Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 stars360° Sound that's dustproof and floats! ... and a blurb about Wattage and Sound
Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2021
Shortly after purchasing a couple of the Tribit Strombox Micro's, I quickly came to realize that although they were waterproof, they did not float. So I was once again on my quest for a mini travel speaker that I could use in the pool without worry.
Enter the Wonderboom 2 by Ultimate Ears (Logitech). Sharing much of the same features as the Tribit Stormbox Micro, I'll once again share my thoughts on the good, the bad, and the ugly...
The good:
Not as small as the Tribit, but still small enough to fit in your hand at about 4" high and 3.5" diameter.
Large volume control buttons on face with track control on top.
Uses one of the more recent Bluetooth versions (v5.0)
Two 40mm active drivers pumping out 87db of sound
360° sound output
Can pair one speaker to two different devices simultaneously.
Can link TWO Wonderboom 2's for Stereo sound.
13 hour playback (max volume ~ 9.5 hrs) is sufficient to last an outing for an entire day.
IP67 Rating means it's both dustproof and waterproof (rated 30 minutes submerged in 3.3 feet of water).
Drop proof from a distance of 5 feet.
It floats!
It recharges at 5V @ 2A, so it takes about 2.5hrs to fully charge.
The Bad:
There's no 3.5mm port on this speaker (Bluetooth connection only).
Micro USB port for charging (not USB-C).
No Microphone (so no phone calls, Siri, or Alexa capability/support).
Only supports standard SBC Codec (does not support AptX or AAC).
The Ugly:
Nothing to note really.
Overall, if you're looking for a Bluetooth speaker that's portable, sounds good, and floats, then the Wonderboom 2 should definitely be considered. The build quality, design, and feature set (particularly the IP67 dustproof and waterproof rating, the portable and rugged design, and the ability to pair to multiple devices simultaneously for stereo sound) is a direct competitor to the Tribit Strombox Micro. Each has their own unique advantages. The Tribit Stormbox has the versatile strap that easily and securely attaches to anything within 1.5" thick, and the Wonderboom 2 floats. Wonderboom 2's battery lasts 60% longer and charges 40% faster than the Tribit, but the Tribit has a microphone (albeit a bad one) and supports calls, Google, Siri, and Alexa. Lastly, keep in mind that although the Wonderboom 2 may have better features (longer battery life, quicker charging times, etc), it's also currently priced at about 50% higher than the Tribit Stormbox. Despite all the overlapping features, I have no regrets with my Wonderboom 2 purchase, the floatability was what I was after, and it delivered as promised.
2021-07-31 Update.
There seems to be many questions about speaker watts, so I'm updating my original review to hopefully shed some light on wattage and sound.
Wattage is a unit of power (Volts x Amps = Watts) and is indicative of how much power the amplifier uses to generate sound. It's the speaker sensitivity (Sound Pressure Level or SPL rating) and amplification that will determine how loud that sound is. In other words, a 7W speaker can produce more sound than an 8W speaker depending on the SPL of the speaker.
Loudness is measured in decibels, and is independent of sound quality. The two often have an inverse relationship, that is, loudness often comes at the cost of sound quality. With the WonderBoom 2 (WB2), volumes of 8+ will cause noticeable degradation in sound quality. The WB2 does have "Outdoor Mode" designed to boost volume levels even more, but when your primary focus is sound travel (coverage area), the degradation in quality is often acceptable.
The best way to judge speakers is to hear them. Everyone has their own sensitivities to sound, if you can, try to demo a speaker at a brick and mortar store before making your purchase. If it sounds good to you, then that's all that matters. But if you're exclusively an online shopper type of person, here's what I've found online:
The original WB outputs a max 86 decibels. The WB2 has a max output of 86 decibels; however, the WB2 has Stereo linking capabilities (link to another WB2 which will effectively doubles the "loudness" as each will produce 86 decibels) as well as "Outdoor Mode" to increase overall sound from 86 decibels to 87 decibels.
To make these numbers more meaningful, here's a comparison of sounds of common things you may hear at different decibel levels:
20 db (FAINT - leaves rustling)
30-40 db (SOFT - whispers)
50-60 db (MODERATE - normal conversation)
70-80 db (LOUD - vacuum)
NOTE: 85+ db's over extended periods of time can cause permanent hearing loss!
90-110 db (VERY LOUD - hair dryer, power tools, car horns) *** dangerous over 30 mins ***
120 db (UNCOMFORTABLE - jet plane on take-off) *** dangerous over 30 seconds !!! ***
130-140 db (PAINFUL & DANGEROUS - ambulance, fireworks) *** use protection or avoid ***
** Your eardrums will rupture at 150 db ***
NOTE: Decibel levels are also not straight line values, meaning that 110 db is not 10% louder than 100 db. 70 db is the normal threshold of "loudness" or the level of volume most people endure during a normal day (traffic, vacuum, alarm clocks), so using this as the baseline for comparison, moving in either direction, the levels of sound are exponential.
e.g. 80 db is TWICE as loud as 70 db
90 db is FOUR times as loud as 70 db (twice as loud as 80 db)
100 db is EIGHT times as loud as 70 db (twice as loud as 90 db)
110 db is SIXTEEN times as loud as 70 db (Avg. human pain threshold)
120 db is THIRTY TWO times as loud as 70 db (Painful to hear)
Moving in the other direction:
60 db is 1/2 as loud as 70 db
50 db is 1/4 as loud as 70 db
40 db is 1/8 as loud as 70 db
30 db is 1/16 as loud as 70 db
20 db is 1/32 as loud as 70 db
So the increase from 86 db to 87 db may not appear to be much of a boost, but that extra db will actually increase the maximum sound output by 25.89%. Furthermore, with speakers, 80% - 90% of the sound is generated within the first watt of power. Thereafter, a doubling of power will produce marginal increases in sound output.
e.g. 1 watt = 78 db
2 watts = 81 db
4 watts = 84 db
8 watts = 87 db
On a ending note, before you go out there and try to find a speaker that will produce rock concert, ear drum rupturing sound, keep in mind that manufacturers have the social responsibility to ensure that their products are safe for consumers. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) have set safety guidelines to prevent hearing loss. This includes limiting workers to exposure of 85 db within a 8-hour work day (with hearing protection provided as a requirement). UE is already pushing these limits with the WB & WB2 at 86 db, and now 87 db (the limit in the United Kingdom).
