A party speaker debut: EarFun UBOOM X Review

Great speakers come in all shapes and sizes, and at What’s the Best, we think they all deserve the spotlight. Saying that, sometimes there’s nothing quite like experiencing the power of a cumbersome party speaker. EarFun (well-known for its earbuds) has taken a daring leap with the release of the UBOOM X. It’s the brand’s first ever speaker, and there doesn’t look to have been any holding back.

The UBOOM X makes a bold entrance into the current portable Bluetooth speaker space. This is an 80W speaker, powered by two drivers and two tweeters. With an IP rating of 67, it claims unmatched waterproofing and dustproofing, making it ideal for outdoor settings, not just sheltered ones. A whopping 30 hours of battery life encourages all day listening, and it even doubles as a power bank.

The expectations of a Bluetooth speaker of this size and in this price range (£149.99) are never going to be modest. High quality sound delivery has to be a priority, that includes thumping bass, sharp audio clarity, and a respectable maximum volume output. This UBOOM X uses JumboBass technology, and pairs it with that 4-driver design in order to try and meet this quota.

On such a capable platform, you’d also hope to see a good degree of personalisation too. The EarFun Audio app looks to meet that need by providing the tools to tweak how their UBOOM X sounds, looks, and functions.

Digital Writer Jack Barrell has had the chance to test out the UBOOM X for himself, to see just how well it fairs against the fierce market competition. Here’s how he got on.

Setting up

Unboxing the UBOOM X was a familiar process to other party speakers of its kind. The ends of the speaker are protected by polystyrene, which are easily removed once it’s been lifted out of the box via the handle. EarFun provides the USB-C charge cable, you’ll need your own adapter – I used a standard Apple iPhone plug.

Charging the UBOOM X straight out the box only took me around 30 minutes, thanks to it being around 75% full already. Charge progress is easy to read thanks to the four mini-LEDs on the top of the speaker, which will flicker when charging and go solid the fuller it gets. This differs from some speakers that may just go from a red, straight to a green once fully powered.

One of the first things I clocked was the heft of the speaker, weighing in at 4.15kg it certainly has some might. Fortunately, EarFun does provide a detachable strap, which is included with the UBOOM X. This makes transporting the speaker around far more realistic and manageable. As an outdoor Bluetooth speaker, having a shoulder strap in my opinion has become a non-negotiable, and the UBOOM X meets this demand.

What's to love?

Kicking things off with the most important factor to a great party speaker, it’s the sound quality. The UBOOM X puts out a total audio power of 80W courtesy of two 30W woofers and two 10W tweeters. The result? Very satisfying sound projection. The sound quality itself is of a very good standard, and the speaker’s max volume is astounding. What’s incredible is that the UBOOM X manages to maintain that audio clarity surprisingly high into its volume range. Granted, it does begin to fall off at the very top – but you’d be hard pushed to find a speaker that doesn’t.

I was really happy with how the UBOOM X was able to handle both indoor and outdoor listening. Listening outdoors, the sound from the speaker was extremely punchy and had no trouble covering solid ground, even amidst wind and rain. After testing it in an outdoor setting, I had no concerns about how the UBOOM X would fair indoors. Just so it happens, it makes for an absolutely brilliant indoor speaker too. Because of that huge volume range, on the day to day I’d rarely have it set above a fifth of the full volume.

The UBOOM X also has a supporting app; EarFun Audio. This serves as a hub for the UBOOM X, it’s where I was able to access EQ settings and manage my connections. The EarFun Audio app was a total standout for me, it exceeded my expectations of what an app like this could offer. There’s enough in there for a variety of listeners to enjoy. You can tap into the exact EQ settings, where you can tweak all frequency ranges and the highs/lows, ideal for the acquired listener. Furthering this, I found that if I didn’t want to manually adjust the EQ settings, EarFun provides a selection of genre-based EQ presets. As someone who isn’t totally fluent with the in-depth EQ settings, I found it extremely helpful to be able to pick based on musical genre.

It doesn't stop there either. While I was able to select EQ presets based on genres, I found another option in the app that offered EQ presets for different listening environments. Some of these selections included Studio, Indoor, Indoor+, Outdoor, Outdoor+, and more. I found that this was a great alternative if I wanted to prioritise audio delivery in a specific setting as opposed to nailing down a genre specific sound.

All in all, there’s plenty to sink your teeth into with the UBOOM X’s supporting app. This, in turn, massively elevates the listening experience. Everything is easily accessible and totally functional too, if I wanted to switch things up and go from liquid drum and bass to hip hop the process was swift.

What's okay?

I have a lot of good things to say about how the UBOOM X works alongside the EarFun Audio app, and the speakers trademark Jumbo Bass Technology packs a real punch. However, I found it strange that there's no option to switch the bass off completely. Yes, there are preset EQ modes with reduced bass, but manual bass controls for this have noticeably been left out.

Downsides?

Something that might not resonate with all users is the overall visual design. It isn’t an ultra-modern looking speaker, any attempt to be does fall a little short. The pattern on the grille gives off an industrial feel, whereas a honeycomb design could’ve potentially uplifted this aesthetic. The sides covers are actually quite striking, but they just don’t match up with that harsher looking front piece.

An LED light-up function is always a welcome addition to a party speaker, but it appears quite blocky and cheap on the UBOOM X. You’ve got the customisation element in the EarFun app where you can change the colours and make it flicker, but I’d honestly just save the battery life.

Speaking of outdated design choices, the operational beeps and tones follow a similar pattern too. When you power up, power down or begin pairing the UBOOM X, you’ll hear a very monotone beep that’s reminiscent of reaching an answerphone.

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Who tested it?

The UBOOM X party speaker from EarFun was tested by resident Digital Writer Jack Barrell. Jack is no stranger to testing a range of premium audio tech, his experience trying out party speakers exactly like this one means he knows exactly what to listen out for.

How was it tested?

Jack tested the UBOOM X over the course of two weeks. He used the speaker both indoors and outdoors in order to get a clear gauge of its abilities. He coordinated with the EarFun Audio app, which provides access to custom EQ settings as well as preset listening modes. Jack listened across countless genres with the UBOOM X to really give it the opportunity to shine.

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Jack Barrell is a Tech and Fitness Writer and Reviewer for What’s the Best. He is invested in the entertainment space and also keeps well in the loop with the latest sports and exercise trends too. On his off days, Jack can usually be found either in the gym – or watching his favourite Star Wars for the thousandth time.

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