Short answer: the Ultimate Ears Boom 3 for battery life and PartyUp pairing, the Klipsch Groove for a more balanced stock sound, though neither ranks well in its class. The Klipsch Groove delivers pretty balanced sound but is not stereo. The Boom 3 adds crisp highs, an excellent 15-hour battery, stable Bluetooth, an IP67 floating shell and pairing with up to 150 speakers, though it is not stereo and has recessed treble. Both are rated below 3.0/5 among the 151 medium speakers, and the Earfun Uboom L, ranked #1 at $49.79, is a better place to start if sound quality matters.
Buy the Ultimate Ears Boom 3. It is rated higher for sound quality, and saving $45.99 with the Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove does not make up for the sound-quality gap.
If water resistance matters to you, the Ultimate Ears Boom 3 at IP67 (brief submersion) holds up far better than the Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove at IPX4 (Groove), none (Heritage Groove) (splashing).
Still deciding? The full Portable Bluetooth rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| Ultimate Ears Boom 3 | Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $134.99 | $89.00 |
| Ranked | #101 of 151 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #102 of 151 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 91Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 15 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 8 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyUp up to 50 speakers) | No |
| Power Input | Micro USB | Micro USB |
| Stereo | Yes | No |
| Omnidirectional | Yes | No |
| Weight | 1.3 lbs (608 g) | 1.7 lbs (770 g) |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IPX4 (Groove), none (Heritage Groove) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 | 4.0 |
| Dimensions | 7.2” x 2.9” (184 x 73 mm) | 5” x 6” x 2.6” (127 x 152 x 67 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 2” active drivers + 2x 2” x 4” passive radiators | 1x 3” full-range driver + 2x side-firing passive radiators |
| TWS | Yes | No |
| EQ | Yes (via app) | No |
| Built-in Microphone | No | Yes |
| Maximum SPL | 87dB (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC, AAC |
| App | Yes (Ultimate Ears BOOM & MEGABOOM app) | No |
| Aux Input | No | Yes |
| Strap | Yes (built-in loop) | - |
| Power Bank | - | No |
| Amplifier Power | - | 10W RMS |
Related Speaker Comparisons
How Ultimate Ears Boom 3 compares with other leading options:
- Earfun Uboom L vs Ultimate Ears Boom 3
- Soundcore Motion 300 vs Ultimate Ears Boom 3
- Soundcore Motion+ vs Ultimate Ears Boom 3
- Soundcore Boost “upgraded” 2021 vs Ultimate Ears Boom 3
- Minirig 4 vs Ultimate Ears Boom 3
Prices on this page were last checked October 2, 2026 at 10:18 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.
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
The Two Speakers In Full
Ultimate Ears Boom 3: $134.99 Amazon eBay
Newer model: the Ultimate Ears Boom 4, ranked higher, rated 2.9/5.
Pros: Rich and warm bass without muddying mix, crisp highs, excellent 15-hour battery life, stable Bluetooth connectivity, IP67 rated and floats, rugged fabric shell, can pair up to 150 speakers via PartyUp. Measured bass extension of 91Hz (-10dB).
Cons: Not stereo, barely any bass, recessed treble. You can tell from the micro USB that they are just feeding you the same crap hardware over and over, this is inexcusable for a product released in 2021. Lots of mentions of failing batteries on amazon. Not technically a 360 speaker, only front and rear.
Full Ultimate Ears Boom 3 review and specifications →
| App | Yes (Ultimate Ears BOOM & MEGABOOM app) |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 91Hz |
| Battery Life | 15 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 |
| Built-in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 7.2” x 2.9” (184 x 73 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 2” active drivers + 2x 2” x 4” passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (via app) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Maximum SPL | 87dB (Manufacturer specified) |
| Omnidirectional | Yes |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyUp up to 50 speakers) |
| Power Input | Micro USB |
| Stereo | Yes |
| Strap | Yes (built-in loop) |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 1.3 lbs (608 g) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- No independent measurement review is linked for this model; it is ranked from hands-on listening and comparison against similarly priced speakers.
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Ultimate Ears Boom 3 vs Ultimate Ears Boom 4
- Ultimate Ears Boom 3 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom
- Ultimate Ears Boom 3 vs Sony SRS-XE300
- Ultimate Ears Boom 3 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2
- Ultimate Ears Boom 3 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3
- Ultimate Ears Boom 3 vs Tribit Stormbox
- Ultimate Ears Boom 3 vs Sony SRS-XB20
- Ultimate Ears Boom 3 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4
- See all 92 comparisons
Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove: $89.00 Amazon eBay
Pros: Pretty balanced sound. Distinctive mid-century design with real wood veneer and a woven grille, unlike most plastic/rubber portables. ~8 hour battery life.
Cons: Not stereo. Bass doesn’t go as deep as others its size. Gets distorted at higher levels. Wouldn’t generally recommend these old speakers as they can’t compete with modern speakers for bass performance and features.
Full Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 10W RMS |
|---|---|
| App | No |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Battery Life | 8 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.0 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 5” x 6” x 2.6” (127 x 152 x 67 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x 3” full-range driver + 2x side-firing passive radiators |
| EQ | No |
| IP Rating | IPX4 (Groove), none (Heritage Groove) |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | Micro USB |
| Stereo | No |
| TWS | No |
| Weight | 1.7 lbs (770 g) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- No independent measurement review is linked for this model; it is ranked from hands-on listening and comparison against similarly priced speakers.
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove vs Ultimate Ears Boom 4
- Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove vs Sony SRS-XE300
- Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom
- Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove vs Tribit Stormbox
- Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2
- Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove vs Sony SRS-XB20
- Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3
- Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove vs Yamaha True X Speaker 1A
- See all 85 comparisons