I’ll be the first to tell you that I’m not a true audiophile… which might make you wonder about why I’m the one that jumped at the opportunity to review Logitech’s latest consumer electronics gem, the UE Boom (I’m sorry, Logitech, I’m not typing BOOM in all caps – it’s annoying and I know way too much marketing to buy into it). UE stands for Ultimate Ears, a subsidiary brand of Logitech (since 2008)… but, for those uninitiated, don’t let that scare you off – think more Logitech Harmony and less Logitech $20 keyboard. We’re talking a brand name with some serious pedigree in wireless in-ear monitors for professional musicians since 1995, not some off-the-cuff noisemaker.

That being said, this is a $200 (sorry, $199.95 – more marketing fun!) wireless speaker that contains such buzzwords as “social” and “life resistant.” Seriously, I couldn’t make this up if I tried. And thus, my interest was piqued – a brand for professional musicians, making a product so clearly aimed towards “social” youth… can it be pulled off with finesse, or is it just an overpriced cash-out of a premier branding? I may not be a true audiophile, but I know my way around music well enough to hear a botched job. And when your branding is this much heavier than any of your published technical specs, I start to wonder what kind of lead is being sold as gold.