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Two CES Shows ago the world was a different place. But we still have lots of fun consumer electronics to check out for you, our loyal readers. To begin 2022 I present the Tribit XSound Mega Bluetooth speaker/power bank combo. It’s got enhanced bass, a variable LED light show, it can play for 20 hours and keep your phone charged for most of that time. 30 Watts of customizable equalization coupled with a fun light show ensures that the XSound Mega sounds and looks good all day and night. Let’s look in the box!
What’s in the Box?
Our good friends at Tribit shipped out their latest big Bluetooth speaker in a very familiar Tribit box. Inside I found the Tribit Xsound Mega speaker, a USB-C charging cable, a standard 1/8 inch stereo aux cable, and the handy and useful classic black shoulder strap. The main unit is surprisingly heavy, weighing in at just over 2 lbs. Inside this almost classic-looking boom box, you’ll find a massive yet passive bass resonator and a full range transducer that can reproduce a frequency range of 45Hz – 14KHz. Looking at the top from left to right you’ll find the power button, Bluetooth button, the Play/Pause button, Volume/Track up, Volume Track down, the LED light show control button, and finally the customizable EQ button. I’ll start with the best first, which is that EQ that covers the spectrum for full-range music, audiobooks, and a 2-3 dB bass boost when needed to kick the party into gear. The built-in front grill placed LED light show can do color chases, or move to the beat of your sounds. The well constructed and slip-proof black strap allows you to take this speaker and your musical experience anywhere at any time. The only claim I was unable to test with my single unit is that the Tribit XSound Mega Bluetooth speaker can theoretically connect 100 speakers together in one area, to a single audio source such as your smartphone, tablet, or lossless Audio player. The XSound Mega can even connect to your Smart Speaker such as Alexa, or Siri for a completely voice-controlled experience. Let’s dig deeper and pump up the volume.
I’m Gonna Get Myself Connected
The Tribit XSound Mega not only is a fun Bluetooth speaker with full-range sound and a cool light show. It’s also a handy power bank. On the back of this IPX7 waterproof boom box is a waterproof rubber panel. Underneath that, you will find the input and output jacks for the Mega and the 1/8 mini-stereo audio output. The power bank feature consists of a USB-C input/output jack and a standard USB output jack. You can only charge using the USB-C input/output jack, however the USB-C and the standard USB connections each output 5 volts at 2 amps for plenty of backup power for your devices.
To connect your Tribit XSound Mega to your Bluetooth devices, push the Bluetooth button on the panel. It will blink blue. The Mega utilizes Bluetooth 5.0 to not only connect to your smart device but to connect to other XSound Speakers, too. Then put your phone, tablet, or whatever in pairing mode. Look in your menu for Tribit XSound Mega and pair the two. The XSound Mega also has the NFC feature which is only compatible with Android-based devices. With compatible devices, you only need to turn on the speaker, place your smartphone into NFC mode near the left side of the Mega and follow your onboard instructions.
If you have more than one Tribit XSound Mega you can put them into the broadcast mode to extend the Bluetooth signal up to more than 100 speakers. That is a feature I’d really like to explore more. The Bluetooth button is used to connect and disconnect from your smart device, as well as additional speakers. The MFB is used to play/pause, and to access next or previous tracks. Two clicks will advance the track and 3 clicks will replay the last track. That control button also works with your phone to set up voice dialing or when you choose to answer or reject phone calls. The Volume buttons are just that: volume buttons. The LED light button allows you to change between 3 sound-activated light shows, and the EQ button is used to cycle between Flat audio response for audiobooks, the standard Music equalization, and the XSound Mega Bass. The Mega Bass setting provides between 2 and 3 dB boost in the low-end range. It truly thumps. The Tribit XSound Mega is also IPX7 water-resistant so it can handle rain or spills. It can be submerged at 3 ft for up to 30 minutes. I’ve done that with previous reviews so I’m pretty happy to see that feature on this very portable and powerful speaker design. The buttons use LED lights to indicate low power, charging status, Bluetooth status, broadcast status, and EQ settings. How does it sound, and perform?
Sounds in the Key of Life
The Tribit XSound Mega Bluetooth Speaker is very easy to connect and operate. Once you get used to the control panel you’ll be on your way to a very enjoyable, room-filling musical experience. I also connected the Mega to my Alexa to have voice control over my musical experience. You will have to have Alexa nearby to utilize that feature. The Microphone in the speaker does not speak to that smart device directly. I suggest using a contemporary USB-C charger to power up the XSound Mega speaker instead of your Laptop, or an old moldy USB charger you have sitting in your drawer for faster charging. The 20-hour window for use seems pretty accurate after two charging and playing cycles that included 2-3 hour charging time and 3- 7 hour days of constant audio signals.
The carry strap really improves the experience on the go with the ability to be 100% hands-free, with no lanyard attached to your wrist, but a comfortable over-the-shoulder strap that is very stable when walking, talking, or even on a skateboard, moped, or bicycle. It reminds me of my late 1970s boom box which I attached a leather strap so I could carry my schoolbooks, too but it’s 1/4 of the size and sounds 10 times better. I did my usual listening party of Rock, Soul, Country, Rap, Reggae, Metal, Pop, and Classical. I even listened to Disney Classics for a few hours to get a good feel for the unit and its equalization settings. This speaker can get very loud and continues to sound good the entire time, no matter the EQ. When using the Tribit XSound Mega I don’t really recommend listening to music on the Audiobook setting but the standard music and MegaBass settings really set a standard for full range and enhanced bottom end for a larger than average portable Bluetooth speaker. While listening to music you can easily charge up to two USB devices at the same time. Remember: When utilizing the power bank feature, you will decrease your playtime from 20 hours but it seems a decent trade-off. Let’s sum it all up.
The Tribit XSound Mega Bluetooth Speaker is a powerful and fun device that will satisfy all but the absolute music purist. I only state that because the Mega is essentially a single point sound source without a Stereo signal but a blended monotype audio reproduction. The Bluetooth 5.0 was extremely effective anywhere in my 3500 sq foot 2 story house, and the signal continued to be strong even when I took the XSound Mega outside and shut the door.
The XSound Mega with 30 watts of power has a crispy and clear sound without much notable distortion at high output levels, with a great thump when the MegaBass feature is engaged. It’s easy to operate and pairs quickly to any smart device, and even faster with Android devices. The power bank feature is a great combo, and the LED Lightshow is just a fun enhancement of the well-thought-out audio reproduction from a single driver. The price tag isn’t outrageous for the amount of fun provided in the box.
My review reflects the use of only one Tribit XSound Mega. I was unable to give an honest appraisal of the broadcast feature or any TWS review of that kind of multiple speaker pairing. I give it 8 out of ten, and I just might buy a couple more to put around the pool this summer. If I do that, I’ll update this article to reflect how effective the broadcast feature might be. Always love the portable sound solutions from Tribit and I can’t wait to see what’s next in the box. Stay safe!
*Average price is based on the time this article was published
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An audio specialist with over 20 years of audio engineering experience. When not sitting behind a sound board, he enjoys spending time with his family, including his two youngest sons, as well as rock/mountain scrambling, rappelling and taking his Jeep into hard to find areas (until it has to be dug back out from the dirt).
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