Speakers have been fun for a while now, what with hydrophobic coatings that repel water and the ability to pair up speakers to make surround sound where ever you are, but wearable speakers? That’s something new.
Fortunately, that is something Ultimate Ears is bringing to the table with something called the “Roll”, a new speaker that doesn’t appear to roll, or roll much, anyway.
In fact, based on what we’re seeing, you can think of this as one of UE’s Boom speakers squished by something particularly large and heavy, producing what resembles a flattened circular speaker that can sit on a surface or be tied to something else.
The speaker features a small bungee cord on the back that can be tied to things such as backpacks and objects, and can be left sitting out of your pocket if needed, making it a speaker that is designed to go with you and not just stay at home, or even in the backpack where other speakers often are.
Sound quality is said to be something of a 360 degree soundscape, similar to what Ultimate Ears did with its Boom and Megaboom speakers, which can be placed in any spot in a room and have the audio sent out the same way in every direction, meaning there is no specific place for you to sit or stand where the audio will essentially be better, aside for volume differences when you’re further away.
Water resistance has also been added to the speaker, something Ultimate Ears has been known for, with IPX7 certification meaning it is resistant for water up to one metre for up to 30 minutes. That is technically splash-proof and pool-ready, with the beach also a possibly place you can take the speaker, though just make sure to rinse the speaker off with fresh water when you’re done as most of these ratings come from fresh water and not sea water.
Also included is support for the extended speaker pairing, called “Double Up”, which allows anyone who currently owns a UE Boom or a UE Megaboom to connect these speakers to the UE Roll for extended sound, with music spread from both speakers in other an omnidirectional capacity or with one acting as the left channel and the other as the right. Alternatively, two UE Rolls can be set up to work together in the same capacity.
Another feature similar to this should also be coming that allows customers to wireless connect more than two speakers, with “X Up”. Earlier in the year, Ultimate Ears told us that this would allow as many as ten or twenty speakers to talk to each other this way, with a home completely decked out in UE speakers able to synchronise sound using this concept.
“Music is made for sharing, connecting and enjoying,” said Rory Dooley, General Manager of Ultimate Ears.
“It transforms moments into something special, and we designed UE Roll to be part of those moments. No matter where you are, or what you’re doing, UE Roll is there to amplify any experience.”
Pricing for the UE Roll is set to a recommended retail price of $149.95 with the speaker set to arrive in stores in July.
