To set up your speaker, first download the Ultimate Ears app. This ensures that both your phone and speaker are ready to take full advantage of all the features your speaker comes with.
- Get the latest version of the Ultimate Ears App from either the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.
- Make sure you have your wireless network information ready — during setup, you will need to connect to WiFi to update your speaker’s firmware and set up Alexa.
- Turn your speaker on before you begin the setup in the app — this ensures the app finds your speaker. If you have multiple speakers, you can add the additional speakers to the app once you’ve set up your first speaker.
- Follow the setup steps in the app — the app will walk you through connecting to WiFi and Bluetooth, updating the speaker’s firmware, as well as setting up Alexa.
To get the app for your BLAST or MEGABLAST speakers, search for “Ultimate Ears” in the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
WARNING
This procedure can permanently damage your speaker and should ONLY be used if the speaker won’t turn ON. Frequent use of the reset procedure is NOT recommended.
1. Briefly press the “-“ (volume down), “+” (volume up) and small action/Bluetooth buttons at the same time (See picture below).
2. Next, press the large power button on the speaker and it will turn back ON.
Note: it may take a few moments for the speaker to reconnect to Alexa or repair to your mobile device.
3. After resetting the speaker, it’s highly RECOMMENDED that you use the Ultimate Ears app (available from the app stores for iOS and Android) to check for available firmware updates for your speaker. To do this, launch the app > tap on the settings icon > scroll to the bottom of the screen and press “Check for Updates.” (Depending on the version of the app you may need to disable Automatic Updates before you can manually check for updates. If prompted, follow the instructions to update your speaker’s firmware.
2. Next, press the large power button on the speaker and it will turn back ON.
Note: it may take a few moments for the speaker to reconnect to Alexa or repair to your mobile device.
3. After resetting the speaker, it’s highly RECOMMENDED that you use the Ultimate Ears app (available from the app stores for iOS and Android) to check for available firmware updates for your speaker. To do this, launch the app > tap on the settings icon > scroll to the bottom of the screen and press “Check for Updates.” (Depending on the version of the app you may need to disable Automatic Updates before you can manually check for updates. If prompted, follow the instructions to update your speaker’s firmware.
As part of the setup process on the Ultimate Ears app, you will be asked to enter your email to receive a code to activate your subscription. You will receive a code and activation link via email. Click through the link to activate your subscription.
On the Amazon landing page, after you sign-in, select “Family Plan” and hit “Start your free trial” button
You will see a confirmation page stating that your 30-day free trial starts now. Your three-month subscription starts with the 30-day free trial, followed by two months after the free trial ends.
This promotion is only available to new subscribers of Amazon Music Unlimited. Terms and conditions apply.
Amazon landing page after sign-in:
Confirmation page:
Please note that the 3-month subscription to Amazon Music Unlimited includes the 30-day free trial + 2 months after the free trial ends.
What is the Amazon Music Unlimited Family Plan?
The Amazon Music Unlimited Family Plan allows you to stream music on up to 6 devices at the same time. See here for details: https://www.amazon.com/gp/dmusic/promotions/AmazonMusicUnlimitedFamily
Confirmation page:
Please note that the 3-month subscription to Amazon Music Unlimited includes the 30-day free trial + 2 months after the free trial ends.
What is the Amazon Music Unlimited Family Plan?
The Amazon Music Unlimited Family Plan allows you to stream music on up to 6 devices at the same time. See here for details: https://www.amazon.com/gp/dmusic/promotions/AmazonMusicUnlimitedFamily
No, but if you have an Amazon Prime account, you’ll have access to Amazon Prime Music with more available content.
Your Amazon account is used to sign you into Alexa. It’s how Alexa distinguishes you from someone else and how your information is protected from others. Each time you make a request to Alexa, she’ll retrieve the most relevant information based on your Amazon account information.
To connect your speaker to WiFi, you’ll need the Ultimate Ears app. The app will walk you through the initial setup of your speaker which includes connecting to WiFi. The app will also allow you to connect to a different WiFi network if you bring your speaker outside of your network.
If you’re having issues logging into Amazon during setup, check the following:
- Make sure that your password and email address match — you can try logging in on www.amazon.com to test your login information.
- If you don’t have an Amazon account, you can create one for free at www.amazon.com
The Bluetooth and WiFi connections of your Ultimate Ears speakers give you access to different features.
WiFi allows you to take advantage of the Alexa feature which in turn gives you the ability to control the following music/content services:
- Amazon Prime Music
- Amazon Music Unlimited
- iHeart Radio
- TuneIn Radio
- Spotify
- Pandora
- YouTube
- Local music (iTunes, Google Play Music)
Important: While you can connect your speaker directly through Bluetooth, we recommend that you go through the app for initial setup.
Right out of the box, your speaker is ready to pair through Bluetooth. If you are connecting additional Bluetooth source devices, do the following:
- Press and hold the Bluetooth button on top of your speaker (next to the Power button) for five seconds or until you hear a tone indicating it is ready to pair. The Bluetooth LED indicator should blink white rapidly.
- In your device’s Bluetooth devices list, look for your speaker (BLAST or MEGABLAST) and tap it to connect.
- You will hear a tone indicating that the speaker is connected and the Bluetooth LED will be solid white.
If your speaker fails to connect to your phone over Bluetooth, try the following:
- Make sure your speaker is turned on and is discoverable — press and hold the Bluetooth button down for five seconds or until you hear the tone confirming the speaker is in pairing mode.
- Move your speaker closer to your phone — it might be out of range.
- Move your speaker and your phone away from other wireless sources — you could be experiencing interference.
- Turn your speaker off, then back on again.
- Turn your phone’s Bluetooth off, then back on again.
- If you have multiple Ultimate Ears speakers, make sure you’re trying to pair to the correct one.
If your mobile phone can’t find your speaker, try the following.
- Make sure your speaker is turned on and is discoverable — press and hold the Bluetooth button down for five seconds or until you hear the tone confirming the speaker is in pairing mode.
- Move your speaker closer to your phone — it might be out of range.
- Move your speaker and your phone away from other wireless sources — you could be experiencing interference.
- Turn your speaker off, then back on again.
- Turn your phone’s Bluetooth off, then back on again.
- If you have multiple Ultimate Ears speakers, make sure you’re trying to pair to the correct one.
It may take a minute or two for the speaker to restart and reconnect to the app. If the app displays that the speaker is still restarting, try turning the speaker off, then back on again. The app screen may take up to 30 seconds to update and reflect the speaker's connection status.
If you’re trying to update your speaker and the update fails, try the following:
- Make sure you have the latest version of the app — check the Apple App Store or Google Play Store to make sure you have the latest version.
- Make sure your speaker is connected to WiFi — firmware updates come through WiFi and not over Bluetooth.
- If your speaker has less than a 20% charge, make sure you connect it to power before you start the update.
- Turn your speaker off and then back on again.
If you experience issues during Bluetooth pairing or you see an error message, try the following.
- Turn your speaker off, then back on again
- Close the app and then restart it
If you’re having issues with your wireless network or mobile hotspot during setup, try the following suggestions:
WiFi
If your WiFi network isn’t visible, pull down on the screen to refresh the network list and allow it to fully populate the networks.
NOTE: This can take some time, especially if you are in an environment with a lot of networks.
Mobile Hotspot
Here are some tips if you’re having issues finding or connecting to your mobile hotspot:
- Go to your phone’s WiFi settings and remove any networks that are connected.
- Go to your phone’s mobile hotspot setting and turn it Off and then On at least once.
- Go back to the app and pull down on the WiFi scan screen to refresh the network list.
- Your mobile hotspot should appear in the network list. If it still doesn’t appear, try repeating steps 3 and 4.
- During the setup process, if you accidentally selected the wrong network, you can go back in the app and select a different network.
- Once you’re setup, if you decide to connect to a different network or change your network you can connect to the new network in the speaker Settings menu.
To ensure the app can find your speaker during setup, check the following:
- Make sure the speaker is turned on before you launch the app
- Your speaker is ready to set up when the LED indicator on the Bluetooth button blinks rapidly.
- Your speaker might need to be charged — connect it to the power adapter or place it on the POWER UP charging dock (sold separately)
If you are connected to your speaker using Bluetooth, your music is coming from either an app on your device or from local music files you have stored on your device.
If your speaker is connected to WiFi, your music can be streamed from a cloud service via Alexa (ex. Amazon Prime Music or iHeartRadio). Your phone is not connected in this case.
IP67 is an independent certification for water and particulate ingress. This means your speaker can survive immersion in 1 meter/3.3 feet for up to 30 minutes.
NOTE: If your speaker has been exposed to chlorine or salt water, make sure you clean it afterwards.
To clean your speaker:
- Run your speaker under clean water.
- Use a minimal amount of mild soap to clean the speaker.
- Rinse off with clean water.
No, Blast and MEGABLAST do not have NFC compatibility.
No, your speaker is not compatible with Apple Airplay.
If your Android device is having issues connecting to your speaker, try the following:
- Make sure your speaker has the latest firmware version — to do this, you will need the Ultimate Ears app
- Turn your speaker off and then back on
- Turn your Android device off and then back on
- In the Bluetooth menu on your Android device, locate the speaker and tap Unpair.
- Turn your speaker on.
- Hold down the Bluetooth button (next to the power button) until you hear a tone or a voice confirmation that the speaker is in pairing mode.
- On your device, go to the Bluetooth menu to scan for devices.
- Tap your speaker to pair.
If your iOS device is having issues connecting to your speaker, try the following:
- Make sure your speaker has the latest firmware version — to do this, you will need the Ultimate Ears app
- Turn your speaker off and then back on
- Turn your iOS device off and then back on
- In the Bluetooth menu on your iOS device, locate the speaker and tap the’‘i” icon next to it.
- Tap Forget this Device.
- Turn your speaker on.
- Hold down the Bluetooth button (next to the power button) until you hear a tone or a voice confirmation that the speaker is in pairing mode.
- On your device, go to the Bluetooth menu to scan for devices.
- Tap your speaker to pair.
No. BLAST and MEGABLAST do not support using multiple source devices at the same time.
No, you cannot revert firmware once you update.
On Bluetooth
- The volume is synchronized between your speaker and your iOS device
- The volume can be independently adjusted on your speaker and your Android device
- You can adjust the volume directly on the speaker or by asking Alexa (if the feature is active)
No, you cannot revert firmware once you update.
To clean your speaker:
- Run your speaker under clean water.
- Use a minimal amount of mild soap to clean the speaker.
- Rinse off with clean water and air dry.
If your speaker isn’t playing music, check the following suggestions.
- Make sure your speaker is turned on and connected — you can check in the app to see if your speaker is connected or if you are connected to the correct speaker if you have multiple speakers
- Make sure your speaker has a charge — check the battery life in the app or try connecting your speaker to a power source
- Make sure the firmware of your speaker is updated to the latest — firmware updates are done automatically by default, so if you’ve disabled the auto update feature, you’ll have to manually update the firmware from the app
- Some music services can only play on Bluetooth or on WiFi — make sure your speaker is connected to the wireless preference of the music service you’re trying to playSee Play music on your speaker for more information.
If your D-ring (standard or POWER UP) becomes defective and you’re in warranty, contact our support team and we’ll get you a replacement.
If you need a replacement for something not covered under warranty or just want an extra D-ring, you can purchase one from the Ultimate Ears website. Click here to get to our spare parts store.
No. The Ultimate Ears POWER UP charging dock is sold separately from the speaker. POWER UP comes with a charge D-ring that replaces the standard D-ring on the speaker.
To charge:
- Make sure you’ve replaced the standard D-ring with the D-ring that was included with your POWER UP.
- Connect POWER UP to the micro USB cable and power adapter that was included with your speaker.
- Center your speaker on POWER UP to start charging. The white LED on the front of POWER UP will pulse while your speaker is charging. Once fully charged, the LED will be solid white.
If your cable stops working or becomes defective and you’re in warranty, contact our support team and we’ll get you a replacement.
If you need a replacement for something not covered under warranty or just want an extra cable, you can purchase one from the Ultimate Ears website. Click here to get to our spare parts store.
If your power adapter stops working or becomes defective and you’re in warranty, contact our support team and we’ll get you a replacement.
If you need a replacement for something not covered under warranty or you just want an extra power adapter, you can purchase one from the Ultimate Ears website. Click here to get to our spare parts store.
You can use your speaker when it’s cold, but we recommend keeping it out of extremely cold, subzero temperatures. The speaker is similar to your mobile phone. Extreme cold will affect the battery life and performance of your speaker.
You can use your speaker when it’s hot, but we recommend keeping it out of direct sunlight on very hot days. The speaker is similar to your mobile phone. Extreme hot temperatures will affect battery life and performance of your speaker.
Your speaker is rated IP67. This means it can survive immersion in 1 meter/3.3 feet for up to 30 minutes.
Important: While we encourage you to take your speaker wherever the party goes, we also want it to look great and last as long as possible. We highly recommend that you thoroughly rinse your speaker with fresh water after using it in a swimming pool or the ocean. While the speaker is waterproof, the chemicals and salt in your pool or the ocean can damage the waterproof seals over time if not rinsed off after use.
Your speaker is rated IP67. This means it can survive immersion in 1 meter/3.3 feet for up to 30 minutes.
Yes. While we encourage you to take your speaker wherever the party goes, we also want it perform and look great as long as possible. Your speaker is IP67 certified, so it will survive submersion in water no more than one meter deep, for no more than 30 min.
Important: If your speaker has been exposed to chlorine or salt water, rinse with fresh water and air dry completely before charging. USB port and USB cable connector must be completely clean and dry before charging. The USB charging cable is not waterproof.
|
Button/LED Location |
LED State |
Definition |
|
Power button |
Solid white (bright) |
Normal ON state before 1 min timeout to save battery life |
|
Power button |
Solid white (dim) |
Normal ON state, but after 1 min timeout to save battery life |
|
Power button |
Blinking white |
Alexa VR feedback, “processing request” |
|
Power button |
Pulsing white |
Alexa VR feedback, “Listening for request” |
|
Power button |
Solid red |
Low battery |
|
Power button |
Blinking red |
Low battery and charging but still critical. |
|
Power button and Bluetooth |
Pink |
Firmware updating (do not turn off speaker) |
|
Bluetooth button |
Solid white |
Connected to Bluetooth (off after 15 seconds) |
|
Bluetooth button |
Blinking white |
Ready to pair, |
|
Charge LED |
Pulsing white |
Charging |
|
Charge LED |
Solid white |
Connected and 100% battery charge |
|
Bluetooth button + Power button |
Solid red Bluetooth + Solid white Power LED |
Alexa Microphone Mute |
There are two ways to check the battery life of your BLAST or MEGABLAST Speaker.
- Inside the Ultimate Ears App, when your speaker is connected.
- Check the battery status right from the speaker without opening the app, press the “+/-” volume buttons on the speaker simultaneously.
No. BLAST and MEGABLAST do not have a 3.5mm port.
The following music services are compatible with your speaker via Alexa and WiFi:
- Amazon Prime Music
- Amazon Music Unlimited
- Pandora
- SiriusXM (US)
- TuneIn (US, UK and Germany)
- iHeartRadio (US)
- Spotify
- Pandora
- Local content/music
No. BLAST and MEGABLAST will not work with any other speakers.
It should take approximately three hours to fully charge both BLAST and MEGABLAST.
Ultimate Ears POWER UP is a charging dock for MEGABLAST and BLAST and is sold separately. POWER UP comes with a special D-ring that replaces the standard D-ring that comes with your speaker. To charge:
- Make sure you’ve replaced the standard D-ring with the D-ring that was included with your POWER UP.
- Connect POWER UP to the micro USB cable and power adapter that was included with your speaker. POWER UP is not compatible with iPhone chargers.
- Center your speaker on POWER UP to start charging. The white LED on the front of POWER UP will pulse while your speaker is charging. Once fully charged, the LED will be solid white.
To charge your speaker:
- Open the sealed weather door on the bottom of your speaker to locate the micro USB port — you do not need to remove the D-ring. NOTE: Designed to work with the power charger included with your speaker, not compatible with iPhone chargers.
- Plug the power adapter to the wall, connect the USB cable into the power adapter, then connect the micro USB connector to the speaker.
- A white LED next to the micro USB charging port will illuminate and pulse while the speaker is charging. Once it is fully charged, the LED will be solid white.
The “+” and “-” buttons of your speaker control the speaker volume:
Press
- “+” to turn up the volume
- “-” to turn down the volume
To turn on your speaker, press the power button (large hash button/LED on top of the speaker) and wait for the LED to appear indicating the speaker is on. To turn off, press the same button and wait for the LED to turn off.
You will hear an audible deep drum sound when you turn the speaker on or off.
To play content, you need to be connected to your speaker via Bluetooth. Local content is not supported over WiFi streaming.
- Make sure your device is connected to your speaker via Bluetooth.
- Open the your local content/music app and start playing content/music.
Alexa and Spotify: Currently, Spotify is not supported by Alexa in MEGABLAST and BLAST. You can still stream Spotify thru a Bluetooth connection from your mobile device.
Apple Music: You need to be connected to your speaker via Bluetooth. Apple Music is not supported over WiFi streaming.
- Make sure your device is connected to your speaker via Bluetooth.
- Open the Apple Music app and start playing music.
Spotify is not supported via Alexa and WiFi streaming. To play Spotify, you need to be connected to your speaker via Bluetooth.
- Make sure your device is connected to your speaker via Bluetooth.
- Open the Spotify app and start playing music.
To play Pandora, you need to connect the service on the Amazon Alexa app.
You can find the instructions here on Pandora's support website.
To play Spotify, you need to be connect to your speaker via Bluetooth. Spotify is not supported over WiFi streaming.
- Make sure your device is connected to your speaker via Bluetooth.
- Open the Spotify app and start playing music.
There are two ways to play music on your speaker, Bluetooth and WiFi.
WiFi
Alexa Voice Control will only work on WiFi (dedicated network or Hotspot). The following music services can be played via WiFi and Alexa.
- Amazon Prime Music
- Amazon Music Unlimited
- iHeart Radio
- TuneIn
- Apple Music
- Spotify
- Pandora
- Amazon Music
Speakers can’t be controlled as a group, but multiple speakers can be added to the app and controlled individually.
To select the speaker you want to control, tap the menu button on the top left (three horizontal lines) to go to the main menu. Your speakers will be listed — just tap the speaker you want to control.
You can add multiple speakers to the app, but you can only control one speaker at a time.
To select the speaker you want to control, tap the menu button on the top left (three horizontal lines) to go to the main menu. Your speakers will be listed — just tap the speaker you want to control.
While your app can store multiple speakers, you can only control one speaker at a time.
To select the speaker you want to control, tap the menu button on the top left (three horizontal lines) to go to the main menu. Your speakers will be listed — just tap the speaker you want to control
Alexa will work on WiFi and mobile hotspot networks only. It will not work on a Bluetooth-only connection.
Alexa will work on WiFi and mobile hotspot networks only. It will not work on a Bluetooth-only connection.
WiFI
- Alexa
- Amazon Prime Music
- Amazon Music Unlimited
- TuneIn (US, UK and Germany)
- iHeartRadio (US)
- Spotify
- Pandora
- Local Music (iTunes, Google Play Music)
WiFi and Bluetooth give you different options:
WiFI
- Use Alexa
- Get firmware updates
- Control specific music services using Alexa:
- Amazon Prime Music
- Amazon Music Unlimited
- TuneIn (US, UK and Germany)
- iHeartRadio (US)
- You can use any music service as long as you have the app.
Your speaker will lose its connection and the stream will stop. You will also hear a tone to indicate you’ve lost the connection.
Your speaker will reconnect to the last WiFi network it connected to.
Your speaker will remember up to four WiFi networks, and will only reconnect to the last one it connected to.
Basic Troubleshooting Steps
- Place your speaker closer to the router — it could be out of your WiFi network’s range
- Move your router and speaker away from other wireless signals (ex. Microwaves, cordless phones) — you could be experiencing interference.
- Make sure your router and speaker aren’t in an enclosed area, such as a cabinet — this may weaken wireless signal strength.
- Turn both your speaker and wireless router Off, then back on again.
- Make sure you’re entering the correct network information (ex. SSID (wireless network name and encryption password) during setup.
- If your SSID (wireless network name) is hidden, take care when entering this during setup. SSIDs are generally case sensitive and they recognize spaces in the text string.
- Make sure your router and other network appliances have the latest firmware updates.
- Try changing wireless channels. An area with heavy network saturation can cause problems with networks on the same channel.
- If your network includes repeaters, range extenders and access points, try disabling these temporarily to ensure that your speaker is connecting properly to your main router.
- If you have a dual-band router, make sure your 2.4ghz SSID and 5ghz SSID are different to prevent confusion between the devices while connecting.
- If you have additional security settings on your router, try temporarily disabling them or configuring them accordingly.
Because most enterprise WiFi networks require additional credentials or have extra security measures in place, we do not recommend setting your speaker up to connect to enterprise networks.
The app is required to set up your speaker, to update your speaker with necessary updates, to connect to a WiFi network, and to set up and use Amazon Alexa. If you don’t plan on using Amazon Alexa, you’ll only need the app for the initial setup, download the required software, and to perform periodic updates.
You can rename your speaker in two different places and in two different ways:
From the Ultimate Ears app
- Go to Speaker Settings (tap the gear icon on the top right of the app home screen).
- Tap Speaker Name and change the name of your speaker.
- This will modify the name of your speaker in both Bluetooth settings and on the home screen of the app. This change will not be reflected in the Alexa app.
- Go to the Settings section of the Amazon Alexa app.
- This will not modify the name of your speaker in both Bluetooth settings and on the home screen of the Ultimate Ears app. This change will only be reflected in the Alexa app.
Yes, through Alexa. When you are signed into Alexa, you can ask her to set an alarm, set a reminder, or a timer, and the speaker will wake and play the alarm or timer at the requested time.
You can add speakers by going to the main menu of the app (the three horizontal lines on the top left of the app home screen) and tapping the Add a speaker button.
Equalizer settings are not available on BLAST or MEGABLAST.
To get the app, just search for Ultimate Ears app in the Apple App store.
You can get the app for Android in the Google Play Store. Search for Ultimate Ears app.
After the initial update, your speaker will automatically download new software with important bug fixes and new functionality as the it becomes available. The auto-update feature happens periodically in the background — there’s nothing you need to do. You may notice the lights glowing on top of the speaker or it making the power-on sounds after a new update has been installed. We recommend keeping the auto-update settings enabled, but it can be disabled at any time from Speaker Settings (the gear icon on the top right of the app).
To check your speaker’s firmware version, go to the Speaker Settings section of the Ultimate Ears app (the gear icon on the top right of the app home screen). Scroll down to the bottom of the page. The app will display the current firmware version and will automatically check if there is newer firmware available. If the auto-update setting has been disabled or if you’re just curious, you can always tap the “Check for Updates” button to manually check for software updates.
The first time you set up your speaker, the app is required to download the necessary software. After the first update, the speaker will automatically download new software with important bug fixes and new functionality as it becomes available (unless you disable AUTO-UPDATE FIRMWARE from speaker settings).
The auto-update feature happens periodically in the background — there’s nothing you need to do. You may notice the lights glowing on top of the speaker or it making the power-on sounds after a new update has been installed. We recommend keeping the auto-update settings enabled, but you can disable it at any time from Speaker Settings (the gear icon on the top right of the app).
You do not need the app to connect your speaker and your mobile device over Bluetooth.
Yes, but only when you initially set up your speaker. The app is needed to connect and configure WiFi on your speaker. After the initial setup, you’ll only need to use the app if your WiFi network settings change or if you want to set up your speaker on another WiFi network.
Yes, the Ultimate Ears app is required when you set up your speaker, connect the speaker to WiFi, and to update your speaker’s firmware. You’ll also need the app to authorize your device with your Amazon account for Alexa.
Yes, you can mute the microphones or enable Alexa privacy mode while you listen to music over the Bluetooth connection.
There are a couple of ways to enable Alexa Privacy mode:
Mute from within the Ultimate Ears app
- Open the Ultimate Ears app.
- On the homepage, Tap the microphone icon.
- Tap “OFF” to disable the microphones. You will hear a tone indicating the microphones have been muted and a small red light will appear on the top of the speaker.
- Tap “ON” to re-enable the microphones.