Short answer: the JBL Partybox Encore Essential for party sound, the Tribit Stormbox Blast if it needs to last. The Encore Essential is a great sounding, somewhat boosted bass party speaker with only 6 hours of battery at medium volume. The Blast is amazing for its size with bass almost as deep as a Partybox 100, though it lacks a bit of detail versus top ranked speakers and dips at 5.5kHz.
Buy the Tribit Stormbox Blast. It is rated higher for sound quality than the JBL Partybox Encore Essential and costs less, which makes it the one to get unless you need something the other one does better.
There is a real battery-life gap here: the Tribit Stormbox Blast is rated for 30 hours, the JBL Partybox Encore Essential only 6 hours.
There is a real gap in water resistance: the Tribit Stormbox Blast at IPX7 (brief submersion) against the JBL Partybox Encore Essential, which has IPX4 (splashing).
Want more options? Browse the full Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Tribit Stormbox Blast | JBL Partybox Encore Essential | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $179.99 | $329.95 |
| Ranked | #2 of 90 in Boombox Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #8 of 90 in Boombox Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes (Tribit App) | Yes (JBL PartyBox app) |
| Aux Input | Yes | Yes |
| Aux Latency | 0ms | 17ms |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 43Hz | 38Hz |
| Battery Life | 30 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 6 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC |
| Built-in Microphone | No | No |
| EQ | Yes (10 band) | Yes (3 band App EQ) |
| IP Rating | IPX7 | IPX4 |
| Bluetooth Latency | 66ms | 100ms |
| Maximum SPL | 108dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) | 110dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) |
| Party Mode | No | Yes (PartyBoost up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A) | Yes (USB-A, 5V/0.5A) |
| Power Input | AC Power cord | AC Power cord |
| Stereo | Yes | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| TWS | Yes | Yes |
| Weight | 12 lbs (5.45 kg) | 13 lbs (5.9 kg) |
| USB Playback | No | Yes |
| FM Tuner | No | - |
| Microphone Input | No | - |
| MicroSD Playback | No | - |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 5.1 |
| Amplifier Power | 90W RMS (140W peak) | 100W RMS |
| Dimensions | 15.7” x 6.3” x 9.1” (400 x 160 x 230 mm) | 10.9” x 12.9” x 11.5” (276 x 327 x 293 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x ~107mm (4.2”) woofers + 2x ~25mm tweeters | 135mm woofer + 2x 44mm tweeters |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Lights | Yes | - |
| Strap | No | No |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More top alternatives to Tribit Stormbox Blast:
- Earfun Uboom X vs Tribit Stormbox Blast
- Harman Kardon Go + Play 3 vs Tribit Stormbox Blast
- Tribit Stormbox Blast vs JBL Partybox Encore 2
- Tribit Stormbox Blast vs JBL PartyBox On-The-Go 2 Plus
- JBL Partybox Encore Essential 2 vs Tribit Stormbox Blast
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.
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The Two Speakers In Full
Tribit Stormbox Blast: $179.99 Amazon eBay
Newer model: the Tribit Stormbox Blast 2, ranked lower, rated 3.8/5.
Pros: Amazing speaker given its size, competes well with some speakers in the Party size class, bass almost as deep as a Partybox 100. Quite neutral in the default and xbass modes, but try Oluv’s EQ or Alan Ross’s EQ for a slightly more neutral sound. Oluv has mentioned v3.5 now uses his EQ as the defaults and sounds extremely good. 2 different light modes or can be turned off. Measured bass extension of 43Hz (-10dB).
Cons: Lacks a bit of detail compared to the top ranked speakers in other size categories, dip at 5.5kHz. Without the above EQ this speaker would rank around #4 in the rankings. The curved underside of the handle makes it a little harder to grip and can be uncomfortable to carry long distances.
Full Tribit Stormbox Blast review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 90W RMS (140W peak) |
|---|---|
| App | Yes (Tribit App) |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Aux Latency | 0ms |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 43Hz |
| Battery Life | 30 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Latency | 66ms |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 |
| Built-in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 15.7” x 6.3” x 9.1” (400 x 160 x 230 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x ~107mm (4.2”) woofers + 2x ~25mm tweeters |
| EQ | Yes (10 band) |
| FM Tuner | No |
| IP Rating | IPX7 |
| Lights | Yes |
| Maximum SPL | 108dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) |
| MicroSD Playback | No |
| Microphone Input | No |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A) |
| Power Input | AC Power cord |
| Stereo | Yes |
| Strap | No |
| TWS | Yes |
| USB Playback | No |
| Weight | 12 lbs (5.45 kg) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Alan Ross Reviews: Tribit Stormbox Blast Firmware Update 5.2 and other things……. More from alanrossreviews →
- Alan Ross Reviews: Tribit Stormbox Blast vs JBL Boombox 2 big bass boombox speakers 💕
- Alan Ross Reviews: pound for pound battle! WKing X20 D20 vs Stormbox Blast! OMG its a shocker!
- Alan Ross Reviews: Tribit Stormbox Blast compared to the 2022 StormBox Blast, i wasn’t expecting this!
- Alan Ross Reviews: Soundcore Motion x600 (best speaker ever) or two motion booms?
- Mateusz Cholewa: Tribit Stormbox Blast 🎶 🆚Deep BASS - Tribit Stormbox LAVA More from Mateusz Cholewa →
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Tribit Stormbox Blast 🆚 Sony SRS-XG500 - Tailgater Special - Battery Powered ☢️ Bass Boost Enabled. More from JaysStraightUpReviews →
- Alan Ross Reviews: Tribit Stormbox Blast or two Motion Boom Pluses for best cheap boombox?
- Alan Ross Reviews: Tribit Stormbox Blast or Harman Kardon Go+ Play 2 Mini by an old bloke!
- InFaze Audio: SPEAKER SHOOTOUT Does the Tribit Stormbox Blast Beat the InFaze Audio MS5CX?
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Soundcore Boom 2 Plus VS Tribit Stormbox Blast 🛜 Boombox Basement Battle 📊Custom EQ 🔥Who You Got?
- Alan Ross Reviews: Not quite! JBL Authentics 300 review and sound test vs Boombox 3, Encore and Stormbox Blast
- Techder Audios: Tribit Stormbox Blast VS Teufel Boomster "BASS VS FUNCTIONS!" More from techderaudios →
- Oluv Patreon: SoundBoks 4 vs Stormbox Blast - first impressions More from Oluv’Sone →
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: Tribit Stormbox Blast vs Earfun UBoom X, a PROPER sound test 😎
- Mateusz Cholewa: EarFun UBOOM X Deep Bass 🆚 Tribit Stormbox Blast🎶Review👌
- Oluv Patreon: Tribit Stormbox Blast vs Earfun UBoom X - outdoor test
- Oluv Patreon: Harman Kardon go+play 3 vs Tribit Stormbox Blast - outdoor soundtest
- Dominik Reviews: JBL Boombox 3 vs 2x Tribit Stormbox Blast 🤑 Huge difference? More from Dominik Reviews →
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: W-King X20 vs Tribit Stormbox Blast 🍿 Garage Battle of Boombox Speakers 🍻Custom & Standard EQ’s
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: W-King X20 vs Tribit Stormbox Blast 🍿 Garage Battle of Boombox Speakers 🍻Custom & Standard EQ’s
- Dominik Reviews: Sony ULT Field 7 vs Tribit Stormbox Blast Both good? 😂
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Bugani Boost Max vs Tribit Stormbox Blast - GhettoBlaster Battle 🏠Indoors 🔋Battery Powered
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Soundcore Rave Party 2 vs. Tribit Stormbox Blast - Bluetooth Speaker Basement ⚒ Battle
- Jagist reviews: Tribit Stormbox Blast vs Sony SRS XG 500 More from Jagistreviews →
- Alan Ross Reviews: Tribit Stormbox Blast or Soundcore Motion Boom Plus or W King D10? 🤪
- Alan Ross Reviews: Tribit Stormbox Blast Review vs Soundcore Motion Boom Plus - cheap bass!
- DLX Willington: Tough Game! Tribit Stormbox Blast vs Soundcore Motion Boom Plus Binaural sound samples More from DLXWillington →
- Alan Ross Reviews: Tribit Stormbox Blast or Soundcore Motion Boom Plus or W King D10? 🤪
- Jagist reviews: Tribit Stormbox Blast vs Altec Lansing Mix 2.0
- Alan Ross Reviews: Spatial Audio: Soundcore Motion X600 Vs Tribit Stormbox Blast
- Oluv Patreon: Audiocase S5 vs Tribit Stormbox Blast - first impressions
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Tribit Stormbox Blast vs Earfun Uboom X
- Tribit Stormbox Blast vs Harman Kardon Go + Play 3
- Tribit Stormbox Blast vs JBL Partybox Encore 2
- Tribit Stormbox Blast vs JBL PartyBox On-The-Go 2 Plus
- Tribit Stormbox Blast vs JBL Partybox Encore Essential 2
- Tribit Stormbox Blast vs JBL Partybox Encore
- Tribit Stormbox Blast vs Yeahbox Sonic Boom Ultra
- Tribit Stormbox Blast vs Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8
- See all 100 comparisons
JBL Partybox Encore Essential: $329.95 Amazon eBay
Newer model: the JBL Partybox Encore Essential 2, ranked higher, rated 4.3/5.
Pros: JBL Partybox Encore Essential uses 135mm woofer + 2x 44mm tweeters. Its 5.9 kg, claimed 6 hours (Manufacturer specified) battery life, IPX4 protection, aux input, up to 110dB and stereo playback make it a practical option for its intended room or portable use. Measured bass extension of 38Hz (-10dB).
Cons: Bass is limited by its 38Hz specification.
Full JBL Partybox Encore Essential review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 100W RMS |
|---|---|
| App | Yes (JBL PartyBox app) |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Aux Latency | 17ms |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 38Hz |
| Battery Life | 6 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Latency | 100ms |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 |
| Built-in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 10.9” x 12.9” x 11.5” (276 x 327 x 293 mm) |
| Drivers | 135mm woofer + 2x 44mm tweeters |
| EQ | Yes (3 band App EQ) |
| IP Rating | IPX4 |
| Maximum SPL | 110dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyBoost up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A, 5V/0.5A) |
| Power Input | AC Power cord |
| Stereo | Yes |
| Strap | No |
| TWS | Yes |
| USB Playback | Yes |
| Weight | 13 lbs (5.9 kg) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Alan Ross Reviews: JBL giving it to us large! The good, The bad, The diabolical! More from alanrossreviews →
- DLX Willington: Called It!🤣 JBL Partybox Encore VS Essential, with binaural sound sample. More from DLXWillington →
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Triple Threat 💸 $200 Challenge 🔋 Soundcore Rave Party 2, W-King H10, JBL Partybox Encore Essential More from JaysStraightUpReviews →
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Klipsch Gig XXL vs JBL Partybox Encore Essential (Pee-Wee) - Indoors, Plugged In🔌 Bluetooth Speakers
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- JBL Partybox Encore Essential vs Aiwa Exos-9
- JBL Partybox Encore Essential vs JBL Partybox Encore
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- JBL Partybox Encore Essential vs Vifa Copenhagen 2.0
- JBL Partybox Encore Essential vs Yeahbox Sonic Boom Ultra
- JBL Partybox Encore Essential vs JBL PartyBox On-The-Go 2 Plus
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- See all 76 comparisons