JBL Boombox 4 vs Tribit Stormbox Blast 2, more loudness with BB4 but better value with Blast 2

Boombox speakers from JBL always have a very premium price. The new JBL Boombox 4 is no exception after being priced at $550. Other more affordable brands like Soundcore and Tribit are trying to offer alternatives to the JBL Boombox speakers. The latest Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 is a good competitor to the Boombox 4. If you're interested in the previous Boombox 3 and original Stormbox blast, check out my "Soundcore Boom 2 Plus vs JBL Boombox 3 vs Tribit Stormbox Blast" detailed article. However, in today's article, I am going to compare the design, build, sound quality and more to find which one is right for whom.

I think the JBL Boombox 4 (BB4) has a more durable and premium looking design. I am more attracted to the JBL Signature design. However, the Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 has better RGB lighting. JBL Boombox speakers never had lights before, but with Boombox 4 JBL added subtle light effects on the passive radiators. I think the lights on the BB4 makes a difference to compete with other speakers that were having lights for quite a while. The Blast 2's light bars on the front side can be used as volume level indicators vs Boombox 4's passive radiator lights can be used to indicate indoor or outdoor modes.

Even though the Stormbox Blast 2 looks and feels way less premium and durable, it has a pretty decent build. Blast 2 feels more plasticky vs Boombox 4's fabric feel. I think the previous Boombox 3 had an even more premium build with the metal handle. Check out my article "Downgrades in the new JBL Boombox 4 speaker" to know more. So the new Boombox 4 also has a plastic handle now, but more premium looking plastic than Stormbox Blast 2. Here the BB4 is around $250 more than Blast 2. For sure the Boombox 4 has a much better design and build, but feels like $70 more.

Both speakers are stereo, but their driver setup is very different. The JBL Boombox 4 has a 2-way driver setup vs Stormbox Blast 2's more complex 3-way system. So, it's 2 woofers and 2 tweeters for Boombox 4 in terms of active drivers vs 1x somewhat a subwoofer, 2 woofers and 2 tweeters for Stormbox Blast 2. Both have 2 passive radiators on the sides but the BB4 has an additional one on the back side. The older Boombox 3 had a similar 3-way design like the Blast 2, but with the new Boombox 4 JBL switched it back to a very common 2-way driver design. It seems like JBL is trying to get more profit but less innovation.

The new JBL Boombox 4 has 2 x 123 mm woofer and 2 x 20 mm tweeter along with 2 circular and 1 racetrack passive radiator. Stormbox Blast 2 has 1 x 190 x 114 mm subwoofer, 2 x 81 mm woofers and 2 x 30 mm woofers - source Alan Ross Reviews. The Boombox 4 has an RMS power rating of 210 watts on AC power and 200 watts on battery. Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 has a rating of 200 watts when using AC power and 180 watts when running on battery power. The subwoofer on Blast 2 is rated at 80 watts, woofers are 45 watts and tweeters are 15 watts each. I like the 3-way configuration more as there are dedicated drivers for bass, mids and highs. The 2-way on BB4 has woofers for both bass and mids - feels a bit cheap compared to Tribit's Blast 2.

They have a very different sound signature and frequency response. However, both speakers are rolling off from 50 Hz and down in the bass region. Their frequency response shows that the Boombox 4 has a narrow peak around 50 Hz vs Stormbox Blast 2's a bit wider more rounded thick deep bass response. Both have recessed upper bass in their default sound signature to make the sound perceived as more deeper. However, the wider and thicker deep-bass to mid-bass response on the stormbox blast 2 makes it sound more powerful, impactful and warm than Boombox 4 at average listening volumes.

The thick bass on the Blast 2 creates a problem at lower volumes though. The Blast 2 sounds very muddy with XBass turned on below 50% volume. So, lower level listening needs to be done with XBass off. The Boombox 4 does a better job overall for low level as it has less of a V-shaped response compared to Blast 2. Turning up the volume makes the Stormbox Blast 2 little bit more balanced but still has the mids recessed and big thumping bass. The Boombox 4 gets more and more sharp sounding, but at an average 60 to 70% volume, the mids-push on BB4 gives a sense of clarity and definition.

It can be a matter of taste at these average volumes. But the Boombox 4 has a lack in the mid-bass around 70 to 100 Hz. It might sound deep because of the 50 Hz peak but will also sound less powerful. Depending on the tracks, one may sound better than the other. But in my opinion, the Stormbox Blast 2 has a better fuller bass response. If we go to higher volume levels, the Boombox 4 starts to pull ahead in terms of loudness. But the loudness BB4 gets come from the mid-frequency push at around 2 KHz. So, the sound becomes very sharp and kinda harsh too with some tracks.

The higher volume sharp sound makes the Boombox 4 more suitable for outdoor listening as indoor listening becomes very unpleasant. Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 kinda falls apart in terms of loudness when compared to Boombox 4. However, the Blast 2 is the more balanced one now at higher volumes, still has decent sense of bass response. Even though the Blast 2 sounds muddy compared to Boombox 4, Blast 2 wins for indoor listening. So, the Boombox 4 is a better performer for outdoor listening. I think you can play with their custom eq to fix some of the problems with default frequency response.

At maximum 100% volume, the JBL Boombox 4 is around 2 to 4 LUFS louder, which is kinda like 1 BB4 vs 2 Blast-2 units will be similar in loudness. I think the Boombox 4 sounds much louder at max volume but it doesn't sound very good - has a lot of distortion in the bass. Both speakers have some bass-distortion but more noticeable on the Boombox 4. Much quieter but a better listen on the Stormbox Blast 2 speaker. I think the Blast 2 holds its ground well being $250 cheaper than BB4. Punchy mode at max volume has a better outcome - gives more upper bass. I wish the JBL Boombox 4 had a more controlled sound with the same loudness as it's way more pricey.

Check out those articles from above, you can click on those linked images to read the articles. A while ago I published a review of the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G smartphone, check that out if you are into budget phones. In case you are interested in portable speakers, I compared 3 Boombox type speakers from 3 different brands such as Soundcore, Tribit and JBL. So don't forget to also check out that detailed comparison article about the JBL Boombox 3 vs Tribit Stormbox Blast vs Soundcore Boom 2 Plus.

Both will last for similar amount of time at max volume, but on paper the JBL Boombox 4 has a much bigger battery pack. The Stormbox Blast 2 has a 79-Wh battery pack vs Boombox 4's 99-Wh bigger pack. The JBL Boombox 4 goes much louder with its 20-Wh battery-capacity advantage, which make them having similar playback time for max volume. Boombox 4 is special with its replaceable-battery system. You can buy additional pack and hook up another pack when one runs out of juice. The Boombox 4 claims to have 34-hours of playback with playtime boost vs Stormbox Blast 2's 30-hours with XBass & lights off - both speakers around 50% volume. Overall, it's a win for Boombox 4 for battery.

I think if you have the money and planning to use the speaker for outdoors as well as indoors, you should by the JBL Boombox 4. If you are an indoor listener, Stormbox Blast 2 is a good option, it can give you a well rounded impactful sound where the BB4 will be lacking in mid-bass making it sound less full. However, Boombox 4 has a more premium and durable design and build. They both sound good with different sound signature and for different listening situations. If you have deep pockets you can go with the Boombox 4.

If you are on a budget, the Stormbox Blast 2 is the best Boombox 4 alternative for a way cheaper price. The Blast 2 can sound a bit better at average listening volumes even though for low and high listening volumes, the Boombox 4 does a better job. The Stormbox Blast 2 is kinda a no-brainer at $300 as a budget boombox purchase. Both speakers have app support - the custom eq on Blast 2 is more flexible and effective than on JBL BB4. Check out the official page of JBL Boombox 4 and Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 for more info.

Also, please check out the JBL Charge 6 vs Charge 5 story for highlights.
IF you're interested in mid-sized portable speakers, check my JBL Charge 6 vs Bose SoundLink Plus article. The JBL Charge 6 did better in the head-to-head comparison.