It’s certainly not the first speaker and product from Tribit that we’ve reviewed, but the new StormBox LAVA has left me speechless. This speaker amplifies bass like no other I’ve ever tried and is a steal compared to some of the best Bluetooth speakers, in terms of size and portability.
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PRICE AND AVAILABILITY
The Tribit StormBox LAVA has a retail price of €129,99 and is available for purchase on Amazon Italy, where you can redeem a €20 coupon made available by the brand which therefore brings the final price down to just €109,99, a price of certain interest considering that similar products from more renowned brands cost at least double or at the same price we do not find IP67 waterproof specifications and practically halved battery life. The speaker is available in a single color, black, which gives it an elegant look and still in line with the rugged soul.
DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
The new Lava speaker model overall has a really nice appearance. It does not have LED lights as seen for example on the BLAST series and this in a certain sense makes it practical and functional for any environment and situation of use. The audio solution of TRIBIT is not heavy, although the weight of 2,3 kg may not define the speaker as a portable solution, even if in reality StormBox LAVA is really easy to transport.
In fact, in the package we find a double solution for transport: an adjustable shoulder strap that allows us to "wear" the speaker, or a woven handle that configures the LAVA as a handbag. Both solutions also allow you to hang the speaker for example on a tree branch but if necessary they are detachable via the special hooks that anchor to the two steel inserts inserted on the upper sides of the speaker.
Although objectively large, compared to direct competitor solutions, the StormBox LAVA is rather compact, considering the sound it produces. We are talking about dimensions equal to 30,5 x 15,5 x 14,5 cm, rather compact but which does not compromise the explosion of sound of 80W, capable of filling the entire house despite a relatively small footprint.
As well as being easily portable, it is designed to be used anywhere, with an IP67 waterproof rating. This means that the speaker is waterproof when submerged in 1 metre of water for 30 minutes, making it perfect for pool parties or rainy days. The IP67 certification also means that the speaker is completely dustproof, so you can take it to the beach without worrying about sand ruining the mechanisms. However, the waterproof seal is only complete when the rubber cover protecting the USB ports on the back of the speaker is closed.
TRIBIT CONTROLS AND APPS
The Tribit StormBox LAVA is extremely simple to control, although there is practically nothing missing in the control options. On the top of the speaker are the controls, including the power button, those for volume control (button +/-), the multifunction button (circular symbol) that offers play/pause, skip music track, answer calls with rejection and hanging up but also calling the voice assistant. Finally we find the controls for Bluetooth pairing, XBass function and True Wireless Stereo (TWS) pairing or Party mode.
The circular button offers a specific command based on the number of presses or long press. In fact, we can double-tap it to skip a song or by holding it down to call up the phone assistant, but we can also manage calls that despite the “FAT” features of the speaker were of good quality. The microphone also offers clarity in conversation and receives interrogation commands very well.
We can also control the volume, play/pause or skip the track directly from the Tribit app, available for free for both iOS and Android. Through the companion app we can also access some audio presets, including one dedicated to listening to audiobooks or access a 10-band equalizer to customize the frequencies reproduced based on personal taste. Of course we can also update the firmware, which is not so obvious in reality and then set an automatic shutdown timer but also deactivate the system sounds.
FEATURES AND SOUND QUALITY
The Tribit Stormbox LAVA, as anticipated, can be paired with another LAVA in TWS mode, for two-speaker surround stereo playback, that is, one speaker will play the sounds of the right channel and the other of the left channel. This mode is activated via the appropriate button on the top of the speaker and the two speakers play the music in unison: a fantastic feature, but which on other speakers from other brands costs a lot, while here for around 100 euros it is already included.
The speaker uses Bluetooth 5.4, which offers a more stable connection than previous versions. It also reduces reception delay and has a range of 12 meters. The first thing I look for when trying out a new audio device is bass output and testing the XBass function on this speaker was a confirmation of what I expected, having already been familiar with other Tribit products. XBass is an equalizer preset, but there is a dedicated button on the top of the device that allows you to activate and deactivate it without needing the app.
The Tribit StormBox LAVA is exceptional on all fronts, but it is especially great in its bass performance. The low frequencies are incredibly powerful, they literally shook the floor. The 30W neodymium magnetic woofers drive the bass with ease, and the result is truly impressive. I listened to a variety of music genres, trying to challenge the speaker even with songs with high-pitched vocals and powerful bass throughout the entire track, and the result was an absolutely epic sound with bass so powerful that it shook the table the speaker was placed on, but it remained firmly in place thanks to a comfortable circular non-slip silicone foot.
This speaker can handle anything you throw at it with ease. The Tribit manages to capture delicate vocals with minimal volume, keeping them front and center even when the mids and bass kick in with heavy guitar riffs and drums. Even without the XBass, the speaker still sounds great, but without shaking the floor. While the speaker does shake the ground around it (especially with the XBass preset), the crisp highs and punchy mids it produces are fantastic. Plus, the Companion app lets you customize the sound and even turn up the bass a bit more if you really want to disturb the neighbors.
The speaker's sleek design and portable nature make it easy to take anywhere, and its IP67 rating keeps it well protected in any situation, from the sandy beach to the poolside.
BATTERY LIFE
Tribit claims that the StormBox LAVA takes about 5 hours to fully charge and that its battery life is 24 hours. A rather impressive result, although lower than that of the StormBox Blast 2. The value is to be attributed to use with XBass disabled and volume adjusted to 50/60%. Personally, I preferred to use the speaker with XBass activated because it gave a fuller sound to the music, but it consumed the battery more quickly. In essence, from my tests, with the volume at 75% and the XBass function active, I got about 14 hours of uninterrupted use. However, this is not an autonomy to be considered insufficient, considering that all the speakers on the market declare a certain autonomy that in reality translates into lower performance based on the listening volume and/or active functions.
However, to save as much battery life as possible on the Tribit StormBox LAVA, you can enable automatic shutdown via the app, which will turn off the speaker if you don't listen to music for a while. I found this feature great, because I often pause music and get distracted, so I didn't waste battery unnecessarily. The speaker offers a USB-A port protected by a rubber cover, where we also find an AUX input for connecting non-Bluetooth devices and the Type-C socket for charging. The USB-A does not allow you to read USB sticks but it does offer the opportunity to act as a portable charger. This is very useful for days at the beach, when you don't have an electrical outlet but still need your phone.
PROJECTED IMPACT
I am absolutely blown away by the StormBox Lava. It costs absolutely nothing for the 80W of sound power and audio quality it delivers. The speaker has a sleek design and is easily portable thanks to the handle and shoulder strap, which is really brilliant that they included these in the package, so you can take it with you on hikes or holidays. The waterproof protection makes it an incredibly versatile device, from days at the beach to rain.
The XBass function is incredible, it literally shakes the floor, even at half volume. At high volumes, however, the sound quality is not compromised across the entire frequency range and there is almost no ringing. With the powerful bass and incredible volume capacity of the Tribit StormBox Lava, I have just found my perfect speaker, just in time for summer without missing any incoming calls, as I can also handle them with it.
