Short answer: the Stormbox Lava on sound per dollar, the JBL Xtreme 5 if you want the removable battery. They rank #2 and #3 of 117 large speakers and are separated by $259.96, and the Lava reaches deeper, measuring 44 Hz against the Xtreme 5’s manufacturer-specified 40 Hz. The Xtreme 5 buys more output, IP68 and 28 hours, Auracast pairing and a replaceable battery, but it has a hole in the mid-upper bass that cannot be EQ’d out.
The Lava reaches deeper. It measures 44 Hz, and for a $139.99 speaker that is remarkable. The Xtreme 5’s specified 40 Hz is a manufacturer figure rather than a measured one. Both have some low-bass boost; the Lava also has peaks in the treble and upper mids, and both benefit from EQ.
What the Xtreme 5 buys you:
- A removable battery. The single strongest argument here. Every other large speaker becomes landfill when the cells die; this one does not.
- More output. 90 W RMS on the woofer against the Lava’s 80 W total, and considerably more headroom outdoors.
- Auracast pairing with the rest of the current JBL range.
- IP68 and 28 hours against IP67 and 24.
- USB audio, which the Lava lacks.
What the Lava buys you: an aux input the Xtreme 5 does not have, 2.37 kg (5.2 lbs) against 2.9 kg (6.4 lbs), a 10-band EQ against 7, and $259.96 back.
One flaw worth knowing about the Xtreme 5: it has a hole in the mid-upper bass that cannot be EQ’d out. Boosts can be dialled back; a dip the driver never produced cannot be filled in.
Buy the Lava unless you specifically want the removable battery, the extra outdoor volume, or Auracast. On sound per dollar it is not a close contest.
Buy the Xtreme 5 if you want the best large portable that exists and intend to keep it for a decade. The replaceable battery is what makes that plausible.
Still deciding? The full Portable Bluetooth rankings cover every ranked option.
A large waterproof speaker with deep bass, wide, clean sound at volume and a removable 28 hour battery.
A loud, waterproof large speaker with strong bass, a long battery and an aux input, for far less than its rivals.
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Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Xtreme 5 | Tribit Stormbox Lava | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $399.95 | $139.99 |
| Ranked | #2 of 117 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #3 of 117 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes |
| Aux Input | No | Yes |
| Battery Life | 28 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| EQ | Yes (7 band) | Yes (10 band) |
| IP Rating | IP68 | IP67 |
| Maximum SPL | 110dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) | 108dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) |
| Party Mode | Yes (Auracast) | No |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C, 5V/3A) | Yes (USB-A) |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Removable Battery | Yes | - |
| TWS | Yes | Yes |
| Weight | 6.4 lbs (2.9 kg) | 5.2 lbs (2.37 kg) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, LC3 | AAC, SBC |
| Built-in Microphone | No | Yes |
| Stereo | Partially (1 woofer) | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| Bluetooth Version | 6.0 | 5.4 |
| Dimensions | 13.6” x 6.5” x 6.1” (346 x 165 x 155 mm) | 12.2” x 5.8” x 6” (310 x 147 x 152 mm) |
| Drivers | 98x145mm woofer, 2x 20mm tweeters + 2x passive radiators | 2x 70mm woofers, 2x 30mm tweeters |
| Frequency Response | 40Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 43Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Amplifier Power | 1 x 90W RMS Woofer + 2 x 20W RMS Tweeter (AC power mode) 1 x 60W RMS Woofer + 2 x 15W RMS Tweeter (Battery mode) | 80W |
| Digital Aux Input | Yes (USB-C) | No |
| Strap | Yes (detachable shoulder strap) | Yes (detachable shoulder strap) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 43Hz (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) | 44Hz |
| Aux Latency | - | 20ms |
| Bluetooth Latency | - | 128ms AAC, 144ms SBC |
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