KitGuru KitGuru.net – Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards
Ultimate Ears may not be a company that has been in the speaker game for as long as its competitors, but that does not mean it has not captured our attention. It did so previously with its MegaBoom bluetooth speaker, even if it was a costly solution. Today we look at something that is a little more modest, but which still retains the high-end features and application support.
This portable speaker uses bungee cords to attach itself ‘limpet-like' to just about anything. It has a long-lasting battery, 360 degree sound output and IPX7 waterproofing – all for a much reduced price. This should be a competitive little product, so let us see if it can stand up to our usual testing standards.
Features and specifications
- Dimensions: 125mm diameter, 40mm height.
- Waterproof: Rated IPX7, so can be immersed for up to a meter for up to 30 minutes.
- Maximum sound level: 85dBA.
- Frequency range: 108Hz – 20kHz.
- Drivers: One two-inch driver and two 3/4 inch tweeters.
- Battery: Lasts for up to nine hours. Charges in five and a half.
- Wireless: Bluetooth connectivity with up to two devices at once. 65ft range.
- App: Companion app available on Android and iOS, offers additional features.
- Warranty: Two years.
The Ultimate Ears Roll comes in a unique piece of packaging. It is made of relatively thin card, folded around it in quite a feat of origami. It features a large image of the Roll on the front, in whichever colour you chose. There are a number of alternatives available, including our Blue/Red version, a plum colour and a few with various patterns too.
The back gives you a few more angles on the Roll itself, as well as using diagrams to explain the set up procedure and features of the speaker.
Inside the packaging, your only accessory is this bright yellow micro-USB cable. This is much the same as the one included with the MegaBoom, but without the bundled USB power plug. Since everyone has a USB charger for their smartphone now – those that do not are unlikely to be spending £100 on a bluetooth speaker – this should not matter.
One bizarre part of the packaging is this rather strange face, which shows up on the inside of the Roll's packaging. I do not really know why this man has two mouths, but he seems happy.
The Roll looks and feels quite like a discus. It is round, but with flying saucer like peaks in the center of its top and bottom. It is made very much like the MegaBoom we looked at previously, with a stitched, fabric top surface and rubberised underbelly.
This particular one is blue, which is accented by the red rubber and volume indicators, which are proudly displayed.
The small UE logo might look like it's gotten lost on the way from a clothing tag, but in-fact it gives you a point to grip the bungee cord from, which can be detached from the main frame, in order to facilitate attaching the Roll to something else. Once in place, it is surprisingly sturdy and is unlikely to fall off without exerted effort.
The underside is comparably bland, with a muted red colour scheme. The bungee is brighter and hooks on to its perch at the ‘top' of the speaker, next to which you will find the power button and the Bluetooth indicator, which lets you know when the speaker is looking for its smartphone soul mate or has officially paired itself.
At the ‘other end' of the circle, there is a small rubber flap, which when raised opens up the 3.5mm port and its micro-USB cousin. Together they provide hardwired data and power to the speaker. Chances are you will not need to use the former that much, but the latter is the only method of charging this piece of kit, so will likely come in handy.
Testing a speaker like this involves us using it over the course of a week for various tasks, including listening to music of different qualities, podcasts and non-musical audio sources, as well as testing its durability. To do so we submerged it in water for an extended period and dropped it from a significant height to make sure it continued to operate as intended afterwards.
In terms of musical quality, the Ultimate Ears Roll does a great job for a Bluetooth speaker. It would be unlikely to blow away a big dedicated set of home speakers, or an ultra high end headset, but when compared to other portable speakers, this one really stands out. It is bassy enough to do justice to dubstep tracks and the highs and mids are crystal clear throughout the volume range.
The app provides regular updates and additional functionality.
Although the roll does not have the same frequency range or volume as its bigger brother the MegaBoom, it does a good job of emulating it in a smaller package. It does however suffer from the same issue of the bass dropping off a little at the top end of the volume scale.
Dropping it a couple of notches from maximum seems to offer the best of both worlds.
If your friend has a Roll too, you can twin them for stereo play.
However, if you are the kind of listener that prefers the volume to never fall below “11,” then the Roll may leave you wishing for a little more attack. Perhaps due to its size and shape, it does not have quite the same powerful kick as the Megaboom, or its more comparably priced cousin, the original UE Boom. 85 decibels is plenty loud for most situations of course, but for when you want that little bit more, it fails to deliver.
When it came to the durability tests, the Roll stood up to them like a champ. It was dropped onto various hard surfaces from a height of two metres and survived without difficulty. Sound was not affected in the slightest and as far as I could tell, we could have done it over and over. However, this is not a test of how many bumps the Roll can take before it breaks, but rather whether it could handle being knocked off a high surface. It passed with flying colours.
Bass can be improved a little by setting the EQ to “Bass Jump.”
To make sure the waterproof claims were accurate, we placed the Roll under a foot of water for 10 minutes. While there was a scary moment near the start when a number of air bubbles escaped the charge port's covered flap, the Roll had no problems with that at all and even continued playing the music throughout its submersion. Water pressure has no effect on it either, as blasting it with a standard shower head did not interrupt the music playback.
Playing music underwater actually looks pretty cool, as bubbles rise up with each bass thump.
The Roll is also brilliantly portable. Due to its low profile, it fits in just about any bag or pocket and thanks to its built-in bungee tie, you can attach it to everything from your bag – to your shower pole, to your belt loop. Whatever the situation, chances are you will be able to hook the Roll to something, making it easy for you to take it with you wherever you go and have music right along with you if you want it.
This is a big upgrade in many ways over the Boom and Megaboom, which while perhaps better speakers in terms of producing sound, are not particularly portable due to their shape and size. They can attach via a bundled carabiner, but it is nowhere near as intuitive as the Roll's bungee.
The giant buttons on the front are also easy to use and if you press them together, you can even find out how much battery is left. This is important, as while the Roll does last for more than seven hours of playback, it does require a good five to charge fully.
There are several things you want out of a portable speaker and as long as it can tick at least a few of the important boxes and preferably a few of the secondary ones too, you are on to a winner. Ultimate Ears has managed that with the Roll in spades. Sure, it may not have the audio quality of some of the more expensive speakers, but it is far from the cheap and nasty ones that have become so common place.
Yes the Ultimate Ears Roll is unlikely to please uber bass enthusiasts but for everyone else, the Roll is a fantastic little speaker.
It is incredibly portable and low profile, with the bungee making sure that wherever you go, it stays attached. It does not maintain a death grip on whatever you hook it too, so do not expect it to be able to hang there with much extra weight on it, but by itself on a shower pole it is not going anywhere.
The disc shape also helps provide the same 360 degree sound we have come to expect from the Ultimate Ears line of speakers, which means you can put in the middle of a table as a centerpiece. Although the blue version is a relatively eye catching piece of kit with its stitched covering, there are plenty of colour and pattern alternatives for prospective buyers to choose from. I am a fan of the plum pink myself.
Although the price tag on the UE Roll is not cheap by any means, it is a lot less than some of the other MP3 docks and portable speaker systems that are out there and its sound quality matches its cost. All of the extra features such as the water proofing, durability, portability and the expanded features that come as part of the app, are just icing on the cake.
You can buy an Ultimate Ears Roll from Currys for £100, though it is available to our pals across the pond for a much more attractive $100.
Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.
Pros:
- Good sound, though not as strong as BOOM and Megaboom.
- Very durable. Withstood a drop from two metres on its side. Didn't even stop playing.
- Waterproof up to a metre for 30 minutes.
- Low profile size and bungee make it very portable.
- Eye catching design, with many colour options.
- App adds extra functionality, including remote power on/off for iOS and Android.
Cons:
- Price may still be more than most are willing to spend.
- Bass is a bit weak, especially at higher volumes.
- Quieter than other UE products.
KitGuru Says: The UE Roll is a fine addition to Ultimate Ears' line up of tough, waterproof speakers. While its sound might not be quite as good as its bigger brothers, it is the most portable yet and easily outstrips its competition from other firms.
