Tribit Stormbox Blast vs Pioneer PBM5

Last updated: September 30, 2026

Short answer: the Tribit Stormbox Blast. It ranks #2 of 89 boombox speakers by sound quality, rated 4.5/5, at $179.99. The Pioneer PBM5 ranks #89, rated 2.0/5, at $149, $30.99 cheaper, a saving that is not big enough to make up the sound-quality gap.

Tribit Stormbox Blast vs Pioneer PBM5

What the Tribit Stormbox Blast does well: Amazing speaker given its size, competes well with some speakers in the Party size class, bass almost as deep as a Partybox 100. The tradeoff: Lacks a bit of detail compared to the top ranked speakers in other size categories, dip at 5.5kHz.

Why pick the Pioneer PBM5: Loud for its size: Williston Audio Labs measured about 105 dB at 2 meters, louder than the Turtlebox Original Gen3 and Kicker Bullfrog BF400 in the same test. The catch: Williston Audio Labs was not impressed with its sound: there is very little bass below 100Hz, and the amplifier’s output has a big dip from 1.6kHz to 10kHz that leaves the upper mids and treble recessed.

Buy the Tribit Stormbox Blast. It is rated higher for sound quality, and saving $30.99 with the Pioneer PBM5 does not make up for the sound-quality gap.

If battery life is a priority, the Tribit Stormbox Blast is rated for 30 hours versus 13 hours for the Pioneer PBM5.

Looking for alternatives? See the complete Portable Bluetooth rankings.

Specifications Side By Side

Tribit Stormbox Blast Pioneer PBM5
Price$179.99$149.00
Ranked#2 of 89 in Boombox Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers#89 of 89 in Boombox Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers
AppYes (Tribit App)Yes
Aux InputYesYes
Aux Latency0ms-
Bass Extension (-10dB)43Hz-
Battery Life30 hours (Manufacturer specified)13 hours at 60% volume (Manufacturer specified)
BluetoothYesYes
Bluetooth CodecsSBC-
Built-in MicrophoneNo-
EQYes (10 band)Yes (presets + user EQ)
IP RatingIPX7IPX5
Bluetooth Latency66ms-
Maximum SPL108dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews)105dB at 2m (measured by Williston Audio Labs)
Party ModeNoYes (Auracast)
Power BankYes (USB-A)-
Power InputAC Power cordUSB-C or AC Power cord
StereoYes-
OmnidirectionalNoNo
TWSYesYes
Weight12 lbs (5.45 kg)14.1 lbs (6.4 kg)
USB PlaybackNoYes (MP3 only)
FM TunerNo-
Microphone InputNoYes (2 inputs)
MicroSD PlaybackNo-
Bluetooth Version5.35.4
Amplifier Power90W RMS (140W peak)300W peak (Manufacturer specified), about 90W measured
Dimensions15.7” x 6.3” x 9.1” (400 x 160 x 230 mm)8.9”H x 17.4”W x 8.1”D (226 x 442 x 207 mm)
Drivers2x ~107mm (4.2”) woofers + 2x ~25mm tweeters2x 133mm (5.25”) woofers + 2x 51mm (2”) tweeters
Digital Aux InputNo-
LightsYesYes
StrapNoYes (detachable shoulder strap)
Guitar Input-Yes

More worthwhile head-to-heads for Tribit Stormbox Blast:

Prices on this page were last checked September 30, 2026 at 2:57 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

Tribit Stormbox Blast ranking card

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.

Amplifier Power90W RMS (140W peak)
AppYes (Tribit App)
Aux InputYes
Aux Latency0ms
Bass Extension (-10dB)43Hz
Battery Life30 hours (Manufacturer specified)
BluetoothYes
Bluetooth CodecsSBC
Bluetooth Latency66ms
Bluetooth Version5.3
Built-in MicrophoneNo
Digital Aux InputNo
Dimensions15.7” x 6.3” x 9.1” (400 x 160 x 230 mm)
Drivers2x ~107mm (4.2”) woofers + 2x ~25mm tweeters
EQYes (10 band)
FM TunerNo
IP RatingIPX7
LightsYes
Maximum SPL108dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews)
MicroSD PlaybackNo
Microphone InputNo
OmnidirectionalNo
Party ModeNo
Power BankYes (USB-A)
Power InputAC Power cord
StereoYes
StrapNo
TWSYes
USB PlaybackNo
Weight12 lbs (5.45 kg)

Pioneer PBM5: $149.00 Sam’s Club eBay

Pioneer PBM5 ranking card

Pros: Loud for its size: Williston Audio Labs measured about 105 dB at 2 meters, louder than the Turtlebox Original Gen3 and Kicker Bullfrog BF400 in the same test. Two 5.25 inch woofers and two 2 inch tweeters with a port tuned to 48Hz, two microphone inputs plus a guitar input with bass, treble and reverb controls for the mics, aux and USB playback, IPX5 splash resistance, RGB lights, a shoulder strap, Bluetooth 5.4 with Auracast, and charging from either USB-C or the included AC cord. A rated 13 hours at 60% volume.

Cons: Williston Audio Labs was not impressed with its sound: there is very little bass below 100Hz, and the amplifier’s output has a big dip from 1.6kHz to 10kHz that leaves the upper mids and treble recessed. None of the EQ presets fixed it, and a 1990 JVC boombox sounded cleaner. The amp measured about 90W in total, not the claimed 300W, and only about 23W per woofer channel on battery. USB playback is MP3 only, there is no audio output and no microphone in the box, and it is sold only at Sam’s Club.

Amplifier Power300W peak (Manufacturer specified), about 90W measured
AppYes
Aux InputYes
Battery Life13 hours at 60% volume (Manufacturer specified)
BluetoothYes
Bluetooth Version5.4
Dimensions8.9”H x 17.4”W x 8.1”D (226 x 442 x 207 mm)
Drivers2x 133mm (5.25”) woofers + 2x 51mm (2”) tweeters
EQYes (presets + user EQ)
Guitar InputYes
IP RatingIPX5
LightsYes
Maximum SPL105dB at 2m (measured by Williston Audio Labs)
Microphone InputYes (2 inputs)
OmnidirectionalNo
Party ModeYes (Auracast)
Power InputUSB-C or AC Power cord
StrapYes (detachable shoulder strap)
TWSYes
USB PlaybackYes (MP3 only)
Weight14.1 lbs (6.4 kg)