Turtlebox Gen 2 vs Zealot S89

Last updated: August 25, 2026

Short answer: the Zealot S89. It ranks #16 of 73 boombox speakers by sound quality at $193.58; the Turtlebox Gen 2 ranks #69 and costs $400, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.

What the Turtlebox Gen 2 offers: Waterproof and crushproof, loud with punchy bass. 25 hour battery life (6 hours at full volume; 3 hour charge time). USB-C charging and USB-C output charges other devices, an upgrade over the original’s AC power brick. Pairs with a second unit for stereo. Watch for: Sounds basically identical to the original and the Gen 3: each generation mainly added features, not sound quality. They pretty much lie about all their specs and sound horrible in all youtube sound samples. Only 50w (from their indigogo page), will never hit 120db at a reasonable measuring distance. Putting your db meter right against the speaker doesn’t count, 1 meter distance is the standard. Barely any bass. Rattles at high volume. Looking at it, it appears to be a generic car 2-way 6x9 speaker in a plastic box.

What the Zealot S89 offers: A great value for the bass performance, play time and max volume in the boombox class. Likely the same internals as the Zealot ZE21 Watch for: On the heavy side. A little rolled off up top and not that balanced through the rest of the range. Clarity isn’t as good as better speakers. Bass EQ is bloated and muddy sounding

Buy the Zealot S89. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Turtlebox Gen 2 and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.

If sound quality matters at all to you, skip the Turtlebox Gen 2. It ranks near the bottom of the 73 boombox speakers, so look higher up the list instead.

If battery life is a priority, the Zealot S89 is rated for 40 hours versus 25 hours for the Turtlebox Gen 2.

Buy the Zealot S89 at Aliexpress ($193.58) →

Turtlebox Gen 2 vs Zealot S89

Specifications Side By Side

Turtlebox Gen 2 Zealot S89
Price$400 Discontinued$193.58
Ranked#69 of 73 in Boombox Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers#16 of 73 in Boombox Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers
Aux InputYesYes
Bass Extension (-10dB)~65Hz36Hz
Battery Life25 hours (Manufacturer specified)40 hours (Manufacturer specified)
IP RatingIP67IPX6
MicroSD PlaybackYesYes
StereoYesYes
OmnidirectionalNoNo
Weight10 lbs / 4.54 kg16.1 lbs / 7.3 kg
Bluetooth CodecsSBCSBC
AppNoNo
EQNoYes (multiple modes)
TWSYesYes
Party ModeNoYes (PartyAdd up to 100 speakers)
Power BankYes (USB-C)Yes (USB-A + USB-C)
USB PlaybackNoYes
Built in MicrophoneNoNo
Power InputUSB-CUSB-C
Bluetooth Version5.0-
Output Power50W250W
Dimensions12" x 7" x 8.7" (305 x 178 x 222 mm)21.2" x 10.4" x 9.4" (538 x 265 x 240 mm)
Drivers1x 6x9" (152x228mm) woofer + 1x 1" (25mm) tweeter130W subwoofer + 2x 40mm drivers + 2x tweeters
Digital Aux InputNoNo
DiscontinuedYes-
Buy the Zealot S89 at Aliexpress ($193.58) →

More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:

Prices on this page were last checked August 25, 2026 at 6:19 AM 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

Turtlebox Gen 2: $400 Discontinued eBay

Turtlebox Gen 2 ranking card

Pros: Waterproof and crushproof, loud with punchy bass. 25 hour battery life (6 hours at full volume; 3 hour charge time). USB-C charging and USB-C output charges other devices, an upgrade over the original’s AC power brick. Pairs with a second unit for stereo.

Cons: Sounds basically identical to the original and the Gen 3: each generation mainly added features, not sound quality. They pretty much lie about all their specs and sound horrible in all youtube sound samples. Only 50w (from their indigogo page), will never hit 120db at a reasonable measuring distance. Putting your db meter right against the speaker doesn’t count, 1 meter distance is the standard. Barely any bass. Rattles at high volume. Looking at it, it appears to be a generic car 2-way 6x9 speaker in a plastic box. Discontinued.

Full Turtlebox Gen 2 review and specifications →

AppNo
Aux InputYes
Bass Extension (-10dB)~65Hz
Battery Life25 hours (Manufacturer specified)
Bluetooth CodecsSBC
Bluetooth Version5.0
Built in MicrophoneNo
Digital Aux InputNo
Dimensions12" x 7" x 8.7" (305 x 178 x 222 mm)
DiscontinuedYes
Drivers1x 6x9" (152x228mm) woofer + 1x 1" (25mm) tweeter
EQNo
IP RatingIP67
MicroSD PlaybackYes
OmnidirectionalNo
Output Power50W
Party ModeNo
Power BankYes (USB-C)
Power InputUSB-C
StereoYes
TWSYes
USB PlaybackNo
Weight10 lbs / 4.54 kg
Search eBay for Turtlebox Gen 2 →

Zealot S89: $193.58 Aliexpress Amazon eBay

Zealot S89 ranking card

Pros: A great value for the bass performance, play time and max volume in the boombox class. Likely the same internals as the Zealot ZE21

Cons: On the heavy side. A little rolled off up top and not that balanced through the rest of the range. Clarity isn’t as good as better speakers. Bass EQ is bloated and muddy sounding

Full Zealot S89 review and specifications →

AppNo
Aux InputYes
Bass Extension (-10dB)36Hz
Battery Life40 hours (Manufacturer specified)
Bluetooth CodecsSBC
Built in MicrophoneNo
Digital Aux InputNo
Dimensions21.2" x 10.4" x 9.4" (538 x 265 x 240 mm)
Drivers130W subwoofer + 2x 40mm drivers + 2x tweeters
EQYes (multiple modes)
IP RatingIPX6
MicroSD PlaybackYes
OmnidirectionalNo
Output Power250W
Party ModeYes (PartyAdd up to 100 speakers)
Power BankYes (USB-A + USB-C)
Power InputUSB-C
StereoYes
TWSYes
USB PlaybackYes
Weight16.1 lbs / 7.3 kg
Check current price at Aliexpress ($193.58) →Check current price at Amazon ($246.99) →Search eBay for Zealot S89 →