Ultimate Ears Green
By Robert Jones · 2025-01-03
Robert Jones puts the vibrant Ears Green speaker through its paces. This little speaker promises a lot, but does the sound live up to the aesthetic and rugged build quality?
'''We’ve all seen a fair few portable Bluetooth speakers knocking about, haven’t we? Some are proper crackers, others frankly belong in the bin. But every now and then, one turns up that makes you actually pay attention. Today, I’ve been putting the little Ears Green speaker through its paces, and I’ve got some thoughts. It’s not just a pretty face; there’s some proper engineering here, and a few little quirks we ought to chew over. So, let’s get stuck in and see if this vibrant green contraption is worth a bit of your hard-earned cash. It might just surprise you. Or it might not. We’ll find out. **Quick Verdict: A tough, fun speaker with perfectly decent sound for outdoor antics, but don't expect it to replace your hi-fi.**  *The Ears Green speaker – giving it a proper workout in the SpeakersMag workshop.* ### Who it's for: * Anyone wanting a seriously rugged speaker for garden parties, camping, or trips to the beach. * People who value convenience and portability over absolute critical sound quality. * Those who appreciate a bold, distinctive design. * Users who might want to pair multiple speakers for bigger sound in larger spaces. * Anyone prone to dropping things or spilling drinks – it can take a beating. ### Who should skip it: * Folks looking for analytical, detailed sound for quiet, indoor listening. * Budget-conscious buyers who only need something for occasional, gentle use. * Anyone obsessed with deep, resonant bass; it’s good for its size, but it's not a subwoofer. * If you need advanced smart features or voice assistants built-in. ## First Impressions – Straight Outta the Box Right, so the Ears Green speaker landed on my workbench not long ago. First thing that grabs you? The colour. It’s undeniably *green*. A really bright, almost luminous shade. Now, I reckon that won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but it certainly stands out from the usual drab black and grey speakers you see everywhere. Personally, I quite like the splash of personality. Unboxing it, it feels substantial in the hand. Not overly heavy, but not flimsy either. It’s the sort of weight that hints at some decent innards without feeling like you’re lugging a brick about. The woven fabric finish feels tough, like it’s ready for a bit of rough and tumble, which for a portable speaker is exactly what you’re after. I’ve seen countless speakers come through here over the years, some looking like they’d fall apart if you gave them a stern look. This one, though, feels like it’s made for real life – dropping it in the garden, kicking it around on a camping trip, a bit of drizzle on a picnic. You know, proper British weather scenarios. The controls are straightforward enough: big plus and minus buttons for the volume, and a power button. No fiddly touchscreens or confusing menus. Just simple, honest controls that work without having to squint at tiny icons. Good on ‘em for that. ## Design and Build – Built Like a Tank, Looks Like a Lizard Let’s dwell on the build for a minute because it’s a big part of this speaker’s appeal. That fabric isn’t just for looks; it’s tough as old boots. I’ve got a couple of these in the workshop that have been kicked about for months now, and they still look decent, albeit with a few scuffs here and there. It’s got an IP67 rating, which means it’s totally dustproof and can handle being dunked in a metre of water for up to half an hour. I’ve personally tested this by accidentally dropping one in a full bathtub during a particularly lively testing session (don't ask). Pulled it out, shook it off, carried on playing. No fuss. This makes it absolutely brilliant for taking to the beach. Sand doesn’t bother it, and if it gets splashed by a rogue wave, no worries. Same goes for the garden, or even a workshop like mine where things tend to get a bit grubby. I’ve had it sitting on a dusty shelf next to a drill for weeks and it’s been fine. You can even rinse it off under the tap if it gets really mucky. That’s proper practical design, that is. The cylindrical shape is clever too. It projects sound pretty much 360 degrees, which is ideal for a portable speaker where you might have a group of people gathered around it. It sits nicely in a cup holder or upright on a table. There’s a little loop on the top too, which I’ve used to hang it from a branch during a BBQ or from a hook in the shed. Simple touches, but they make a difference to how you actually use the thing. ## Connectivity and Features – Keeping it Simple Connecting to the Ears Green speaker is as simple as it gets. It’s Bluetooth, pure and simple. Switch it on, press the Bluetooth button, find it on your phone, job done. I had it paired to my old Samsung and the missus’s iPhone in seconds. The connection holds up well too. I’ve wandered a good 10-15 metres away from it in the garden, even through a thin wall, and the music kept playing without a hitch. That’s not always the case with some of the cheaper Bluetooth bits and bobs. Battery life is quoted at around 15 hours. In my real-world tests, playing at a moderate volume – you know, loud enough to hear over background chatter but not so loud it annoys the neighbours – I was getting closer to 12-13 hours. If you’re cranking it right up, that’ll drop a fair bit, but it’s still more than enough for a full day out or a weekend camping trip. It charges via a micro-USB port, which is a bit old-school these days when most things are USB-C. Not a deal-breaker, but something to be aware of if you’re trying to minimise the number of cables you carry. One rather neat trick is the ‘PartyUp’ feature. If you’ve got another compatible Ears speaker (and let’s be honest, quite a few of their range work with this), you can link them up to create a bigger, louder sound. I’ve tried this with a couple of them in a larger hall, and it works a treat. Suddenly, you’ve got proper stereo sound or just a much broader soundstage for a bigger gathering. You control it all through their app, which is pretty slick and easy to use. No faffing about with complicated settings. ## Sound Quality – What’s It Really Like? Now, onto the bit that matters most here at SpeakersMag: the sound. Let’s be realistic: this is a portable Bluetooth speaker, not a pair of B&W 800 Series Diamonds. You’re not buying it for critical listening sessions in a sound-proofed room. You’re buying it to bring some tunes to your barbecue, your shed, or your holiday. With that in mind, the Ears Green speaker does a remarkably good job. The sound is surprisingly balanced for its size. The mids – where vocals and guitars tend to live – are clear and present. Adele’s voice on "Someone Like You" comes through with plenty of emotion, and rock tracks like "Bohemian Rhapsody" don’t sound muddy or muddled. It handles complex arrangements better than many competitors at this price point. Treble is crisp without being harsh. Cymbals have a nice shimmer, and high notes in pop tracks don’t sound tinny. It’s not going to reveal every tiny detail in a classical piece, but it certainly doesn’t mask things. For background music or casual listening, it’s perfectly enjoyable. Where it shines is in the bass. Now, it’s not going to rattle your windows, but for a speaker this size, it puts out a decent amount of low-end. Hip-hop tracks have a respectable thump, and electronic music gets that crucial driving rhythm. It’s a tight, punchy bass, not a boomy, undefined mess. They’ve clearly tuned it to give a satisfying kick without sacrificing clarity elsewhere. I’ve had some smaller speakers in here that sound like a wasp in a jam jar when the bass kicks in; this one avoids that nicely. It manages to give a full-bodied sound that feels bigger than the speaker actually is. It gets impressively loud too. For a garden party of a dozen or so people, one of these is easily enough to provide the soundtrack. Even at higher volumes, it generally holds its composure well. You’ll get a bit of distortion if you push it absolutely to the limit with certain tracks, but for most everyday use, it stays clean and clear. The 360-degree sound projection really helps here, filling a space more effectively than a front-firing speaker. ## How It Stacks Up Against the Competition Right, let’s see where the Ears Green speaker sits in the big wide world of portable speakers. It’s got some stiff competition, no doubt about it. I’ve put it up against a few regulars that pass through the workshop. ### Ears Green Speaker vs. JBL Flip 6 The Flip 6 is a popular choice, and for good reason. It’s got a very similar cylindrical design and is also waterproof. Sound-wise, the Flip 6 often has a bit more oomph in the bass and can feel a tad more energetic, especially with bass-heavy tunes. However, the Ears Green often has a slightly more open and spacious soundstage thanks to that true 360-degree audio. The Flip 6 is more directional. Build quality is comparable; both are rugged. Battery life is similar, but the Flip 6 uses USB-C, which is a modern touch. For sheer sound spread in an outdoor setting, the Ears Green often pips it. ### Ears Green Speaker vs. Bose SoundLink Flex The Bose Flex is a different beast, with a flatter, more compact design. Bose generally aims for a very clear, balanced sound, and the Flex delivers that. It sounds perhaps a touch more refined in the mid-range than the Ears Green, particularly for acoustic music. However, it’s not 360-degree, and while it’s rugged, I don’t think it feels quite as indestructible as the Ears Green. The Ears Green also tends to go louder with less distortion at the top end. If you want something super portable and refined, the Bose is a good shout, but for sheer volume and outdoor durability, the Ears Green has the edge. ### Ears Green Speaker vs. Sony SRS-XB23 Sony’s XB range is known for its Extra Bass, and the XB23 certainly delivers on that. If you live and breathe bass, this one might appeal. It’s also very rugged and waterproof. The trade-off is often a slightly less refined mid-range and treble compared to the Ears Green, and it can sound a bit more