Final Ears Everboom evaluation: the precise dimension

The Final Ears speaker lineup is getting fairly crowded, having now reached six merchandise with the current introduction of the $249.99 Everboom. This speaker is a smaller, extra transportable tackle the Epicboom that I reviewed late final yr. And its core attraction is identical as every other UE speaker: you’re getting a rugged, waterproof speaker that’s minimize out for each indoor and poolside events. You may hyperlink the Everboom with different UE audio system in social gathering mode to play music in sync throughout all of them. The controls are straightforward to make use of — particularly the corporate’s signature outsized quantity buttons.

So what makes the Everboom totally different? You get a totally customizable EQ, which not all the firm’s audio system supply. Just like the Epicboom, there’s an outside mode that layers some further quantity and energy onto the sound when wanted. And UE features a carabiner, which makes it simpler to hold the Everboom in your bag or grasp it in artistic methods.

Each the Epicboom and Everboom dial up the general audio constancy in comparison with UE’s cylindrical audio system. Like these, they output 360-degree sound, so that you don’t have to fret about listening to them from a sure candy spot — in concept, anyway.

Because it seems, the Everboom is usually most clear while you’ve acquired both the left or proper aspect of the speaker immediately going through you. Straight on, vocals can lack crispness and element for the reason that drivers appear to be aspect firing — although the stereo separation is spectacular in consequence. For indoor listening, I usually saved the amount stage between 30 and 40 p.c, and that was a lot loud. Outdoors, you may crank it additional, although the speaker begins to pressure and sound overly compressed when you’re on the 70 p.c mark.

I don’t assume the Everboom’s sound efficiency lifts it very far above established (and extra inexpensive) competitors just like the JBL Cost 5, Bose SoundLink Flex, and even the lately launched Beats Tablet. I’d rank it greater than one thing just like the Sonos Transfer for sound high quality, however there are infinite options which can be price eyeing earlier than you fork over $250.

That mentioned, the Everboom met the second after I introduced it upstate for a quick lake cabin getaway. Listening to Zach Bryan’s new album, the Everboom did a very good job separating John Mayer’s guitar licks on “Higher Days” from the majority of the combination. Nathaniel Rateliff’s South of Right here was additionally a nice pay attention, although I once more discovered myself pointing one of many speaker’s left / proper sides towards me for one of the best readability.

However some genres can show somewhat a lot for it. The Maintain Regular’s The Worth of Progress sounded extra muffled than I’d like. That is the place the bigger Epicboom fares higher because it has bigger drivers (and extra bass growl) to work with. However on the flip aspect, the Everboom is way simpler to tackle the go because it’s lighter and significantly smaller. Battery life is greater than enough at 20 hours of steady playback.

That mentioned, I don’t know if anybody’s shopping for UE audio system for crucial listening. The model has a very good status for making sturdy merchandise that may final a few years. (And now, mercifully, the entire lineup has lastly switched to USB-C.) The Everboom has IP67 mud and water resistance, and it’ll float in case you drop it in a pool — and hold the music going afterward.

However don’t count on any thrilling bonus options. The Everboom does not less than embrace multipoint, so you may pair two telephones to the speaker directly. And it’s acquired NFC assist for very fast pairing. Nonetheless, I can’t assist however really feel that Final Ears is resting on its laurels when different corporations offer you extra. For instance, the Beats Tablet presents lossless USB-C enter, and JBL is beginning to embrace forward-looking Bluetooth applied sciences like Auracast. In the meantime, the Everboom can’t even be used as a speakerphone. UE’s app has a brand new megaphone function that permits you to communicate into your cellphone and broadcast that to your Growth audio system, however how typically will that be helpful?

The Everboom isn’t a horrible buy; none of UE’s merchandise are if all you’re looking for is a decent-sounding and really reliable speaker. However we’re firmly in an period the place I’m anticipating greater than “Yeah, that sounds fairly good” from a $250 wi-fi speaker. The Everboom doesn’t ship sufficient to warrant that form of worth, and I’d wager most individuals will keep on with the corporate’s better-known Growth 4. It offers lots of the similar strengths for much less cash.

Images by Chris Welch / The Verge