Ultimate Ears has cultivated a reputation for crafting quality speakers and headphones, both for professional studio use (see: the incredible UE 18+ Pro) and for rugged outdoors adventures (see: the amphibious Wonderboom). Suffice it to say that when UE tells us they’re launching new products, our ears perk up.
And, after getting a look at UE’s new fall lineup, we feel lucky our ears are even still attached to our heads. For the past few years, the Boom moniker — currently attached to the aforementioned Wonderboom, the Boom 2, and the Megaboom — has been synonymous with UE’s line of speakers. Today, though, the new Blast and Megablast are changing the name and the game.
Both the Blast and Megablast are equipped with built-in Wi-Fi and voice-controlled Alexa support, meaning you no longer need to play music from a phone or tablet. Say “Alexa, play Feel It Still,” and within seconds, you’ll be jamming to Portugal. The Man’s newest hit — no hands necessary. Alexa can adjust volume, read you the weather forecast, and answer millions of questions, just like she can with one of Amazon’s smart speakers. Both speakers feature three microphones along the top, so we’re optimistic about accuracy for far-field voice recognition.
In addition to Amazon Music (as well as Amazon Prime Music and Amazon Music Unlimited, of course), the speakers support TuneIn and iHeartRadio over Wi-Fi, with both Pandora and Deezer on the way soon. They’re also Bluetooth enabled, in case you’d prefer to play Spotify or Apple Music (or Youtube, or whatever) from your phone. For loudness control, huge, trademark UE analog volume buttons are proudly displayed in white.
The Megablast will be 40 percent louder than the Megaboom, which was already quite powerful.
The Blast and Megablast — comparable in size to the Boom 2 and the Megaboom, respectively — feature the same cylindrical shape as their brethren, only with sharper edges and a slightly more contemporary aesthetic overall. The Megablast is UE’s first wireless speaker featuring independent tweeters (two, at 25mm) along with 35mm active drivers and passive radiators to boot. According to Ultimate Ears, the Megablast will be 40 percent louder than the Megaboom, which was already quite powerful.
Both speakers are IP67 rated for dust and water resistance, meaning they’ll happily and safely accompany you in the shower (though, unlike the Wonderboom, they won’t float). The Blast’s battery is rated at 12 hours, while the Megablast should last for 16.
The speakers will officially release on October 26, with a retail price of $230 for the Blast and $300 for the Megablast. Both speakers will launch with four colorways in the U.S.: Graphite, Blizzard, Merlot, and Blue Steel. During a live demo, we also saw versions in Mojito green and Lemonade yellow; we don’t yet know when or if those colors will see the light of day.
But wait! There’s more! In addition to the Blast and the Megablast, the new UE Power Up charging dock — compatible with both Blast and Megablast — allows you to juice up the speaker by simply placing it atop the dock. The Power Up (see above) is available in white and white only, for $40, and it’ll launch alongside the speakers on October 26. You can pre-order it via UE or Amazon now.
Instagram is making its way to yet another screen, and this time, Apple TV is getting a taste of the Reels rabbit hole. The company has launched a dedicated Instagram app for Apple TV, bringing Reels, longer videos, and live shows to the big screen. So, if watching one quick clip on a phone somehow turns into an hour of scrolling, there's now a much larger screen for that.
Instagram brings Reels and more to Apple TV
Audio-Technica, a brand well known for making some of the best studio and professional headphones on the market, has just come out with the ATH-AWX7000, which the company itself claims to be its "finest headphones ever." The new flagship closed-back headphone has debuted at an eye-watering price of $3,799. It combines hand-finished Japanese woodwork with a newly developed 58mm driver.
The earcups are made from Kiso cypress, a prized wood historically used for Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Each housing is finished by hand with traditional Echizen lacquer, which brings out the grain and is expected to darken over time. The frame and sliders are finished in a deep navy kachi-iro shade traditionally associated with samurai.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
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