Short answer: the Tribit Stormbox Lava if you want bass, the XB23 if you want balance. The Tribit’s standout is fantastic bass extension, though it is quite heavy for its size. The Sony XB23 is reasonably neutral, but its bass drops off a ton at high levels. The Sony XB23 is discontinued; its replacement is the Sony ULT Field 1.
Buy the Sony XB23 ($100) for a medium speaker; the Tribit Stormbox Lava ($139.99) suits a large speaker instead.
Battery life favors the Tribit Stormbox Lava: rated for 24 hours against 12 hours for the Sony XB23.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Prices on this page were last checked November 7, 2026 at 7:34 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.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Sony XB23 | Tribit Stormbox Lava | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $100 Discontinued | $139.99 |
| Ranked | #82 of 179 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #3 of 120 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 67Hz | 44Hz |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Maximum SPL | 95dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) | 108dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) |
| Party Mode | Yes (Party Connect up to 100 speakers) | No |
| Weight | 1.3 lbs (580 g) | 5.2 lbs (2.37 kg) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 | 5.4 |
| Dimensions | 3” x 8.6” x 3” (76 x 218 x 76 mm) | 12.2” x 5.8” x 6” (310 x 147 x 152 mm) |
| Amplifier Power | 8W RMS | 80W |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC | AAC, SBC |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| EQ | Yes (3-band: bass, mid, treble) | Yes (10 band) |
| App | Yes (Sony Music Center) | Yes |
| Drivers | 2x 42x51mm X-Balanced racetrack drivers + 2x passive radiators | 2x 70mm woofers, 2x 30mm tweeters |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IP67 |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| Aux Input | No | Yes |
| TWS | Yes | Yes |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes | Yes |
| Strap | Yes (detachable strap) | Yes (detachable shoulder strap) |
| Aux Latency | - | 20ms |
| Bluetooth Latency | - | 128ms AAC, 144ms SBC |
| Power Bank | - | Yes (USB-A) |
| Frequency Response | - | 43Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
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