Android Central Verdict
The StormBox 2 has a cylindrical design that's easily portable, and thanks to dual 17W drivers, you get powerful 360-degree sound. The sound quality is among the best in the sub-$100 category, and with customizable EQ, you can tailor the sound to your liking. It has IPX7 water resistance, and in my usage, the speaker lasted 20 hours on a full charge. If you just need a reliable Bluetooth speaker with great sound and a rugged design at under $100, the StormBox 2 is my current recommendation.
Pros
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Portable design
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Fabulous sound with customizable EQ
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Can be set up as a stereo pair
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IPX7 water resistance
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Great battery life
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Unmatched value
Cons
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Takes nearly four hours to charge
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No dust resistance
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Tribit continually delivers exciting Bluetooth speakers, and the manufacturer is particularly great at rolling out products that undercut its rivals by a sizeable margin. The StormBox Pro is proof of this, and if you need an outdoor speaker, the StormBox Blast is still the best overall choice.
Tribit is now rolling out an update to the original StormBox, dubbed the StormBox 2. The speaker has better sound, increased battery life, Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity, and the ability to connect to another unit, creating a stereo pair. What hasn't changed is the affordability — the StormBox 2 retails for $69 on Amazon, and you can get it for $62 right now.
The StormBox 2 has a cylinder profile, and the design looks great — you don't get the feeling that you're using a budget Bluetooth speaker at all. In fact, I like the design to that of the StormBox Flow, and the plastic chassis with fabric cover makes it easier to use the speaker. It has tiny rubber feet at the bottom to ensure it stays planted, but most of the time, I used the StormBox 2 in a horizontal position.
Because of the design, you can slot in the StormBox 2 in your car's cup holder or water bottle holder on a bike, and thanks to IPX7 ingress protection, you don't have to worry about water ingress. I would like liked to see dust protection as well, but even without it, the speaker holds up incredibly well in outdoor use.
It isn't just the design where the StormBox 2 excels either; the speaker has 360-degree sound thanks to dual 17W drivers, and it gets noticeably louder than the Flow even though it costs less. I used the Flow extensively at the start of the year, but after getting the StormBox 2, I just didn't feel the need to use the other speaker.
What I like about the StormBox 2 is that it has chunky buttons; you get volume controls and a multi-function button at the front that has seek controls and the ability to play or pause music. The large buttons make it very convenient to use the StormBox 2, and Tribit did a great job in this area.
You get another set of buttons at the back: power, Bluetooth, XBass mode, and stereo pair. The StormBox 2 has a 3.5mm in, and I used it to good effect to connect my Arturia MicroFreak synth. The charging port is at the bottom, and the 3.5mm jack and USB-C port are covered.
Tribit touts 24 hours of battery life, but you won't get close to that in real-world use. With XBass enabled and volume set to around 70%, I managed to get over 20 hours of use between charges, and that's more than adequate. It manages to last longer than other sub-$100 Bluetooth speakers I used, and I have no issues in this regard.
The only problem is that the StormBox 2 charges at a glacial 5W, and as it includes a 5200mAh battery, you're looking at a charging time of just under four hours. There is no fast charging, and while that is irksome, you won't have to plug in the speaker a lot. In the three months I used it, I averaged charging it once a week.
Where the StormBox 2 comes into its own is sound quality — it may just be the best-sounding sub-$100 speaker I used until now. You get a detailed bass with plenty of vibrancy, and there's good rumble and definition. The mids are clear and come across as natural, and the highs have good extension. There is noticeable sibilance when you crank up the volume, but this can be addressed by tweaking the EQ.
You can use the Tribit app to customize the sound profile by using the preset filters or adjusting the EQ to your tastes. And if you want even better sound, you can connect two StormBox 2 units to create a stereo pair. I don't have issues with the way Tribit tunes the sound of its products, and without adjusting the EQ in any way, the StormBox 2 sounds great in its own right.
I didn't see any issues with connectivity either; the StormBox 2 connected to my Pixel 9 Pro XL, Vivo X100 Ultra, Xiaomi 14 Ultra, and a half-dozen other devices without any problem whatsoever, and it maintained a strong signal without any distortion.
Overall, it's easy to recommend the StormBox 2. If you need a portable Bluetooth speaker with great sound and water resistance, there really isn't anything better in the sub-$100 segment. Tribit once again managed to deliver a strong product, and as always, you get a stellar value — this is one of the best Bluetooth speakers in this category.
The StormBox 2 looks great, and sounds even better than its predecessor. If you need a portable Bluetooth speaker with good connectivity and battery life, it is a fantastic choice.
