While it's expensive and still a work in progress, UE's Megablast speaker is the best-sounding portable Alexa-enabled speaker out there right now.

The UE MegaBlast is a portable, fully waterproof Wi-Fi and Bluetooth speaker that has Amazon's Alexa voice assistant built in; It sounds very good for its compact size, is durable and offers strong battery life.

Somewhat expensive; speakers can't be linked; no Alexa voice support for Spotify playback (can only stream Spotify via Bluetooth); USB charging port is a little bit of a pain to access, making the optional charging base more of a must-have accessory for home use.

The UE Megablast is a powerful portable speaker that takes the solid performance and rugged design of the Megaboom and adds Alexa voice control to the mix. It easily overpowers the smaller and less expensive Amazon Tap , as well as the Echo itself.

Powerful sound; Rugged, portable design; Integrates Amazon Alexa voice control

Can distort on deep sub-bass; Lacks some voice control features; No speakerphone

sounds great, softwareapplication is not impressive

sound

app should have equalizar

With Alexa skills thrown into the mix, the UE Megablast transforms one of our favourite speakers into something more connected. It's a great performer, waterproof and robustly built, with software updates bringing essential feature updates. Just make sure you buy the charging base too.

Solid build and water protection; Sound quality; Volume; 16 hours of life; Spotify music integration

Wi-Fi stability; Power Up base not included; Alexa experience not as smooth as Echo

Most smart speakers require a power lead and cannot be taken on-the-go, but the Ultimate Ears Megablast is different; it has a built-in battery and is waterproof, so you can play your favourite songs by the pool, ask Alexa the weather and even order goods with your voice.

Waterproof; Beautiful design and build quality; Overall sound quality

Expensive; Lacks Alexa calling abilities; No Spotify streaming over Wi-Fi

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