This is the review of the comparison between the Ultimate Ears Megablast and the Sonos One. There is around thirty dollars difference in their price range currently. Both of these speakers have Amazon Alexa, as a voice assistant but their features differ a lot. To know which one is better than the other for the price, go to the detailed review.

Ultimate Ears Megablast	Sonos One
BUY NOW	BUY NOW
PROS	PROS
Sturdy IP67 water-resistant build. Alexa integration. Powerful sound.	Alexa integrations work almost exactly the same as in the Echo. The Sonos One speakers sound amazing for their size. Can be used to create a stereo pair. Google Assistant, and Apple AirPlay 2 support.
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.	Voice controls don’t support Spotify. Connecting Alexa and the Sonos One was a bit more involved than I’d like. No Bluetooth or analogue audio input.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Detail Review:

INTRODUCTION:

Ultimate Ears Megablast

The Megablast Bluetooth speaker from the Ultimate Ears is almost the updated version speaker of the older model Bluetooth speakers from the Ultimate Ears like the Blast, Boom, etc. The huge update in this speaker is that it has Amazon Alexa built-in it. This speaker is retailing for around a hundred and ninety dollars.

Sonos One

The Sonos One manufactured by Sonos is also the updated version speaker of the Sonos Play One from Sonos. Overall, the Sonos One combines everything that’s great about the Sonos Play One and Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant. This speaker has really great features and also performs well. This speaker is retailing for around a hundred and sixty dollars.

DESIGN: 

Ultimate Ears Megablast

The Megablast itself is hefty, and it’s about 1 foot tall. As far as the volume controls, there are plus and minus buttons for volume up and down and on the top, there is a power button when you power it on, it makes a sound, and when you turn it off then it makes that sound again. Also, on the top of the speaker, there is a little dot which will be your Bluetooth pair button, so you can pair this with any Bluetooth device that you desire. If you have the regular UE Blast you may know there will be a flap underneath the speaker, when you flap it up you got your USB port. There is Ultimate Ears Brandon down there.

The side where the volume buttons are placed are fully rubberized and also the top and the bottom of the speaker are rubberized. The remaining part of the speaker has a fabric grill texture to it. It’s a nice speaker from a build quality standpoint and what I like about it you can carry it around with you easily as it not that heavy. One big problem with this speaker that I found to be the downside here is this speaker doesn’t have any control over the play/pause and even you can’t tell Alexa to play and pause so you have to go to your mobile device to pause or play.

Sonos One

This is available in both black and also in the white version. At the surface, we have the capacitive LED-lit touch control panel which includes four control points. They are to play and pause music, adjust the volume or skip tracks, and also to mute the microphone for privacy if desired. Also, we have the old metal finished borrowed from the Sonos Play One. Although, this time around we have a color matching speaker grille rather than gray.

This grille is symmetrical on three sides, although the drivers are located only at the front of the speaker. So, the sound projection is unidirectional and we don’t have 360-degree audio here. On one side of the speaker, we have the familiar pairing button and the Ethernet port, and underneath the speaker, you can connect the removable power cable which does sit flush with the outer body. Overall, I’m definitely a fan of this speaker’s simple yet elegant design. The touch panel feels great offering convenient instant touch control and satisfying tonal feedback.

FEATURES:

Ultimate Ears Megablast

This speaker can do all the things that Alexa can do with one huge copyright. If you want to listen to music and control the music with the Megablast itself, you have to have Amazon music. If you want to use Spotify if you want to use Apple Music or any of those other things you cannot control it with Alexa. You still can use it, it works like a Bluetooth speaker, Alexa hooks up to your Wi-Fi system, and then the speaker will do all the things that Alexa does. It will not play, pause, or skip tracks, but it will do the volume up and volume down. As far as the features, we’ve got Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, it’s waterproof IP67 rated waterproofness, 360-degree music that means this speaker is in a cylindrical shape and it does a good job of fill in a room. IP67 rated means you can have it submerged under one meter of water for 30 minutes but you can’t hear it underwater.

This speaker has 16 hours of playtime and by my test, I got 16 hours at 50% volume and about 13 hours at full volume. The rubberized part of the speaker does pick up dust and other stuff as it is very very rubbery but still as these are waterproof rated you can wash this speaker to clean it. Also, it is built rugged and as this has a carabiner clip on the bottom you can attach it to something that takes like a carabiner.

The carabiner clip in this is different than what comes stuck on it. This carabiner is actually for the fancy contact charging base. But you need to purchase the wireless power up charging dock for an extra $40 from the Ultimate Ears. This speaker also comes with an app that you can control through Wi-Fi that you can download and connect it up to your speaker. To use the wireless charging dock, you have to use the charging cable and charging brick that comes in the box with the Megablast. But the charging cable that’s gonna used here is micro USB so that’s a downside here. The cable is a very nice and flat cable.

Sonos One

As far as the unboxing, Sonos has done a really nice job with the packaging design. Lifting up the lid, right at the top we have the envelope containing all of the paper information, so we have an essentially empty QuickStart guide which simply tells you to download the Sonos app and follow the on-screen tutorial to get the speaker set up. We also have the safety and warranty information, so there’s really nothing important that you need to look at, and underneath the paperwork is the Sonos One itself.

Other than the speaker themselves, there are some final accessories which are the power supply, and we also have an ethnic cable, so you can use this Wi-Fi speaker with a wired connection if you prefer. The speaker comes in a soft fabric pouch used to protect the device, which you can unwrap after removing the Sonos sticker. I really like the efforts owners have gone through here to make sure your speaker is protected and you have the option to reuse the fabric pouch if you need to transport your device.

You have got an app called Sonos app with this speaker. Once you’ve got the Sonos app downloaded, you can go ahead and register an account if you’re new to Sonos or simply sign in to your existing account to add this speaker to your current setup. The Sonos One is of course fully compatible with all of the other speakers in the Sonos range. For the setup, the process using the iOS app is a similar experience as with the of Android, PC, and Mac.

Once you’re in the Sonos app, just tap on the More tab, settings, and then add a player or sub. You’ll be prompted to sign in to your account, and then to ensure that the power supply is connected to the speaker you want to pair. At this stage, you can plug in the power supply to your Sonos one, and you’re instructed to wait for the flashing green light on the speaker which should take just a few seconds to appear. If you do see other colors such as orange, red, or the green lights fail to appear, then go ahead and tap the second option there to troubleshoot the issue. Otherwise, we can continue on to that screen which should show your new Sonos One. Tap to setup this player and you’ll be asked to press the button at the rear with the infinity symbol, which should initiate the pairing tone from the speaker. This should be the only time you’ll need to use this button as is just to help with the initial setup process, so this part can take a few minutes depending on your Wi-Fi connection.

If the setup has been successful, you should see a screen to settle that the player has been added. At this stage, you’re given the option to add the player to an existing setup for surround sound or simply add the player to a new room. So, now you can simply select one of the offered room types or just type in your own, and this choice will become important later when you want to use Alexa to control audio playback but you are able to change this setting later on as well. If you have any other new Sonos products, you have the option to add these also but if not then Sonos will register your player to your account and the device is then ready to be tuned.

SOUND QUALITY:

Ultimate Ears Megablast

The sound is really good, it doesn’t have the same kind of experience that you get from the HomePod. The HomePod actually was very impressive and how it sounded and it uses the DSP that Digital Signal Processing with the A chip to really tune to the room and this doesn’t do that. It’s sort of a dumb speaker in that way but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, I found it to be really balanced, the mids where maybe a little forward which I like because that pushes the vocals forward, the highs were not shrill, and the bass was not too boomy. The bass could be a little indistinct at times but I found myself really enjoying listening to music on this speaker. Ultimate Ears Megablast really sounds like a terrible energy drink.

Sonos One

The sound quality is where Sonos elevates Amazon’s already great features. Those of you familiar with the Sonos Play One can expect a very similar experience-rich, crisp, and high-resolution audio with an evenly balanced sound profile that even audio files can appreciate. The Sonos Play One certainly has the best audio quality for a Wi-Fi speaker of this size and this is still true of the Sonos One.

WHICH ONE IS BETTER?

The incorporation of leading smart assistants into pre-existing and high-end speakers such as the Sonos One and Ultimate Ears Megablast is really great. But for a lower price than the Megablast currently, the Sonos One has better Alexa performance as it works with Spotify and such other apps while the Alexa in the Megablast works only with Amazon music. Also, the Megablast doesn’t have controls over play-pause and skipping tracks while the Sonos One does have. Sonos One is heavy and looks bulky but still, it works really well for its price than the Megablast.

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 Sonos One:

By What Hi-Fi?
While we still hope that Sonos has a change of heart and adds hi-res support in the near future, we don’t believe its absence is a deal-breaker. But if you do, you should look at what Bluesound offers. Those looking for a simpler, cheaper, and…

By Digital Trends
Yes. If you want all the convenience of Alexa (and Google Assistant coming soon), along with Sonos’ intuitive system and excellent sound quality, the Sonos One remains one of the best you can…

By Pocket-lint
The Sonos One is a small but mighty little speaker. It delivers a premium, solid design, just as you would expect from a Sonos device, but it couples its good looks with smarts too, living up to that “smart speaker for music lovers” tagline. It has some…

By CGM
When the Amazon Echo first launched, it was a game-changer for the industry. It ushered in voice assistants into the home, in a way we had never seen – in a speaker. There had been plenty on phones and desktops, but this pushed what could be done with…

By The Inquirer
Well priced, with a rich sound, and the promise to get smarter, the Sonos One is our best smart speaker bet and one you won’t regret splurging some cash on…