Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 review: two-minute review

The Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 is a true bass-heavy behemoth. This is the sequel to Tribit’s massively successful boombox speaker that won plenty of plaudits here at TechRadar (and beyond). But this speaker is much more than just a refined version of its predecessor, packing in a new, curved design and even karaoke functionality.

Let’s run through a few new sparkly additions and upgrades here. Yes, you’re getting karaoke, with dual-wireless or wired mic support, as well as built-in volume and reverb controls. On top of that, the Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 has an improved IP67 dustproof and waterproof rating, meaning it's suitable for almost any environment, from beachside to pool party. That’s not to mention you also get Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity and incredible 200W power output this time around.

But let’s drill down into the most important area – sound. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 is another hit in the audio department, supplying controlled, earth-shaking bass that even beats out many of the best Bluetooth speakers. And thunderous bass is certainly the main attraction here, with an XBass option available if you want to go crazy with low-end output, maybe excessively so.

All-round audio quality is strong too; you’ll be able to hear individual instrumental elements clearly, with commendable levels of separation. You may find that the soundstage can get a touch cluttered at the highest of volumes, but otherwise, you’ll be in for an enthralling, bass-heavy listen, ideal for parties or outdoor events.

Even running on battery power, this speaker has double the output power of its predecessor, the Tribit Stormbox Blast, meaning you’ll get some serious volume. For those who crave more power, or perhaps want left/right channel stereo separation, you can pair a second model up to this speaker, too. And there are a bunch of other excellent features accessible via the Tribit app, including broad EQ options and LED light customization.

Speaking of the Stormbox Blast 2’s lights, they’re a tad classier in this iteration, but similarly illuminate the speaker’s drivers and edges. The overall look of this speaker is certainly an improvement on its predecessor, though, thanks to a curvier look – it’s not quite as blocky or clumsy looking in my view. But something that’s going to be divisive here is this speaker’s hefty nature. It’s a whopping 19.2lbs / 8.7kg, meaning it’s even weightier than the already heavy Stormbox Blast – an achievement in itself.

But there are some more practical elements to its design, including a USB-A port for charging external devices, the choice to charge with an AC adapter or USB-C cable and an incredible 30 hour battery life. There’s no voice assistant once more, meaning you won’t be able to bark orders or take calls hands free and there’s no option to connect over Wi-Fi either – perhaps to be expected at this price point – but overall, this is a well-designed speaker with plenty of nifty features to keep you entertained.

So, then, is the Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 worth its $299 / £257 (about AU$490) price tag? I’d say so. The true highlight is its excellent bass output, which is perfect for elevating the atmosphere at a house party or similar setting. It's a heavy beast and audio quality takes a bit of a dip at top volumes, but these issues aren’t dealbreakers as far as I’m concerned. In terms of value, it’s hard to look past the original Tribit Stormbox Blast, which you can grab for around $150 / £150 on sale, but if you want the additional power and karaoke functionality, I can certainly recommend the Tribit Stormbox Blast 2.

Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 review: price and release date

• $299.99 / £257 (about AU$490)
• Launched in October 2024

The Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 was released in October 2024 and carries a list price of $299.99 / £257 (about AU$490). However, I’ve already spotted it going for a little bit less. For instance, at the time of writing, the Stormbox Blast 2 is on sale for less than $240, so it’s worth keeping an eye out for price cuts.

At the $200-$300 range, the Stormbox Blast 2 is something of a mid-range option. It’s certainly not the cheapest Bluetooth speaker out there – the Anker Soundcore Boom 2, for instance – is often available for less than $100 / £100. But some similarly sized speakers can set you back significantly further. Take the JBL Boombox 3, for example, which commands a high list price of $499.95 / £373.

Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 review: specs

Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 review: features

• Microphone ports
• Generous 30 hour battery life
• Customizable lights

There’s a lot to like when it comes to features on the Tribit Stormbox Blast 2. A lot of that comes down to the easy-to-use Tribit app, which opens the door to a bunch of options. For instance, there are a bunch of EQ presets: including XBass (which can be activated on the speaker) and genre specific options like Jazz or Rock. There’s also an X-3D preset for those seeking out more expansive, spatial audio. If you’d rather curate your own sound, you can save multiple personalized EQ calibrations and use a five-band equalizer to get your preferred tuning.

In addition, you can customize the lights on the Stormbox Blast 2 and set up three personalized looks. You can adjust which lights illuminate – including the side lights, light bars or middle light, which colors appear, brightness and whether they’ll flash to the rhythm of bass, treble or bass and treble. Alternatively, you can turn them off altogether if you’re hoping to save battery or want a more low-key listening sesh.

Speaking of battery, you get plenty here. You can expect as much as 30 hours of playtime if you listen at 50% volume with XBass and lights switched off. That will be more than enough to keep the party running into the early hours. In addition, this speaker can function as a power bank thanks to a USB-A output port. There’s a USB-C port for charging too, but it will take 12 hours to get to 100% using this, instead of the far superior 5 hours required when AC charging.

All of this is good and well, but there’s an elephant in the room here. Yes, that’s right, the Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 can double up as a karaoke machine. You can connect two microphones up with the 6.35mm wired ports, or just go wireless if you really want to show off. You can adjust volume and add reverb with built-in controls too. It’s worth noting, however, that there were no microphones to be found in the box here – you’ll need to purchase them yourself, separately.

There’s even more on offer with the Stormbox Blast 2 – an AUX port for wired listening, nice and up-to-date Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity and voice prompt options. Really, there’s not much I can criticize here. Tribit has again opted to exclude voice assistant compatibility with this model, which would be a nice-to-have feature at the least. And maybe I’d prefer the USB out port to be upgraded to USB-C for speedier external charging. But otherwise I was delighted with what the Stormbox Blast 2 had to offer. No moaning session required.

• Features score: 4.5/5

Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 review: sound quality

• Booming bass output
• Decently clear mids and controlled highs
• Not quite distortion-free at high volumes

As soon as I turned this giant of a speaker on, there was one thing that struck me instantaneously: gigantic bass, which hit with ground-shaking impact. Now, in part, that’s because the XBass feature – for enhanced low-end output – was on by default. I opted to switch this off to start with, however, so I could get a slightly more balanced sound out of the Stormbox Blast 2. And sure enough, I kept this speaker in the XBass Off EQ preset for the majority of testing, as it provided a huge helping of bass without overshadowing other sonic elements.

I started my testing by listening to Diamonds On the Soles of Her Shoes by Paul Simon and the bass thump was extremely rhythmic and deep. However, vocals were still nicely defined in the mix and the looping guitar riff running throughout had a pleasing degree of subtlety. Similarly, when tuning into Disco Ulysses by Vulfpeck, I found the decay of snare hits to be agile and the tone of the choppy electric guitar to be accurate at mid-volumes. The commanding, groovy bassline was deliciously deep and high-pitched piano trills were separated nicely, making for a surprisingly nuanced, cohesive and straight up enjoyable listen.

Despite offering solid all-round audio, it really is about bass with this speaker. I could make out every deep, dark note in The Boys Are Back In Town by Yung Gravy – something that a lot of cheaper competitors won’t be able to accomplish. And with XBass on, the imposing boom of the track’s sub-bass was mesmerizing – still, I’d recommend using this feature sparingly as it’s very bass dominant.

More generally, you’ll struggle to find a similarly-sized competitor that can outdo the Stormbox Blast 2 in the bass department, but I tried putting it side-by-side with the Earfun UBoom X for comparison. I sifted through a ton of House tracks, such as Relentless by Grant Nelson, but the UBoom X was no match for the Stormbox Blast 2, which had more controlled, deep low-end output, as well as better overall balance. Specifically, percussion and intermittent vocals were slightly muffled with the UBoom X, with its domineering bass taking all of the limelight, whereas the Stormbox Blast 2 offered more adept separation, despite maintaining well-needed emphasis on the low-end.

You won’t experience perfect audio output with the Tribit Stormbox Blast 2, however. At high volumes, clarity can take a slight dip. For instance, I listened to I Want You by Moloko – which had intoxicatingly deep bass and breathy vocals when listening at low-medium volumes, but when I cranked things all the way up to 90-100%, the soundstage got a little bit bloated, with sounds in the mid-range and low-end getting slightly muddied. I didn’t experience tinny or abrasive audio, however, not to mention the fact that this speaker gets extremely loud, meaning you’ll rarely listen with volume turned up this high.

Given its not-so-budget price, some may also hope to find ‘hi-res’ audio codec here, such as LDAC for Android users. However, there’s no such thing available with the Stormbox Blast 2, which only supports SBC – not even AAC. Don’t let that put you off, though, as plenty of budget audio tech includes fancy codecs, but with little to show in terms of quality.

This Bluetooth speaker combines an 80W subwoofer with dual 45W mid-range drivers and 15W tweeters. That means you’ll be able to get a maximum power output of 200W here, that’s if you’re using it while connected to a power source – otherwise you’ll get 180W. Either way – it gets loud, really loud. So much so, that you almost certainly won’t need to double up for added volume – though pairing to a second model is handy for those seeking out stereo sound.

Ultimately, this is intended to be a party speaker and it serves that purpose incredibly well. You get ground-shaking, yet well-regimented bass and enough loudness to send your neighbors into a frenzy. And although you won’t get the most detailed listen in the world, especially at top volumes, that’s a pretty small sacrifice to make for the boom that will bless your eardrums.

• Sound quality score: 4.5/5

Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 review: design

• Still chunky, but more curved this time around
• Lights look classier too
• IP67 rated

When we reviewed the original Tribit Stormbox Blast, design appeared to be its Achilles heel. Why? Well, our reviewer wasn’t a huge fan of the in-your-face LED lights or chunky build – fair enough. So, does the Stormbox Blast 2 make up for such shortcomings? Well, sort of.

The LED lights haven’t disappeared, but I’d argue that they look a bit classier this time around. The side bars go for a smoother look, rather than LED strips reminiscent of health bars. And generally, the lights illuminate this speaker’s drivers nicely while syncing up to audio output, making for a more immersive, exciting listening experience. If you still aren’t a massive fan, you can turn them off and save yourself some battery life – win-win, right?

As far as build goes, this is still a very hefty and, admittedly, fairly plasticky speaker. It’s not got the most gorgeous looks to its black casing and has a decently chunky handle once more, perhaps to be expected given its weight. However, this time around, you’re getting a smoother design overall. The speaker has a more curved look, making it far sleeker than its predecessor. The bass radiators still don’t go crazy, unlike those on the JBL Xtreme 4 for instance, but they do rumble when things get bassy.

So, you do get an upgrade in the looks department, but you also get a highly practical product. The Stormbox Blast 2 is a step-up on its IPX7 predecessor – this one’s IP67-rated, meaning it now has a high dustproof rating and can compete with some of the best waterproof speakers. That makes it a great candidate for beach-side listening, for instance, while its waterproofing also means it can withstand being submerged under a meter of water for up to 30 minutes – pretty cool, right?

And to top it all off, the Stormbox Blast 2 has some nifty controls and ports built-in. There are buttons for adjusting power/volume, pairing with another speaker and toggling XBass/Lights on and off. Behind a rubber panel, you can access the charging and microphone ports, as well as karaoke controls. This speaker really does have it all.

• Design score: 4/5

Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 review: value

• More of a mid-range price tag
• Significantly more pricey than the original Stormbox Blast
• But for the audio quality and features on offer, it’s still worth it

I’ll get to the point, you can find plenty of rival speakers for considerably less than the Tribit Stormbox Blast 2. This is no budget option, carrying a list price of $299.99 / £257 (about AU$490). There are a ton of large options available for around $100 / £100, such as the aforementioned Earfun UBoom X and Anker Soundcore Boom 2.

But will they offer as much quality and versatility as the Stormbox Blast 2? No, not in my view. There’s the obvious – this speaker can double up as a karaoke machine if you want to belt out some of your favorite tunes. But there’s also the fact that this model delivers more regimented, powerful bass, cleaner all-round audio and a rock-solid build.

Those factors make it worth the extra cash in my view and if you can catch it for closer to $200 / £200 in a sale, you’re getting excellent value for one of the best party speakers around. It is worth noting, however, that its excellent predecessor can be found for around $150 / £150 – that’s an incredible deal well worth considering if you’re not all-in on karaoke and don’t need quite as much power output.

• Value score: 4/5

Should I buy the Tribit Stormbox Blast 2?

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Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 review: also consider

Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 review: how I tested

• Tested for one week
• Mainly used in our music testing space at Future Labs
• Predominantly tested using Tidal

I listened to the Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 for hours on end in our music testing space at Future Labs. During my time with the speaker, I played a ton of tunes from my own music library as well as tracks from the TechRadar testing playlist, which I use to assess performance across a variety of genres. When listening to music, I connected to the Stormbox Blast 2 with the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE and mainly played songs via Tidal.

In addition, I listened to a podcast on Spotify and watched video content on YouTube in order to judge vocal clarity across different platforms. When appropriate, I used the Earfun UBoom X to compare audio quality, design elements and usability.

• First reviewed: January 2025
• Read more about how we test

KEF LSX II LT: one-minute review

The KEF LSX II LT is an attempt to democratise (a little) the sound and tech expertise that has put KEF has among the front-runners where the ‘entire hi-fi system in a pair of speakers’ category is concerned for almost a decade now.

The KEF LSX II LT is a streaming sound system contained in two compact, good-looking and beautifully finished loudspeakers. A system that’s capable of handling high-resolution digital audio information from any source you care to mention – including your TV. A system that sounds detailed and organized, dynamic and rhythmically adept. A system that digs deep into the frequency range and summons quite startling low-frequency presence while it offers clarity at the opposite end to rival any of the best wireless speakers.

It’s not perfect, of course – how could it be? Its dimensions dictate that it struggles to fill larger listening spaces with sound, which is understandable. It goes without any analog inputs, which means it may not be suitable for some people – its bigger brother, the LEF LSX II, has them (and see the Kanto Ren for a vinyl-friendly alternative, just without Wi-Fi). But as long as these shortcomings don’t impact on your specific use case, it’s hard to raise meaningful criticism here – this absolutely ranks among the best stereo speakers for wireless hi-res fans.

KEF LSX II LT review: Price and release date

The KEF LSX II LT wireless active speaker system is on sale now, and in the United Kingdom it sells for £899. It goes for $999 in the United States, while in Australia it’s yours for AU$1,699.

Thanks in no small part to KEF's efforts in the wireless stereo area, the LSX II LT is not without competition. DALI, Klipsch and Q Acoustics (to name just a few) have similarly specified alternatives with which to tempt you.

Probably most notably, for slightly less than the KEF, you can get the Kanto Ren or the larger floorstanding Q Acoustics M40 HD cost around the same as the tiny KEFs. So even though these are KEF's cheapest option, they're not super-cheap still.

KEF LSX II LT review: Features

• Uni-Q coaxial drivers
• 200 watts of Class D power
• Plenty of input options

Higher up its model ranges, KEF is now onto the 12th generation of its distinctive Uni-Q speaker driver arrangement. The LSX II LT, though, uses the same 11th generation unit as is fitted to the larger KEF LSX II. This means a 19mm aluminium dome tweeter is positioned in the center of a 115mm magnesium/aluminum mid/bass driver – this arrangement precisely positions the acoustic center of each unit in an effort to deliver optimum time-alignment. Each tweeter receives 30 watts of Class D power and each mid/bass driver 70 watts, delivering a claimed frequency response of 54Hz - 28kHz.

There’s a hierarchy of units in each pair of LSX II LT speakers, of course. The primary unit is home to dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0 with SBC and AAC codec compatibility, as well as an Ethernet input, an HDMI ARC socket, digital optical and USB-C inputs as well as a pre-out for a subwoofer and a power connection. Apple AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, and UPnP devices are all available, and the KEF Connect control app can host Amazon Music, Deezer, Qobuz and internet radio too. A second USB-C slot, grouped with all the other socketry below the neat bass reflex port on the rear of the speaker, is for connecting this primary speaker to its partner – which gives you flexibility in terms of cable length.

Digital audio file compatibility is extensive, and the LSX II LT can deal with file resolutions of up to 24bit/384kHz via a network connection. The USB-C and digital optical inputs can handle 24bit/96kHz stuff, and the HDMI ARC tops out at 16bit/48kHz. Incoming audio information is pored over by KEF’s ‘music integrity engine’ signal processing algorithms before resampling to 24bit/96kHz resolution.

This is a pretty thorough line-up of features for a product of this type, it’s true - but I can’t help hankering after an analogue input or two. Apparently the best record players are all the rage again, and it might be nice to be able to incorporate one with a wired connection… they'll work with a Bluetooth turntable, though.

• Features score: 4.5/5

KEF LSX II LT review: Sound quality

• Deft, entertaining sound
• Plenty of detail and frankly unlikely dynamism available
• Lacking a little where sheer scale of sound is concerned

The KEF LSX II LT is hardly the only digital audio system that does its best work when given some nice big hi-res audio files to deal with; so as long as you have some appropriate content on network-attached storage or via one of the best music streaming services that offers meaty quality, the KEF will give you everything it’s got.

Which, in the final analysis, turns out to be plenty. A 24bit/96kHz FLAC file of Arooj Aftab’s Last Night streamed via TIDAL Connect is agile, entertaining and utterly convincing – tonality, from the top of the frequency range to the bottom, is nicely neutral and consistent, and the LSX II LT never understates or overcooks any aspect of it; the sweep from top to bottom is smooth and believable. Detail levels are high at every turn, and the KEF has plenty of relevant observations to make about the timbre and texture of instruments or voices at every turn.

Despite the speakers’ unpromising dimensions and the bog-standard amount of power available, the system manages quite impressive low-frequency punch and substance. Bass sounds hit respectably hard, dig impressively deep, and are never less than properly controlled where the leading edge of sounds is concerned – and so it never has any problems expressing rhythms or handling tempos.

The LSX II LT communicates unequivocally through the midrange, which means vocalists of all types have their character and disposition made obvious. And at the top of the frequency range, the speakers attack with crisp determination (although without ever threatening to get splashy or hard, even if you like to listen at the upper limits of the volume the KEF is capable of).

There’s a fair amount of dynamic headroom available too, so even when a recording (or a movie, if you’re using the HDMI ARC socket) shifts it up from ‘basically silent’ to ‘all-out attack’ the system is able to make the differences obvious. Lower-level dynamic harmonic variations get the same sort of attention, too, so there’s convincing expression of the fluctuations evident from note to note when listening to a solo instrument.

That the LSX II LT is short of outright scale can’t be denied, but it creates a fairly extensive soundstage and organizes it really well. There’s adequate room for even more complex recordings to be laid out coherently, and the system demonstrates positivity and confidence in this regard. There's more than enough space for each element of a recording to stretch out without being impacted on by any other element – but, at the same time, the LSX II LT presents recordings as a unified whole.

• Sound quality score: 5/5

KEF LSX II LT review: Design

• Choice of unusual finishes
• 240 x 155 x 180mm (HxWxD)
• Mildly interesting cabinet shape

As with its more expensive wireless speaker systems, KEF has commissioned Michael Young to see if a bit of mild ‘designing’ might be in order – and he’s created a speaker cabinet with very few parallel lines. All by itself, this is enough for the LSX II LT to stand out among all its boxy rivals – the fact that the shape is acoustically optimized doesn’t do any harm either.

At a tidy 240 x 155 x 180mm (HxWxD) per speaker, the LSX II LT will sit happily on a shelf or desktop, as long as power is reasonably close by – or there are stands available if you prefer. The available finishes (sage green, stone white and graphite grey) only add to the decorative quotient.

• Design score: 5/5

KEF LSX II LT review: Usability & setup

• App or remote handset control
• Primary speaker needs power connection
• Speakers must be connected by a cable

Between the KEF Connect control app (free for iOS and Android) and the little remote control handset that comes as part of the system, getting what you want from the LSX II LT is easy. The app covers off all the obvious stuff, and more besides – you can finesse EQ settings, integrate your LSX II LT into a smart-home system, designate the primary speaker as the ‘left’ or ‘right’ channel (great flexibility in the placement), access your local media servers, set volume limits and plenty more.

The remote control, meanwhile, just takes care of the obvious ‘play/pause’, ‘skip forwards/backwards’ ‘volume up/down/mute’, ‘power on/off’ and input selection stuff.

As far as ‘setup’ goes, there’s really nothing to it. The primary speaker requires mains power, and needs connecting to the secondary speaker using a length of USB-C /USB-C cable. After that, it’s simply a question of making physical connections to your source devices and integrating your favourite streaming service(s) into the app if the ‘Connect’ version isn’t already supported.

• Usability score: 5/5

KEF LSX II LT review: Value

• Superb sound for the price
• Easy and flexible to set up
• Small size and lack of analog may be limiting

There’s unarguable value on offer here, no two ways about it. As a combination of facilities and functionality, industrial design, usability and out-and-out sound quality, it’s hard to lay a glove on the KEF LSX II LT.

Unless you have analog sources you’d like to listen to, or you live in an aircraft hangar, it’s difficult to raise a meaningful objection to what your money buys you… these are premium speakers that can satisfy audiophiles, at a very fair price for that quality.

• Value score: 4/5

Should I buy the KEF LSX II LT?

Buy it if…

Don't buy it if…

KEF LSX II LT review: Also consider