Short answer: the Tribit Stormbox Lava. It ranks #3 of 77 large speakers by sound quality at $100; the Harman Kardon Citation 200 ranks #13 and costs $130, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
The case for the Tribit Stormbox Lava: Fantastic bass extension. The tradeoff: Quite heavy for the size.
On the Harman Kardon Citation 200 side: Deeper bass than any Onyx. Set against that: Overly boomy by default, you can short press the Bluetooth and volume down buttons simultaneously to decrease the bass, and the Bluetooth and volume up buttons simultaneously to increase it.
Buy the Tribit Stormbox Lava. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Harman Kardon Citation 200 and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
If battery life is a priority, the Tribit Stormbox Lava is rated for 24 hours versus 8 hours for the Harman Kardon Citation 200.
If water resistance matters to you, the Tribit Stormbox Lava at IP67 (brief submersion) holds up far better than the Harman Kardon Citation 200 at IPX4 (splashing).
Specifications Side By Side
| Tribit Stormbox Lava | Harman Kardon Citation 200 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $100 | $130 Discontinued |
| Ranked | #3 of 77 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #13 of 77 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes (Harman Kardon app) |
| Aux Input | Yes | No |
| Aux Latency | 20ms | - |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 44Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 8 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | AAC, SBC | SBC |
| Bluetooth Latency | 128ms AAC, 144ms SBC | - |
| Built in Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| EQ | Yes (10 band) | No |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IPX4 |
| Max Volume | 108dB | - |
| Party Mode | No | No |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A) | No |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes | Partially (1 woofer) |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| TWS | Yes | No |
| Weight | 5.2 lbs / 2.37 kg | 6.3 lbs / 2.85 kg |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 | 4.2 |
| Dimensions | 12.2" x 5.8" x 6" (310 x 147 x 152 mm) | 7" x 8.6" x 6.8" (178 x 219 x 172 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 70mm woofers, 2x 30mm tweeters | 5" woofer, 1" tweeter |
| Frequency Response | 43Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 40Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Output Power | 80W | 50W |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Wifi | - | Yes |
| USB Playback | - | No |
| Discontinued | - | Yes |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
- Soundcore Motion Boom vs Soundcore Rave Neo 2
- Mifa Wildbox vs Soundcore Motion Boom
- Soundcore Boom 2 vs Soundcore Motion Boom
- Soundcore Boom 2 vs Harman Kardon Citation 200
- Harman Kardon Citation 200 vs Soundcore Motion X500
The Two Speakers In Full
Tribit Stormbox Lava: $100 Amazon Aliexpress
Pros: Fantastic bass extension. Goes deeper than the Boom 2 as seen in the linked video of sound samples. Firmware 2.0.0 is a big improvement in neutrality.
Cons: Quite heavy for the size. Some bass boost way down low. Treble and upper mids have some peaks.
Setup: Try out the Alan Ross EQ’s at this timestamp in his video There’s also a max bass EQ from Oluv and you can turn down the lowest slider for it to be more neutral
Full Tribit Stormbox Lava review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Aux Latency | 20ms |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 44Hz |
| Battery Life | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | AAC, SBC |
| Bluetooth Latency | 128ms AAC, 144ms SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 |
| Built in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 12.2" x 5.8" x 6" (310 x 147 x 152 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 70mm woofers, 2x 30mm tweeters |
| EQ | Yes (10 band) |
| Frequency Response | 43Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Max Volume | 108dB |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 80W |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 5.2 lbs / 2.37 kg |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- JOY‘s 3D Audio Show: Tribit StormBox Lava vs SoundCore Boom 2 - sound quality demo
- Oluv Patreon: An evening with the “best portable speakers”?
- Alan Ross Reviews: Tribit Stormbox Lava Latest Firmware Update Result! v2.0.3
- Alan Ross Reviews: From harsh to smooth with these EQ settings - Tribit StormBox Lava
- Alan Ross Reviews: Tribit StormBox Lava Just Got a MASSIVE Update… WOW! 🔥
- Alan Ross Reviews: Some people love the Tribit Stormbox Lava, highly professional review 😁
- Mateusz Cholewa: Tribit Stormbox Blast 🎶 🆚Deep BASS - Tribit Stormbox LAVA
- Mateusz Cholewa: TRIBIT StormBox LAVA vs EarFun UBOOM X
- Mateusz Cholewa: TRIBIT StormBox LAVA vs Soundcore BOOM 2
- Mateusz Cholewa: TRIBIT StormBox LAVA - Unboxing.📦 Short Test vs Xtreme 4
- Mateusz Cholewa: TRIBIT StormBox LAVA Deep BASS 🆚 JBL XTREME 4
- Oluv Patreon: Tribit Stormbox Lava - quick look
- Mateusz Cholewa: 👌TRIBIT StormBox LAVA Deep Bass 🆚 Bogasing S8 Pro MAX - HiFi?
- Reddit Search for Tribit Stormbox Lava Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Tribit Stormbox Lava vs JBL Xtreme 5
- Tribit Stormbox Lava vs Brane X
- Tribit Stormbox Lava vs Minirig 4 with subwoofer
- Tribit Stormbox Lava vs Vifa Helsinki
- Tribit Stormbox Lava vs Soundcore Boom 2
- Tribit Stormbox Lava vs Marshall Stockwell 2
- Tribit Stormbox Lava vs Soundcore Motion Boom
- Tribit Stormbox Lava vs Soundcore Select Pro
- See all 19 comparisons
Harman Kardon Citation 200: $130 Discontinued
Pros: Deeper bass than any Onyx.
Cons: Overly boomy by default, you can short press the Bluetooth and volume down buttons simultaneously to decrease the bass, and the Bluetooth and volume up buttons simultaneously to increase it. Discontinued.
Full Harman Kardon Citation 200 review and specifications →
| App | Yes (Harman Kardon app) |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | 8 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 |
| Built in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 7" x 8.6" x 6.8" (178 x 219 x 172 mm) |
| Discontinued | Yes |
| Drivers | 5" woofer, 1" tweeter |
| EQ | No |
| Frequency Response | 40Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX4 |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 50W |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Partially (1 woofer) |
| TWS | No |
| USB Playback | No |
| Weight | 6.3 lbs / 2.85 kg |
| Wifi | Yes |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Ezekielo: Citation 200 vs Beolit 20 with Sound Comparison!
- KULAS TECH SHOW: Harman Kardon Citation 200 vs JBL Xtreme3 Sound & Bass test
- Ezekielo: Citation 200 vs Onyx Studio 6 vs Bose Portable Speaker Sound Comparison
- KULAS TECH SHOW: Harman Kardon Citation 200 vs Onyx Studio 7 Bass comparison
- Reddit Search for Harman Kardon Citation 200 Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Harman Kardon Citation 200 vs B&O Beosound A5
- Harman Kardon Citation 200 vs Soundcore Motion Boom
- Harman Kardon Citation 200 vs Marshall Stockwell 2
- Harman Kardon Citation 200 vs Soundcore Select Pro
- Harman Kardon Citation 200 vs Soundcore Boom 2
- Harman Kardon Citation 200 vs B&O Beoplay A2 active
- Harman Kardon Citation 200 vs Bose SoundLink Max
- Harman Kardon Citation 200 vs JBL Xtreme 3
- See all 16 comparisons