10 reviews for Turtlebox Gen 2: Loud! Outdoor Portable Bluetooth 5.0 Speaker | Rugged, IP67, Waterproof, Impact Resistant & Dustproof (Rich,

1. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   TheAmazinMosesLeroy – January 4, 2020

   5 Stars in Every Department!Let me say one thing up front about the bass: if you want a speaker that rivals something in a tricked-out car, you will need 200 – 300 or more watts and an enclosure. You can push a Turtlebox to the limit by adjusting bass in your EQ but it’s going to sound, at best, like a 50-watt system with a tiny enclosure because that’s what it is. You can put this in a backpack or box and crank the bass and it will really thump, I mean really, really thump, but it will not match someone pushing 300 watts in a 36 inch wooden box. With that said, at the end of this review I’ll include step by step instructions for getting superb sound out of this thing by using an smartphone or tablet.First thing that stands out is the size: it’s big. I was expecting something the size of a lunch box but this is larger and wider by several inches. I think it will still fit in most (larger) backpacks but you can probably forget about carrying two while hiking unless you do some very creative packing or have another person carry the second one.The weight isn’t bad considering how large it is. It’s actually lighter than it looks. It’s still heavy enough to knock you out or worse if it falls on your head, though. It feels very rugged and reminds me somewhat of a military-issue ammo box.I’ve seen these colored black and would have preferred a black one but that doesn’t seem to be an option anymore. I would have bought two if they were available in more colors. Some companies just don’t want my money, I guess.The instruction manual is clear, short and easy to follow.Charging time is two and a half to three hours, which is spectacular for a battery this large: It charges about as fast as a newer quick-charging smartphone. I have many smaller power banks and battery packs that charge much slower. The downside is that this has a custom charger and can’t be recharged through a usb power bank like most small bluetooth speakers. That could be a problem for longer trips: you’ll have to find a wall outlet every couple days to recharge this thing or carry some other kind of electric generator. That also rules out most smaller portable usb solar chargers.The sound is great, loud enough to make you deaf if you stand close to it at full blast. The bass is good if you have the right EQ settings on your audio player.My previous bluetooth speakers were the JBL Flip 3 and the UE MegaBoom. The MegaBoom is well-known for being very loud yet still lightweight and compact and easily dominates the JBL Flip in volume, however both are limited by small speakers which simply can’t push much bass (the JBL Flip has non-existent bass) and both distort above 80% to 90% volume.At the time of writing this, to get a louder, bassier portable speaker than a Turtlebox (120 decibels) you’d need to buy either a Soundboks 2 (122 decibels, $999), a Teufel Rockster (122 decibels, $1059) or a DiamondBoxx XL (120 decibels, $1799). There are some other, cheaper options like the Aiwa Exos-9 (100 decibels, $299), the JBL Boombox (101 decibels, $499), the ION Audio Road Warrior (113 decibels, $269), the Sony GTK-XB90 (104 decibels, $298) or the ECOXGEAR Eco Boulder (112 decibels, $129) but they either are heavier, aren’t very portable, aren’t waterproof, limit their volume when they aren’t plugged in, distort above 80% volume, or a combination of these things. This puts the Turtlebox in a very sweet spot of combining most if not all the best attributes of a bluetooth speaker into one smallish unit at a relatively low price.I picked this Turtlebox up during a flash sale. $300 is more than I want to spend on any bluetooth speaker, but at a reduced price this is an absolute must buy. I skipped lunch for a few weeks to afford it and don’t regret it in the slightest. My housemates ooh’d and aah’d over it before I’d even taken it out of the box lol.To make this speaker sound amazing with an android phone (may also work for Apple, not sure):1. Buy JetAudio HD music player from the Google Play store, Amazon app store, etc.2. I can’t remember if plugins are included or priced separately but buy/turn on the following JetAudio plugins:EQ: try making it V-shaped or inverted V-shaped and adjust from there (see pics)AM3D Audio Enhancer:Z-Bass 1: 25 – 100%Z-Treble: OffZ-Surround: OffZ-Boost: OnBongiovi DPS:Phoenix GeneralWide Expanded (Turn off for tracks that make popping noises during high treble)Crystalizer+ or HX:10 – 25%These are optional, and may not be ideal for all music:JetAudio Sound Effects:Hall Reverb around 25 – 75%X-Bass 1 or 2 as far up to 100% as it will go without distortionDone! Note that this will make any speaker or system sound much better (assuming it’s powerful enough to handle it), but you’ll want to tweak the settings slightly higher or lower depending on the track you’re listening to. Don’t try this with a weak or small speaker, it very well may break!

2. 

   Rated 4 out of 5

   Jordan – March 5, 2023

   Quality soundI’m pleasantly surprised by the output of this speaker. I will be getting another one for the full speaker box effect. It’s crazy good quality sound!! I haven’t tested if it’s actually water resistant yet. But would recommend. Now that I got it my wife loves using it too.

3. 

   Rated 4 out of 5

   Brittany – February 16, 2023

   LOUD!!!! don’t like the charger styleSo loud my dog peed on the floor, he’s never done that before! I’m planning on using it for little league baseball walk out songs. Seems very durable! My only complaint so far is the charging cable! Why not use a usbc charging cable that is readily available? Instead it has a it’s own cord that you will have to lug around and not lose to recharge. That’s the only reason it’s not a 5 star from me!

4. 

   Rated 4 out of 5

   vpsb – January 18, 2023

   TurtleBoxMy grandson loves music!!! While staying with us, he officially claimed my JBL Boombox and, so, I needed a replacement. I was simply checking prices for another JBL and, of course, followed the rabbit down the hole and was swayed by many positive reviews of the TurtleBox. I decided to go with it but…It does produce a bit more volume and is a smaller, lighter package but the sound quality isn’t as good as the JBL.

5. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   James G. Barry – March 2, 2023

   Great speaker!!Good clear dynamic range. Water proof…. All good!!

6. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Carolina Mama Bear – February 19, 2023

   AmazingThe sound is awesome

7. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Ray Stoltz – February 18, 2023

   Turtle boxIt’s worth it!!

8. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   RickBois – October 31, 2020

   Excellent build quality, very loud, & capable of great sound quality, but where’s the bass?1. Turtlebox says “PLAY IT LOUD”.Rick says: Yes, these speakers are quite loud, and can sound a bit shrill at closer distances. But where’s the bass?2. Turtlebox says: “DESIGNED FOR OUTDOORS… our sound curve was built for outside, enjoy music that cuts through wind and travels across distance…”Rick says: It’s almost like the further away the speakers are, the better they sound. A Turtlebox video actually recommends placing the speaker at least 15 feet away from listeners; good advice. But where’s the bass?3. Turtlebox says: “STEREO SOUND: Pair two speakers together via Bluetooth… Stereo Sound!”Rick says: I did eventually buy two. And absolutely, the stereo is fantastic and even louder. But where’s the bass?4. Turblebox says: “BUILT TO LAST: Our speakers are Tough, Shock Resistant, Dust & in a Waterproof IP67 rated enclosure ensuring…”Rick says: Build quality is impressive and understated. Build materials are top-notch; the case, hardware, and fasteners are all high grade. The use of an outdated mini-USB as the charging input is a bit curious… But where’s the bass?When my first Turtlebox arrived I was impressed with everything about it EXCEPT what I considered to be a glaring lack of BASS. I am not bass junkie, but I appreciate a full (and maybe slightly warm) sound and this speaker just did not have it. Although not nearly as loud, my aging JBL Extreme had a better sound quality and much better bass.Nonetheless, I decided to shell out the big bucks and double down with a second Turtlebox. I was hoping that in addition to the “true stereo sound”, I may get a bit more bottom end. I was wrong. The two Turtleboxes sounded very nice in stereo and were able to play super loud, but the LACK OF BASS was extremely disappointing.This morning I was contemplating sending them both back or even giving one to each of my brothers for Xmas. However, before writing them off, I decided I should try out an AUDIO EQUALIZER APP for my phone, and I am so glad I did. I am not trying to push any specific EQ App; I am thinking Turtlebox should design/commission an app specifically for Turtlebox owners…Adding an equalizer to my audio source (my phone) and spending a few minutes to tweak the sound curve made a HUGE DIFFERENCE. Sound quality is now dramatically improved with the tight and full bass one should expect from a $300 BT speaker. I am completely satisfied with my Turtlebox setup and will have to find something else to get my brothers for Xmas…Turtlebox BT speakers are beautiful well-built pieces of gear, and while the “out of the box” sound curve may be designed to “cut through wind and travel across distances”, it is not designed for an optimal audio experience. Most high end audio systems utilize (and need) some type of EQ to perfect the sound, these speakers are no different. Try one (or even better, try two) with an EQUALIZER APP and you will never go back; loud and audiophile(-ish) sound.

9. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   AzRich – January 7, 2023

   Awesome speaker for outdoors!I needed a good speaker for patio by the hot tub. Turtlebox is it. Great loud sound with good bass/mid.

10. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    zachariah salazar – January 3, 2023

    Finally enough bass… to where I have to turn the bass down on my phone. From death metal to EDM, this thing is unbelievable.