Turtlebox Speaker Review

Looking for a speaker capable of accompanying you on your outdoor adventures that doesn’t compromise on sound quality? That’s the goal of the Turtlebox. With rugged build quality, IP67 water resistance, and superb audio, it’s a powerful, portable Bluetooth speaker. But is the Turtlebox loudspeaker right for you? Find out in our hands-on Turtlebox review!

What is the Turtlebox Loudspeaker – Turtlebox Overview

The Turtlebox is a powerful loudspeaker that fuses audiophile caliber sound quality with a rugged build for a go-anywhere audio solution. It sports a single marine-grade 6 x 9-inch driver paired with a 1.25-inch tweeter. There’s a 9-cell Lithium-Ion battery rated for up to 20 hours of music playback at reasonable volumes and 6 hours as max volume. The beefy battery doubles for power delivery – you can use the Turtlebox as a powerbank to charge other devices.

There’s Bluetooth for both wireless audio transmission and stereo pairing. If you’ve got two Turtlebox speakers, you can sync them for dedicated left and right channels. Aside from Bluetooth, you’ll find an analog 3.5mm auxiliary input, conveniently concealed under a threaded gasket cap which helps maintain the speaker’s IP67 waterproof rating.

Dual USB Type-C jacks let you charge the Turtlebox and provide a means of charging external devices such as phones, tablets, and laptops. An LED-illuminated control pad offers volume and music playback controls. The entire speaker is comprised of heavy-duty plastic. It measures 11.5 x 6.5 x 8.75 inches and weighs 10 pounds.

Turtlebox Specs

• 6 x 9-inch marine-grade speaker with 1 x 1.25-inch tweeter
• IP67 water-, dust-, and impact-resistant
• 85 watt-hour 9-cell Lithium-Ion battery (up to 20 hours of music playback at lower volumes, 6 hours at max volume)
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, 1 x 3.5mm AUX input, 2 x USB-C ports (1 x for power delivery, 1 x for charging)
• Bluetooth stereo pairing (pair 2 x Turtlebox speakers for left/right stereo playback)
• Onboard volume and music playback controls
• Tie-down anchors
• Rubber handle and rubber feet
• Dimensions: 11.5 x 6.5 x 8.75 inches
• Weight: 10 pounds
• Available colors: Field tan, white, original green, laguna madre blue, thunderhead grey

Turtlebox Review Verdict

The Turtlebox loudspeaker is an outstanding portable Bluetooth speaker. It’s engineered for outdoors use and outfitted with an IP67 water-, dust-, and impact-resistance rating. At its core, the Turtlebox speaker sports a 6 x 9-inch marine-grade speaker coupled with a 1.25-inch tweeter. Despite its 10-pound weight, the unit doesn’t feel too heavy to tote around.

The tough exterior and water-resistance meant I wasn’t afraid to use the Turtlebox in harsh conditions. In my testing, the Turtlebox survived trips to the beach, poolside happy hours, and even a few drops of rain.

With ruggedized products, it’s easy to assume that quality takes a hit. But the Turtlebox doesn’t compromise in the audio department. Boasting the ability to crank up the volume without sacrificing clarity, it’s a speaker that will impress both audio and outdoor enthusiasts.

In my experience, I was blown away by sound quality. There’s a full richness with excellent performance across the mid, high, and low ends. If you’re looking for a portable speaker that can get muddy but won’t muddy your audio, the Turtlebox is it.

At around $374 USD, the Turtlebox isn’t cheap. And for that price, a 3.5mm audio cable in the box would be nice (granted, most people, myself included, probably have an overabundance lying around). Want to take advantage of its stereo pairing? Be prepared to shell out over $700. Still, if you’re in the market for a tough Bluetooth speaker that can accompany you on outdoor adventures, get extremely loud, and offer compromise-free audio quality, the Turtlebox is a magnificent choice.

Turtlebox Bluetooth Speaker Design and Build Quality

 

Resembling a lunchbox, the Turtlebox outdoor Bluetooth speaker comes in a rectangular form factor. A convenient rubber handle on top makes lugging the device around a sinch. Its tough plastic exterior is paired with stainless steel screws for a corrosion-resistant design. I liked its excellent construction which gave me a sense of security – nothing short of running over the Turtlebox in my car seemed much of a threat to its well-being.

In front, you’ll find a 1.25-inch tweeter built into the speaker grille that conceals its 6 x 9-inch marine-grade polypropylene speaker cone. On top, you’ll find an illuminated control pad complete with volume controls, music playback buttons, an on/off switch, Bluetooth pairing key, and a stereo button for syncing two different Turtlebox units. There’s also a handle and a screw cap gasket that conceals a pair of USB-C ports and the auxiliary 3.5mm input jack.

Both sides feature tie-downs for securing the Turtlebox to a boar or truck. Large rubber feet on the bottom of the device keep it elevated. The entire speaker clocks in at 11.5 x 6.5 x 8.75 inches and weighs 10 pounds. With an IP67 rating, the Turtlebox is capable of surviving submersion in a meter of water for 30 minutes.

Turtlebox Rugged Portable Speaker Sound Quality

Shockingly, the Turtlebox fuses rugged good looks with outstanding sound quality.  “X” by ScHoolboy Q, 2 Chainz, Saudi, and Kendrick Lamar off of the Black Panther soundtrack pumped with surprisingly robust bass response. Nevertheless, the deep low end didn’t overpower the vocals. The Grateful Dead’s “Friend of the Devil,” emanated from the Turtlebox with impressive clarity and good delineation of its layered guitars, drums, and bass.

John Lee Hooker’s “One Bourbon, One Scotch, and One Beer,” rang cheerfully out of the speaker. Hooker’s warbling vocals were warm with toe-tappingly clear bass, keys, and guitar. “Check the Rhime” by a Tribe Called Quest off of Low End Theory bumps with a funky bassline, hard-hitting drums, yet doesn’t wash out the sharp lyricism of Q-Tip and Phife spitting over top.

In addition to its audiophile-caliber sound, the Turtlebox can get pretty loud with little to no distortion. At max volume, there’s a slight harsh quality, but it’s much more manageable than most Bluetooth speakers that suffer from drastic distortion. Regardless of Bluetooth or its 3.5mm port, music sounded fantastic.

While music may be the main draw, I also appreciated the Turtlebox’s handling of movie audio was superb. I paired the Turtlebox with my Xgimi Halo portable projector over Bluetooth for an outdoor movie night. With fantastic bass response, wonderful vocal clarity, and terrific mid-range handling, the Turtlebox is a solid speaker for movies and TV shows. Although I wasn’t able to test out its stereo pairing, you can even achieve dedicated left and right channels.

Other Turtlebox Features – Power Bank, Stereo Pairing

Aside from its audio playback capabilities, the Turtlebox comes with a few other neat features. Its large battery not only powers the speaker, but doubles as a powerbank for charging other devices. I was successfully able to charge my phone with the Turtlebox.

What’s even better than one Turtlebox? Two! And with stereo pairing, you can connect a set of Turtlebox speakers for dedicated left and right channels. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to test out this functionality, although with stellar sound quality from a single loudspeaker, two in conjunction should be even better.

Who Should Buy the Turtlebox?

Outdoor and audio enthusiasts should consider the Turtlebox. If you need a speaker for poolside parties, camping trips, or boat rides, the Turtlebox is a worthy candidate that’s splashproof, dust-resistant, and sounds magnificent. Its power bank capabilities further make the Turtlebox perfect for adventures – you can juice up your phone or tablet on the go. Film buffs may consider the Turtlebox for pairing with a portable projector or terrace TV to enjoy backyard movie nights.

What is the Turtlebox good for:

• Outdoor adventures (camping, boating, fishing, hunting, pool parties)
• Backyard movie nights

The Competition – Turtlebox Loudspeaker Alternatives

The Soundcast VG7 is rugged loudspeaker. With 360-degree audio, Bluetooth, power bank functionality, and IP64 weatherproofing, it’s a good tough speaker. Although it can get pretty loud and features a high-quality Bluetooth connections, the Turtlebox is cheaper and more rugged with its IP67 rating.

JBL’s PartyBox 300 is a big party speaker with lighting effects, dual subwoofers, and three tweeters. While it lacks weatherproofing, the PartyBox 300 can crank the volume.

For a more traditional boombox form factor, the JBL Xtreme 3 sports IP67 waterproofing, powerbank capabilities, and multi-speaker pairing. Its battery life isn’t quite as long as the Turtlebox, however.

The Ecoxgear EcoTrek is a good mid-range Bluetooth speaker with a 100-Watt stereo, Bluetooth, and IP67 water-resistance.

On a budget, the Treblab FX100 retains many of the same features as the Turtlebox with weatherproofing, a power bank for charging other devices, and Bluetooth wireless connectivity. Although it can’t get nearly as loud, it’s a great affordable alternative.

Turtlebox Review – Final Thoughts

Ultimately, the Turtlebox portable Bluetooth loudspeaker is an outstanding device. It affords stellar sound quality with rugged, weather-resistant construction. Whether you’re throwing a poolside party, enjoying a beach day, camping, throwing a backyard movie night, or simply want a top-notch wireless speaker for toting from room-to-room, the Turtlebox is a great choice.