EarFun UBoom L
MSRP $80.00
“Portable and able to play higher than you may expect.”
Pros
- Rugged, durable construct
- Excellent sound quality
- Easy setup
- Stereo and multi-speaker pairing
- Good battery life
- Reasonably priced price
Cons
- No app support
- Video mode weakens Bluetooth signal
- Not a flashy design
It’s easy enough to seek out a wireless Bluetooth speaker sufficiently small to slot in your backpack or carry-on when taking it with you, but what’s price spending money on to serenade your ears? The bevy of options makes good value all of the more appealing whenever you find it, and that’s the EarFun UBoom L in a nutshell.
At $80, you’re not breaking the bank relative to other speakers, and also you get great sound for each buck you spend on it. We took this speaker in all places to learn the way much each dollar stretches when the music plays.
What’s within the box
EarFun didn’t pack much within the box for the UBoom L. Other than the speaker itself, you simply get a USB-C charging cable and user manual. While the speaker does have a 3.5mm Aux-In jack, you don’t get a cable for it within the box. There’s also no wall charger for USB-A-to-USB-C cable.
Design
Ted Kritsonis / Digital Trends
When first the UBoom L, there isn’t anything all that remarkable about it. It looks like all other Bluetooth speaker, complete with a cloth skin, and rubberized bumpers on either end protecting the 2 passive radiators. This is solely meant to be a lateral speaker, meaning you lay it down flat. While you might stand it upright, it’s not on a secure footing, and it’s pretty clear that wasn’t the unique intention.
If size matters, the speaker measures 3.07 x 8.26 x 2.83 inches, with the highest sloping a little bit to make the front look more outstanding and provides it a rather upward-facing orientation. It’s easy enough to hold around at 1.43 kilos, and if you happen to occur to be clumsy with it, you’ll likely still hear it playing. The UBoom L is waterproof, able to resist saltwater — plus, it floats, so an accidental dip won’t see it drop like a stone to the underside.
EarFun doesn’t specify a shockproof rating beyond its IP67 protection for water and dirt resistance, but there may be some durability here. I wouldn’t describe it as rugged to the purpose you’ll be able to abuse it, but an unlucky tumble to the bottom shouldn’t stop it from functioning. It suits in perfectly well outdoors, be it on the beach, pool, hot tub — mainly anywhere you’ll be able to put your feet as much as chill out and revel in some tunes.
Ted Kritsonis / Digital Trends
A rubberized cover protects the USB-C and three.5mm Aux-In ports within the back, keeping water out, though I grew to dislike having to open it every time since the flap is tough to grip and pry open. Thankfully, it’s not something you’re prone to need all that always, at the very least until you will have to charge it.
There aren’t any fancy proprietary technologies at work so far as how the UBoom L pumps out sound, so that is more about how EarFun engineered the components inside. Two 55mm drivers and a Class D amp pump out 14 watts per channel, with the aforementioned passive radiators pushing out bass at each ends.
Setup and app controls
Ted Kritsonis / Digital Trends
Pairing the UBoom L is simple enough to do by simply going to the Bluetooth menu in your device and going from there. EarFun doesn’t support the speaker with an app, so that you don’t have tools to tinker with. But there are a few details that stand out.
The speaker does have two playback modes: indoor and outdoor. Press the mode button on the far right to toggle between them, with the white LED indicating when outdoor mode is on. The opposite is stereo pairing for left and right channels. Here, too, there are two ways to go about it. You’ll be able to opt to play them as separate left and right channels, or in “party mode,” which mainly has the 2 speakers play the identical content without the stereo pairing.
The remainder of the control layout is pretty straightforward. You will have play/pause, flanked by volume up and down, together with Bluetooth and the facility button. One extra EarFun threw in is a video mode tied to the Bluetooth button. Pressing it twice turns it on (indicated by a white LED), thus reducing latency from the usual 250ms to 150ms. That’s wonderful for watching a show or movie, though I discovered it a bit sluggish for gaming, so probably not ideal if that’s something you had in mind. The video mode does shorten the 45-foot Bluetooth range, though I can’t quantify an actual number. Nor does EarFun, apart from to suggest at all times leaving that mode off whenever you’re listening to music, podcasts, or audiobooks for the sake of a stable connection, especially if you happen to’re moving around along with your phone.
Sound quality
Ted Kritsonis / Digital Trends
It could be unfair to expect audiophile playback with a speaker just like the UBoom L, but the outcomes are impressive, each in clarity and volume. This speaker isn’t a lot about lowering the boom, given its bass response remains to be resonant and thick enough to understand, much more so when it comes with good balance throughout the spectrum. Not surprisingly, the mids get pushed back, yet they’re still audible enough to enhance the solid highs.
I listened to a wide selection of genres, each indoors and outdoors, as I took the speaker with me on a recent vacation. Its outdoor mode is type of like a “loud” setting you see in other speakers, where the bass and treble boost up with louder volume output to sound larger in larger spaces. Sure enough, I often selected that setting after I desired to get a bit louder, whereas normal listening indoors didn’t necessitate cranking things up.
Ted Kritsonis / Digital Trends
For example: There was no reason to do it while listening to a podcast or audiobook. Spoken word content just doesn’t need the identical range as music does, so toggling between the 2 modes made more sense as I went along. There have been times I’d use the outdoor mode while inside to listen to the deeper bass, while I used the indoor mode outside while lounging with a cigar listening to a podcast or audiobook. For a speaker devoid of much customization, it felt pretty satisfying to at the very least have the ability to do something. Once I did play it loud, I used to be impressed to listen to distortion hold off until it got really high. The outdoor mode is tuned to rattle the bass and add a little bit sibilance to the highs at the best levels, but I discovered the indoor mode somewhat mitigated that. Again, making up for an overall lack of customization.
Watching video with it via Aux-In on a laptop was great for removing all latency, though the video mode was wonderful when doing it wirelessly. The one catch is the Bluetooth connection is more at risk of obstacles that may get in the way in which. In close quarters, you’re wonderful, but wander or keep the speaker too distant, and the odd drop-off or hiccup will occur.
As a speakerphone, the UBoom L also proved very capable. Calls were clear, and my voice got here through well via the onboard microphone. It won’t match costlier speakers, just like the Sony SRS-XE200, but it surely is best at capturing voices more spatially. Slightly than facing it head-on, you’ll be able to be on either side since the mic is on top with the button array.
Battery life
Ted Kritsonis / Digital Trends
EarFun says the UBoom L can last as long as 16 hours per charge, and that’s largely true if you happen to keep the quantity on the default level with indoor mode on. Raising the quantity and routinely sticking to outdoor mode changes that. But even at north of 10 hours, it’s hard not to love the outcomes. Go full blast and also you kill the battery in a fraction of the time, though I never sustained it at that level long enough to seek out out by exactly how much.
There’s no fast charging here. As an alternative, you plug in and wait for those 4 LEDs up top to stop flashing. It does take two hours to completely top up, and in fact, you’ll be able to at all times play and charge at the identical time.
Our take
EarFun kept things easy with the UBoom L, specializing in what must work well. Great, balanced sound, coupled with ease of use and superb durability enable it to slot in nearly in all places. Not all Bluetooth speakers at this price can stake that type of claim, so there’s real value here, if you happen to want it.
Is there a greater alternative?
Despite the good price — and the likelihood of discounts along the way in which — the UBoom L does have competition. The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2 has the identical level of durability, and while its battery life won’t stretch quite as far, there may be a useful strap to maintain it near you. When you like the thought of customizing things via an app, you may want to take a look at the Anker Soundcore Flare 2, which allows you to just do that. It won’t get quite as loud, however the app’s EQ does allow you to mess around loads with the general tuning.
In case your budget allows, it’s possible you’ll have the ability to snag the JBL Flip 5 for about $100 or less if you happen to come across deal. It’s not JBL’s latest, but it will possibly still rock, and take some punishment while doing it. No app support, yet you do get a smaller footprint for even easier portability.
How long will it last?
EarFun clearly aimed to construct the UBoom L to last an extended time with its tougher construct quality. That it floats also means you’re less prone to lose it within the water, though with out a lanyard to strap on, you do have to be careful. EarFun’s 18-month warranty doesn’t cover damage from water or from the device falling. It primarily focuses on functional issues.
Must you buy it?
Yes. You don’t get anything flashy with the UBoom L, but EarFun did right by its speaker, engineering it to perform higher than its $80 price tag indicates.
Editors’ Recommendations
