Download Boom Box Toolbox
Cleopatra Elland
Tribit is known for its affordable smaller Bluetooth speakers that deliver very good sound quality and features for the price. Its new Stormbox Blast speaker is its first Bluetooth boom box speaker, and it delivers mostly impressive sound for its size and also has a built-in light show and USB-out charging.
Battery life is very good. It's rated at up 30 hours at moderate volume levels. And the speaker has an IPX7 rating, which means it's fully waterproof. Again, like the Soundcore by Anker Motion Boom Plus, the Tribit Stormbox Blast is a good value that measures up well from a sound standpoint against more expensive JBL boom box speakers that arguably offer superior styling.
Tribit is known for its affordable smaller Bluetooth speakers that deliver very good sound quality and features for the price. Its new Stormbox Blast speaker is its first Bluetooth boom box speaker, and it delivers mostly impressive sound for its size and also has a built-in light show and USB-out charging.
Like the UE Hyperboom (see below), this has a USB-out port that allows you to charge external devices like your phone, and there's also an analog audio input if you want to go wired and connect a device without using Bluetooth connectivity (the Hyperboom adds an optical digital input).
For outdoor use, I like the design of the Boombox 3 better than UE Hyperboom. The portable Bluetooth speaker is easier to carry around and just looks more like an outdoor speaker. It's also fully waterproof and dustproof with an IPX67 rating (the previous model was waterproof but didn't have a dustproof rating).
With the JBL Boombox 2, I felt that the speaker, while well-designed, didn't quite live up to its expensive price tag from a sound quality standpoint. The Boombox 3 is still pricey, but its sound now has a more premium quality to it -- for portable boomboxes anyway. And if you have really deep pockets, you can link two together to create a stereo pair (or link several together to cover a wider area with sound).
With the JBL Boombox 2, I felt that the speaker, while well-designed, didn't quite live up to its expensive price tag from a sound quality standpoint. The Boombox 3 is still pricey, but its sound now has a more premium quality to it -- for portable boomboxes anyway. And if you have really deep pockets, you can link two together to create a stereo pair (or link several together to cover a wider area with sound).
Released in 2021, the PartyBox 110 packs some serious punch and delivers bigger sound than some of the portable boombox speakers on this list, including JBL's own Boombox 2 (see below). There's an integrated handle for toting the speaker, but the PartyBox 110 is pretty hefty, weighing in at 23 pounds and measuring slightly more than 22 inches tall. You can put this bluetooth boom box up vertically as shown in the picture above or place it horizontally, as it has rubber feet on both sides of the speaker.
Anker's Soundcore Motion Boom is what I'd call a mini portable boombox speaker. It's kind of a poor man's version of JBL's well-regarded Xtreme 3 speaker, which lists for $350. Equipped with a handle and weighing a little over 4 pounds, the speaker reminds me of one of those giant flashlights or "floating lanterns" that were in vogue about 30 years ago. For the record, the Motion Boom actually does float and it's got an IPX7 waterproof rating.
Anker says the Motion Boom delivers "huge stereo sound" and, yes, this portable bluetooth speaker plays pretty loud and has a decent amount of bass with reasonable clarity -- but I wouldn't call it huge and there's not much stereo separation (I kept the bass boost on at all times because the speaker sounds better that way.) It can't compete against bigger and more expensive speakers like JBL's Boombox 2 ($500) and Ultimate Ears' Hyperboom ($400), but it packs a lot more volume and punch than more compact Bluetooth speakers like JBL's Flip 5 that cost around the same. It also travels well, so it's ideal for a beach excursion or a little tailgating. It also can be used as a backup battery to charge your smartphone or other mobile device.
The newer Motion Boom Plus (see above) does offer a significant bump in sound quality for about $65 to $75 more, depending on pricing fluctuations. If you can afford it, the Motion Boom Plus is the better option. If you want to go smaller, the Anker Soundcore Motion Plus Bluetooth speaker delivers very good sound for its size. It's not a Bluetooth boombox, however, and doesn't feature an integrated handle like the Motion Boom and Motion Boom Plus.
Anker's Soundcore Motion Boom is what I'd call a mini portable boombox speaker. It's kind of a poor man's version of JBL's well-regarded Xtreme 3 speaker, which lists for $350. Equipped with a handle and weighing a little over 4 pounds, the speaker reminds me of one of those giant flashlights or "floating lanterns" that were in vogue about 30 years ago. For the record, the Motion Boom actually does float and it's got an IPX7 waterproof rating.
Anker says the Motion Boom delivers "huge stereo sound" and, yes, this portable bluetooth speaker plays pretty loud and has a decent amount of bass with reasonable clarity -- but I wouldn't call it huge and there's not much stereo separation (I kept the bass boost on at all times because the speaker sounds better that way.) It can't compete against bigger and more expensive speakers like JBL's Boombox 2 ($500) and Ultimate Ears' Hyperboom ($400), but it packs a lot more volume and punch than more compact Bluetooth speakers like JBL's Flip 5 that cost around the same. It also travels well, so it's ideal for a beach excursion or a little tailgating. It also can be used as a backup battery to charge your smartphone or other mobile device.
The newer Motion Boom Plus (see above) does offer a significant bump in sound quality for about $65 to $75 more, depending on pricing fluctuations. If you can afford it, the Motion Boom Plus is the better option. If you want to go smaller, the Anker Soundcore Motion Plus Bluetooth speaker delivers very good sound for its size. It's not a Bluetooth boombox, however, and doesn't feature an integrated handle like the Motion Boom and Motion Boom Plus.
I went back and forth comparing the sound of the two speakers. While I liked the JBL's sound a bit more because it came across as sounding a little clearer with better detail, the Sony pumps out a lot of bass -- it has a warmer, boomier sound quality that some people may prefer.
For outdoor use, I give the nod to the JBL's design. Both of these weigh 13 pounds, but the JBL is a little more natural to carry around. It's got the handle, the tubular design -- it looks like it belongs outdoors. The Hyperboom's got a thick rubber strap and it kind of feels like you're carrying a big pitcher of something really solid. It's boxy and understated, and it looks a little more at home indoors.
The Hyperboom is splashproof with an IPX4 rating while the Boombox 2 is fully waterproof with an IPX7 rating. (I put them out in the rain and they both survived without issues.) Like the Boombox 2, this has a USB-out port that allows you to charge devices like your phone and it also has analog audio input if you want to go wired and connect a device without using Bluetooth. However, the Hyperboom adds an optical digital input. That means you can connect it to a TV, PC or game console with an optical output. You can also toggle between two Bluetooth connections and it has a built-in microphone that calibrates the speaker's sound to wherever it is, inside or outside.
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