Ultimate Ears have definitely outdone themselves with the launch of their brand new Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST and Ultimate Ears BLAST, two new speakers that are part of the brand’s new Wi-Fi and BluetoothⓇ smart speaker range. Both wireless, portable speakers have immersive 360-degree sound and come with Amazon Alexa built-in.
MEGABLAST is Ultimate Ears’ loudest, most powerful and best sounding speaker to date and is meticulously engineered from the ground up with custom drivers that produce a full and crisp sound.
The result is a speaker with more powerful mid-range, deeper heart-pounding bass, vocals and instruments that are produced clearer than ever before in our highly portable, battery-powered speakers. With a maximum sound pressure level of 93 dBC, MEGABLAST is the loudest speaker from Ultimate Ears and is 40 percent louder than Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM. BLAST offers ultra portability in a smaller, slimmer shape and share the same bold, immersive 360° sound quality as Ultimate Ears BOOM 2.
New experiences for MEGABLAST and BLAST include:
- Enhanced controls on the Ultimate Ears app: You can now control volume remotely from the app, which is especially useful if you have your music cranked up loud and want to use Alexa. You can also check battery status in two ways – either through the app, or right from the speaker by pressing the “+/-” volume buttons simultaneously. From now on, you can personalise your sound for any artist or music genre with the custom equaliser (EQ).
- Voice control on Spotify and more: Just ask “Alexa, play my Discover Weekly” or any music from Spotify and other Amazon Alexa supported music services such as Amazon Music Unlimited, Deezer, TuneIn, and iHeartRadio on MEGABLAST and BLAST. Use your voice to control music from these streaming services over Wi-Fi. On Bluetooth, you can enjoy music from any of your favourite music services.
- A better way to listen with Spotify Connect : MEGABLAST and BLAST will be the first Ultimate Ears speakers to integrate Spotify Connect. When on Wi-Fi, open the Spotify app on your phone and play music directly to our speakers (under “Devices Available”) without the need to pair through Bluetooth. Music fans can also stream the highest quality sound possible from Spotify. With Spotify Connect, text message or make calls without interrupting the music and save your phone’s battery.
- New grouping experience for smart speakers (coming soon): You can group up to eight MEGABLAST and BLAST speakers on Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Stereo mode is supported when you connect two MEGABLAST or BLAST speakers. Optimised to take advantage of the speakers’ built-in Wi-Fi capability, you will experience greater range for grouped speakers and improved connection reliability. Grouping is expected to be available later this year.
With MEGABLAST and BLAST, we wanted to take the mobile music experience to the next level with this new range, adding Wi-Fi and far-field voice recognition with Amazon Alexa,” said Charlotte Johs, general manager of Ultimate Ears. “We turned it all the way up with MEGABLAST; we believe it is the best sounding portable smart speaker available today, and with its sleek, waterproof design, it will look at home with any interior, or wherever you take your music, from kitchen to backyard, beach to mountain.”
“We’re excited that these devices will bring great-sounding music, durability, portability and hands-free access to Alexa to more customers, even outside of their homes,” said Steve Rabuchin, vice president, Amazon Alexa.
Ultimate Ears also announced Ultimate Ears POWER UP, a sleek charging dock that makes charging easier for BLAST and MEGABLAST. The speakers stay powered on when placed on the charging dock, so you keep the music playing while charging and Alexa voice control is always available when connected to Wi-Fi.
MEGABLAST and BLAST are available in six colors: Graphite (Black), Blizzard (White), Blue Steel, Merlot (Red), Mojito (Green) and Lemonade (Yellow). Color availability varies by country.
Pricing and Availability
Ultimate Ears BLAST, Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST and Ultimate Ears POWER UP are expected to be available in Australia on May 8, 2018 for suggested retail prices of $279 for BLAST, $379 for MEGABLAST and $49.95 for POWER UP. All speakers and charging dock sold separately. The free Ultimate Ears app is available for iPhone and iPad on Apple App Store, and for Android™ on Google Play store. For more information, please visit www.ultimateears.com or connect with us on Instagram.
by Arrnott Olssen
Editor Rogue Homme
