A Budget-Alternative To The Bose SoundLink Flex
Tribit’s Stormbox Flow is a direct competitor to the Bose SoundLink Flex (and Flex II), as well as Soundcore’s Motion 300. It’s a relatively compact Bluetooth speaker designed for use around the home or outdoors, and at $79.95, it’s not going to break the bank. I spent some time testing this speaker and this is what I found…
Key Takeaways
- Durable design with IP67 waterproof rating and metal grille.
- Loud, clear sound with decent bass for the size.
- Simple controls with EQ and stereo pairing buttons.
- Long battery life. Up to 25 hours playback.
- Great value alternative to the Bose SoundLink Flex.
Stormbox Flow
What I Like:
- LEDs that show button locations in the dark
- Clean asthaetic lets it fit in anywhere
- Affordable alternative to the Bose SoundLink Flex II
- Long-lasting battery
- Gets louder than I expected
What I Don’t Like:
- Loses audio quality at high volume
- No high-definition codec support
Design: Simple, but classic
- Minimalist look, similar to the SoundLink Flex and Motion 300.
- Sleek controls complement the understated style.
- Feels premium, with a classic, unobtrusive shape.
The Stormbox Flow isn’t necessarily a speaker that grabs one’s attention, resembling a lot of other models on the market, including the Soundcore Motion 300 and Bose SoundLink Flex, for example. Still, it’s a good-looking speaker that is designed with a minimalist approach, even down to the controls, which I’ll talk about in more depth below.
Durability: Built to last, indoors and outdoors
- Metal grille adds toughness, though scratches may chip paint.
- IP67 rating protects against dust, rain, and submersion.
- Withstood a 30-minute submersion test with no issues.
It feels great in the hand, to be honest. There’s a hefty weight to it, which makes it feel high-quality and durable. The front grille is made from metal instead of plastic, which allows it to take a few knocks with ease. However, one should keep in mind that metal surfaces tend to cause paint to chip away if scratched, meaning one should still avoid drops where possible.
Water isn’t going to be an issue with this speaker. An IP67 water-resistance rating ensures use in rain around swimming pools and even in them. Although I wouldn’t recommend dragging your speakers into the pool regularly, they can theoretically survive up to 30 minutes in water up to a meter deep.
I submerged it in a fish tank for 30 minutes to see how accurate the claim is, and the speaker came out playing perfectly.
Portability: Relatively compact, but not exactly a light speaker
- Compact, but slightly heavier than the JBL Flip 7.
- Removable carry loop adds convenience for travel.
- Easy to carry despite its dense build.
The Tribit Stormbox Flow isn’t a particularly large speaker, but at around 8” long and weighing 1.47 lbs, it is still a step up from something like the JBL Flip 7, which is a touch smaller and lighter. It’s not that this speaker is particularly challenging to carry around, though, especially with the removable and replaceable carry loop.
Controls: Easy To Reach And Well-Thought-Out
- Button layout is intuitive and well-placed.
- EQ and pairing buttons are easy to access.
- Hidden LEDs improve button visibility without ruining the design.
All the controls are located at the top of the speaker and consist of a power button, Bluetooth pairing button, a series of playback controls (volume down, play/pause, volume up), and on the right is an EQ toggle and a multispeaker pairing button. The play/pause button can also skip tracks when pressed twice, or go backwards when tapped three times in succession.
Having an EQ button built into the controls is something I’m a massive fan of. It just makes it a lot simpler to change how the speaker sounds on the fly. The addition of a pairing button on the speaker itself is also a welcome touch, as I hate having to remember button combos to achieve basic functionality.
I’m usually not a fan of when manufacturers don’t color their buttons, and only the three playback control buttons are colored with the Stormbox Flow. However, Tribit approached this in a smart way that I can respect. Instead of sacrificing the minimalist design by painting the buttons or making it impossible to see what one’s pressing, they found the perfect compromise.
There are small LED lights just behind these hard-to-see buttons that made it easy for me to use the speaker, even if I couldn’t see the button icon itself.
Multispeaker Pairing: Supports True Wireless Stereo
- Supports TWS stereo and mono Party Mode.
- Pairs with select Tribit models only.
- Dedicated button makes pairing quick and simple.
Although this speaker doesn’t connect to broad setups with multiple speakers, it does offer a couple of useful multi-speaker options when using either the Tribit XSound Plus 2, Stormbox 2, or another Stormbox Flow.
It can be paired together with one additional speaker in TWS, where left and right audio play separately through each speaker, or connected in Party Mode, where each speaker plays in mono.
Again, having an on-speaker button for this is awesome.
Bluetooth: Efficient connections that stay connected
- Bluetooth 5.3 ensures stable, long-range connections.
- Handles walls and distance without dropouts.
- Low latency works fine for casual video watching.
With Bluetooth 5.3, you’ll get a reliable connection, even at range. It’s not super low latency, but I found I could easily watch YouTube videos without noticing issues with the syncing.
To test how strong the Bluetooth signal was, I placed my phone in a neighbouring room with brick walls between and even at a range of 10 meters, through the wall, the speaker kept playing.
The Tribit Mobile App: For More Control From Your Phone
For additional control over the EQ, including a 5-band custom EQ, you can use the Tribit app available on Apple and Android. This app, while relatively simple, has its own playback controls, a battery life indicator, and a comprehensive EQ settings area. There’s no multispeaker pairing area, though, so for that, you’ll still just need to use the buttons.
Sound Quality: Impressive for its price
- Punchy bass for its size, but not as bass-heavy as the SoundLink Flex.
- Clear mids, though detail drops at high volume.
- Can be positioned upright or facing forward.
To test the sound quality, I ran a frequency response test and listened to some of my favorite tracks across a multitude of genres, and this is what I found…
Despite being a pretty small speaker, it’s able to produce good bass, which, while not very deep, has a decent punch to it. This helps bring electronic music to life and highlights the production style found in a lot of modern hip-hop.
How To Read a Frequency Response Chart
When I listened to more nuanced classical or indie tracks, the speaker performed well, but some subtle details got lost as the volume was increased. Most listeners wouldn’t notice this difference, but from a tester’s perspective, it’s something small worth noting.
The midrange frequencies are mostly balanced, which allows vocals to remain clear. There are a few small dips and peaks in the frequency response chart, but these variations are common for most speakers of this size. Comparatively, its sound is great for its price, but it falls a bit behind the more expensive Bose SoundLink Flex II, for example.
The highs are good, but not great. As you can see on the frequency response chart, it has a drop-off in treble presence and some inconsistencies, which is what causes some of those small details to get lost in the mix.
I like how it can be played facing towards the listener, or set with the drivers facing upwards, on its rubber stands for a broader sound spread.
Volume: Can easily cover a small room, but the dynamic range is limited
The volume of this speaker blew me away. After initially listening to it, I had to get it in front of my measuring mic, where at 1 meter I measured up to 93.8 decibels, making it one of the loudest speakers of its size that I’ve tested. For perspective, the Bose SoundLink Flex II produces close to 89 decibels.
But it’s not a perfect speaker. There is noticeable compression at higher volume levels. To test the dynamic range, I played one of my favorite tracks (Thrice – Hurricane) and slowly increased the volume with a decibel meter, measuring the volume level.
The speaker retained detail best up to 82 decibels, whereafter the details in the song start to suffer a bit. It remained very listenable up until about 86 decibels, whereafter the compression caused electric guitars to become harsh.
Battery: Long-lasting battery that lives up to the manufacturer’s claims
- Reaches up to 93.8 dB—very loud for the size.
- Best clarity below 82 dB.
- Some compression and harshness above 86 dB.
The Stormbox Flow is rated to last for up to 25 hours of playtime, but often manufacturers’ estimates are on the high side and assume a listening volume of 25%. However, Tribit is often conservative with their battery life claims, and when testing the speaker, I found I could reliably get around 23 hours of battery life at moderate volume and around 15 hours when played louder.
Overall, the battery performance deserves praise, as it outperforms many new, similarly sized releases, providing close to an additional 5 to 8 hours of playtime.
Charging is done via a USB-C port, located on the side of the speaker. I found that it could charge from 0 to 100% in just over 3 hours.
Another cool feature of the charging port is that it doesn’t just charge the speaker, but can also charge your mobile phone. A simple USB-C to USB-C charging cable can accomplish this.
Value & Alternatives
There’s no getting around that the Stormbox Flow is a budget alternative for those considering the Bose SoundLink Flex or SoundLink Flex II. And truth be told, it does have most of the same qualities. It’s very similar in its design, holds equally strong waterproofing, and has a significantly longer battery life.
However, when it comes to sound quality, especially close to peak volume, the Bose SoundLink Flex II sounds better. It’s got more detail, bass, and clarity, especially when played loud. But is it a massive difference that’s worth the significant price increase? That depends on who you ask.
Another very similar speaker is Soundcore’s Motion 300, which deserves a full direct comparison. But the Motion 300, like the Bose, has a bit more clarity than the Stormbox Flow. Its battery falls short, though, in comparison.
If you’re truly seeking the best-sounding of the three speakers, go with the Bose. But if you’re looking to save a little money while still getting 80% there, you won’t be disappointed with the Stormbox Flow. It has outstanding value for its price tag of $89.95
Conclusion
The Tribit Stormbox Flow is a great speaker; it follows a tried and tested design formula and does so while also being durable. The long-lasting battery and high volume potential are two key highlights that, when paired with the affordable price, make this speaker rather enticing as an everyday Bluetooth speaker for use around the home, garden, or used on weekend adventures.
