Short answer: the Marshall Tufton for battery life, the Skullcandy Barrel for a cleaner balance. The Tufton runs 20 hours, recharges fully in 2.5 hours and gets 4 hours from a 20-minute top-up, but its upper bass is boomy, its treble is boosted and it isn’t very balanced overall. The Barrel is IPX5 with a synced LED lightshow, though its bass isn’t as deep as the top ranked speakers.
Buy the Skullcandy Barrel. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Marshall Tufton and costs less, which makes it the one to get unless you need something the other one does better.
Battery life favors the Marshall Tufton: rated for 20 hours against 12 hours for the Skullcandy Barrel.
There is a real gap in water resistance: the Skullcandy Barrel at IP67 (brief submersion) against the Marshall Tufton, which has IPX2 (light drips).
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Skullcandy Barrel | Marshall Tufton | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $162.18 | $378.99 |
| Ranked | #55 of 90 in Boombox Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #76 of 90 in Boombox Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | ~50Hz | 42Hz |
| Stereo | Yes | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | Yes |
| Weight | 11.9 lbs (5.4 kg) | 10.8 lbs (4.9 kg) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC |
| App | Yes (Skullcandy app) | No |
| EQ | Yes (App EQ) | Yes (hidden bass and treble adjustment) |
| TWS | Yes | No |
| Party Mode | No | No |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| USB Playback | No | No |
| Built-in Microphone | No | Yes |
| FM Tuner | No | - |
| Amplifier Power | 60W | 80W |
| Dimensions | 11.8” x 22.1” x 9.6” (300 x 560.1 x 243.8 mm) | 9” x 6.4” x 13.8” (229.1 x 163.1 x 350 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 20mm drivers | 1x 5.25” woofer + 2x 2” full-range + 1x 16mm tweeter |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IPX2 |
| Maximum SPL | 104dB (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Lights | Yes | - |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Aux Input | Yes | Yes |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | - |
| Strap | - | Yes (built-in strap) |
Related Speaker Comparisons
How Skullcandy Barrel compares with other leading options:
- Tribit Stormbox Blast vs Skullcandy Barrel
- JBL Partybox Encore 2 vs Skullcandy Barrel
- JBL Partybox Encore Essential 2 vs Skullcandy Barrel
- JBL Partybox Encore vs Skullcandy Barrel
- JBL Partybox Encore Essential vs Skullcandy Barrel
Prices on this page were last checked October 2, 2026 at 10:18 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
The Two Speakers In Full
Skullcandy Barrel: $162.18 Amazon eBay
Pros: Water-resistant (IPX5) with LED lightshow synced to music. 12 hour battery life. Bass Boost mode. Multi-Link feature connects up to 99 speakers. Doubles as phone charger. Measured bass extension of ~50Hz (-10dB).
Cons: Not as deep bass as the top ranked speakers. Not as loud as the top ranked speakers. Rolled off treble.
Full Skullcandy Barrel review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 60W |
|---|---|
| App | Yes (Skullcandy app) |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | ~50Hz |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 |
| Built-in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 11.8” x 22.1” x 9.6” (300 x 560.1 x 243.8 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 20mm drivers |
| EQ | Yes (App EQ) |
| FM Tuner | No |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Lights | Yes |
| Maximum SPL | 104dB (Manufacturer specified) |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | Yes |
| USB Playback | No |
| Weight | 11.9 lbs (5.4 kg) |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Triple Threat Match 🔺 SkullCandy Barrel XT, Tribit Blast & Tronsmart Bang Max 📛 Bluetooth Boombox 🔋 More from JaysStraightUpReviews →
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Skullcandy Barrel XT Boombox vs. JBL Partybox Encore Party Speaker.🛜 How Low Can You Go?😲
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Skullcandy Barrel XT Bluetooth Boombox Speaker 📦 Unboxing, First Look & 🔉 Sound Demo
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Skullcandy BARREL XT vs JBL Boombox 3 🤯Budget Banger vs Reigning Champ 🔋 Battery Powered 🏠 Indoors
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Skullcandy Barrel XT vs Soundcore Rave Party 2 (Stock & Custom EQ) 🛜 Battery Powered🔋Let’s Get It🧨
- Jagist reviews: Unboxing Of The Skullcandy Barrel XT More from Jagistreviews →
- Jagist reviews: W-king X20 Vs Skullcandy Barrel XT!!! 🤔😋
- Jagist reviews: W-king X20 Vs Skullcandy Barrel XT!!! 🤔😋
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Skullcandy Barrel XT vs ONN Medium Party Speaker Gen. 2 😬(Both Bass Boost On🔉) The Price is Right?🤑
- Josh’s Gadgets and More: Skullcandy Barrel XT vs ZZA K8 sound comparison
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Skullcandy Barrel vs Sony ULT Field 7
- Skullcandy Barrel vs Yeahbox Sonic Boom Max 3
- Skullcandy Barrel vs Soundcore Rave Party 2
- Skullcandy Barrel vs Onn Medium Party Speaker Gen 2
- Skullcandy Barrel vs Gemini GRV-650L
- Skullcandy Barrel vs JBL Partybox On the Go
- Skullcandy Barrel vs W-King T11
- Skullcandy Barrel vs Sony SRS-XG500
- See all 56 comparisons
Marshall Tufton: $378.99 Amazon eBay
Pros: 20 hour battery life; 2.5 hour full charge, or 20-min quick-charge for 4 hours of play. 3-way speaker design covers full frequency range in 360°. Sturdy construction with IPX2 rating. Measured bass extension of 42Hz (-10dB).
Cons: Not much lower bass, upper bass boomy, boosted treble, not very balanced overall. Not as loud as others in the class. Very low water rating
Full Marshall Tufton review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 80W |
|---|---|
| App | No |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 42Hz |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 9” x 6.4” x 13.8” (229.1 x 163.1 x 350 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x 5.25” woofer + 2x 2” full-range + 1x 16mm tweeter |
| EQ | Yes (hidden bass and treble adjustment) |
| IP Rating | IPX2 |
| Omnidirectional | Yes |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| Strap | Yes (built-in strap) |
| TWS | No |
| USB Playback | No |
| Weight | 10.8 lbs (4.9 kg) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons