While Ultimate Ears has been in the Bluetooth speaker game since about the time the genre started, it’s never released a true ultraportable speaker until now. With the Miniroll, UE now offers just about every size portable speaker you could want.
As much as sound from phones has improved, there’s still no excuse for listening to music on your mobile device’s built-in speakers. The Miniroll represents a huge improvement over the sound your phone puts out and takes up little space in your pack.
But there are several excellent ultraportable speakers to choose from, including the Tribit StormBox Micro 2 and JBL Clip 4. The right one for you will likely come down to which fits your style — and budget — best.
The Miniroll produces a big, crisp sound with decent bass for its small size. With 12 hours of battery and IP67 ruggedness, you can use it pretty much wherever you are. But it costs more than similar ultraportables.
What we liked about it
Big, bright sound for its size
The tiny Miniroll has a surprisingly bright sound, with sharp treble and prominent vocals. It also delivers some low-end, but not as much as the Tribit StormBox Micro 2. Overall it delivers good sound for most music genres.
On Billie Eilish’s “Lunch,” her vocals were clear over the bass line, while the drum and cymbals snapped crisply. Similarly, the distorted guitars on St. Vincent’s “Broken Man” had a nice bite to them and her vocals rose above the cacophony of sounds. However, the lack of big bass was noticeable on Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us;” the StormBox Micro 2 produced better low end and would probably be a better choice if you listen to a lot of bass-heavy music.
The Miniroll spreads sound well and gets loud enough to be heard in an outside setting. Vocals start to distort as you hit the upper reaches of its volume, but that’s typical of ultraportable speakers.
A small and light design
At 4.8 x 4.1 x 1.9 inches, the Miniroll is a great size to slip into a backpack (or hang from it using the included strap on the back). It also fits in a pant pocket, though not comfortably. The StormBox Micro 2 is a little smaller at 3.9 x 3.9 x 1.7 inches; the JBL Clip 4 is around the same size, 3.4 x 5.3 x 1.8 inches, though its top clip expands its footprint.
The Miniroll, at 0.6 pounds, is slightly lighter than StormBox Micro 2 (0.7 pounds) but heavier than the Clip 4 (0.5 pounds). Suffice it to say, they are all pretty light and don’t contribute much to your overall pack load.
Simple, refined style
The Miniroll follows UE’s current Bluetooth speaker line aesthetic: refined and simple with minimal buttons. Its rounded edges and slim profile make the StormBox Micro 2 seem very boxy in comparison. It’s also much more understated than the multicolor Clip 4. Depending on your personality, it could be just the right fit.
It has just four buttons, and each serves multiple purposes. For example, simultaneously press the + and - buttons to hear the battery level or hold the power button for three seconds to switch to Bluetooth pairing mode. You might want to hold onto the included directions to remind yourself how to engage all the functions.
What we didn’t like about it
A relatively high price
With a list price of $80, the Miniroll costs a good bit more than the StormBox Micro 2 ($60) and the JBL Clip 4 ($65 from JBL, but often available for less elsewhere). It’s hard to justify spending more on the Miniroll unless you really prefer its style and sound profile.
No app or link to other UE speakers
The Miniroll can link with other Minirolls to extend the sound, but it doesn’t connect to other UE speakers. It also doesn’t support UE’s excellent app, which means you miss out on the sound modes and other features that the app brings to UE’s other speakers.
How it compares
| Size and weight | 4.8 x 4.1 x 1.9 in., 0.6 lbs. |
|---|---|
| Battery | 12 hours |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth |
| Colors | Black, blue, pink, gray |
| Ruggedness | IP67 |
| Price | $80 |
| Size and weight | 3.9 x 3.9 x 1.7-in., 0.7 lbs. |
|---|---|
| Battery | 12 hours |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth |
| Colors | Black, blue, red |
| Ruggedness | IP67 |
| Price | $60 |
Bottom line
The Miniroll is a solid addition to Ultimate Ears’ Bluetooth speaker line. With big sound for its size, it makes it easy to share audio from your mobile device wherever you are.
Since it costs more than the StormBox Micro 2 and Clip 4, you’ll really have to like the way it looks to justify spending more. If you find that none of the ultraportables brings the sound quality you want, you could go slightly bigger (and at more cost) and pick up UE’s Wonderboom 4, which produces much better sound than any of the ultraportable options. It usually costs $100 but can be found for $80. The Wonderboom also has the advantage of working with other UE speakers.
But if you want to keep your portable speaker as small as possible and think the Miniroll’s looks fit your style best, you’ll enjoy the much better sound it delivers compared to your phone.