Tribit StormBox Micro BT competes squarely with so many smaller BT speakers that we had to find the point of difference. It turns out there are several.
First, if you have not heard of Tribit, then they are a relatively new brand to Australia. And that means they have established a website, local support and comply with the Australian Consumer Law warranties that make them a very safe purchase along with other brands like Ultimate Ears, JBL and Sony.
Second, they are inexpensive – never say cheap – and dare we say it more realistically priced. The Tribit X Sound Go (review here 4.6/5) is $51.69 plus freight, has a 24-hour battery, IP67 waterproof and sounds incredible for its diminutive size.
Third, Tribit has nailed its distinctive sound signature- a resonating bass, solid treble and balance all around.
Finally, add all that up – quality, design, and price, and it’s a name you should remember – like Tribbles!
Tribit StormBox Micro BTS10
- Australian Website here
- Tribit global site here
- Price: $87.99
- From: Tribit online
- Warranty: 12-months full ACL including freight to/from Tribit
- Tribit (Est 2017) has a team of sound engineers and designers focused on bringing good sound for the masses at prices they can afford. The Australian office and support is evidence of its long term intentions.
First impression – PASS+
Perhaps we should start with who it is for. IP67 waterproof means outdoor use. A handy rubber back strap means it will attach to bike handlebars, a belt or backpack. With a single 9W speaker it will reach 80dB easily with low distortion – good for personal music. And it’s a handsfree speakerphone as well.
It is rugged in an elegant way – black nylon woven 98.3mm square x 34.8mm height x 290g.
Speaker – mono – PASS+
It has a single 40mm full-range driver and 2 x passive radiators. Stated frequency response is 70Hz-20kHz.
And our tests show that it is almost right. Bass starts at 70Hz and peaks at 107Hz where it is a classic flat response right through to about 16kHz.
This is a warm and sweet sound signature verging on mid-centric and frankly almost impossible for a small waterproof, sealed speaker like this to achieve. In case you don’t know what the various sound signatures are read here.
Volume is an easy 80dB with low levels of distortion.
Battery – PASS+
The 2600 mAh battery takes about 3.6 hours to charge from a 5V/1A charger. You can use any higher amperage USB-C PD charger, but it only marginally speeds up charging.
At 50% volume, it lasts 8.15hrs. At 75% volume that drops to 6.45hrs and 100% around 5hrs. Five small LEDs tell you battery life.
IP67 – PASS
It will withstand 1 metre for 60 minutes, but it does not float.
Stereo and Party-mode – not tested
You can pair two in stereo or Party mode
BT 5.0 – PASS+
It can pair to up to eight devices and auto-pair with an active device. It can also connect to two devices simultaneously.
BT at 10m was quite strong. It started to drop out at 25m. And as a bonus it has SBC and AAC codecs.
Handsfree – PASS
The multi-function button can summons a voice assistant, answer/reject/hang-up phone calls and switch between two calls.
Handsfree is adequate – callers noted that I was not as clear as I should be.
GadgetGuy’s take – Tribit StormBox Micro BT speaker is another successful speaker from Tribit
Its rugged, waterproof and has a better sound than it should. And it is very well priced.
