Review: Tribit Stormbox 2: XBass in the place

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Tribit has a well-earned reputation for delivering quality audio equipment and speakers, and its latest offering, the StormBox 2, is set to challenge all comers in the midrange section of the market.

It floats somewhere in the middle of the $50 to $100 bracket and, on paper, looks like the perfect companion for a BBQ, pool party, or day at the beach. But how did it fare in practice?

Before diving into the nitty-gritty details, let’s outline what we’ll be looking at. We’ll discuss the design and build quality, sound performance, battery life, and any additional features that set the StormBox 2 apart.

Short on time? Jump ahead

Unboxing the Tribit StormBox 2

Unboxing a portable Bluetooth speaker doesn’t usually reveal any surprises you weren’t expecting, and you’ll, therefore, be unsurprised to learn this is the case here.

Inside the StormBox 2’s striking yellow box, you will find the StormBox 2 speaker itself, a USB-C charging cable, and some operational instructions.

The speaker itself has a sleek and cool design that nevertheless blends effortlessly into the background, making it ideal if you’re looking for something a little more discreet.

It’s a capsule-shaped speaker fitted with wrap-around speaker mesh material. Large (and rather cool) volume buttons are positioned along a central column.

On the reverse, you’ll find another central column with a button array that includes the power button, Bluetooth, XBass button (more on this bad boy later), and the TWS PartyMode button.

There’s a sturdy carry loop situated on the top lip of the speaker that makes it easy to clip onto a bag or backpack using a carabiner or similar, and the speaker is designed to work equally well when standing to attention or slouching on its side.

Getting started with the Tribit StormBox 2

Pairing the StormBox 2 with my smartphone was a complete cakewalk, and took less than two minutes to set up.

All that’s needed is to press the StormBox 2’s Bluetooth button (ensuring that you have your device’s Bluetooth switched on), and it will automatically pair with your phone.

It’s always nice when things work exactly how they’re supposed to, and I had no issues at all here.

Similarly, connecting the StormBox 2 with the Tribit app was a seamless experience. The app auto-scans for available Tribit devices, and then you simply select the corresponding speaker type to connect to.

Tribit StormBox 2 features

So it looks nice, and it’s easy to set up. But what can it do?

Well, essentially, it’s a portable wireless speaker, so it’ll do all the things you’d expect a portable wireless speaker to do. It runs on Bluetooth 5.3 technology and offers a solid and reliable wireless connection that’s good over distances of up to 150 feet.

It’s armed with two 48-millimeter speakers, which combine to produce 34W of peak power. It provides 360-degree audio and has a pretty impressive runtime of up to 24 hours – which is more than enough partying for me; thanks very much.

Speaking of which, when it’s time to party, you will party hard with the XBass feature packed into this compact speaker. This is essentially the equivalent of a turbo boost button, and it spoons on an extra helping of bass to spice up your audio at larger gatherings or to give the sound a bit more body in an outdoor space.

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The StormBox 2 has a built-in mic for hands-free voice calls. Its IPX7 waterproof rating protects it from splash damage and lends a bit more substance to its outdoor credentials.

If you want to tweak your levels or choose one of the custom EQ presets available, you can install the Tribit app for Android or iOS. This allows you to choose from six custom presets (including XBass, Audiobook, Rock, and Classical), or you can create and save your own customized EQ so the sound is more tailored to your preferences.

Finally, you can pair two Tribit speakers together using the TWS Party Mode to enjoy full-bodied stereo sound. Perfect for kicking off a summer BBQ in style or for pissing everyone off at the campsite.

Testing the Tribit StormBox 2: a storming performance

During my rigorous testing of the StormBox 2, I tried and tested it with a variety of different musical styles to see how it performed. And I was mostly very impressed.

The sound quality of this little speaker is surprisingly good. It makes good use of the extra 10W of power it has over its predecessor and can handle a decent amount of bass (with no distortion) – especially with the XBass Mode engaged.

From rock to hip-hop to dance music, the StormBox 2 can comfortably handle the more bassy end of the musical spectrum. Everything sounded sharp, with no audible defects, even with the volume cranked up.

I used the StormBox 2 to provide the Taylor Swift-heavy soundtrack to my daughter’s birthday party last weekend and found it was plenty powerful enough to fill up the function hall, to the delight of the assembled six-year-olds, all of whom were keen to “Shake It Off” in unison.

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Using the StormBox 2 in an outdoor space was also a veritable success. It didn’t suffer from sound dispersal while in the backyard, although I imagine that the ambient noise could dampen its impact somewhat in a larger outdoor space.

However, by far my favorite feature of the StormBox 2 is its TWS Mode. This is essentially Tribit’s Party Mode and allows you to pair two Tribit speakers together for a more rounded stereo sound.

I successfully paired the StormBox 2 with the Tribit XSound Plus 2 (which I recently reviewed for another site) and was very impressed with the results.

Pairing the two speakers was easy: Engage TWS Mode (on the central button array) on both speakers. This initiates a vocal confirmation that the pairing has been successful, and each speaker takes on corresponding sound channels (one left, one right) to create a lovely stereo effect.

I found TWS Mode to be a real game-changer. Not only does it double the sound output, but it means you can cover a much wider area of effect. So, if you’re considering buying the StormBox 2 but aren’t sure whether it has the chops to handle larger gatherings, the answer is simple: buy two of them!

The StormBox’s EQ presets made for a nice addition, too, particularly Audiobook Mode, which augments the dulcet tones of your favorite narrators nicely. However, the remaining presets (for Rock, Classical, and Jazz), albeit nice to have, sounded slightly watered down compared to the triumphant XBass Mode.

However, gripes aside, the StormBox 2 boasts a very impressive overall performance. For day-to-day music playback, you’d be hard-pressed to knock it. Plus, the wireless connection here is second to none.

Alternatives worth considering

Should you buy the Tribit Stormbox 2?

If you’re looking for a portable Bluetooth speaker to enjoy your favorite music, audiobooks, or podcasts while basking in the green of the great outdoors, there’s much to recommend with the StormBox 2.

For starters, the sound quality is excellent, especially considering the price. Considering the reasonably modest price tag, you will reap the benefits of a great price-to-performance ratio here. For less than $70, the StormBox 2 is a bit of a steal.

The Bluetooth connection is excellent, and I didn’t experience any dips or issues in performance. It worked perfectly, and the connection never faltered.

The audio output is crisp and clear, and the XBass feature kicks things up a notch when you want a bit more body. In fact, I recommend defaulting to XBass mode most of the time since the added battery drain is negligible and adds some extra oompf.

The Tribit app works well, though it is a little bare-bones. Connecting to your speaker via the app is nice and easy, and the preset modes are pretty good. However, if I’m being honest, as a music nerd, I found that the XBass preset trumps all the others in terms of power and quality.

Then there’s the TWS Mode, which allows you to hook up two Tribit speakers for stereo sound. The good news is that this function will work if you own any combo of the Tribit StormBox 2 and the Tribit XSound Plus 2.

Once connected, one speaker handles the right channel while the other takes the left. If you have enough money in your pocket to buy a second Tribit speaker, I recommend that you do, as this feature works like a dream.

The StormBox 2 isn’t the most weatherproof Bluetooth speaker, and its IPX7 rating means it will only be effective against splash damage rather than full submersion. So, although it’s more than durable enough to handle a day trip to the beach, you might not want to take this one into the shower with you.

Battery life is brilliant, however. With XBass off and with the volume at 60 percent or less, it’ll run for a straight 24 hours on a full charge. If you have XBass on (which you really should), this will reduce by a couple of hours, but you’ll benefit from enhanced sound quality. Either way, I had no complaints about its performance.

All in all, despite some relatively minor quibbles, the StormBox 2 is an excellent portable speaker, particularly for the asking price. It’s quick and easy to set up right out of the box and sounds fantastic. It’s compact and portable and ideal for outdoor gatherings this summer.

Where to buy the Tribit Stormbox 2

The Tribit StormBox 2 can be bought from the Tribit website or via Amazon and currently retails for $67.99.

Have any thoughts on this speaker? Drop us a line below in the comments, or carry the discussion to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.