Review: We test a party speaker that turns any room into a disco

The Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 is designed to put people in the party moodThe Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 is designed to put people in the party mood
The Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 is designed to put people in the party mood | Tribit

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Consumer technology writer Gareth Butterfield puts the Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 party speaker through its paces

Portable Bluetooth speakers are quietly developing to become all the party speaker you'll ever need. I say quietly, they're actually incredibly loud. More on that in a moment.

Gone are the days when you'd need a stackable hi-fi system in the corner of a room to get the party started, and it almost feels as if the days of big, upright wheeled speaker boxes are numbered too. Because it's quite remarkable how much grunt a little boom box has now.

They're the modern-day Ghetto Blaster, then. Only instead of a dual cassette deck and an FM Radio they now have a cluster of cutting-edge speakers, programmable lights, the very latest Bluetooth, submersible water resistance and battery life measured in days rather than hours.

It's quite heavy and bulky, but that's because of its huge power outputIt's quite heavy and bulky, but that's because of its huge power output
It's quite heavy and bulky, but that's because of its huge power output | Tribit

The latest of these portable speaker systems I've been testing is the StormBox Blast 2, by a company called Tribit. And it's a bit of a bargain.

Its recommended retail price is £199.99, but you can tick a box on Amazon at the moment to apply a £50 discount. So it's basically £150. And that puts it among some very serious competition.

Thankfully, though, the StormBox Blast 2 brings plenty of solid attributes. It's an upgrade of a previous model, the StormBox Blast, and it's a hefty thing.

Thanks to its IP67 waterproof rating, it can cope with being splashedThanks to its IP67 waterproof rating, it can cope with being splashed
Thanks to its IP67 waterproof rating, it can cope with being splashed | Tribit

It weighs the best part of 9kg, and that's largely because of its cluster of big speakers. There's an 80W subwoofer, dual 45W mid-range drivers, and two 15W tweeters.

I'll do the maths for you, it adds up to 200w, and that's a lot. The impact of this setup is quite remarkable, with a really deep bass, crisp high notes and very little missing in the way of frequencies.

Audiophiles would probably pick fault with its slightly muddy mid-range, but for pumping out big sound, filling a room, or livening up a garden party, it's actually brilliant.

And then there's the lighting. The Tribit app makes customising the speaker fun. It's easy to connect and easy to use, and you can set things up how you like.

The karaoke mode is great funThe karaoke mode is great fun
The karaoke mode is great fun | Tribit

The colours and patterns can be synced to the pulse and rhythm of the music, or you can pick a favourite colour in the app to adhere to the theme of your party.

It also has a karaoke mode, which harnesses the two microphone inputs and some control dials to overlay your voice over your favourite backing track.

And then there's a USB socket, so you can use the speaker as a huge power bank. That feature is helped by its huge 79.92Wh battery, which offers up to 30 hours in optimal conditions.

Among its many modes and settings is an "X3D" mode, which uses an algorithm to make the sound more immersive. It makes up for a lack of stereo separation, but I must admit, I didn't use it all that much.

The most impressive thing about the StormBox Blast 2 is its sheer power. It's at its best when turned right up. That's when the tweeters are at their best and you get the most out of your music track.

And, given it's designed to be at the centre of any great party, turning it up loud is exactly what you'll want to do.

For the money, it's really hard to pick fault with it. It's a great bit of kit.

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