Only 24 cm long, so eminently portable, but can pump out such a powerful rich sound that it's quite incredible! Lacks proper instructions though. It was not easy to link it to the app as there are several UE apps out there. Once connected though it is easy to operate.

Bigger. Better. Smarter. That's the short version of the pitch for Ultimate Ears new Blast and Megablast smart speakers.

Great volume; Good battery life

Portable Alexa is a little clunky; Can't easily pair speakers

Over the past year or so, there's been a strong trend toward voice assistant speakers, with a number of companies jockeying to provide their own takes on Wi-Fi capable speakers that offer support for Alexa, driving the popularity of Amazon's voice assistant up to new heights.…

"If you're looking for Alexa, she's in the bath with me" is not a sentence we ever pictured ourselves uttering but it's actually become surprisingly common since we started reviewing the new Ultimate Ears Megablast.

Waterproof and robust; Portable; Great sound; Convenient Alexa integration; Good updates coming

Still awaiting some key features; Expensive; Charging dock sold separately

If you're on the hunt for a deafeningly loud, nigh-indestructible Bluetooth speaker that's perfect for garden and pool parties you'll struggle to do better than the UE Megablast. The Megablast is the successor to the Megaboom, and it's the largest speaker in UE's current range.

Stupidly loud; Decent sound for the money; Long battery life

Bass can be overpowering; Alexa smart functions are a little hit and miss

We came in expecting to be impressed by the Blast, and that's what happened. Aside from a few Alexa-related hiccups, the speaker performed wonderfully, filling rooms with sound clearly and effortlessly. It's not the best smart speaker we've ever used, but it looks awesome and sounds even better.

Cool design; Gets loud without distortion; Solid battery life; IPX7 life-proof

Can't charge the speaker while it's standing up; Microphone doesn't always pick up commands

Loud , accurate , warm . I bought it , have been using it and my mind is blown ! I am an audiophile and this is the perfect addition to my Cannondale FATCADD 1 . ( 1 hell of a bicycle stereo ) this was the main reason for the purchase .

Is hands-free Amazon Alexa support good enough to justify the £269.99 price tag of UE's high-end speaker? Here's our UE Megablast review.

The Boom 2 and Wonderboom have been some of our favourite rugged speakers for a while now, and the Blast looks set to join that list. It keeps the same life-proof construction and is as easy to lug around as a bottle of water, but gains handy extras like Alexa integration and cable-free charging. The £199 Blast is twice the price of the Boom 2, though, and by the time you add the PowerUp charging base, it’s £145 more than Amazon’s new Echo. Can you put up with being tethered to the mains? Then you don’t have to spend a lot more to get the even better-sounding Sonos One. If a built-in battery, a portable, weatherproof build and wire-free listening are higher on your list of wants than Spotify playback and an accurate microphone, though, the Blast is an easy buy.

Gets seriously loud; Built-in Alexa support is great extra; Water resistant rubber makes it pretty much life-proof;

Can’t charge while standing up - unless you buy the dock; Music Unlimited only at launch; No PartyUp speaker pairing;

If you’re looking for a high-end Alexa-enabled speaker, you won’t find much better than the UE Megablast. Besides the vibrant, unique design, the water- and dustproof Megablast combines the best of Alexa with the best of the portable listening experience, offering a premium Alexa experience (with far-field tech and always-on Alexa), incredible sound quality and long-lasting battery life in a single device.