Tribit StormBox Micro review

Our Verdict

The Tribit StormBox Micro Bluetooth speaker packs a lot of sound into a very portable package.

For

Minor and lightweight
Good bass for a small-scale speaker
H2o resistant

Confronting

No app
Limited battery life

Tom's Guide Verdict

The Tribit StormBox Micro Bluetooth speaker packs a lot of audio into a very portable package.

Pros

+
Pocket-size and lightweight
+
Good bass for a modest speaker
+
Water resistant

Cons

-
No app
-
Limited battery life

The Tribit StormBox Micro shows that sometimes, the best quality in a Bluetooth speaker is being pocket-sized and easy to acquit. Information technology'due south inexpensive, too: at a mere $50 this could exist a dandy option for someone looking to upgrade on their phone speakers with a express budget.

Equally a consequence of being both pocket-size and affordable, it'due south not exactly loaded with extras. But it doesn't strictly demand them: equally our Tribit StormBox Micro review volition explain, this is 1 of the best cheap Bluetooth speakers on the marketplace.

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Tribit StormBox Micro review: Price and availability

The Tribit StormBox Micro is i of the cheapest Bluetooth speakers around; or at least of the cheapest good ones. Information technology costs $fifty, and is available in both blackness and orange colorways.

You can purchase it from Amazon, or directly from Tribit.

Tribit StormBox Micro review: Design

The 3.9 10 3.9 10 ane.4-inch StormBox Micro isn't the smallest Bluetooth speaker you'll find, but it'south pocket-size enough. It's comparable to the 5.4 x three.8 x 1.8-inch JBL Prune three. At 0.vi pounds, it's too lite plenty to stash in your handbag without weighing you down.

Available in black or orange, the unit doesn't experience or look cheap. The top of the square speaker is covered in a mesh, while the dorsum is encased in a sturdy plastic. A plastic strap is integrated into the dorsum; you can unhook ane cease to loop information technology around a backpack strap or bike.

On the front of the speaker, you lot'll find controls for volume and a multifunction button that can play/pause songs, skip tracks and actuate Siri, among other things. The bottom features the power button, bombardment indicator and Bluetooth pairing push. A USB-C port on the correct side is for charging the bombardment.

Unlike the Prune 3, the StormBox Micro lacks an auxiliary input — it's wireless or nada with this model.

Tribit StormBox Micro review: Performance

Don't let its small size fool you: The StormBox Micro delivers very good sound for a speaker this size. It has especially impressive bass, something few micro Bluetooth speakers tin can manage — including the Clip three. It also spreads sound fairly wide for a small-scale speaker. The StormBox Micro doesn't have as bright of a audio as the Clip 3, all the same.

Taylor Swift's voice came through clearly on "the final great american dynasty," and the bass was full, though the keyboards lacked some definition. Fiona Apple tree'southward singing was vibrant on "Shameika," and the little speaker handled the layers of instruments well. The bass on Jason Isbell's "What've I Done to Help" was rich, as were his vocals, though the strummed acoustic guitars didn't come up through as prominently as they exercise on larger speakers.

The StormBox Micro has decent power — I measured it at about 90 decibels at full book. Simply it gets distorted as you turn it up. It performs best when you keep the volume to l% or less — around 75 to fourscore decibels.

Tribit StormBox Micro review: Ruggedness

With an IP67 rating, the StormBox Micro tin withstand both water and dust. Yous tin can nail it with h2o, but it shouldn't be submerged.

I ran it under the faucet for a few seconds without any impairment. Past comparison, the Clip 3 has amend h2o resistance and can be submerged in water.

Tribit StormBox Micro review: Battery

The StormBox Micro can play for up to eight hours on a full accuse. That's a little less than many portable Bluetooth speakers; for case, the Clip 3 is good for ten hours. Later listening for more than 5 hours at low book, the StormBox Micro had about 2/5ths of its power left, meaning that the eight hours the company claims is pretty accurate.

Tribit StormBox Micro review: Wireless and Setup

The StormBox Micro paired easily with my telephone and maintained a strong connectedness from 100 feet abroad indoors. It can connect to two devices simultaneously, allowing yous to easily switch who is playing tunes.

The speaker lacks an app and doesn't offer any sound modes — yous get what you become when it comes to the audio.

You tin link together 2 StormBox Micros to spread the sound wider, either having both mirror the music or functioning as left/right stereo speakers.

Tribit StormBox Micro review: Verdict

The Tribit StormBox Micro is an splendid value and its modest size makes it nifty for listening on the go. Information technology delivers a sound that is bigger than you'd look and it produces adept bass. While the audio lacks some detail, information technology produces better overall audio than the JBL Prune 3. You have to step up in price and cede size if you desire something that sounds fifty-fifty better; the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2 is fuller and richer overall, but information technology'southward besides slightly bigger and more expensive.

The StormBox Micro doesn't accept many bells and whistles; it's just a elementary portable Bluetooth speaker that'south affordable, easy to take with you and sounds good. And sometimes that'southward exactly what you want.

Michael Gowan covers soundbars, TVs, portable speakers and other audio- and video-related topics for Tom's Guide. He's written nearly music and technology for more than 20 years for a raft of publications including Wired, Men'due south Journal, PC Globe and Macworld. When he'due south non reviewing speakers, he's probably listening to one anyway.