I wanted to buy a nice audio device for my new Covid-19 home office setup. For quite a while I’ve tried to decide between the SONOS MOVE and the MEGABOOM 3 by Ultimate Ears; the first being the cheaper of the two devices.
So I decided to write a review about my comparisons between the UE Megaboom 3 and the SONOS MOVE so you can clearly understand the differences between the two devices.
Next level sound quality UE MBooms sounds really good, but the SONOS MOVE takes it much more impressive. The device well makes all the right moves, it sounds like the perfect marriage between a BOSE (which is excellent at the higher end for vocals) and a Klipsch (which is renowned for its ultimate low-end base) device. All in a single portable SMART device which has not been rivalled by Bose or Klipsch yet. Note: The SONOS bass sounds loud till about 70-80% volume. The bass stops even cuts back a bit as the volume is raised over 70-80%. Maybe the device would start bouncing off the base if the base kept going higher. Yes, this device gets VERY VERY LOUD in quite a big space. There might be a setting to override this in the app which I have not tried yet, mainly because I barely go over 60% volume. I just wanted to mention this as it would be a deal-breaker for some looking for base dominance.
Charging Doc: It does come with a charging dock included (factor in a $110 dollar value when buying, but UE’s base only costs $85 but its an additional cost over the $275 AUD price tag? No Sonos base is way more SOLID. Including this with the device is a major advantage because you might choose not to get its equivalent if you have a UE device, which means you will have to deal with constantly fiddling around connecting a Micro-USB into its base.
Awesome Wi-Fi connectivity – This device has next level Wi-Fi connectivity, much much better than a normal device. It almost seems to go further and connects faster, great tech. Wi-Fi is non-existent on the UE Mega boom, this was the main deal-breaker from me. Inside a house where you have maybe more than 5 devices, your Bluetooth connection is going to get a lot of interference. Forget about connecting 2 or 3 UE booms together, you will spend a lot of time trying to re-configure all other devices not to interfere with the 2.7GZ of normal Bluetooth and there will be things like microwaves that will kill it. I was not able to successfully maintain a stable connection with 1 Mega Boom device leave alone multiple devices. The SONOS MOVE also has Bluetooth connectivity included for outdoor use.
The look: All UE devices look fantastic especially the new generation models, but Sonos it just has a sophisticated look. UE a look for Millenial children or teenagers – Sonos a sophistication you will be proud to show off in your front lounge or master bedroom. Well thought about design and the device itself has some weight to it. Think Klipsch or BnE when you think about the Look of the Sonos.
Alexa: Let’s face it Siri does not come close to Alexa, and using Alexa has now become second nature in our home and workspaces. We weren’t able to get Alexa working with the Megaboom, I believe support for this has been dropped or removed from this particular device – thought I could be wrong here. Alexa seems to almost work better with SONOS Move maybe because it does have a better mic in the device and processor perhaps? It even works better when compared to an Amazon device. This was another deal-breaker for us going the SONOS way. There are also clear option to deactivate the mic on the device and also disconnect Alexa from the app if required. Note that Siri does not work with a SONOS device, you will need an external device like an iPhone to control the SONOS MOVE.
All these advantages come with 1 major con, its price. Costing over 2ce the cost of the UE Megaboom 3’s it’s going to cause one to pause and think. But, in my opinion, this device should really be compared to the UE Hyperbooms which have more base and I believe does have WiFi connectivity. UE Hyperbooms is set to retail for over $575 AUD which brings the price closer to the Sonos – still with no charging DOC.
For now, I’ve turned into a SONOS fan for sure, its unlikely I am going to be changing brands for speakers anytime soon. The quality of the product outweighs the cost in my opinion and is likely to last twice as long.
I hope this review helps anyone who is trying to decide between UE Megabooms or the Sonos for their home office. For now, this is an awesome addition that has transformed my little home office into a vibrant Melbourne WordPress studio.