People may be surprised that as a tech writer, I don’t plop down a JBL or Beats or Sony Bluetooth speaker into the sand at the beach or on the outdoor tables in the courtyard. I like to remind them that while all these brands make excellent portable Bluetooth speakers, the emphasis on the job title of writer means I look for deals for myself, too.The Tribit Stormbox 2 sells perpetually for $70, and it’s the follow-up to the best budget Bluetooth speaker I’ve seen in the last five years. Never heard of Tribit? Well then, you should hear one sometime.(opens in a new window)TribitStormBox 2(opens in a new window)Available at AmazonBuy Now(opens in a new window)on a budgetNobody’s saying Tribit will outcompete a high-end Bluetooth speaker, nor is the StormBox 2 something you’d want for a loud backyard barbecue or park hang. You need more oomph from a larger speaker.The StormBox 2 is about portability and sounds quite good for its price and size. I use my StormBox (the original one) when I’m working on DIY projects and want to pass the time more quickly. I also use it at the park and beach, when I want an easy-to-carry speaker that I’m not going to play loud, because I’m not one of those sociopaths.Tribit updated the StormBox, which was already an unreasonably good-sounding speaker that had cost about the same price, by adding a more stable, faster Bluetooth (Bluetooth 5.3) that pads the range from the original Stormbox’s 20 meters to 30 meters. That was one of my critiques about the original; short-ish range.The StormBox 2 also gains a Tribit app, so you can tweak the EQ curve with nine bands or select from presets, such as jazz, rock, audiobook, and others. Battery life also improves slightly from up to 20 hours to up to 24 hours.“Up to” are the key words, because playing at higher volumes or engaging the X-Bass extra-heavy bass option drains the battery more quickly. Check out the Tribit StormBox Blast if you need more power for larger spaces and louder parties.(opens in a new window)TribitStormBox 2(opens in a new window)Available at AmazonBuy Now(opens in a new window)The post My Favorite Budget Bluetooth Speaker? This Baby From Amazon, Right Here. appeared first on VICE.