Ultimate Ears BLASTFrom real comments

Verdict distilled from 29 mentions across 12 aspects in comments under product review videos.

Positive sentiment21%
PROS 21%
CONS 79%

Rank based on 29 mentions across 12 aspects

View the verdict as

Buy this if...

  • You mainly want Bluetooth-only playback and can tolerate occasional stutter
  • You're comfortable troubleshooting WiFi/app setup issues yourself
  • You value Alexa voice queries like weather and time over music streaming reliability

What users love

Skip this if...

  • You need dependable multi-speaker 'Party Up' pairing
  • You want to reliably stream Spotify or Amazon Music through Alexa
  • You expect the speaker to keep charging and powering on long-term

What users complain about

Compare in seconds

Based on user comments

Best choice
1Mid
Sonos One
Excellent sound quality
Sonos One
Excellent sound quality
2Budget
Amazon Echo (1st Gen)
Decent sound with tweakingDurable long-term reliabilityLoved twist volume controlDevice shows wear over timeLimited third-party speaker controlSetup difficulties
Amazon Echo (1st Gen)
Decent sound with tweaking
Durable long-term reliability
Loved twist volume control
Device shows wear over time
Limited third-party speaker control
Setup difficulties
3Premium
Sonos Era 300
Excellent Atmos surround performanceSeamless Sonos ecosystem and ease of useStrong stereo pair sound qualityDisabled front driver in surround modeHigh priceInconsistent or disjointed sound for some listeners
Sonos Era 300
Excellent Atmos surround performance
Seamless Sonos ecosystem and ease of use
Strong stereo pair sound quality
Disabled front driver in surround mode
High price
Inconsistent or disjointed sound for some listeners
4
Denon Home 250
Impressive sound for its sizeProximity-sensing touch controlsStrong wireless stereo pairing experienceAudio-video lag when watching video
Denon Home 250
Impressive sound for its size
Proximity-sensing touch controls
Strong wireless stereo pairing experience
Audio-video lag when watching video
5Premium
Bang & Olufsen Beosound A9
Iconic, eye-catching designLong-term listening satisfactionExpandable multi-room setupUncertain fit for small roomsGoogle Assistant privacy concernsLimited flexibility on early models
Bang & Olufsen Beosound A9
Iconic, eye-catching design
Long-term listening satisfaction
Expandable multi-room setup
Uncertain fit for small rooms
Google Assistant privacy concerns
Limited flexibility on early models
6Mid
Amazon Echo (2nd Gen)
Rich, Room-Filling SoundSharper Far-Field MicrophonesUseful Smart Home & Calling IntegrationConnectivity Dropouts & Setup FailuresNo Bluetooth Multi-Room SyncEarly Units Had a Sound-Quality Bug
Amazon Echo (2nd Gen)
Rich, Room-Filling Sound
Sharper Far-Field Microphones
Useful Smart Home & Calling Integration
Connectivity Dropouts & Setup Failures
No Bluetooth Multi-Room Sync
Early Units Had a Sound-Quality Bug
Best value
7Premium
Apple HomePod
Great home theater/TV speaker setupExcellent sound qualityStrong value when discountedHigh retail priceWeak Siri assistantHardware reliability issues
Apple HomePod
Great home theater/TV speaker setup
Excellent sound quality
Strong value when discounted
High retail price
Weak Siri assistant
Hardware reliability issues
8Mid
Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen)
Improved Sound QualitySmart Home IntegrationTemperature Sensor FeatureLack of 3.5mm Audio JackSetup Connectivity IssuesInconsistent Voice Recognition
Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen)
Improved Sound Quality
Smart Home Integration
Temperature Sensor Feature
Lack of 3.5mm Audio Jack
Setup Connectivity Issues
Inconsistent Voice Recognition
9Mid
Amazon Echo (4th Gen)
Improved sound qualityNew spherical designGood value/pricing on dealsZigbee/smart device connectivity problemsDesign/accessory complaintsQuestionable upgrade value
Amazon Echo (4th Gen)
Improved sound quality
New spherical design
Good value/pricing on deals
Zigbee/smart device connectivity problems
Design/accessory complaints
Questionable upgrade value
10Mid
Sonos Play:3
Strong sound qualityReliable multi-room integrationGreat resale value and bargainsDifficult setup and factory resetMono confusion in single-unit modeSupport and reliability concerns
Sonos Play:3
Strong sound quality
Reliable multi-room integration
Great resale value and bargains
Difficult setup and factory reset
Mono confusion in single-unit mode
Support and reliability concerns
You are here
31Premium
Ultimate Ears BLAST
Good base sound qualityAlexa voice queriesFixable via resetCharging and power failuresFrequent disconnectsAlexa unresponsive
Ultimate Ears BLAST
Good base sound quality
Alexa voice queries
Fixable via reset
Charging and power failures
Frequent disconnects
Alexa unresponsive

Who wins on what

Ranked by what users actually praise

Overall Impression

Setup and connectivity are the most commonly reported frustration. Multiple users describe being unable to connect to WiFi during setup, getting 'speaker lost connection' errors even with the phone inches away, or losing the connection minutes after pairing successfully. Some say the UE app itself is the cause of a bricked speaker. Update processes have also stalled, with one user finding a workaround involving letting the battery die mid-update.

Alexa integration frequently doesn't work as advertised. Several commenters set up Alexa successfully in the app, with the speaker shown as connected, yet get no voice response at all. Others can ask about weather or time but not play Spotify tracks. One user couldn't get the flash briefing language changed from Japanese to English, and another asked if Alexa is mandatory for the speaker to function at all.

Long-term durability and pairing reliability are recurring complaints. Multiple users report speakers that stop charging, won't power on, or died completely after months of normal use with no drops. Bluetooth pairing failures are common too, including with laptops, Samsung phones, and Fire Stick. One user calls it 'very expensive' and 'not worth buying' due to pairing problems, while another says warranty service was unhelpful once support ended.

Outdated / Not-accurate data?