The Tribit Stormbox Pro Speaker Brings the Thunder to Your Portable Party
The Tribit Stormbox Pro speaker offers everything you need from a portable soundbox, from water resistance, through to long battery life and, of course, big sound (which can be made even bigger with the bass boost function). At such a comparatively low price point, the Stormbox Pro should be in everyone's party bag.
- Stereo Mode
- Battery Life
- Water Resistant
- Portable
- Bass Boost
- Brand: Tribit
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0
- Battery: ~24 hours
- Water Resistance: IP67
- Stereo mode is great
- 24-hour battery life
- Bass boost feature is excellent
- Easily portable even packing two speakers
- Can reverse charge other devices via USB Type-A output
- On occasion stereo mode can drop out briefly
Let's be honest, Bluetooth speakers are ten-a-penny. But excellent quality Bluetooth speakers, with a low price tag and a big battery life, are harder to come by.
Fortunately, Tribit is on hand with the latest portable Bluetooth speaker to add to its Stormbox family; the Stormbox Pro. As I already own a Tribit Stormbox, I was excited to give the Pro version a try, and it hasn't disappointed me.
So, what makes the Tribit Stormbox Pro such an impressive device? Let's take a look.
A Familiar Form
In terms of form factor, the Tribit Stormbox Pro doesn't look drastically different from a lot of other portable Bluetooth speakers available on the market today.
First off, it is predominantly black, so not a great deal to report color-wise. Tribit crafts the chassis from rubber at the top and bottom, with the top of the speaker housing the controls in contrasting white and the bottom a non-slip grip.
A convenient carry handle made from a sturdy, thick, rubber strap also sits up top, fastened to the sides of the speaker. This allows the handle to pivot so you know you won't damage it just by carrying it.
The main body of the device features a familiar black mesh fabric wraparound, which hides the 360 degree speaker array beneath.
The front features the Tribit logo, and around the back we have the Type-C charging input and a handy Type-A charging output, meaning you can actually charge devices from the speaker, in a pinch. These are both covered by a rubber cap, which seals them off from moisture.
In terms of footprint, the base is only 3.7 inches square. The height of the speaker peaks at a lofty seven inches. It only tips the scales at 980 grams (34 oz), so it won't break your back carrying one or two of these to the beach with you.
And that is it! A nice, straightforward device, aesthetically.
Super-Simple Operation
To operate the speaker, Tribit has followed a similarly simple path to that of the Stormbox Pro's appearance. There is really nothing difficult here, nor is there anything that doesn't work properly.
As mentioned, the controls are up top. In the center of the upper face, you have a multi-function button (MFB). You can use this to control functions in the Stormbox's Music Mode and also in Conversation Mode.
In Music Mode, a quick press of the button will control play and pause. Double pressing skips the track forward, while a triple press skips back a track. Pressing and holding the MFB for one second will launch the voice assistant on your phone or connected playback device (if it has one).
In Conversation Mode (i.e. when you are taking a call from your phone via the speaker), you can control the call. So a short press will answer or hang up a call. Press and hold for one second and you can reject the call. Then, while a call is underway, a short press will answer a second call, with another short press allowing you to switch conversations.
To either side of the MFB is a plus and minus symbol. These allow you to increase or reduce the volume of the Stormbox Pro (which is independent of your phone's volume unless you mute the sound from your handset).
Below, you have three buttons. To the left is the Bluetooth pairing button with a blue backlight. This is also used to put two Stormbox Pro speakers into stereo mode or, as Tribit calls it, "Party Mode", by pressing and holding for five seconds. This means you can listen to music in stereo. We'll come to that when we discuss the device's performance.
The center of the three buttons is the power button, which is obviously to switch the Stormbox on and off. To the right, you have the button to toggle the X-Bass mode, which is also present on Tribit's other portable speakers and is designed to boost bass frequencies.
Again, very simple in terms of operation. This makes the Tribit Stormbox Pro an excellent first portable Bluetooth speaker; it is simple to operate with no dedicated app getting in the way and complicating matters.
So, How Well Do the Stormbox Speakers Work?
Looking familiar and operating simply are two things, but does the Stormbox Pro deliver in terms of sound and functionality? I'm pleased to report it does. In fact, it exceeds expectations for what most people would refer to as a budget option.
It may not break the bank, but turn the Stormbox Pro up loud enough and you may well break a few windows. Just one of these little monsters can pump out up to 40 W of sound, which is plenty loud.
I could hear the music I was playing perfectly during a recent day spent at my local park, which is always busy with people and families, so is generally quite noisy. Even at 40-50% volume, the Stormbox Pro coped well with loud conversation close to me and shouting children not much further away.
Said park trip lasted for around six hours and the battery hardly wavered. During testing, I have only had to charge the Stormbox Pro once, after multiple extended uses and with X-Bass active. Therefore, the 24-hour battery claim rings true.
Stereo mode works pretty well, although the Stormbox can occasionally drop in and out of stereo mode. Unfortunately, there is no way of knowing why this has happened, as multiple factors may cause it.
Maybe other devices are interfering with the stereo connection. It is a Bluetooth stereo connection after all, so is subject to interference in a way that a wired stereo connection wouldn't be.
To be honest, the dropping in and out was infrequent, and I only noticed it happen a handful of times (three-four) during testing over several weeks and under different conditions. Any dropout is brief, so isn't a major issue. Pairing two of the devices for stereo mode is incredibly easy and presents no issues.
In terms of range, the Bluetooth extends for miles. Well, perhaps not miles, but you get 100 feet out of the range providing that is a clear run. This reduces slightly if the Bluetooth signal needs to pass through walls or people.
As for the water resistance, IP67 works perfectly. I left both Stormbox Pro speakers outside for several days and through several weather conditions, and neither showed any signs of deterioration. This included two days of fairly consistent drizzle (the UK's default weather) and there was no sign of water damage.
With that in mind, the Stormbox Pro is perfect for both indoor and outdoor use. You can even take them in the shower with you, if you really must!
Bringing the Thunder With the Stormbox Pro's Sound
In terms of sound quality, the Stormbox Pro performs well. Bass is obviously the focus, given that the unit houses a 25 Watt, 3.5 inch neodymium bass driver and two 7.5 Watt passive radiators. Two transducers take care of the mids and trebles.
In this case, the bass is clear and heavy. Even more so when you activate the X-Bass feature. There is no muddiness to speak of, so a very pleasant dub soundtrack accompanied my trip to the park, as deep bass reverberated around my ankles in stereo.
The mids and trebles are also very present and, despite the bass focus, bottom-end sounds don't overpower the mids and top end, so there is no sound congestion. Both are crisp and bright, with the treble free of those harsh, sibilant tones that can make listening to other lower-quality speakers an unpleasant listen.
In all, the Stormbox Pro provides a well-rounded sonic experience, particularly for a portable Bluetooth device in this price range. With a bass-oriented signature, this is a perfect portable party speaker, particularly in stereo mode.
Take the Party Everywhere, With Tribit's Stormbox Pro
So, there we have it. The Tribit Stormbox Pro is a refreshingly simple device. Despite this, it knocks spots off some of its similarly priced competition, with stereo mode and that tremendous 24-hour battery life being real boons for portable party-goers.
In the Stormbox's price range, you'd be hard-pushed to find a device that has this kind of stamina, can pair up for stereo mode, has an IP67 rating, and can function as a power bank. All while sounding great. If you're in the market for an inexpensive, portable, Bluetooth speaker, then the Tribit Stormbox Pro should be at the top of your list.
source https://www.makeuseof.com/the-tribit-stormbox-pro-review/
Post a Comment for "The Tribit Stormbox Pro Speaker Brings the Thunder to Your Portable Party"
Comment when there are difficulties