A contender for the best in the portable speaker biz: Tribit StormBox Pro review

The Tribit StormBox Pro is one of the best speakers of the year with a promising spec sheet. Having previously tested the Tribit StormBox Micro, What’s The Best’s William Lobley gets hands-on with the latest offering from Tribit.

Verdict: The Tribit StormBox Pro delivers an audio performance that rivals the very best in the business, with a meaty and precise bass accompanying well-represented mid and high tones. Couple this with a 24-hour battery life and Xbass, and you’ve got a non-stop party.

This article was originally published on 14/04/21. We’ve checked back to update the links and change some formatting, so the date at the top of the page may not match up. The words and score of the original review remain unaltered.

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Build

• Robust and waterproof

• 2.1 speaker configuration with radiators

• Long battery that doubles as portable battery

From the moment you pick up the Tribit StormBox Pro, it’s clear that it’s a robust speaker - weighing in at just under 1kg, it’s not exactly light. Most of this weight sits towards the bottom of the Pro, keeping its centre of gravity low and unlikely to tip over.

The look of the StormBox Pro is austere and lantern-like, but not unpleasant. The black-heavy design has a certain assured vibe about it, and the mesh material that wraps around the majority of the body seems to be thick and pretty hard to snag. On top, there are the control buttons - power, volume, play/pause/skip, Bluetooth and Xbass (more on this later). There’s also a thick, rubberised carry handle - a little too functional maybe, but hardy. On the bottom, a silicon ring sits to prevent slipping. USB Type-A and Type-C ports sit low on the rear behind a silicon cover.

Related: UE Wonderboom 2 Review | Tribit StormBox Micro Review

It's well-sealed. The Pro carries an IP67 rating, guaranteeing that the speaker is protected from dust ingress and is waterproof against 30 minutes of submersion. So, it’s going to be safe against Britain’s sharp summer downpours.

What about the nerdy audio stuff? Well, inside its waterproof shell sits a 2.1 speaker system. There’s a 25w down-firing 3-inch subwoofer, two 7.5w 40mm mid-high tweeters and two passive radiators. Though, strangely, it’s still mono - pairing with another StormBox Pro unlocks the stereo experience. The Bluetooth connection uses Qualcomm aptX decoding which, in short, provides an excellent wireless signal to maintain a high-quality audio experience.

The battery is a dual set-up combining for 10,000mAh total. Tribit states that this power can run the speaker for 24 hours, but it also doubles as a portable battery for charging smartphones on the go.

Usability

• Uncomplicated

• Big steps in volume

Much like using the StormBox Pro, this is going to quick and simple. The time from powering on the Pro to it establishing a Bluetooth connection with a new or known device is minimal. The Bluetooth 5.0 connection remains strong throughout playback. The buttons are all responsive and communicate with the connected device quickly.

If I'm to nit-pick, the only issue I find is that the steps between some of the volume levels are a little much. On occasion, it can be tough to find the “just right” volume - jumping between just too loud or too quiet. It's mostly an issue in smaller, enclosed areas.

Performance

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• Impressive audio across the board

• Grin-inducing X-bass

It’s no surprise that the main test of a portable speaker is its audio performance. Well, all the specs of the Tribit Stormbox Pro (and the Micro I’ve tested previously) had my hopes set high. They weren’t disappointed in the slightest.

The clarity, energy and power of the StormBox Pro are excellent. The bass is hugely impressive, delivering the rich and precise punch previously reserved for much more costly units. The fact that two drivers are taking care of the mids and highs helps the audio frequencies remain separate and crisp. While there is the slightest absence of sparkling highs, the rest of the sound is too good for them to be missed while you’re listening. This is the case across the genres, too. Electronic and dance tracks have bounce, rock and metal have tonnes of energy and acoustic numbers are suitably delicate.

While it’s odd to have a 2.1 speaker that doesn’t deliver stereo audio, StormBox Pro's efficient design does push out audio across 360-degrees. Because of this, the lack of stereo wasn’t even something I really noticed until coming to write this review. I was too busy being impressed.

Now - let’s talk Xbass. It's effectively a bass boost, and it pushes the 25w subwoofer into showing what it can do. It’s cliché, but the energy it brings puts a childish grin on your face and makes you want to move. Best of all, it works to really fatten out the bottom end without ruining the subwoofer's addictive precision. It isn't a subtle feature, and if your music is just on in the background, it can be a bit much; but given the right circumstances, it's a superb feature.

Price

At launch, the Tribit Stormbox Pro retailed for £119.99, putting it comfortably in the ballpark of the Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3 (approx. £140) and the JBL Flip 5 (approx. £120). Though better known, these competitors are likely to get a little nervous about what the Stormbox Pro has achieved.

Verdict

Tribit has done it again. The Tribit Stormbox Micro was one of the best speakers of its size that I’ve encountered, and it set my expectations high for the far larger Stormbox Pro. These expectations have been met and subsequently surpassed. The build is robust, and the weather sealing provides welcome peace of mind when bringing music outdoors. The Bluetooth connection and battery life, too, are without fault.

But these accomplishments fall into insignificance next to the audio performance. Though it’s not stereo, the 2.1 speaker configuration delivers a precise and impactful bass, that’s well-balanced with clear and lively mids and highs. The ability to take things further with the Xbass feature is a never-failing joy that only adds to the brilliant value that is the Stormbox Pro.

William Lobley is a Content Writer and reviewer for What's The Best, specialising in technology, gaming and outdoors. He also writes for Empire Online.

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