Ultimate Ears
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Audio equipment |
| Founded | 1995 |
| Founder | Mindy Harvey, Jerry Harvey |
| Headquarters | Irvine and Newark, California , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Bob Allison (CEO after 2008 acquisition) |
| Products | Custom in-ear monitors, wireless Bluetooth speakers, headphones, earphones, musician's earplugs |
| Parent | Logitech |
| Website | www |
Ultimate Ears is a U.S.-based company specializing in custom in-ear monitor (IEM) earphones and wireless speaker systems, with headquarters located in both Irvine, California and Newark, California. Established in 1995 by entrepreneurs Mindy and Jerry Harvey, the firm was a trailblazer in the custom IEM industry, catering to leading musicians globally. In August 2008, Ultimate Ears became a subsidiary of Logitech following an acquisition. Their product lineup features earphones, personalized IEMs, and Bluetooth-enabled wireless speakers including models like the UE Wonderboom, UE Megaboom, and UE Boom.
History
The inception of Ultimate Ears dates back to 1995 when Jerry Harvey, who was serving as Van Halen's touring monitor engineer, created a custom-fitted earpiece to improve drummer Alex Van Halen’s ability to hear fellow band members during performances. This initial design incorporated two miniature speaker drivers—dedicated separately to low and high frequencies—connected by a passive audio crossover. The low-frequency component utilized a balanced armature transducer originally intended for pacemaker devices. Following interest from other Van Halen members and bands on tour such as Skid Row, Harvey sold six pairs at $3,000 each. When pop artist Engelbert Humperdinck requested his own set, Harvey resolved to establish a company to address the increasing demand.
Together with his wife Mindy, who later became his business partner despite their divorce, Harvey founded Ultimate Ears in Las Vegas. Starting operations from Mindy’s residence, the company provided custom-molded earpieces alongside radio transmitter and receiver equipment for live shows. Jerry Harvey also partnered with Shure on their E1 and E5 in-ear monitors, which enhanced Ultimate Ears' standing within the industry. The company achieved notable financial success by 1998 with the release of the UE-5 model—its fifth design iteration—winning over prestigious clients such as The Rolling Stones, Faith Hill, Enrique Iglesias, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Westone, Innovate Partners, Logitech
Ultimate Ears initially collaborated with Westone for manufacturing Harvey’s designs. However, in 2001 Westone began marketing IEMs under its own brand in Europe while holding Ultimate Ears’ trademarks and patents. Lacking proprietary patents himself, Harvey encountered difficulties separating his design and sales operations from production. In early 2002, Ultimate Ears established its own laboratory and recruited audiologist Chomphorn "Noy" Soudaly to develop an improved model independently by April. The company retained nine out of ten clients and controlled approximately 80% of the professional IEM market by 2003 with a team of five employees.
While on tour with Linkin Park, Harvey observed the growing popularity of portable mp3 devices such as the iPod, which inspired him to create a consumer-oriented product. The UE-5c was introduced in January 2004 at a price of $550, resulting in a doubling of company revenue. To expand manufacturing capacity, Ultimate Ears secured funding from Bob Allison, CEO of Innovate Partners based in Irvine, California, who assumed the role of CEO as the company relocated there. Mindy Harvey took on the presidency while Jerry Harvey served as CTO. Innovate Partners enabled production outsourcing to China to fulfill demand. By April 2005, the Super.fi 5 Pro—a dual-armature consumer model priced at $250—helped generate revenues exceeding $10 million by 2006. That same year, Ultimate Ears formed partnerships with M-Audio and Altec Lansing to produce rebranded lines of earpieces.
Following his design work on the UE-10 Pro and UE-11 models—the company's initial 3-way and 4-way IEMs—Jerry Harvey departed from Ultimate Ears in 2007 due to changes in leadership dynamics under Allison.
In August 2008, Ultimate Ears was purchased by Logitech for $34 million, acquiring Mindy Harvey’s stake and marking Logitech’s entry into the in-ear earphone sector. Bob Allison continued as division CEO. Philippe Depallens, Logitech’s headset vice president, emphasized that despite the Harveys’ exit, Ultimate Ears retained its reputation for producing premium in-ear monitors.
Entry into the Portable Speaker Market
On May 21, 2013, Ultimate Ears ventured into the portable wireless speaker industry by introducing the UE Boom, representing a deliberate effort to broaden its range of products.
Wireless Bluetooth Speakers
- UE BLAST: Delivers 360° audio, IPX7-rated waterproofing, and built-in Amazon Alexa
- UE BOOM: Provides 360° sound through dual drivers and passive radiators
- UE BOOM 2: Features 360° audio, IPX7 waterproof certification, and a durable build (Model: S-00151)
- UE BOOM 3: Offers 360° sound, IP67 waterproof rating, and buoyancy on water
- UE MEGABLAST: 360° sound with IPX7 waterproof protection and integrated Amazon Alexa
- UE MEGABOOM: Equipped with dual passive radiators, advanced DSP for 360° sound, and IPX7 waterproofing (Model: S-00147)
- UE MEGABOOM 3: Combines 360° audio, IP67 waterproof rating, and floating capability (Model: S-00171)
- UE ROLL and UE ROLL 2: Compact speakers delivering 360° sound with IPX7 waterproofing
- UE WONDERBOOM series (1–3): Provides 360° sound, IP67 waterproof rating, floats on water; newest version uses 30% recycled plastic (Model: SR-0192)
- UE HYPERBOOM: Produces 270° sound with dual passive radiators, adaptive EQ technology, and IPX4 water resistance
Headphones
- UE 4000: On-ear design
- UE 6000: Over-ear style
- UE 9000: Wireless over-ear headphones
Universal Fit Earphones
- TripleFi 10: Incorporates three balanced armatures with a passive crossover
- Ultimate Ears 900: Features four balanced armatures
- Ultimate Ears 700: Contains two balanced armatures
- Ultimate Ears 600/600vi: Single balanced armature units; vi variant includes microphone and controls
- Ultimate Ears 500/500vi; 350/350vi; 200/200vi: Single dynamic driver models with vi versions offering microphone and control functions
- Ultimate Ears 100: Single dynamic driver available in various color options
Ear cushions come standard to enhance noise isolation and ensure a comfortable fit.
Legacy Consumer Products
Legacy offerings include the MetroFi lineup (100 to 220vi) featuring mylar and dynamic drivers optimized for iPhone compatibility with inline microphones; the SuperFi series utilizing balanced armature drivers; the Loud Enough model designed for children with volume-limiting features; TripleFi 10vi tailored for iPhone users; and the UE MINI BOOM combining dual performance drivers with a passive radiator.
Custom In-Ear Monitors
- UE Live hybrid: Combines seven balanced armatures with a single 6mm dynamic neodymium driver and a four-way crossover
- UE18+ Pro: Equipped with six balanced armatures and a four-way mixed crossover
- UE In-Ear Reference Monitors: Triple balanced armatures featuring multiple integrated passive crossovers
- UE18 Pro: Six balanced armature drivers paired with a four-way integrated passive crossover
- UE11 Pro: Four balanced armatures including separate high-end and mid-frequency drivers plus dual low-frequency drivers, supported by a three-way integrated passive crossover
- UE7 Pro: Three balanced armatures comprising one high-end and two mid-low frequency drivers with an integrated passive crossover
- UE5 Pro: Two balanced armature drivers covering high-end and mid-low frequencies with an integrated passive crossover
- UE4 Pro: Dual balanced armature drivers providing high-end and mid-low frequency response through an integrated passive crossover
- UE1 Pro: Single-ear configuration featuring four balanced armature drivers with a four-way integrated passive crossover
Legacy Custom Products
- UE10 Pro: Features triple balanced armature drivers, including one dedicated to high frequencies and two drivers handling mid to low frequencies, combined with an integrated passive crossover network
Musician's Earplugs
Ultimate Ears provides earplugs tailored for professional musicians, categorized by varying degrees of ambient noise attenuation to safeguard hearing during live performances.
Mobile Apps
The BOOM & MEGABOOM, UE ROLL, BLAST & MEGABLAST speaker series (with the exception of the WONDERBOOM line) are compatible with mobile applications offering:
- Remote power activation and deactivation
- Volume adjustment from a distance
- Predefined EQ settings along with customizable equalizer options
- Firmware and software updates
- Ability to rename speakers
- Magic Button functionality (available on BOOM 3 models)
- PartyUp feature: link more than 150 speakers to stream audio simultaneously from one device
External links
- American subsidiaries of foreign companies
- Bluetooth speakers
- Headphones manufacturers
- Loudspeaker manufacturers
- Audio equipment manufacturers of the United States
- Companies based in Irvine, California
- Electronics companies established in 1995
- American companies established in 1995
- Logitech
- 2008 mergers and acquisitions
- Manufacturing companies based in Greater Los Angeles
- Companies of the United States by year of establishment