Is music on the go your thing? Do you enjoy listening to music over your Bluetooth speaker? Then you’ve probably heard of Ultimate Ears and their products. And if you’re dueling between Wonderboom vs Wonderboom 2, we’re here to help you choose the right product.
We’ll go through their specifications, pros and cons, sound quality, design, battery life, and other important questions when searching for the right speaker.
Wonderboom vs Wonderboom 2 – Product Info
Ultimate Ears was founded in 1995 in Las Vegas, Nevada after sound engineer Jerry Harvey created a custom-molded earpiece as the sound solution for Van Halen’s concerts.
Jerry and Mindy Harvey started the company, but since they were not manufacturers, they were from the very beginning partnered with Westone. This partnership ended in 2001, and a year later, Ultimate Ears opened its own lab.
Though the sales were excellent, and the company held about 80% of the professional IEM market, they needed more investment to back up innovation, and they partnered with Innovate Partners. They moved headquarters to Irvine, California, and continued the market expansion.
But that’s not the end of the Ultimate Ears ownership transfer. Logitech International S.A acquired the company in August 2008, and they continued to produce excellent quality products, keeping approximately 30% of the market.
Their product line consisted of Wireless Bluetooth Speakers, Headphones, Universal Fit Earphones, Legacy consumer products, Custom In-Ear Monitors, Legacy custom products, and Musician’s earplugs. Still, today they are focused on Earphones, Bluetooth speakers, and Charging Accessories.
So, what can you expect from Wonderboom and Wonderboom 2 Bluetooth speakers?
With both versions, you get 360-degree sound, excellent Bluetooth connections to two sources simultaneously, waterproof and very resistant to physical damage to speakers, and a two-year warranty.
| Features | Wonderboom | Wonderboom 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Overall impression | Small and easy to carry, excellent sound, floating, waterproof, drop-proof speaker. Excellent choice for a budget strong-sound speaker solution. | An improved version with all previous features, but with a stereo sound option and outdoor mode. Excellent choice for those who want to spend time outdoors. |
| Interface | Simple interface with two buttons on the top (off/on and Bluetooth buttons) and a pressable logo in the middle for play/pause/skip. Two oversized + and – buttons on the side for volume increase/decrease. | Three buttons at the top (off/on, Bluetooth, and play/pause/skip) buttons, and one button at the bottom for outdoor mode. Two oversized + and – buttons on the side for volume increase/decrease. |
| Size | 10.2 cm high by 9.35 cm diameter | 10.4 cm high by 9.35 cm diameter |
| Multiple units | ✅ (Two Wonderboom speakers) | ✅ (Two Wonderboom 2 speakers) |
| Stereo sound | ❌ | ✅ |
| Drivers | 2 – 40 mm active drivers and 2 – 46.1 mm x 65.2 mm passive radiators | 2 – 40 mm active drivers and 2 – 46.1 mm x 65.2 mm passive radiators |
| Frequency range | 80Hz – 20kHz | 75Hz – 20kHz |
| Waterproof | ✅ | ✅ |
| Dust-proof | ❌ | ✅ |
| Drop-proof | ✅ | ✅ |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth (two sources simultaneously) | Bluetooth (two sources simultaneously) |
| Warranty | 2 years | 2 years |
| Price | Check Price on Amazon | Check Price on Amazon |
And no wonder Wonderboom 2 is on every list of top 10 speakers in 2022.
Considering Wonderboom was an excellent product, it’s not surprising that Wonderboom 2 is just its improved version. Improved how? It has enhanced features, such as longer battery life and better sound when used outside.
Interestingly, you can only find Wonderboom 2 on their official site and no previous models. If you plan to buy Wonderboom, you will have to check Amazon.
Pros and Cons
Yeah, we know. Perfection doesn’t exist. That’s why we tend to dig a bit deeper and check the pros and cons for both versions.
Wonderboom
Okay, this was the first version, and despite that fact, it wasn’t bad at all. On the contrary, it was really functional and within an average budget.
Wonderboom Pros
- Excellent value for money
- Solid bass
- Easy to use with a simple interface
- Powerful
- Waterproof
- Practically unbreakable
Wonderboom Cons
- No app for equalizer controls
- The battery indicator is not the happiest solution.
Wonderboom 2
Now, let’s see how Wonderboom 2 looks in users’ eyes.
Wonderboom 2 Pros
- Dustproof (and waterproof) (IP67)
- Excellent connectivity
- It floats in the water (in case you drop it into the pool)
- Powerful outdoor sound
- Long-lasting battery
- Stereo sound with two Wonderboom 2
Wonderboom 2 Cons
- No microphone
- No “back” option
Wonderboom vs Wonderboom 2: Features Face to Face
Let’s check whether these two versions of the same model are different and what improvements you can expect when comparing Wonderboom vs Wonderboom 2.
Sound quality and volume
When it comes to sound quality, we have to say that Wonderboom 2 performs slightly better than Wonderboom, especially when used outside. It seems like it’s built for that purpose, and it’s fulfilling it 100%. Don’t forget it has a button for outdoor sound!
On top of that, Wonderboom 2 has the stereo option, meaning you can pair two Wonderboom 2 speakers and have the stereo sound. On the other hand, when pairing two Wonderboom speakers, you’ll get the party sound, but not stereo.
The truth is that both of these speakers offer excellent sound quality, with 360-degree sound. Still, we have to mention that Wonderboom bass is sometimes a bit overemphasized, but nothing that would ruin your audio experience.
And, let’s just mention that for adjusting the volume, both Wonderboom and Wonderboom 2 have identical oversized Plus and Minus buttons, which you can’t miss.
Design and build
When you compare Wonderboom vs Wonderboom 2, you might or might not spot the difference, but they are not identical. There are three changes in design that you can see instantly:
- Different strap
- Different top button
- New bottom button
The main difference in the design is a different strap with the label and a small rubber ring with Wonderboom 2. Ultimate Ears probably made this change because the rope with Wonderboom was too small for users to do anything with it.
Another difference in design is the top button in Wonderboom 2 version, instead of just the logo in the previous one, which often confused users.
And lastly, Wonderboom 2 has a new button on the bottom for outdoor sound. It’s like a small tree, and if you press it, you’ll get a louder sound, adapted for outdoor use.
If the color is also important to you, you’ll be happy to know that both models come in various colors.
Size
Wonderboom 2 is slightly bigger than Wonderboom, and the difference is so tiny (only 2 mm taller) that you can barely see it, but when you take both into your hands, you will probably notice it.
Weight
The same goes for weight, but Wonderboom (425g) is slightly heavier this time than Wonderboom 2 (420g).
Connectivity
Both Wonderboom and Wonderboom 2 have excellent connectivity, and you can connect them to two sources simultaneously without any problems. So, no winner in this category!
But yes, you can see on the Wonderboom 2 box it covers 30 meters of connectivity distance, and the users noticed it is slightly better than the previous model.
Related Read: How to Connect JBL Speakers to ANY Device or Each Other!
Dimensions
For those who like to know, Wonderboom’s dimensions are 93.5 x 102 x 93.5 mm, while Wonderboom 2 is 104 x 102 x 93.5 mm.
Bluetooth connectivity
When it comes to Bluetooth connectivity, Wonderboom 2 wins over Wonderboom. Why? Well, because sometimes Wonderboom is very stubborn and won’t connect to Bluetooth smoothly as Wonderboom 2 does.
Battery type
Both Wonderboom and Wonderboom 2 use lithium-ion rechargeable batteries, and they both use micro-USB chargers.
Battery life
How long will your speaker last on one charge? That’s a good question. As you might guess, Wonderboom 2 is the improved version, and it will last around 3 hours more than Wonderboom.
Let’s be honest, 10 hours for Wonderboom is not bad either!
Now, the bad news is that you can’t see how much battery is left because there’s no visible battery life indicator for Wonderboom, nor for Wonderboom 2, which might be a bit inconvenient.
To check the battery level, you need to press the “Plus” and “Minus” volume buttons simultaneously, and depending on the tone you get, your battery is
- full
- half full
- needs charging
Both speakers’ batteries are charged through a micro-USB charger you get with the speaker.
Three additional hours makes Wonderboom 2 a winner in this segment.
Battery charge time
As for battery charge time, you will need approximately 2.6 hours to fully charge your Wonderboom 2 speaker, while for Wonderboom, you will need 2.8 hours.
Software
The best part with Wonderboom and Wonderboom 2 is that there are no upgrades or updates once you buy them. The software is built to last at its best performances. The downside of it is that there’s no app you can download for settings, for example.
Portability
Due to its small size, round shape, and fabric or rubber strap (depending on the model), you can easily carry your Bluetooth speaker.
Accessories
Not only that Wonderboom and Wonderboom 2 are excellent products, but you can also find helpful accessories for them on Amazon, whether it’s a case for your speaker, micro-USB charging cable, or adapter.
| Accessories | Link |
|---|---|
| Case for Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 1/2 | Check Price on Amazon |
| 2-Pack USB Charger for Logitech UE Boom Speaker | Check Price on Amazon |
| Quick Charger Cable Adapter | Check Price on Amazon |
Aesthetics
When it comes to aesthetics, Ultimate Ears did make some changes in Wonderboom 2 with, for example, a two-tone fabric that goes around the speaker, compared to a one-tone material in the original Wonderboom.
The rubber strap on Wonderboom 2 might not look so appealing, but its stretching capacity is much more practical than the fabric one that the previous Wonderboom offered.
The color palette has also changed, and now Wonderboom 2 comes in four colors, Radical Red, Deep-Space Black, Crushed Ice Gray, and Bermuda Blue.
The original Wonderboom had six colors palette, Phantom Black, Stone Gray, SubZero Blue, Fireball Red, Lilac, and Cashmere Pink.
Since beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, we won’t announce the winner in this category; we leave it up to you to decide which one looks better.
Waterproof, Dustproof, Drop-proof
It sounds like a fairytale, but these Ultimate Ears products really are waterproof, dustproof and drop-proof. You can take them wherever you want. Music-on-the-go.
Waterproof
Drop it into the pool or ocean, leave it in the rain, sink it in the tank, and it will still continue to play! With Wonderboom and Wonderboom 2, there’s nothing to fear. And the best thing is that you don’t have to dive to get it out – they float!
So, they can both stay in the water for 30 minutes, Wonderboom in 1m depth, and Wonderboom 2 in 1.5, but it is not so important due to their floating feature.
Dustproof
As you already know, both Wonderboom and Wonderboom 2 are waterproof and drop-proof. The improved feature with Wonderboom 2 is that it’s also dustproof. So, you don’t have to worry about bringing your speaker to the beach if you opt for Wonderboom 2.
Drop-proof
Feeling clumsy? Do you have small kids? Or do your parties get too wild? No worries. With Wonderboom and Wonderboom 2, you will be just fine. You can drop these products from 1.5m high, and they’re not going to be damaged.
Standout Features
To be honest, the most impressive thing about these two Ultimate Ears products is that such small devices can produce such excellent sound. And that’s something that keeps surprising everyone.
Now, related to the sound, there’s one more feature that really does its job: the outdoor sound button on Wonderboom 2.
The second thing worth mentioning is their water-dust-break-proof. These things are practically unbreakable. Of course, you have to pay attention to accessories. Though the speaker is waterproof, if your USB charger is wet or dusty, it might cause some damage to the speaker.
And remember that only Wonderboom 2 is dust-proof, while Wonderboom is only waterproof and physical-damage resistant.
Price
Yes, improved features have their price. That’s why Wonderboom 2 is a bit more expensive than its previous version. But if you pay attention to Amazon prices, you’ll see that you can easily catch some discounts and decrease the price difference between the two.
Conclusion
No doubt, comparing Wonderboom vs Wonderboom 2 shows that Wonderboom 2 is, indeed, the improved version.
But, if you don’t expect a stereo-sound experience, you’re okay with 10 hours of battery life, and if you want to save money for something else, Wonderboom will provide you with everything you need.
And if you want something more, a dust-proof speaker with stereo sound, 13-hours battery life, and to listen to your playlist outdoors, you might want to go for Wonderboom 2.
