Short answer: the Ultimate Ears Boom 4 for USB-C and a floating IP67 shell, the Klipsch Groove for a balanced stock sound, though neither ranks well in its class. The Groove has pretty balanced sound but is not stereo. The Boom 4 is IP67 rated, floats and charges over USB-C instead of the older Booms’ Micro-USB, though it is not much of an improvement over the old ones. Both are rated below 3.0/5 among the 151 medium speakers, so if sound quality matters, consider the Earfun Uboom L instead, ranked #1 at $49.79.
Buy the Ultimate Ears Boom 4. It is rated higher for sound quality, and saving $60.99 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 4 at IP67 (brief submersion) holds up far better than the Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove at IPX4 (Groove), none (Heritage Groove) (splashing).
Want more options? Browse the full Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Ultimate Ears Boom 4 | Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $149.99 | $89.00 |
| Ranked | #100 of 151 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #102 of 151 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | No |
| Battery Life | 15 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 8 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IPX4 (Groove), none (Heritage Groove) |
| Power Input | USB-C | Micro USB |
| Stereo | Yes | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| Weight | 1.4 lbs (620 g) | 1.7 lbs (770 g) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 | 4.0 |
| Dimensions | 7.2” x 2.9” x 2.9” (184 x 73 x 73 mm) | 5” x 6” x 2.6” (127 x 152 x 67 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 1.57” (40mm) active drivers + 2x 1.81” x 2.57” (46.1 x 65.2mm) 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 |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| Aux Input | No | Yes |
| Maximum SPL | 85dBC (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC, AAC |
| Strap | Yes (built-in loop) | - |
| Party Mode | - | No |
| Amplifier Power | - | 10W RMS |
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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.
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The Two Speakers In Full
Ultimate Ears Boom 4: $149.99 Amazon eBay
Older model: the Ultimate Ears Boom 3 (ranked lower, rated 2.9/5).
Pros: IP67 rated, floats, and finally charges via USB-C instead of the older Booms’ Micro-USB. 15 hour battery. Customizable EQ and speaker-pairing via the UE app.
Cons: Not much improvement over the old ones. Weak bass extension and thuddy bass. Gets distorted above 90%
Full Ultimate Ears Boom 4 review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | 15 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 |
| Built-in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 7.2” x 2.9” x 2.9” (184 x 73 x 73 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 1.57” (40mm) active drivers + 2x 1.81” x 2.57” (46.1 x 65.2mm) passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (via app) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Maximum SPL | 85dBC (Manufacturer specified) |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes |
| Strap | Yes (built-in loop) |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 1.4 lbs (620 g) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Ultimate Ears Boom 4 vs Ultimate Ears Boom 3
- Ultimate Ears Boom 4 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom
- Ultimate Ears Boom 4 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2
- Ultimate Ears Boom 4 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3
- Ultimate Ears Boom 4 vs DBSONO X-Blast F37
- Ultimate Ears Boom 4 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4
- Ultimate Ears Boom 4 vs Sony SRS-XE300
- Ultimate Ears Boom 4 vs Tribit Stormbox
- See all 133 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 3
- 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