Ultimate Ears' big and burly Epicboom Bluetooth speaker has the Sonos Move in its sights

Ultimate Ears is back, and it's bringing with it a brand new member to join the ranks of the company's large line of portable Bluetooth speakers. The Epicboom is an all-new portable speaker model that, in terms of size, sits between the more compact Megaboom and the rather whopping Hyperboom party speaker in UE's range, putting it roughly on par with the Sonos Move (￡399 / $399) in terms of stature.

The Epicboom continues Ultimate Ear's trademark of delivering 360-degree sound, with its cylindrical design offering greater internal acoustic volume and featuring a 4.6-inch (11.6cm) woofer inside that claims to deliver "bass clarity and immersive sound". We were given a brief demonstration of the new model's sonic capabilities when we were treated to a demo last month in London, and while we didn't get to hear much beyond a few snippets of Ed Sheeran, it was certainly capable of going loud and proud.

It's a rugged item, too. With an IP67 rating, the Epicboom is waterproof, dustproof, and floatable, so you can sling it in a pool for a good half-hour before you need to fish it out again. When you want to move your party from indoors to outdoors, the speaker's internal mic dynamically adjusts its EQ and then balances the sound according to the new environment.

The burly Bluetooth speaker provides up to 17 hours of playtime and has a Bluetooth range of 55 metres, while a useful one-touch NFC feature (available for compatible Android 8.0 smartphones only) lets you pair your device with a simple tap. We are also pleased to see that the Epicboom can be charged with a USB-C connector, after being somewhat disappointed by the Wonderboom 3's micro USB charging port.

Additionally, the Epicboom comes fitted with an LED battery indicator and a USB-C connector for charging.

The UE Boom app has also been updated, and through it you can select different EQ presets including Signature, Bass Boost, Game/Cinema, Podcast/Vocal, and a new "Deep Relaxation" mode. You can also customise the mids, highs, and lows to fine-tune the Epiboom's audio to your musical tastes.

PartyUp also returns, which allows you to connect multiple Ultimate Ears speakers together, a little like JBL's PartyBoost feature. The Epicboom can wirelessly connect to other Epicbooms, as well as various other speakers in Ultimate Ears' line-up, including Boom, Boom 2, Boom 3, Megaboom, Megaboom 3 and Hyperboom speakers for an expanded sonic field. That's a lot of booms.

Available in two colourways - Cotton White & Lipstick Red or Charcoal Black & Lime, the Ultimate Ears Epicboom Bluetooth speaker is available to buy now for ￡330 / $350 / AU$499.95.

The Epicboom is one of the more substantial portable speakers we have seen from the brand, and at this size and price, its biggest competition will likely come from the upcoming Sonos Move 2, as both heavy-duty portable speakers are designed to deliver big sound and play equally at home indoors and outdoors.

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