This is the review of the comparison between the Ultimate Ears Megablast and the JBL Charge 4. There are day and night differences in their price range currently and also their features vary. To know which one has better features and to know which one is good for you to buy, go to the detailed review.
Ultimate Ears Megablast | JBL Charge 4 |
BUY NOW | BUY NOW |
PROS | PROS |
Sturdy IP67 water-resistant build. Alexa integration. Powerful sound. | Powerful audio performance with rich bass. Gets quite loud for its size. Waterproof. Long battery life. Can charge your portable devices. USB-C charging. |
CONS | CONS |
Could use a more low-end bass response. On-device music streaming over Wi-Fi offers needs better services. Can distort on deep sub-bass. Lacks some voice control features. No speakerphone. | No speakerphone function. Basically the same sound as the Charge 3. The buttons that aren’t lit up are hard to see in the dark. |
SPECIFICATIONS:
HEADER | ULTIMATE EARS MEGABLAST | JBL CHARGE 4 |
Brand | Ultimate Ears | JBL |
Model | Megablast | Charge 4 |
GENERAL | ULTIMATE EARS MEGABLAST | JBL CHARGE 4 |
Manufacturer | Logitech | Harman |
Design Features | ||
SPEAKER SYSYTEM | ULTIMATE EARS MEGABLAST | JBL CHARGE 4 |
Amplification Type | active | active |
Crossover Channel Qty | ||
Frequency Response | 60 – 20000 Hz | 60 – 20000 Hz |
Output Features | ||
Output Level (SPL) | 93 db | 80 db |
Audio Amplifier | integrated | integrated |
Connectivity Technology | Wireless | Wired, Wireless |
BATTERY | ULTIMATE EARS MEGABLAST | JBL CHARGE 4 |
Rechargeable Battery | rechargeable | rechargeable |
Run Time (Up To) | 12 hour(s) | 20 hour(s) |
POWER DEVICE | ULTIMATE EARS MEGABLAST | JBL CHARGE 4 |
Power Source | Battery | Battery |
Options | USB charging, USB charging (powerbank function) | |
NETWORK AND INTERNET MULTIMEDIA | ULTIMATE EARS MEGABLAST | JBL CHARGE 4 |
Connectivity Interfaces | Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n | Bluetooth 4.2 |
Internet Streaming Services | Amazon Alexa Voice Service | |
SPEAKER SYSTEM DETAILS | ULTIMATE EARS MEGABLAST | JBL CHARGE 4 |
Speaker Type | Speaker | Portable |
Speaker Channel Qty | ||
Speaker Channel Type | ||
DRIVER DETAILS | ULTIMATE EARS MEGABLAST | JBL CHARGE 4 |
Driver Type | full-range driver, passive radiator | full-range driver, passive radiator |
Driver Qty | 2 | 1,2 |
Driver Diameter | 1 m, 2.15 m, 3.35 m | 50*90 mm |
CONNECTIONS | ULTIMATE EARS MEGABLAST | JBL CHARGE 4 |
Type | DC power input, DC power output, audio line-in | |
DIMENSIONS & WEIGHT | ULTIMATE EARS MEGABLAST | JBL CHARGE 4 |
Width | 3.46 in | 8.7 in |
Depth | 3.46 in | 3.7 in |
Height | 9.3 in | 3.7 in |
Weight | 2.65 lbs | 34.04 lbs |
FEATURES | ULTIMATE EARS MEGABLAST | JBL CHARGE 4 |
Features | Hands-Free voice control with Amazon Alexa built in with far-field voice recognition. Two 25mm tweeters, two 55mm active drivers and two 85mm x 50mm passive radiators producing up to 93dBA. IP67 waterproof and dustproof. Wi-Fi range up to 100m & Bluetooth wireless range up to 45m. Up to 16 hours of battery life from rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery. | Wirelessly connect up to two smartphones or tablets to the speaker and take turns enjoying powerful sound. Built-in rechargeable Li-ion 7500mAH battery supports up to 20 hours of playtime and charges your device via USB port. Take JBL Charge 4 to the beach or the pool without worrying about spills or even submersion in water. Amplify your listening experience to epic levels and rock the party perfectly by wirelessly connecting more than 100 JBL Connect+ enabled speakers. The durable fabric material and rugged rubber housing allows your speaker to outlast all of your adventures. Dual passive radiators deliver powerful, ear-catching JBL sound that resonates loud and clear. |
Detail Review:
INTRODUCTION:
Ultimate Ears Megablast
The Megablast from the Ultimate Ears is an updated version Bluetooth speaker of the older model Bluetooth speakers from the Ultimate Ears like the Boom and Megaboom speakers. Also, this can be considered as the larger version of the Blast speaker from the Ultimate Ears. This speaker is retailing for around two hundred and twenty-nine dollars currently.
JBL Charge 4
JBL Charge 4 is one of the best-selling portable speakers on Amazon. The JBL Charge 4 is retailing for around a hundred and thirty dollars currently. Charge 4 also comes with 11 different colors you can get red, pink, yellow, camo, and so many different colors, so you got 11 different choices which is really good. This speaker is also an updated version speaker of its predecessor charge 3.
DESIGN:
Ultimate Ears Megablast
On the front of the speaker, you got the volume up and the volume down, it says Ultimate Ears on the bottom right there. On the bottom of the Bluetooth speaker, you got the D-ring they did that touch to the speaker if you got like a key chain or string if you wanna hook to it. Once you remove that D-ring you also got a wireless charging point if you want to charge this wirelessly. There is also a little flap at the bottom, once you move the little flap up there will be your micro USB charging port to charge your speaker as well.
On top of the speaker, you got the Bluetooth button this is how you activate Bluetooth or sync it to your devices on iOS or Android phone, and also, there is a power button to turn on your speaker. This speaker is 360 degrees so you’ll get sound from all sides equally. This speaker also comes with Alexa and if you’re going to Google Play Store on your Android device you do have the Ultimate Ears app for this speaker. If you want, you can download the app but the only thing you can do with this app is that you can update this speaker that’s about it, no equalizer like they had with the UE Megaboom. The only thing you can do is change the language, the country you live in, and update this speaker that’s about it.
JBL Charge 4
Just like all other JBL products you have the little Connect Plus button right there on the side, so you can connect the multiple speakers to have them all playing the same song at the same time. You can see a little plus symbol right near that button, that plus means if you have multiple products with a plus on there they’ll automatically link together without the app also.
When it comes to the look and feel of the JBL, you get that nice little messy feel to it and a nice little sturdy look. Also, on the top, you have got your play and pause button, your Bluetooth button, and your volume up and down button. Then on the back, you have your ports inside the Charge 4 flap there. when you’ll pull it down, you have your charging port, you also have a USB out port so that you can charge your phone or anything else through there, and also 3.5 aux out if you want this wired.
FEATURES:
Ultimate Ears Megablast
The box comes with a nice presentation and inside the box, you’re gonna see the Ultimate Ears guide telling you how to use this Bluetooth speaker and what the buttons do, you get the power brick, next you gonna get the USB cable micro USB and your speaker itself, so that’s about it inside the package.
The Ultimate Ears Megablast Bluetooth speaker is a 360 degrees spatial sounding speaker. The maximum sound level is 93 dB, and the frequency range gonna be 60 hertz, Hertz, to 20 kilohertz. As far as the drivers in this speaker, it comes with two different drivers. It comes with two 55mm active drivers, it comes with two 25mm tweeters, and two 85mm by 50mm passive radiators, so that means this speaker is gonna be a bass-heavy speaker. It also supports a hands-free console that means it’s built-in with Alexa you can ask Alexa questions.
It enables you to get a far wear voice recognition and voice experience. For the battery life, it would give you 12 hours of playback time, and the charging time gonna be up to like four hours to charge a little bit less than that three to four hours to charge, and the playback time is 12 hours. It’s compatible with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and Wi-Fi will be 802.11 BGN, it’s not wireless but it’s not a big deal because it’s not in the device. The wireless capabilities will be compatible with Dobe and Wi-Fi support 802.11 BGN, 2.4 and 5 gigahertz network, you can pair up to eight Bluetooth devices.
The wi-fi range can be up to 30 meters up to 330 feet and their Bluetooth range can go up to 45 meters up to 150 feet. System climates are just iOS or Android and you can download the Ultimate Ears app on your iOS or your Android device. It also comes with IP67 water and dust resistance so that’s pretty nice. You can blast this thing underwater up to 1 meter up to 30 minutes so that’s nice, and it comes with a 1-year warranty, so if anything happened to your UE Megablast under the one-year warranty, they’ll fix you or they will replace it for you. It comes in different colors black, white, red, and blue.
JBL Charge 4
The JBL Charge 4 is waterproof, so you don’t have to worry about that you can take it to the beach, lake, if you spill anything on it no worries it is waterproof which is always a bonus especially for all the beach people out there. When it comes to that battery life on that JBL Charge 4, it’s 20 hours which is really long and really good. That’s about the range you get from a lot of these sized portable speakers.
When it comes to Charge 3 and Charge 4, there is little size difference in them but they don’t look too far off from each other. They got different logos on the radiators but they’re not too far off of each other and when it comes to sound quality as well they’re not too far through each other. If you are looking to save money, also you want a Bluetooth speaker only from JBL, and you don’t want to pay the 130, you could definitely get the Charge 3 at a lower price than this and you won’t be disappointed at all.
SOUND QUALITY:
Ultimate Ears Megablast
This speaker has amazing clarity in the mids and the highs, and this speaker gets incredibly loud but as you crank up the volume, there is no distortion in the bass, there is no distortion in the highs, and the volume as it goes up this keeps the sound really clear. If you like just incredible amounts of bass at the cost of sounding distorted, this is not your speaker. Just as a reference for sound this speaker sounds as clear as the mids and the highs of the Google Home Max. Because Max is a much larger speaker, the bass is a little bit stronger when you’re listening to your music but as far as clarity this speaker is right on par.
JBL Charge 4
When it comes to the sound quality from the JBL, I feel like everything works together, you get a full rich sound out of it, the instruments works really well with the vocals, and the mids and the highs work really well together. As well as the bass is really good as like other JBL speakers. This has that nice little bass, you get a loud rich sound, and you don’t have to worry about it getting crackling, and making weird noises.
It’s really clear, and one thing I like about this JBL Charge 4 is you get that loudness and it just sounds so clear and crispy. All the instruments, the vocals, people’s lyrics, whatever you listen to it, it sounds really good and it works together. The bass is not really a big booming hit because there’s no big subwoofer on there but you get a nice little bass. When it comes to sound quality, when it comes to the clearness of the sound, the Charge 4 is better than the Charge 3, so you just get a little bit louder and a little bit of better clarity.
WHICH TO BUY?
Buying a product fully depends on your preference, what you prefer the most like sound, battery life, money, etc. If sound quality is more important for you then you can buy the Ultimate Ears Megablast even though its price has been raised now it’s worth buying for its sound quality and for the Alexa voice assistant. If you want a good Bluetooth speaker at a lower price, then you can buy the JBL Charge 4 because it has better battery life at this price range, and also it sounds good and performs well at its price range.
Expert Reviews of Ultimate Ears Megablast:
By Expert Reviews
At £270, the Megablast isn’t cheap, but it certainly is an impressive smart speaker, with its waterproofing and built-in battery. With its stylish design, robust build quality, and bright colors, Ultimate Ears has created a great-looking speaker as…By techadvisor.co.uk
If you’re looking for a high-end Alexa-enabled speaker, you won’t find much better than the UE Megablast. It is expensive, though, so make sure you check out the Sonos One as a non-portable rival. Besides the vibrant, unique design, the water- and…By hipsterpixel. co
Once again, I feel Ultimate Ears did a great job on their 360˚ speaker! By having water resistance, I feel you can really bring this little guy everywhere. Sound quality is great, although not as good as a Play:1, but being cordless and having a long…By TheStreamingBlog
The Ultimate Ears Megablast is one powerful and efficient portable speaker that brings you solid performance and excellent features. Its rugged and well-built design, as well as the inclusion of Alexa voice controls, makes the speaker even better…By Craving Tech
Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST is an excellent, one-stop, portable Bluetooth smart speaker that will blast your room and ears with no remorse. Combined with a stylishly strong design statement and an IP67 rating (for dustproof & waterproof), the MEGABLAST is a…Expert Reviews of JBL Charge 4:
By Expert Reviews
Despite cutting a couple of handy features, the Charge 4 is an impressive fourth entry into JBL’s mid-range Bluetooth speaker series…By What Hi-Fi?
Great sound plus rugged design and handy features equal a top Bluetooth speaker…By TheStreamingBlog
JBL’s Charge series just gets better with every new release. With Charge 4, we’ve seen that its audio quality has highly improved compared to the previously released Charge 3. It delivered cleaner, clearer, and more refined sounds with mids and…By Tech Radar
For the money, the JBL Charge 4 is a definite no-brainer. For just $150 (£160, AU$200), you get a speaker that lasts all day, sounds great, can put up with all kinds of abuse, and tops your phone up in a pinch. Yes, there are better sounding speakers…By PC Mag
The JBL Charge 4 is an excellent option for those who want a waterproof, powerful-sounding portable Bluetooth speaker in a moderately sized frame.