Short answer: the Ultimate Ears Boom 3, though neither ranks well in its class. It ranks #114 of 175 medium speakers by sound quality, rated 2.9/5, at $134.99. The Sony SRS-XE200 ranks #143, rated 2.5/5, at $99.99, $35 cheaper, not enough of a saving to outweigh the sound-quality gap. Both are rated below 3.0/5 among the 175 medium speakers, and the EarFun Uboom L, ranked #2 at $49.79, is a better place to start if sound quality matters.
The Ultimate Ears Boom 3 is the better-sounding, lighter choice. 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. At 1.3 lbs (608 g) it weighs noticeably less than the Sony SRS-XE200 at 1.8 lbs (800 g). Watch for: Not stereo, barely any bass, recessed treble.
What the Sony SRS-XE200 does well: IP67 rated with dedicated per-function buttons. It supports LDAC Bluetooth, which the Ultimate Ears Boom 3 lacks. It charges over USB-C rather than Micro USB. The catch: Sounds hollow.
Buy the Ultimate Ears Boom 3. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $35 saving on the Sony SRS-XE200 is not enough to make up the difference.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Ultimate Ears Boom 3 | Sony SRS-XE200 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $134.99 | $99.99 |
| Ranked | #114 of 175 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #143 of 175 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 91Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 15 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 16 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyUp up to 50 speakers) | Yes (Party Connect up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Input | Micro USB | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | Yes | No |
| Weight | 1.3 lbs (608 g) | 1.8 lbs (800 g) |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IP67 |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 | 5.2 |
| Dimensions | 7.2” x 2.9” (184 x 73 mm) | 3.5” x 8.2” x 3.7” (90 x 208 x 94 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 2” active drivers + 2x 2” x 4” passive radiators | 1x 42x51mm full-range + 2x passive radiators |
| TWS | Yes | Yes |
| EQ | Yes (via app) | - |
| Built-in Microphone | No | Yes |
| Maximum SPL | 87dB (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC, AAC, LDAC |
| App | Yes (Ultimate Ears BOOM & MEGABOOM app) | Yes (Sony | Music Center app) |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Strap | Yes (built-in loop) | Yes (included strap) |
| Amplifier Power | - | 10W |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More top alternatives to Ultimate Ears Boom 3:
- 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 12, 2026 at 4:13 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 $134.99 eBay
Newer model: the Ultimate Ears Boom 4, ranked higher, rated 2.9/5, released Jun 2024. See every Ultimate Ears Wonderboom, Boom and Megaboom generation.
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 →
| Released | Sep 2018 (8 years ago) |
|---|---|
| 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
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Ultimate Ears Boom 3 vs Ultimate Ears Boom 4
- Ultimate Ears Boom 3 vs Klipsch Groove
- Ultimate Ears Boom 3 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom
- Ultimate Ears Boom 3 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2
- Ultimate Ears Boom 3 vs Sony SRS-XE300
- Ultimate Ears Boom 3 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3
- Ultimate Ears Boom 3 vs Tribit Stormbox
- Ultimate Ears Boom 3 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4
- See all 99 comparisons
Sony SRS-XE200: $99.99 Amazon $99.99 eBay
Newer model: the Sony ULT Field 1, ranked higher, rated 3.1/5, released Apr 2024. It drops LDAC. Battery life goes from 16 to 12 hours.
Older models: the Sony XB23 (ranked higher, rated 3.3/5), the Sony SRS-XB20 (ranked higher, rated 2.8/5) and the Sony SRS-XB21 (ranked higher, rated 2.7/5). See every Sony XB and ULT generation.
Pros: IP67 rated with dedicated per-function buttons. Can prop up a phone/tablet as a stand. Fast charging (10 min charge = ~70 min playback); Stamina mode extends battery when low.
Cons: Sounds hollow. Very muffled. Rolled off treble, weird midrange boost, just not great overall. Worse than a Sony XB33.
Full Sony SRS-XE200 review and specifications →
| Released | Jul 2022 (4 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Amplifier Power | 10W |
| App | Yes (Sony | Music Center app) |
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | 16 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.2 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 3.5” x 8.2” x 3.7” (90 x 208 x 94 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x 42x51mm full-range + 2x passive radiators |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (Party Connect up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes |
| Strap | Yes (included strap) |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 1.8 lbs (800 g) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- DLX Willington: FINALLY! Sony SRS XG300, SRS XE300, & SRS XE200 Are Here. Binaural Sound Samples & First Impressions More from DLXWillington →
- Danny Pops: Sony XE200 XE300 vs Bose Marshall & JBL More from DannyPops →
- GYMCADDY: Sony XE200 Review And Compared to Sony XB23 - It Got The XE300 Treatment More from GYMCADDY →
- Chrispy Things [EDC]: New Sony XE200 Bluetooth Speaker Sound Test & Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Sony SRS-XE200 vs Tribit Stormbox Mini+
- Sony SRS-XE200 vs DOSS E-Go II
- Sony SRS-XE200 vs B&O Beosound Explore
- Sony SRS-XE200 vs LG Xboom Go PL5
- Sony SRS-XE200 vs LG Xboom XG5
- Sony SRS-XE200 vs Tribit Stormbox Mini
- Sony SRS-XE200 vs W-King D8 Mini
- Sony SRS-XE200 vs Soundcore Flare 2
- See all 90 comparisons