This Bluetooth speaker sounds so good my partner thought it was Bose — but it costs only $39

Tom's Guide

4 days ago

I'm a perform-concerts-in-the-shower-like-I'm-on-stage kinda person, so having one of the best waterproof Bluetooth speakers is a necessity for me. I've tested a bunch of wireless speakers and I think I've found my favorite (so far): the Tribit StormBox Mini+, which succeeds and improves on its predecessor, the StormBox Mini.
For such a small, portable speaker, the StormBox Mini+ boasts powerful bass response as well as crystal clear vocals. Lows, mids and highs feel well-balanced. The speaker also features reactive LED lighting and its design makes it look pricier than it actually is. It's IPX7-rated so you can use the speaker in the shower too, and there's a user-friendly companion app to customize the EQ.
There's a lot to love about this cute little speaker so for the complete breakdown, read my full Tribit StormBox Mini+ review.
Specs
Tribit StormBox Mini+
Price
$39 / £29
Colors
Black, Blue, Green
Size
4.68 x 3.58 x 3.58 inches
Weight
19.2 ounces
Battery life (rated)
12 hours
Connectivity
Bluetooth 5.4 with SBC and AAC, 3.5mm jack
Waterproofing
IPX7
The Tribit StormBox Mini+ retails for $39 / £29, making it not just one of the cheapest Bluetooth speakers on the market, but the cheapest I've tested so far. It comes in three lovely colorways—Black, Blue and Green—and features reactive RGB lighting.
Its low price tag puts it in the same price bracket as the Tozo PE1 ($36) which is, really, its closest competitor. Most other speakers that feature similar specs to the StormBox Mini+ cost nearly $50, such as the JBL Go 4 ($49), the Anker Soundcore 3 ($51), the Tribit Stormbox Micro 2 ($59) and the Sodapop ($68). When it comes to value for money, the StormBox Mini+ is unbeatable.
The Tribit StormBox Mini+ is a cute little speaker, sporting an oval-shaped design with a mesh covering its body. It's designed to be placed vertically, with rubber grips located on its underside to ensure you don't knock it over unintentionally. The rubber grips keep the StormBox Mini+ in place on glass and hard plastic surfaces, as I noticed in my testing.
Measuring 4.68 x 3.58 x 3.58 inches, the StormBox Mini+ is bigger than all of its aforementioned rivals, especially the Tozo PE1 and the JBL Go 4. It isn't exactly pocketable, but it doesn't take up much space in a backpack, and it's just light enough to travel with at 19.2 ounces. I also found it just the right size to sit inconspicuously on my coffee table and office desk.
Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.
A strap is located on the StormBox Mini+'s top so you can hook it onto your backpack with a carabiner, or hang it in the shower. It makes it easier to carry around too, as I subconsciously hooked my index finger around it many times during testing. I'd recommend the Tozo PE1 instead if you really want a built-in carabiner to hook the speaker onto your belt loop.
The StormBox Mini+ also features reactive LED lighting, which synchronizes with the music (but of course, can't keep up with heavy metal tracks) to create a sort of mood lighting. There are two modes to choose from, one of which is more static while the other flows better. The LED lighting runs along the length of the passive radiator. I enjoyed watching the pretty lights dance, especially when using the speaker in a dimly lit room or at night outdoors.
Controls are straightforward too, each providing good tactile feedback when pressed. The volume and play/pause buttons are located on the front, while the back houses the power, Bluetooth/stereo mode and LED buttons.
Like the JBL Go 4 and the Tozo PE1, you can pair two Tribit StormBox Mini+ speakers together to create stereo sound. Holding down the Bluetooth button for five seconds puts each speaker into stereo pairing mode and, when they're close together, one turns into the left channel and the other into the right channel.
This worked flawlessly in my testing, and it's a great feature to have if you want to create a bigger sound at parties. You can have both channels playing the same sound too, so I used one speaker to listen to music while showering, and my partner used the other while working on the couch in our living room.
If you're listening to music and receive a phone call, you don't have to worry about disconnecting from the StormBox Mini+ to answer as the speaker features a built-in mic. I tested this on call with my partner and she said I sounded loud and clear and like I was speaking into my Google Pixel 7 Pro itself.
The StormBox Mini+ is IPX7-rated, which means it can be submerged in 1m of deep water for up to 30 minutes. This also makes the speaker fine to use in the shower. Condensation didn't affect it at all throughout my testing period. The StormBox Mini+ is rated better than the Sodapop (IPX5). If you want a dustproof speaker, you'll need to spend more on the likes of the JBL Go 4 or the EarFun UBoom L ($79), both of which are IP67-rated so they're dustproof too.
The Tribit StormBox Mini+ utilizes Bluetooth 5.4 with support for AAC and SBC codecs to seamlessly connect to your smartphone, laptop or tablet — but not simultaneously as it doesn't feature multipoint connectivity. Individually, it paired quickly with my Google Pixel 7 Pro and MacBook Pro M1. I didn't notice any connectivity issues or drops either, which is great.
And good news for anyone who's still in favor of the aux cable: the StormBox Mini+ features a 3.5mm jack for wired playback. This is located around the back under a rubber flap to keep water from getting in.
While its predecessor didn't have custom EQ, the StormBox Mini+ does via the Tribit companion app, available for free on Android and iOS. The app is easy to use and sports a clean interface. Here, you can customize the equalizer, update the speaker's firmware, control the playback volume, and more. There are a few presets for Rock and Classical, to name a couple, which essentially boost treble and bass.
For its size, the Tribit StormBox Mini+ is mighty powerful, and it can go really loud — although, at this price and size, some distortion is to be expected past the 80% volume mark. It's similar to how the Toze PE1 sounds tinny at high volumes. The StormBox Mini+'s wraparound speaker design delivers immersive 360° sound so regardless of where you're sitting, you'll hear audio just as well as the other person.
The 48mm full-range drivers, 12W output power and passive radiator deliver great bass response as well as clear mids, highs and lows. To test the StormBox Mini+, I listened to songs I'm familiar with on Qobuz, the best music streaming service for hi-res audio, and the speaker never once let me down.
I started by testing the bass as that's something I always look for and value in a track. Each note plucked in 'Navigating' by Twenty One Pilots and 'Money' by Pink Floyd was loud and clear, and the basslines never sounded muddled together with the vocals or other instruments.
I also like how the atmospheric bassline sounded in 'Is This the Life We Really Want' by Roger Waters — not too heavy but noticeable enough that it adds a fantastic vibe to the track, and the StormBox Mini+ does it justice. While the similarly priced JBL Go 4 struggles with reproducing sub-bass, the StormBox Mini+ doesn't, making it the better choice if you want a well-rounded sound profile.
Moving on to vocals, Highasakite's vocals in 'Since Last Wednesday' were crystal clear and the high notes never sounded too piercing. I like how much detail is packed into the speaker as well, as every echo of the kickdrum was distinguishable, and this is something that's easily missable in the verses. This goes to show the StormBox Mini+'s ability to shine light on the softest of sounds.
I also put the StormBox Mini+ through its paces by playing heavy tracks on it, kicking things off with an orchestral power ballad, 'Une vie à rêver' from the video game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. There are many instruments involved in this track, including violins, kickdrums and electric guitars, so it's easy for audio gear to get overpowered — not the StormBox Mini+.
This speaker handled the track beautifully, ensuring that none of the instruments and vocals sounded muddy. I was quite taken aback, to be honest, because in my experience, budget speakers (or even earbuds and headphones) usually fail when playing heavy tracks.
This was also the case with 'Holy Mountains' by System of a Down and the electronic 'Von Dutch' by Charli XCX, both of which were well-balanced. Guitars and synths never sounded more distorted than they were intended to be.
The StormBox Mini+ performed exceptionally regardless of what I threw at it. Whether it was a slow Lana Del Rey track, an upbeat 070 Shake song, or an instrumental soundtrack from Interstellar, the speaker knocked it out of the park.
Tribit claims that on a single charge with LED lighting off and 60% volume, the Tribit StormBox Mini+ can last up to 12 hours. While battery life with LED lighting enabled isn't specified, the speaker obviously won't last that long.
I put both to the test. I first used the speaker at 60% volume with LED lighting off, and it took the StormBox Mini+ 13 hours to die, slightly exceeding the claim. With LED lighting on and the speaker playing at 60% volume, the speaker lasted just over 10 hours — still, not too shabby.
The StormBox Mini+ beats the JBL Go 4 (7 hours) and is similar to the Tribit StormBox Micro 2's (12 hours). The Tozo PE1, which is priced similarly to the StormBox Mini+, has a longer 32-hour battery life though, if you're after more juice.
There's a USB-C port located next to the 3.5mm jack, and it takes 2.5 hours for the StormBox Mini+ to go from zero to 100%, as seen in my testing.
As cheap Bluetooth speakers go, the Tribit StormBox Mini+ has got to be one of the best I've ever tested. Not only is the speaker portable but it also features a design that makes it look more expensive than it actually is. The Reactive LED lighting also dances nicely when listening to music, adding a touch of fun to the speaker — something both the JBL Go 4 and the Tozo PE1 lack.
As for the sound quality, I love how detailed and clear heavy and acoustic tracks sound through this speaker. There's plenty of detail in the lows while bass response is fantastic and powerful — but never overpowering. Sub-bass is impactful too, so the StormBox Mini+ upstages the JBL Go 4. If you want to fine-tune the sound, there's a companion app for customizing the EQ too.
While there's some distortion at high volumes, that's to be expected from such a small (and cheap) speaker. Other than that, it doesn't give you much else to complain about. It has quickly become my favorite and, along with a second unit, the stereo sound has me headbanging like I'm at a gig.