I tested and reviewed the StormBox Blast portable Bluetooth speaker to make it easier for you to decide whether or not you should buy this biggest and most powerful speaker yet by Tribit.
Tribit StormBox Blast: First Impressions & Specs
One of the first things you’ll notice about the StormBox Blast speaker is its size. Even though it’s a portable speaker, it weighs 11.6 pounds (or 5.4 kg) and is massive compared to other portable speakers that we reviewed, like the Soundcore Motion Boom Plus by Anker.
However, with great size comes greater sound. While the StormBox Blast probably won’t beat a standard subwoofer + soundbar combo, it’s more powerful than the above-mentioned Motion Boom Plus and JBL Charge 5 (both in the same price category as the StormBox Blast), on par with JBL Xtreme 3 (which is significantly more expensive).
Together with this wireless speaker, you also get 32 blazing LED lights. By default, the lights turn on whenever you turn on the speaker. You can control them using the lights button on the control panel on top of the speaker or via the Tribit app. While some people may find such an excessive amount of LEDs annoying, I found the lights rather useful, especially if you’re planning an after-dark party or a late-night BBQ outdoors.
Speaking of outdoor use, StormBox Blast is IPX67 water-resistant, meaning it’s fully waterproof. You can submerge the speaker at depths of up to 3.3 ft (1m), and it’ll withstand it for 30 minutes without getting damaged. This doesn’t mean you should try and dunk it into the nearest body of water as soon as you buy the speaker. However, you can safely leave your StormBox Blast near a pool without worrying about the splashes.
Here’s the full list of specifications of the Tribit StormBox Blast:
Design and Unpacking
Okay, I’ll admit that the design and the overall look aren’t this speaker’s strong suits. I guess they were going for a nostalgic retro look with the boombox shape and size. But in the end, it sort of looks like a big black plastic brick.
What’s in the Box
Before we continue dissecting the speaker’s appearance, here’s everything you’ll find in the box when unpacking your Tribit StormBox Blast:
StormBox Blast portable speaker Charging cable User manual
The flashing LED lights don’t help at all during the day. The speaker lights up like a Christmas tree when you turn it on, and the LEDs mirror every beat, which I found annoying sometimes. However, it leaves a completely different impression when using the StormBox speaker after dark. The lights can help create a playful atmosphere and serve as party lights. Plus, you can switch the lights off completely if you’re tired of them.
One last downside is the speaker’s size. Sure, you can still take it with you, chuck it into your car and bring it on a picnic outdoors. The speaker’s body has a handle on the top, but if you have to carry it by hand, the 11.6 pounds is a pretty significant weight that will tire you out quickly, especially if it’s not the only thing you have to carry.
I found that the best use for this speaker is to find a place for it in your house and leave it there permanently or semi-permanently. The bottom of the StormBox Blast is finished with two rubber feet that keep it in place.
The central grille is framed by two arrays of LED light in the front. Behind the protective grille, you’ll find two drivers lit up by two more LEDs.
On top of the speaker, you’ll find the central control panel. There’s the main multifunction button for playback and track navigation in the middle, a power button, a pairing button, LED, and an XBass button.
On the back of the speaker, you’ll find a connection panel hidden behind a protective rubber cover. There you’ll see the main port for charging your speaker, a 3.5mm AUX input, and a USB-C port for charging your external devices using the speaker’s battery.
Sound Quality & Features
Tribit StormBox Blast features Bluetooth 5.3 for dual connection. That means you can pair two devices to your speaker at the same time. Thanks to the Bluetooth range of 40m, two people can play and control the playlist at once, even from two different rooms. You don’t get aptX or AAC codec support but are only limited to the A2DP and AVRCP protocols here (both of which are basic Bluetooth streaming standards).
The speaker has two 1.2-inch tweeters and two 4.20-inch woofers. The impressive 90W of output combines with a frequency range of 50Hz to 20kHz. On the sides of the speaker, you’ll find dual passive radiators that help enhance the bass response.
StormBox Blast delivers not just good sound but superb sound. Expect textured vocals, robust and powerful lows, clear mids and highs, enough to balance the heavy bass floor.
Bass and volume are two areas where this speaker truly shines. The added XBass feature can be controlled via the button on the top panel of the speaker or via the app. As the name suggests, this feature pumps up the bass on your tracks. I wouldn’t recommend using this feature indoors unless you’re having a party – the enhanced bass can make a lot of difference on higher volume levels and cause problems with your neighbors.
When it comes to the speaker’s functionality, the biggest issue is the lack of a speakerphone (which is present on a cheaper Soundcore Motion Boom Plus, for example). You can’t use your StormBox Blast to conduct calls or use your mobile device’s voice assistant. Using it as a portable speaker and a party starter is where the StormBox Blast’s functions end.
The Tribit App
The Tribit app is available for both Apple iPhone and Android devices, and I recommend downloading it straight away after you get your StormBox Blast unpacked.
Tribit has one app for connecting multiple devices. So if you own Tribit earbuds or another speaker, you probably already know your way around the app.
The mobile app offers a lot of useful features. You can perform your standard firmware updates, enable or disable the auto-shutdown and auto-hibernate functions, perform a factory reset, as well as use one of the EQ presets or create your own.
In the app, you can switch between the LED light show modes: one mode is beat-drives, and the other is more random. Mode 1 cycles through various colors on both side panels and the speaker LEDs, while Mode 2 keeps the speaker LEDs the same color while creating a rainbow effect on the side panels. The toggle switch on top of the screen allows you to switch the speaker lights off for an audio-only experience.
The app also allows you to see the remaining battery of the speaker, which is helpful when you’re throwing a party and need to keep everything (including the music) under control without being physically close to the speaker.
Battery Life
The StormBox Blast comes with nine 3.6V 2200mAh lithium batteries. Depending on the volume level and whether you have the XBass feature switched on, the speaker’s battery life varies from 20 to an incredible 40 hours. This means that when you’re not throwing long parties, you’ll barely need to charge it at all.
The speaker needs about 3.5 hours to charge fully from zero and comes with the charger included in the package.
While that’s already impressive, the best part about the StormBox Blast’s charging capabilities for me was the ability to use its USB-C port to charge your other devices. Basically, you get a 2-in-1 deal here: a portable speaker and a power bank for external devices.
Price & Competition
As for competition, the strongest one in the price category is still the Anker Soundcore Motion Boom Plus. If you’re after a speaker with similar output, you can also check out the JBL Xtreme and Sony SRS-XB43, although you’ll have to pay more for these two.
Should You Buy the Tribit StormBox Blast?
Tribit StormBox Blast is one of the best party speakers you can find that are also portable and available for an affordable price. However, if you can’t imagine getting such a massive speaker, a good party alternative setup would be getting 2 of the Tribit StormBox Micro 2 (or even Tribit StormBox Micro). You can connect these two little speakers together via the stereo pair feature and create a stereo sound suitable for your house party.
If you enjoyed this speaker review, keep your eyes peeled for our review of the latest earbuds by Tribit – the FlyBuds C1 Pro.
