Introducing the Ultimate Ears MINIROLL speaker. Not just a one hit wonder, the MINIROLL is backed by Ultimate Ears excellent reputation for quality products and sturdy design. With up to 12 hours of play time and indestructible water, dust and drop-proofing, the MINIROLL may be small but the bass is mighty!
MY GENERATION
Does The Ultimate Ears MINIROLL bring all the boys to the yard? Damn right! As a matter of fact, it brings everyone to the yard and allows them to hook up for an even richer bass sound and superior audio experience. Bluetooth on, let’s connect this speaker and see how we go!
When Kevin approached me to review the MINIROLL, it was an immediate yes on my part due my prior brand knowledge. Both of my young adults and I own an Ultimate Ears speaker in one iteration or another. My purple Ultimate Ears Wonderboom was a considered purchase after living with my teenagers’ Ultimate Ears Boom phase. Their speakers are still going strong and my Wonderboom has also withstood the test of time.
THE FIRST TIME I EVER SAW YOUR INTERFACE
1 x Ultimate Ears MINIROLL
Strap (attached to the MINIROLL)
Quick Start Guide (Printed on paper).
First impressions: I like the strap, it feels good in my girly hands and the grey colour is nice and subtle. Well made on first viewing, let’s put the MINIROLL through its paces.
START ME UP
Is there a charge cord? No but any USB C will sort you out no dramas. To Ultimate Ear’s credit, the MINIROLL was almost 100% charged straight out of the box.
Ultimate Ears include the following information:
“To minimise e-waste, we consciously choose not to include a charging cable in the packaging. If you don’t have a USB-C charging cable, please purchase it online”.
A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS
Power to the people, or in this case, unlimited MINIROLL speakers connected at the one time through PartyUp with Auracast. A push of the sync button on the side of the MINIROLL and you can join your friends in family in creating even greater sound experiences. Party on, dude!
BULLETPROOF
Waterproof to IP67, Dust Proof and Drop Proof to 1.2m, you’d be forgiven for thinking the MINIROLL can leap tall buildings in a single bound. So the bottom line is, if you leave it hanging up outside on the handy strap and a thunderstorm comes through, followed by a dust storm, and then it happens to fall 1.2m to the ground… she’ll be good, brother. *wink
THE REAL SLIM SHADY
The 279g MINIROLL has the advantage of a gorgeously sleek design – no large cumbersome speakers here, thanks. At only 10.5cm wide and 122.6cm high, the MINIROLL’s sleek width enables it to slip into any pocket, jacket or backpack with minimal fuss. The MINIROLL is perfect for those days when travelling light is crucial, but you can’t do without your tunes.
FROM A DISTANCE
Audio range is excellent with a stated 40m and, with 12 hours of play time on a single charge, you’ll be asleep before it runs out of steam. I could hear it down the backyard around 40m away really clearly. The Bluetooth connection was excellent.
ALL MY FAVOURITE COLOURS
Ultimate Ears have put the F into fun with the MINIROLL and elected for a broad range of colour ways!
BORN TO BE ALIVE
Good news for the consumption conscious, the MINIROLL has a minimum of 40% post-consumer recycled plastic by weight. See, recycling does have benefits, you doubters!
ROLLING IN THE DEEP
With an IP67 waterproof rating, the MINIROLL will survive a sprinkle, rain, hail or even a dip in the pool. To test out this, I dropped the MINIROLL into the pool whilst it was playing. The sound was a little garbled upon surfacing, but after less than a minute it was back to perfect audio.
FLOATING ON A DREAM
Even though the MINIROLL does not float like other Ultimate Ears’ products, there is a solution. I stumbled across a very handy little device… the Ultimate Ears Floatie. Yes, for the cost of $29.99 you can purchase your MINIROLL its own floatie. So I did and here it is. I strapped in the MINIROLL with its handy hook and off she went around the pool. Audio was crisp and clear even at quite a few metres away. Highly recommended. If you have a few waterproof stickers, you could really customise the floatie. Glue some clear plastic strips on and you’ve got yourself a personalised jellyfish! Buy the children one each and let them loose on decorating their own floatie. The options are endless!
DON’T WORRY BE ‘APPY…
Well, not quite. I’m going to be very honest here. The App for the MINIROLL has not been updated.
Connecting to the App is impossible; you simply cannot connect. At all. Trust me, I tried numerous times. Turn it on, turn it off, repeat … repeatedly. Nada.
Not only does it not connect, it actually booted me to the connectivity instructions for its predecessor, the Roll . Like huh?!
This blithe disregard for the MINIROLL confuses me as Ultimate Ears have a reliable app for the UE Boom range and in fact use it as a selling point. I just don’t get it. Is this just a stocking stuffer as we hit the tinsel end of the year? Or does the range merely create an entry point for the consumer looking to purchase an inexpensive speaker for their children, and who then realise they can get more boom *cough* for their buck with a larger unit in the Ultimate Ears ecosystem?
Look, you probably don’t need the App but if you like tweaking the bass etc it is really handy. Plus I seriously wanted to name my speaker but for now, it remains nameless… unloved… forlorn. I do know the lack of App update annoyed me probably more than it should have. Maybe Ultimate Ears will update it after reading this review. I live in hope.
ALL THE SMALL THINGS
DON’T THINK TWICE, IT’S ALRIGHT
This MINIROLL is the latest iteration of the popular Ultimate Ears Roll which had larger dimensions but now with the additional hook and software tweaks. I did wonder if this was a rebranding exercise given prior media saturation or did they simply not have projected sales targets. Time with tell whether this is just another attempt at gaining market share , or a legitimate brand development. As an entry level speaker it’s a great device, but if Ultimate Ears want to keep their customers as they age through the product range, please fix the connectivity issues and update the MINIROLL App.
BABY BUY BUY BUY
The Ultimate Ears MINIROLL is a great speaker which definitely pumps out sound to rival its bigger siblings. In this case, size doesn’t matter and I can strongly recommend the MINIROLL for those interested in a reasonably price speaker which will easily fit into your lifestyle. Hike with it, ride with it, put it on the dog knowing it is pretty much indestructible and the elements won’t ruin it. Retailing at $99.00 at all the places such as online with Ultimate Ears and JB Hi-Fi. Coming up to the holidays we may see it reduce further with some of the incoming sales.
Thank you Ultimate Ears for the opportunity to review the MINIROLL. But please… fix the app issues.
