Ultimate Ears MINIROLL Review
Summary: Tough little speaker with big bass. Perfect for carrying about.
4
Little Beaut!
The Miniroll is a nice surprise. I tend to have low expectations when it comes to small speakers, especially these little ellipse shaped ones– I had a Google Nest Mini once and found it awful on all fronts. A small speaker simply can’t fit the cone needed for real bass, but the Miniroll’s shape means it has space for one big speaker.
So, at the sacrifice of being mono sound, the Miniroll manages to go big with its bass. In fact, it almost matches Ultimate Ears’ larger WONDERBOOM and BOOM 4 speakers with its 45.6mm (which is only a mm smaller). This also means it outdoes its compatriot the Wonderboom Play on bass.
Now since it’s almost all driver, being mono is predictable. What’s a little less predictable is that it doesn’t have app support like the rest of Ultimate Ears’ fleet. So no EQ mixing and no remote control. That said, it does let you pair it with other Miniroll speakers– an infinite amount of them, they say– but even then, it’s always in mono.
But none of that matters all that much when it comes to a small speaker. What you want from a small speaker is something you can enjoy on the go, and that’s what this is. That’s where it excels. It fits in most pockets, lasts a very nice 12 hours, and it’s ultra-hardy. Dustproof, waterproof (IP67), and drop proof (1.2m), you can toss it to your buddy, leave it bouncing around in a bag, and play it loud by the pool (87dBC).
It’s this hardiness that Ultimate Ears is known for, and you can really take advantage of it with a portable machine like this. The bonus strap is cleverly designed to double as a handle, a hanger, and even a little drop protection. It’s perfect for attaching to the handle of your bike or the strap of your hiking pack– despite how easily it clips on, you’ll have a hard time unclipping it by accident.
It’s hiding a couple other nice surprises– 40m range and the ability to connect to two sound sources– but this is a speaker that’s really just what it says on the tin: “made for the great outdoors”. It’ll last long, sound good, and stay strong through wind and rain. It’s a great little speaker, and it’ll definitely replace my UE BOOM as my on-the-go speaker. The no-app is a shame though, so hopefully that changes in the future.
About the Author
Branden Zavaleta Based in Perth, Branden writes on the arts for a handful of Australian outlets. He's also a street & creative portrait photographer, who's work can be found @brandenzp on Instagram.
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