Modern Day Bluetooth Boombox
buy from amazonMusic seems to add a layer of fun to most activities. My kids love to have karaoke parties, dance-offs, and to simply jump around to their favorite songs. Whether you are at the park, at some water venue, or at a social gathering, a reliable, well-sounding speaker can upgrade the experience. I have tested a variety of Tribit speakers in the past and have been impressed with the ease of use, battery life, Bluetooth capabilities, button layout, and rugged design. A few of the speakers could fit into a cargo pocket, while some rival the boomboxes from the ’80s/’90s. If you are looking for a modern-day “Say Anything” moment, consider picking up a Tribit StormBox Lava.
Packaging:
The Tribit StormBox Lava Portable Wireless Speaker arrived in a vibrant, yellow-colored, 14 3/4 inches long by 7 1/4 inches wide by 7 1/2 inches tall retail package. The top panel featured a robust plastic carry handle, listed the Tribit name/logo, and provided a brief statement thanking the user for choosing the product. The cover panel listed the product name along the top left, four product-defining icons along the panel’s left edge (Explosive 80W output, TI Amplifier, Rugged IP67 Rating, Unstoppable 24 hours playtime), and a large obliquely angled image of the large speaker toward the right. The image displayed the large white buttons, classy black-colored speaker, carry handle/hook, and the Tribit name.
One of the side panels provided a rear view of the speaker, the side speaker panel, and demonstrated the carriage hook points and strap. The other panel provided the product name, six product-defining icons (100+ connection, Bluetooth 5.4, XBass Technology, Tribit App, Hands-Free Calling, TWS Pairing), and QR Code/SKU sticker, compatibility icon, and a Tribit App link on the Google/IOS App Stores. The rear panel provided a full-panel, photo-quality image of a group of skater friends enjoying a speaker-filled outing. Lastly, the bottom panel listed product manufacturing labels, model #, IC/FCC ID, SKU, and import information.
I liked the package’s overall theme and respected the bright yellow colorway. The bold black font against the yellow backdrop provided a refreshing contrast and felt both exciting and inviting. I liked the front/side images, but felt the back panel could have expanded on the TWS features with dual speakers. The image suggested the speaker was in use, but the two females appeared to be conversing, while the two male models were gazing off tangentially. Unfortunately, a lot of the panel was taken up by the people and the skateboard, and did not showcase the speaker. I would have loved a top-down view of the speaker, a display of the charging port, or a visual representation of a dual-speaker setup. Despite the limitations of the panel, the overall feel was positive. I loved the labeled grey icons located on the side and front panels; the icons provided an eye-catching contrast against the yellow panel and successfully summarized the speaker’s features. To conclude, despite the allure of the outer packaging, I would have loved to review a product specifications/parameter table before opening the product.
Unboxing:
I lifted the top panel, removed the internal foam blocks, and immediately realized the actual weight of the 5lb 1.8 ounce (2320 gram, 81.79 ounce) speaker. I had initially thought that some of the packing weight was taken up with product packaging. However, outside of two thin foam blocks at the speaker’s sides, and a small 8 1/4 inches long by 1 1/2 inches thick by 1/2 inches tall accessory box, the speaker provided the main bulk of the mass. The speaker measured ~5 1/2 inches diameter by ~12 1/4 inches long by ~5 1/2 inches tall. The front panel had a 2 11/16 inches long by 11/16 inches tall pill-shaped, grey-colored TRIBIT logo atop a mesh fascia. The top panel had seven function buttons arranged in linear format. You will find two black-colored buttons (Power Button, Bluetooth Button), three bold white-colored buttons (-, 0, +), and black-colored (XBoost and TWS Pairing buttons) from left to right. I loved the bold white button contrast against the black background but felt the four other buttons were lost in the background.
The speaker’s rear panel had a 4 1/4 inches long by 7/8 inches tall power/access port with large rubberized plug. You will find a USC-C input port, USB-A output port, and 3.5mm port hidden beneath the rubberized plug. The lower panel had a 4 3/4 inches long by 2 1/2 inches tall plastic foot with a raised 4 3/8 inches long by 2 inches wide by 3/16 inches tall rubberized, C-shaped foot. The product’s model number, 5V/3A input, 5V/2A output, FCC/IC labels, 45.2W battery size, import/export information, and manufacturing labels were displayed in matte black font within the C-shaped foot. Unfortunately, the lack of contrast between the black font and background made it difficult to read the panel.
Before using the speaker, I perused the contents of the accessory box. I removed the 20 1/2 inches long USB-A to USB-C cable and examined the 1/4 inch diameter neck segments, durable metallic prongs (plugged each end into and removed from ports 50x without issue), and the 1/8 inch diameter cable. The second item was a 10 1/2 inches long carry handle, which had a 5/16 inches diameter braided nylon strap with crimped edges attached to dual 1 1/4 inches long by 3/4 inches wide carabiners. The strap had a firm/flexible central core and could attach to dual hooks on top of the speaker through the carabiner clips. Thirdly, you will find a 33 1/2 inches long shoulder strap; the strap had 2 1/4 inches long hook, 1 1/4 inches wide webbing, 1 1/2 inches wide by 1 inches tall adjustment buckle, and could extend to up to 61 inches in length. Lastly, you will find the 12-Panel Multilingual Instruction Manual, which was easy to use and navigate.
I removed the rear waterproof plug, and plugged the USB-A to USB-C cable between the speaker and a Klein Tools Multimeter. I then plugged the USB-A multimeter cable into a standard 5V/2.5A output charging block. While a red light illuminated above the power button, indicating the charging status, I noted that the multimeter displayed 5.05V/1.93A. After approximately 1.5 hours, the light turned off, alerting the user that the device was fully charged. The website states that the device should charge to full in about 5 hours.
Once fully charged, I removed the power cable, reinserted the rubberized waterproof plug, and then tested the speaker’s settings. I short-pressed the power button and appreciated the auditory jingle/tone and visual white-LED cue atop the power button. The device should enter into an auto-activated Bluetooth (A2DP/AVRCP/HSP/HFP protocols, AAC and SBC codecs) mode when you press the power button, and a white light will flash at the top of the button. If not, short-press the Bluetooth button to connect to Bluetooth. I navigated to Settings on my iPhone 16 Pro Max, then to Bluetooth, and selected Tribit StormBox Lava from the list. I appreciated the ease of the pairing process and felt that the process could not have been easier. If left unattended for ~15 minutes the speaker will chime and auto-power down. When done, short-press the speaker’s power button to turn off the device and enjoy the power-down jingle tone.
Sound:
To test the speaker’s parameters, functions, connectivity, and sound quality, I navigated to the audiocheck.net website. I began with the Low-Frequency Response and Subwoofer Audio Test (10-200 Hz) and evaluated the speaker’s lower end. The male announcer will start at 10 Hz and vocalize each 10 Hz increase to 200 Hz. I was disappointed to hear the male announcer at 10Hz and 20 Hz before hearing the buzzing bass around 30 Hz. The XBass button provided a deeper, fuller, richer, sound than the bass mode, but did not improve the depth of the base or the frequency range. I liked the richer, darker, denser sound, and preferred to test/utilize the speaker within the XBass mode. I repeated the test at 50% and 75% volume and noted that the speaker had a good fullness without sounding muddy or harsh.
For the next test, I used the High-Frequency Response and Hearing Audio Test (22-8 kHz) to evaluate the upper frequencies. This test relies more on the user’s hearing and may yield variable results upon personal testing. The male announcer vocalized each 1 kHz decrease starting at 22 kHz and dropped to 8 kHz. Most adults can hear in the 14-16 kHz range, while children may hear up to ~18/19 kHz. As we age and experience sound trauma (loud noises), we lose our upper ranges first. I played the track in XBass and standard modes and at 50%/75% volume. I did not appreciate a difference in output throughout the tests.
When I tried to test the TWS feature, I found that the speaker would not pair with my Tribit StormBox Flow or XSound Plus. I made sure the Lava speaker was paired with my iPhone 16 Pro Max and made sure that neither of the other speakers were paired with other devices. I made sure the speakers were powered on and then pressed the infinity button on each speaker. Unfortunately, I could not pair the Lava speaker with either speaker but found that I could pair the StormBox Flow and Xsound Plus together.
To test the bass frequencies, I turned to Amazon Music Unlimited and listened to The Dark Knight Joker Theme “Why So Serious.” The best segment of this song occurs around the ~3:30-4:00 mark. The cacophony of sounds provides a substantial build-up, followed by a drop-off, and then another build. If you have stereo speakers, this segment would provide a neat call-response bass sound effect. Unfortunately, I did not have a second device to evaluate the TWS features. Similarly, without a stereo setup, I was not able to test 8D songs. I liked the bass support and found the XBass mode was a mandatory feature for full effect. Without the feature, I would rate the bass at 7/10. With the XBass mode, I would rate the sound at 8.5/10. To round out the testing experience, I listened to the bounding bass line of Holy Cole’s “Train Song,” The Hobbit ballad “Far Over The Misty Mountains Cold,” and the Low F# growl in Ring of Fire by Home Free. Even though it was not the best bass that I have experienced, I was pleased with the output.
To test the mid and upper frequencies, I used my favorite soundtracks, Robinhood Prince of Thieves, Far and Away, and Braveheart in both XBass and standard modes. I felt the sounds were crisp/clear and had reasonable blend/staging. Next, I trialed several A Capella songs from Home Free, Pentatonix, and Gospel Plowboys. I then listened to more instrumental pieces: Holst Suite Eb, Palovetsian Dances, Jupiter, and a few Sousa Marches. For each trial, I found the XBass mode provided a deeper, richer, and fuller sound. I liked the clarity, staging, and instrumental blend within the preprogrammed XBass EQ. I used the Tribit App (reviewed previously) and found that most of the other EQs did not significantly contribute to the overall experience. I tested the device at each volume level and found the sweet spot to be around 60% volume. At full volume, the speaker filled my back deck and front porch, but was too loud for a bedroom or living room. The speaker was perfect for a day at the park, and provided good output power. If you need a speaker for a larger room or for a multi-person venue, you may need a larger speaker.
My kids loved a trampoline dance party jamming to Kids Bop, “Witch Doctor,” “Wooly Bully,” and Imagine Dragons. My wife and I listed to several tracks from Alabama, “Purple Rain” by Prince, and to the Bohemian Rhapsody, Star is Born, and Rocketman soundtracks. I trialed several of the App EQ settings, created a custom EQ, and ultimately returned to the XBass mode. For most users, the App will not provide much beyond a few minutes of toggling. You will likely find yourself using the speaker/phone without the app.
Buttons:
After testing the sound quality, I played around with the buttons and Bluetooth connection. I appreciated the linear button design, reactive tactile controls, and the white-on-black contrast with the three main buttons. A short press of the power button will turn the device on/off. Once connected, you can short-press the “ – ” or “+” buttons to reduce or increase the volume, respectively. A short press of the central button will play/pause your music or answer/end a call. Double pressing the central button will move to the next track, while a triple press will replay the last track. Pressing the central button for 2 seconds will reject a call or activate the voice assistant. The Bluetooth parameters allowed solid control of the speaker via phone and vice versa.
Battery/Use:
The battery life proved more than sufficient for our needs. I was able to listen to the speaker for around 2 hours per day for over a week and still had 50% power. After about two weeks of regular use, the speaker’s power level dropped to about 15%. I charged it using the included USB-A to USB-C cable and found that it took approximately 4 hours to charge to full capacity. The device can also serve as an emergency battery backup in a pinch, but can only output using the USB-A port, and only if >20% speaker power remains. I was disappointed that the USB-C port was only capable of input power and could not output power for charging of modern USB-C devices. I plugged a Klein Tools Multimeter into the USB-A port and a USB-A to USB-C cable into my iPhone 16 Pro Max. Starting at 8:23 PM at 57% power and the speaker at 70% power, my phone increased to 60% by 8:36 PM, and the speaker dropped to 60%(5.03V/1.45A). Unfortunately, the speaker’s auto-power off terminated the charging process after 15 minutes. I resumed charging at 8:37 PM (5.03V/1.46A), and by 8:51, the speaker powered off again. My phone’s battery level increased to 67%, while the App displayed the speaker’s power at 50%.
Overall Feel:
I was impressed with the Bluetooth range, which allowed me to control the speaker functions throughout my two-story home. I was able to navigate to the front/back of my home and still use the speaker on the back porch. To further test the output, I watched a few movies on Movies Anywhere, HULU, and Netflix. We watched/listened to Wicked, and sang along to the songs from several Disney movies. I used a USB-C to HDMI adapter and projected LILO and Stitch for my kids (Movies Anywhere). We used the speaker via Bluetooth Mode and enjoyed the movie/music, before seeing the new live-action version in the theater. I did not experience any lag, video-sound disjunction, or other issues with YouTube, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, Netflix, or Disney+.
Although the Tribit StormBox Lava may not meet the needs of high-end audiophile-grade gear, its price-to-quality ratio and design made me feel confident enough to take it out for a spin. We used it at a baseball practice session, around the trampoline, at the park, and during a rain party. If you have watched the weather over the last few months then you know that the Midwest has not missed out on its fair share of rain. My daughters loved the IP67 rating and had fun shaking it off with Taylor Swift. I was thankful that they included both a shoulder strap and carry handle. The handle was easy to install and allowed for improved maneuverability. Although I liked the shoulder strap, the device was a bit too heavy when walking and would bang against my hip.
The only major negative points for the speaker were the weight exceeding 5 pounds and the auto-off feature when attempting to charge a USB device. I understand the need to preserve battery and appreciate the power-off function when idle. However, I would have assumed that the device would know that it was outputting power and would continue to charge. With so many devices transitioning to USB-C standards, the StormBox Lava speaker could have gotten away with a single USB-C port and eliminated USB-A entirely. Or, at least, the device should output via USB-C. I liked that the device could provide ~5V/1.45A output and charged my Pro Max iPhone ~10% in 30 minutes (4685mAh battery total).
This device may be perfect for a tailgate session, for car camping, for a dorm, for a porch party, a day at the pool/lake/beach, but is not ideal for lightweight day trips, camping, or backpacking. As far as sound output is concerned, I would rate the speaker at a solid 8.5/10, bass output 8.5 (7.5 without XBass), 8 for blend, 7.5 for accessories, maybe a 7 for the App. The App added a little bit of flexibility with the settings, ability to upgrade firmware (simple button press), remaining battery life, and to gain additional EQ presets/customization. With up to ~24 hours of battery time, and the ability to charge to full overnight, the speaker will be ready to enhance your next activity.
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