Turtlebox vs Zealot S78

Last updated: August 25, 2026

Short answer: the Turtlebox for better sound quality, the Zealot S78 for the lower price. The Turtlebox ranks #70 of 73 boombox speakers at $329. The Zealot S78 ranks #73 at $91.38, $237.62 cheaper.

What the Turtlebox offers: Waterproof and crushproof, loud with punchy bass. 25 hour battery life (6 hours at full volume). Pairs with a second unit for stereo. Watch for: Sounds basically identical to the later Gen 2 and 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. Uses an external AC power brick to charge, before USB-C was added on the Gen 2. Looking at it, it appears to be a generic car 2-way 6x9 speaker in a plastic box.

What the Zealot S78 offers: 120W RMS output with 150W peak power, exceptional 40-hour battery life, power bank function, IP67 waterproof, EQ with multiple modes, dual woofers with tweeters and passive radiators, MicroSD and USB playback, AUX input, TWS stereo pairing, USB-C charging Watch for: Gets distorted above 50%. Not much bass. Volume level fluctuates at high volume.

Buy the Turtlebox if sound quality matters more than the price. Buy the Zealot S78 if the price matters more than sound quality.

If sound quality matters at all to you, skip both of these and look higher up the 73 boombox speakers instead.

If battery life is a priority, the Zealot S78 is rated for 40 hours versus 25 hours for the Turtlebox.

Turtlebox vs Zealot S78

Specifications Side By Side

Turtlebox Zealot S78
Price$329 Discontinued$91.38
Ranked#70 of 73 in Boombox Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers#73 of 73 in Boombox Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers
Aux InputYesYes
Bass Extension (-10dB)~65Hz-
Battery Life25 hours (Manufacturer specified)40 hours (Manufacturer specified)
IP RatingIP67IP67
MicroSD PlaybackYesYes
StereoYesYes
OmnidirectionalNoNo
Weight10 lbs / 4.54 kg9.7 lbs / 4.4 kg
Bluetooth CodecsSBCSBC
AppNoNo
EQNoYes (multiple modes)
TWSYesYes
Party ModeNoNo
Power BankNoYes (USB-A)
USB PlaybackNoYes
Built in MicrophoneNoNo
Power InputAC Power brickUSB-C
Bluetooth Version4.0-
Output Power50W120W RMS / 150W peak
Dimensions12" x 7" x 8.7" (305 x 178 x 222 mm)16.1" x 6.6" x 7.3" (410 x 167 x 185 mm)
Drivers1x 6x9" (152x228mm) woofer + 1x 1" (25mm) tweeter2x ~120mm (4.72") woofers + 2x ~42mm tweeters + 2x passive radiators
Digital Aux InputNoNo
DiscontinuedYes-

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.

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The Two Speakers In Full

Turtlebox: $329 Discontinued Amazon eBay

Turtlebox ranking card

Pros: Waterproof and crushproof, loud with punchy bass. 25 hour battery life (6 hours at full volume). Pairs with a second unit for stereo.

Cons: Sounds basically identical to the later Gen 2 and 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. Uses an external AC power brick to charge, before USB-C was added on the Gen 2. Looking at it, it appears to be a generic car 2-way 6x9 speaker in a plastic box. Discontinued.

AppNo
Aux InputYes
Bass Extension (-10dB)~65Hz
Battery Life25 hours (Manufacturer specified)
Bluetooth CodecsSBC
Bluetooth Version4.0
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 BankNo
Power InputAC Power brick
StereoYes
TWSYes
USB PlaybackNo
Weight10 lbs / 4.54 kg

Zealot S78: $91.38 Aliexpress Amazon eBay

Zealot S78 ranking card

Pros: 120W RMS output with 150W peak power, exceptional 40-hour battery life, power bank function, IP67 waterproof, EQ with multiple modes, dual woofers with tweeters and passive radiators, MicroSD and USB playback, AUX input, TWS stereo pairing, USB-C charging

Cons: Gets distorted above 50%. Not much bass. Volume level fluctuates at high volume.

AppNo
Aux InputYes
Battery Life40 hours (Manufacturer specified)
Bluetooth CodecsSBC
Built in MicrophoneNo
Digital Aux InputNo
Dimensions16.1" x 6.6" x 7.3" (410 x 167 x 185 mm)
Drivers2x ~120mm (4.72") woofers + 2x ~42mm tweeters + 2x passive radiators
EQYes (multiple modes)
IP RatingIP67
MicroSD PlaybackYes
OmnidirectionalNo
Output Power120W RMS / 150W peak
Party ModeNo
Power BankYes (USB-A)
Power InputUSB-C
StereoYes
TWSYes
USB PlaybackYes
Weight9.7 lbs / 4.4 kg