The best party speaker ever? I've been testing the StormBox Blast 2 for weeks

The Tribit StormBox Blast 2 is a party speaker complete with funky lights to add to the atmosphere, plus microphone ports for karaoke nights.

It’s powerful, punchy, and somewhat portable, as it’s battery-powered. It also has IP67 water- and dust-resistance. Combined, that means you can use it inside, outside and with big crowds of chatty people.

Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been testing the Tribit StormBox Blast 2. To compare it to the best Bluetooth speakers you can buy, I've listened to a wide range of audio content, from dance tracks and jazz to ballads and podcasts.

Given its wall-shaking performance, I think it’s great value – but there’s plenty more to say about it than that, as I'll get to in my review.

How much does the StormBox Blast 2 cost?

The Tribit StormBox Blast 2 is available to buy on Amazon, for £279.99 in the UK, $299.99 in the US, and AU$399.99 in Australia.

This is the second version of the StormBox Blast, and it improves on the first with a new dustproof design (thanks to an IP67 rating instead of IPX7), the latest Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity, and a huge 200W of power output (instead of 90W). The speaker's look has also been polished, with curvier edges and more seamless colour-changing light strips.

How big is the StormBox Blast 2?

The first thing to say about the Tribit StormBox Blast 2 is that it’s big, really big. It weighs 7.15kg and measures 47.6 x 19.3 x 25.9cm – so it’s not a speaker you’ll pop in your backpack when on holiday. If you intend to use it anywhere outside of the house you’ll need to take it in the boot of a car. Because of that, this is very much an at-home or in-the-garden sort of speaker.

The design itself is great, though. The bottom edges curve upwards, and the handle is made from thick plastic, so it’s super sturdy. Two light strips on either side dance along to the music with multicoloured LEDs. You can change the light patterns using the Tribit smartphone app (available for both iOS and Android). There are three modes to choose from, with blocks of one colour or a rainbow of colours displayed at the same time.

Across the top of the speaker, there are illuminated buttons to turn it on, activate Bluetooth, adjust the volume, pause, play and skip the song, turn the lights on or off, connect it to another compatible device, and switch to the bass boost mode. There’s also a strip of LED dots letting you know the battery level.

Under a silicone flap on the back, you’ll find the mains power port, as well as a 3.5mm audio input, USB-A and USB-C ports. For karaoke fans, the StormBox can connect up to two wired or wireless microphones – the ports are hidden in that same compartment along with a set of three knobs to control the reverb and volume. As much as I wish I did, I don't have a microphone at home, so I couldn't give that feature a whirl.

The reason those elements are hidden away is to allow for a fully waterproof design, as this speaker will survive splashes, downpours and even accidental submersions. In addition, it’s protected against dust and dirt – so you can use it out in the wilderness without fear of damage.

This speaker is technically portable, despite its size, which means it doesn’t need to be plugged into the mains to play music. The battery life lasts a considerable 30 hours of playback, as long as you keep the volume down and turn the lights off. Otherwise, it'll last a significantly shorter amount of time.

To conserve the speaker’s battery, it automatically shuts down after 5 minutes with no connection or 30 minutes with no music playing. Then using mains power it’ll take between 3 to 5 hours to recharge back to 100%. You can also charge it using a USB – but that takes much longer, around 12 hours.

If your phone runs out of juice first then that’s not a problem, you can recharge it using the USB ports on the back panel, which is potentially handy.

Connectivity has been upgraded to Bluetooth 5.4, which delivers better range and battery consumption compared to its 5.3 predecessor. In my experience the Tribit's connection stayed up and running even when I went into the next room, and you can be hooked up to multiple devices at once to share DJ duties. There's the option to use a wired connection using an AUX cable too.

Is Tribit's sound quality good enough?

Loud and bassy is the best way to describe the Tribit StormBox Blast 2’s sound performance. Thanks to the 80W subwoofer, dual 45W mid-range woofers, and two 15W tweeters, every inch of you feels the music when you have the volume dialled all the way up. Naturally, that translates particularly well to dance music, but it also makes a lot of sense for anything upbeat.

If you’re looking for a super-detailed listen across the entire soundstage, you won’t find that here. Listening solo at home and I noticed the treble and the mid-range weren’t as clear or detailed as I’d like them to be. But you’re unlikely to notice that while you’re pulling out your best moves on the dancefloor.

Through the Tribit smartphone app, you can choose from a selection of preset sound modes according to what you’re listening to. For example, there’s an audiobook, rock and jazz mode. There’s also the X-3D mode for more immersive sound delivery. And for those who know exactly how they want their playlists to sound, you can create and save customised settings using a five-band equaliser (EQ).

As well as that in-app EQ, there’s a bass boost button on the device that adds even more punch to the audio delivery. In everyday or smaller social settings this won’t be necessary, but it’ll come in handy if you were to host a bigger party. If you don’t think you’ll make much use of that button, the app allows you to change its function to activate another sound mode instead, including your custom settings.

As mentioned above, the speaker has a button to connect it to another Tribit StormBox device in stereo mode. I can’t see many scenarios where that level of power is going to be necessary, but if you’re hosting a huge party that could be worthwhile. Sadly, I didn’t have another speaker to hand so couldn’t test it out.

Tribit StormBox Blast 2: Verdict

Tribit set out to make a party speaker – and undeniably achieved that with the StormBox Blast 2.

This speaker caters to all sorts of occasions, partly thanks to the addition of the lights and the microphone ports. It's also seriously loud, with a particular emphasis on the bass so your music travels well in even the loudest rooms and outside.

The sound quality isn’t perfect, lacking detail at times, but in a busy space, you’re unlikely to notice that. Which is very much the speaker fitting its purpose, far as I see it.

The sheer size of the device means that while it may be 'portable', you won’t realistically be taking it out of the house very often. But if you did, it could easily last a weekend away thanks to its 30-hour battery life.

Also consider

If you want a party speaker, but don’t need the lights and would rather it be much smaller, I’d recommend the Bose SoundLink Max. It’s much more portable but still delivers huge room-filling sound, and the audio is a lot more detailed. Like the Tribit, it’s IP67 water and dust-resistant – which makes it a good choice for outside.

Another rugged party speaker to consider is the JBL Xtreme 3. It costs less than Tribit’s device and doesn’t have the jazzy lights (which some may prefer, frankly), and the battery life sits at around 15 hours. But it’s smaller, with great sound, and it comes with a strap to carry it around more easily.