Short answer: the Marshall Kilburn II if sound quality matters most, the Ultimate Ears Epicboom if price matters most. The Marshall Kilburn II ranks #36 of 77 large speakers at $279. The Ultimate Ears Epicboom ranks #57 at $213.41, $65.59 cheaper.
What the Marshall Kilburn II offers: 20W Class D amp + dual 8W tweeters. 20+ hour battery with quick-charge (20 min charges 3 hours of play). Rugged design with leather handle and reinforced corners, IPX2 rated. Thrives with rock music. Bluetooth 5.0 with 30ft range. Watch for: Boosted upper bass, not very detailed, not as deep bass as competitors, upper mids peak. Very low IPX2 water rating. AC charging
What the Ultimate Ears Epicboom offers: 17 hour battery with USB-C charging (first UE portable with USB-C). IP67 rating, floats in water. Made mostly from recycled fabric and plastic. Large best-sounding UE portable that still feels portable. 180ft Bluetooth range. Watch for: Not very deep bass for the size. Gets distorted at around 70-80% with bass thuds.
Buy the Marshall Kilburn II if sound quality is the priority over the price, or the Ultimate Ears Epicboom if the price is the priority over sound quality.
There is a real gap in water resistance: the Ultimate Ears Epicboom at IPX7 (brief submersion) against the Marshall Kilburn II, which has IPX2 (light drips).
Specifications Side By Side
| Marshall Kilburn II | Ultimate Ears Epicboom | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $279.00 | $213.41 |
| Ranked | #36 of 77 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #57 of 77 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| Aux Input | Yes | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | ~58Hz | ~55Hz |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 17 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX2 | IPX7 |
| Weight | 5.5 lbs / 2.49 kg | 4.3 lbs / 1.97 kg |
| App | No | No |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC |
| Built in Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| EQ | No | No |
| Party Mode | No | No |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| TWS | Yes | Yes |
| Output Power | 36W | 10W RMS |
| Dimensions | 9.6" x 6.4" x 5.5" (243 x 162 x 140 mm) | 4.7" x 9.5" x 6.4" (119 x 241 x 162 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x 4" (102mm) woofer + 2x 20mm dome tweeters | 1x 120mm woofer, 2x 45mm tweeters |
| Max Volume | 102dB | 94dB |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth Version | - | 5.2 |
| Frequency Response | - | 50Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
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Prices on this page were last checked August 27, 2026 at 10:09 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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The Two Speakers In Full
Marshall Kilburn II: $279.00 Amazon eBay
Pros: 20W Class D amp + dual 8W tweeters. 20+ hour battery with quick-charge (20 min charges 3 hours of play). Rugged design with leather handle and reinforced corners, IPX2 rated. Thrives with rock music. Bluetooth 5.0 with 30ft range.
Cons: Boosted upper bass, not very detailed, not as deep bass as competitors, upper mids peak. Very low IPX2 water rating. AC charging
Full Marshall Kilburn II review and specifications →
| App | No |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | ~58Hz |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Built in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 9.6" x 6.4" x 5.5" (243 x 162 x 140 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x 4" (102mm) woofer + 2x 20mm dome tweeters |
| EQ | No |
| IP Rating | IPX2 |
| Max Volume | 102dB |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 36W |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 5.5 lbs / 2.49 kg |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Marshall Kilburn II vs Xdobo Bucket /BMTL Bucket / Zicoroop Ts
- Marshall Kilburn II vs JBL Xtreme 4
- Marshall Kilburn II vs W-King T9
- Marshall Kilburn II vs Ultimate Ears Everboom
- Marshall Kilburn II vs Sony ULT Field 5
- Marshall Kilburn II vs Marshall Middleton
- Marshall Kilburn II vs Sony SRS-XB43
- Marshall Kilburn II vs LG Xboom Bounce
- See all 39 comparisons
Ultimate Ears Epicboom: $213.41 Amazon eBay
Pros: 17 hour battery with USB-C charging (first UE portable with USB-C). IP67 rating, floats in water. Made mostly from recycled fabric and plastic. Large best-sounding UE portable that still feels portable. 180ft Bluetooth range.
Cons: Not very deep bass for the size. Gets distorted at around 70-80% with bass thuds.
Full Ultimate Ears Epicboom review and specifications →
| App | No |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | ~55Hz |
| Battery Life | 17 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.2 |
| Built in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 4.7" x 9.5" x 6.4" (119 x 241 x 162 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x 120mm woofer, 2x 45mm tweeters |
| EQ | No |
| Frequency Response | 50Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX7 |
| Max Volume | 94dB |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 10W RMS |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 4.3 lbs / 1.97 kg |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Bass Check 💣 Treblab HD-360, Ultimate Ears EpicBoom, Marshall Middleton & JBL Pulse 5. Boom or Bust? More from JaysStraightUpReviews →
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: $350 Ultimate Ears EpicBoom gets Epic Beat-Down 😮by $120 Soundcore Rave Neo 2. Bluetooth Speaker KO🤛
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Bose SoundLink Max vs. Ultimate Ears EpicBoom 🤑Big Bucks No Whammies? 💣 Let’s Find Out 😧
- Reddit Search for Ultimate Ears Epicboom Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
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- Ultimate Ears Epicboom vs Soundcore Rave Neo
- See all 38 comparisons