- Tribit unveils StormBox Micro 3
- The new compact speaker is the successor to the 5-star Micro 2
- Upgrades include a more rounded design and (major) battery life upgrades
With summer just around the corner, it’s time for a range of new compact party speakers to emerge from the airwaves. Time to start adding an inexpensive little speaker to your barbecue, vacation, or picnic shopping list.
Just a few days after the JBL Go 5 was revealed, we’ve been shown Tribit’s new alternative – and although it’s small in size, it’s a big deal. This is the StormBox Micro 3, which is on sale right now for $64.99 / £62.99 (about AU$130).
We gave the StormBox Micro 2 a glowing five-star review, and it looks like Tribit has stuck close to its previous winning formula for this new model… but with a few upgrades over this 2022 option.
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The appeal of these compact speakers is the scale: they’re palm-sized, and like its older siblings, the Micro 3 comes with a mounting system that you can use to strap it to bags, bike handlebars and chair backs. But what is really new?
Upgrades on Micro
The Micro 3 has a more rounded design than its previous generation alternative and a battery life that is twice as long: 24 hours. Your adventures can be twice as long and your neighbors can be kept up much (much) longer.
You also get a slightly louder speaker, with 13W output power a step up from 10W on the Micro 2, to make it the sound of your summer. I have not been able to find information about the driver in previous models, but here there is a 48 mm one with dual coax radiators.
The Micro 3 is also protected with an IP68 rating and military-grade drop resistance, making it perfect for rugged outdoor adventures. The previous model only had IP67, so the third generation Micro can withstand even deeper immersion in water (for a limited time).
You won’t find a new killer feature on the Tribit StormBox Micro 3; instead, there’s a selection of small spec upgrades and tweaks to make it a slightly better model. That at a price increase small enough to be negligible.
This could end up being a nice little JLab, LG Xboom and JBL beater if you’re looking for something nice and portable. But we’ll have to see what else comes out before summer is really here – and give it a full review in due course.
But our audio editor Becky Scarrott has always loved the Stormbox Micro series, telling me: “I’ve been using these since the first generation. The 2020 option and the sound is ferocious, crisp and louder than you’d expect from such a small, palm-sized speaker. The stretchy rubber strap on the back also makes it super easy to carry and use over my bike racks, rucks and mine. Honestly, I love these little speakers and it’s really JBL striking endurance.”
So, you know, that’s high praise…
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