, New Zealand (website)
- Pitbull Audio — online and in-store — National City, California, United States (website)