Tribit has kicked out another Bluetooth speaker, this time upgrading the StormBox Micro. We reviewed the original, which was a pretty solid and compact speaker. The sound outpaced its small size, and like most Tribit devices, it hit a fairly attractive price point.
Now we’re checking out the StormBox Micro 2, which wants to improve on an already winning formula. Can it beat out its predecessor? Let’s find out.
Micro design
As its name implies, the StormBox Micro 2 is pretty micro. It’s not the smallest speaker on the market, but it is fairly miniature. Like the original, it sports a squared off design made of water resistant material. It’s IP67 rated for a few feet of submersion and can shake off dust without an issue. It’s not heavy at all, but is grippy enough that you can take it anywhere without worrying about how you’ll avoid dropping it.
There are three buttons up top that control playing and pausing music, plus volume control. A single USB-C port on the side of the speaker handles charging duty, and a rubberized strap along the bottom lets you stick this to a backpack or something else if you need to go mobile with it. All in all, pretty simple, and it comes in both black and orange.
It’s not hugely different from the original StormBox Micro, but I do appreciate the buttons on top of the speaker getting redesigned in white to stand out a little better. Otherwise you really won’t find much else worth talking about between the first and second generation of these devices.
Little speaker, big sound
Much like the original StormBox Micro, this speaker can put out a thumping sound that you would not expect from something this size. Tribit doesn’t struggle to punch out high quality audio from their speakers, and this one’s no exception.
They’ve upped the low end with the StormBox Micro 2, so you’ll get a very, very punchy speaker. Mids are smooth, but the top end does seem to be rolled off a bit this time around compared to the last attempt. This makes for an overall warmer speaker, and is arguably better for most music, but it’s just a tad worse for things like videos and movies, in my opinion. I’m a big fan of a V-shaped EQ, and this speaker rolls off just a little bit more than I’d like. Still a great sound, but definitely geared towards loudness and music playback.
Well-rounded speaker
Audio quality is still likely the most important thing for most users when picking out a speaker, but the other stuff is important, too. The StormBox Micro 2, fortunately, delivers on just about every front, so you’re not missing much going with something a little more compact.
Tribit promises about 12 hours of playback with 30 days of standby time from a single charge, even with music blasting. That’s pretty solid and should last you through all but the longest days. It uses a USB-C cable to recharge, so you can simply plug in your phone charger when you do need a little juice, and it works in reverse, too. Yep, the Micro 2 pulls double duty as a portable battery thanks to its intelligent charging system, so if you plug your phone in it’ll recharge your phone at the cost of some music playback time. Still, though, that makes it a very valuable choice when going camping or hiking, or just anywhere that your phone might need some extra screen time.
It’s IP67 rated for beaches, pools, and bathrooms, and gets loud enough for most parties. Bluetooth 5.3 keeps your connection to your phone strong and without skips, hitches, and the least compression possible, and promises a range of about 100 feet. It checks all the boxes you could want out of a Bluetooth speaker.
Worth it?
If you still own an original StormBox Micro, I’m not sure this upgrade is going to be loud enough to justify spending the extra money. It’s $10 more than its predecessor, and is technically better in every way, so we can say that it’s a worthwhile purchase if you’re looking for your first speaker or your old speaker has given up the ghost.
But at the end of the day, it feels like a StormBox Micro 1.5. It adds a bunch of things that are nice to have, but not necessarily exciting; recharging your phone, 1 extra watt of power, and Bluetooth 5.3 vs Bluetooth 5.0 are great, but not headlining features. Though that’s hardly a bad thing, and you’ll be hard pressed to find another speaker that checks all the boxes the Micro 2 does, it’s still just not a particularly exciting gadget this time around. Of course, phones aren’t either, and we still get hyped for new phone releases.
It’s more of the same, but we still fully recommend checking this one out.
