The Soundcore Motion Boom Plus retails for $179.99, has four drivers and is IP67 dust- and water-resistant. It features a wide handle and comes with a carrying strap, even though it’s probably not heavy enough to actually need the strap to get it from one location to another.
This new generation of the Tribit StormBox Blast has a similar look to Soundcore’s offering, with a central handle for carrying, but it lacks the strap—despite its being heavier than the other speaker. The StormBox Blast retails for $199.99 and is rated to keep it safe while submerged in water. As a bonus, it has 32 colored lights for ambiance and volume level visual cues.
Each of these speakers has a slight edge on the other in some way, even if minimal. So they are both worthy of consideration. While there are already dozens of solid Bluetooth speakers for listening to music at the beach, pool or wherever summer may take you, Soundcore and Tribit adds these two new, respectable additions to the list of contenders.
Soundcore Motion Boom Plus
The Motion Boom Plus offers 80 watts of power through two woofers and two tweeters. The speaker should get 20 hours of listening time. It also pairs with the Soundcore app for future firmware updates and tweaks to the EQ.
Because of its IP67 dust and water rating, it’s made to be outside. The speaker’s exterior design isn’t particularly homey, either. Its wide handle certainly facilitates moving it around, and there’s very little heft to the unit.
The first time I fired up the speaker and connected it wirelessly to my phone, I was pleasantly surprised by the overall crispness of the song I played. I found the speaker to provide a clean and detailed sound. While listening, I thought the Motion Boom had deep enough bass to be satisfying, but the music began to hollow out as the volume was raised past the 50-percent level. This was most noticeable in direct comparison with hearing the Tribit Storm Blast.
Listening time is estimated at 20 hours. That duration will vary based on volume level, but I experienced plenty of length from the battery. In casual use, the speaker ran for about two weeks before I needed to recharge it. Some days I listened for hours at a time while other days were only once through an album or playlist. As long as you charge up before any planned event, the battery life shouldn’t be a problem.
Tribit StormBox Blast
Tribit was not a company I was familiar with a few years ago, but they have been steadily building some respectable products. I was a big fan of the company’s small StormBox Micro 2 speaker when I tested it earlier this year. This new StormBox Blast goes the other way in size, making it less portable than the StormBox Micro 2—but much more impressive in its sound capabilities.
This speaker produces 90 watts of power for sound and has a noticeable presence across the frequency spectrum. I played the same song on the StormBox Blast and the Motion Boom Plus for direct comparison, and I was immediately drawn to the depth and richness of the Tribit speaker. It can raise to a higher volume before showing any signs of weakness in its sound quality, too. This is likely thanks to its higher wattage.
Although the music sounded better when I flipped back and forth between the two, the StormBox Blast wasn’t without its tradeoffs. For example, the speaker is heavier. The extra weight could make a difference when hauling it by hand for long distances. It also has a slightly more expensive retail price.
One aspect I appreciated in my time with the StormBox Blast was its front lights. While I don’t particularly need flashing visuals when I listen to music, the lights also serve as a volume indicator when it’s increased or decreased. It was also nice to get a sense of how much headroom I was working with when changing the volume.
Which Speaker Is for You?
The speakers may have a similar style and features, but I think there’s enough to differentiate them. Overall Tribit’s speaker has the edge when it comes to entertaining larger crowds or covering more area because of its better sound quality at an increased volume. It also has a longer battery life, at 30 hours, compared with the Motion Boom Plus’s 20 hours.
On the other hand, the Motion Boom Plus weighs 5.29 pounds against the StormBox Blast’s 11.57 pounds, making it much easier to bring along to a park or similar destination. The Motion Boom Plus can still produce a crisp and detailed sound to give your music some sparkle, too.
People should be happy with either selection, but casual listeners taking their Bluetooth speaker wherever they go should pick the Soundcore Motion Boom Plus. Anyone who wants more thump from their speaker’s bass, should probably go with the Tribit StormBox Blast.
Newsweek may earn a commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. We participate in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.
