Many best Bluetooth speakers will sell themselves on their durability: IP67 ratings, survivable drop distances, and rubber grilles are often touted as key selling points, leading you to believe that a speaker can survive picnics, barbecues, hikes, bike rides, and more.
As a result, most people who buy portable party players will do so for their ability to continue in harsh conditions (or, at least, to continue after some sort of water-related accident). Compact sizes and high output power allow these speakers to perform in a range of outdoor and social environments.
So when I recently received the Tribit Stormbox Micro 3 for testing, I knew I didn’t want to just stick it in the corner of my desk and listen to it for a few hours. I wanted to take him somewhere that would really challenge him.
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Luckily, my testing period coincided with a trip I was scheduled to take. More specifically, I was traveling to a remote cottage deep in Wales, to shoot a short film. Over the course of a week, we would be working and relaxing in one of the rainiest places I’ve ever had the pleasure of working, and I needed something that would keep the mood going during filming and after each day was over.
I like to use trips like this as an opportunity to test new technologies. So I made sure the Stormbox Micro 3 would take pride of place in my backpack, alongside the Samsung Galaxy A57 (and some headphones I haven’t finished reviewing yet), to put it through this week-long test. (Naturally, I forgot to take photos during the trip, so you see the Tribit on a sunny picnic afterwards).
A (Tri)bit on the Stormbox Micro 3
Oh, did I forget to officially introduce this new speaker to you? It’s the follow-up to the five-star Tribit Stormbox Micro 2, as a portable pocket speaker as many brands offer.
It’s a small and portable item, weighing 330g, with a useful strap that you can use to carry the item or use it to attach to a backpack or bike handlebar. The battery lasts up to 24 hours in one go.
Audio-wise, it puts out 13W, which is a bit more punch than what most of these very small speakers offer. It offers a nice amount of bass for the size, especially with a bass booster button that amplifies it a little more, but I would have liked more treble in certain songs.
What I really like is the fluid design. My partner owns the LG
The Micro 3 is much easier to remove (although it immediately sank to the bottom of my 85 liter hiking backpack during my trip to the mountains).
The wet test
One of my filming days was entirely outdoors, but even when we were filming indoors we had to go outside to set up lights or cameras through the windows. And when we weren’t filming, people naturally went out to stretch their legs, take a walk or enjoy the nice weather.
Unfortunately, anyone who has spent time any high area, can tell you how changeable the weather can be. It was sunny one moment and torrential a few minutes later, and it was so bad that I had to cut some scenes to prevent my cast and crew from getting sick.
I didn’t have to show the same concern for the Tribit, however. I left it outside sometimes, only for the sun to turn into rain clouds in the blink of an eye. On more than one occasion, I would go inside, only to return to a speaker facing an unexpected deluge.
Sometimes it can mean the end of technology. I’m sure many of us have lost gadgets to unexpected rain showers, and that’s probably why the myth of the rice drying solution is so prolific.
However, the Stormbox seemed unaffected by his unexpected watering. The name really started to make sense after I accidentally wet it, and it continued to play music successfully.
At one point, an unexpected strong gust of wind knocked him off the branch I’d perched him on, and even his brief brush with gravity (and the muddy hills of Eryri) left no mark (except a bit of mud).
I really appreciate something as protected as the Tribit because it removes a worry when traveling or vacationing. It will keep running, even if I forget to take care of it.
A treat (for the ears)
I’m not a cruel tech owner, I promise, and I leave the speaker in from time to time.
The Stormbox Micro 3 was used the most after filming ended each day. I was not only the director but also the producer, making sure all the cast and crew ate well, which meant cooking and serving a hearty meal for everyone, while also making sure everyone was relaxed and having a drink to unwind. I was a very busy host.
When I cooked, I attached the Tribit to a cupboard handle so it could maintain the ambiance while I worked on the stove. I’ve tested other gadgets with carrying handles — including the Lenovo Yoga Tab 13, which was flexible enough to hang from the handles — and I like their versatility. The Tribit’s hook allowed me to hang it on all kinds of objects, placing it wherever I wanted.
Specifically, it meant I could keep the Micro 3 out of the way. Even though it’s a small enclosure, counter space can be limited in a busy kitchen, and I needed every inch of it for pots, pans, and cutting boards.
This is where I used the bass boost button the most. If people are exhausted from working all day, some good vibrations are very helpful and people are not as interested in the audio nuances of highs and mids. In fact, one guest took it upon himself to operate the bass knob himself, because that’s what everyone wanted.
The kitchen-dining room wasn’t huge, but two adjoining rooms are probably the exact size you could fill with the Stormbox. A speaker of its size won’t fill a cavernous dining room or large garden, but it was perfect for self-contained cottage rooms like these, where people will be close together.
This principle could extend to this entire trip. The Tribit may not be the largest or most powerful speaker on the market, but its size was perfect for a group trip like this, so we could take a music player with us that we didn’t have to worry about. I didn’t even charge it all week, because apparently 24 hours is enough.
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