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Tom's Guide
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
The only Bluetooth speaker you need for pool parties costs less than $40 — no, I'm not joking
There's nothing like cooling off by the swimming pool with your friends and a drink in hand, especially during a heatwave. I'm not a swimmer so I never really go into a pool, but I do enjoy sitting poolside with my feet in the water — simple yet effective. And because I'm usually the only one not in the water, I get to be in-charge of the music, which I'm more than happy to do because my music taste is elite. But of course, I can't take just any old speaker to a pool party. It needs to be waterproof enough that it should survive if it falls into the water. It's great that I get to test the best waterproof Bluetooth speakers then, huh? Having recently tested the Tribit StormBox Mini+, I think I've found my go-to speaker not just for parties by the water or at the beach, but for everyday use too. Retailing for just $39, this speaker boasts fantastic and powerful bass response, plus detailed vocals. It also sports reactive LED lighting that's fun to watch, and IPX7 waterproofing which means it can be used poolside or in the shower. For the money, I recommend buying two so you can take advantage of the dreamy stereo sound. I never thought a speaker that costs less than $40 could actually sound good. It's difficult to find great, detailed sound at such a low price, especially in a small, portable speaker — but the StormBox Mini+ has proved me wrong and in doing so, it has set a very high bar for future budget speakers I will test. This is the only Bluetooth speaker you need for pool parties, trust me. Let me tell you why. I don't usually enjoy RGB lighting but when I do, it needs to be tasteful and not garish — and that's exactly what the Tribit StormBox Mini+ has. Running along the length of the speaker's passive radiator is an LED lighting strip which reacts to and dances with the beat of the song playing. It works like a charm, dancing along to the bass and sub-bass in tracks like Pink Floyd's 'Money' and the harp in Lana Del Rey's 'Video Games.' It can even keep up with the high tempo in Charli XCX's Brat album, which is saying a lot. It's the perfect speaker to show off at a pool party, thanks to the dazzling light show (very bright in the dark, by the way) and its waterproofing. The StormBox Mini+ is IPX7-rated, which means it can be submerged in 1 meter (about 6 feet) of water for up to 30 minutes, and it works fine if water splashes on it too. No condensation in the shower had a negative impact on the speaker. I also washed a spoon and accidentally let the powerful stream of tap water hit it at just the right angle that the water flew right at the speaker — and it was fine! One of the Tribit StormBox Mini+'s biggest selling points is that its very cheap, retailing for just $39 / £29. That makes it one of the cheapest speakers we've tested here at Tom's Guide, and definitely the most affordable one I've personally reviewed. So why get just one when you can get two, sync them up and get stereo sound? Stereo basically uses two channels (left and right) to produce sound, creating a more immersive and realistic listening experience compared to mono sound. When two StormBox Mini+ speakers are synchronized by holding down the Bluetooth button on each speaker, they sound incredible, making you feel like you're engulfed in the audio or like you're at the movies. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Tribit sent me two speakers so I could test the stereo mode, and I'm pleased to report that it's fantastic. Audio travels between the two speakers really well too, so one moment you'll be hearing Lana Del Rey serenading you in one speaker and then her vocals will travel to the other, and then both speakers will burst with her ethereal voice. Also, some music streaming services, like Spotify, allow you to play the same music from both speakers, so my partner and I could enjoy the same tunes while I showered and she worked on her laptop in the living room. The Tribit StormBox Mini+ is a take-anywhere-able speaker, as it measures just 4.68 x 3.58 x 3.58 inches and weighs 19.2 ounces, so you can easily carry it around in your backpack without feeling weighed down. There's also a handy strap located on the top of the speaker in case you want to hook it up to a carabiner, or carry it around your finger to look super cool. Having used the speaker in the shower, while cooking, while having a nice dinner in my balcony, and while chilling by my friend's pool, it didn't take long for the StormBox Mini+ to become my go-to speaker for everyday use. In the end, no one sums it up better than my partner: "This speaker sounds like a Bose, it has to be at least $100."
Tom's Guide
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
This Bluetooth speaker sounds so good my partner thought it was Bose — but it costs only $39
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.
