The Turtlebox Is Loud And Slightly Larger, But The DemerBox Is Made In The USA, And Is Remarkably Durable
The DemerBox and Turtlebox are both powerful, portable Bluetooth speakers. What sets them apart from your everyday speaker is their strong build quality and extreme volume, making them a popular choice for those who’s weekends consist of going out and creating new adventures. But with these speakers sharing so much in common, which is the best buy? We’ll compare the sound quality, durability and features so that you can make the right choice.
Editor’s Note: The Turtlebox and DemerBox being compared are from their second generation releases. The Turtlebox is sometimes called the Turtlebox Gen 2 or Turtlebox 2, while the DemerBox model is the DB2.
Key Takeaways:
- The DemerBox is made in the USA & is serviceable for life
- Although both are water-resistant, the Turtlebox also has dust resistance.
- The Turtlebox is louder, but the DemerBox is more clear.
- The DemerBox has an incredibly long-lasting battery.
DemerBox (DB2) vs Turtlebox (Gen 2) Specs
| Model | DemerBox (DB2) | Turtlebox 2 |
| Release Date: | June 2019 | Jan 2022 |
| Water Resistance | N/A | IP67 |
| Output Power | 11W RMS | 80W |
| Battery Life | Up to 40 hours | Up to 25 hours |
| Frequency Response | 50Hz – 20KHz | 50Hz – 20KHz |
| Multispeaker Pairing | Yes (6 Speakers) | Yes (TWS) |
| Weight | 5.5 lbs | 10 lbs |
| Dimensions | 10 x 7 x 10″ | 12 x 7 x 8.75″ |
| App Support | No | No |
| Price: | Check Price | Check Price |
Design, Build, & Durability
Summary: Both speakers are incredibly durable, but the DemerBox is widely considered to be stronger. The DemerBox is a smaller and lighter speaker than the Turtlebox, weighing just 5.5 lbs. Both speakers are water-resistant, but the Turtlebox is the only one to come with an IPX rating, which also specifies resistance to dust.
Durability
Winner: DemerBox
Durability is where these speakers excel, it’s the core of their design and they will both give you years of lasting use. However, the DemerBox is ultimately a bit more robust than the Turtlebox. The DemerBox is in fact partnered with Pelican, who are renowned for their durable carry cases.
The DemerBox also boasts a crushproof design, meaning no matter how you’re transporting it – you can do so with peace of mind. Although the Turtlebox is extremely durable itself, the DemerBoxtakes it to another level.
Many consumers will also find the fact that the DemerBox is made in America appealing, as there aren’t many speakers nowadays that are locally manufactured in the U.S.
Waterproofing
Winner: Turtlebox
Both speakers are waterproof and can be used in the heaviest of rain without risk of damage. However, the DemerBox doesn’t come with an IP rating, meaning there’s no specified level of dust resistance. In contrast, the Turtlebox has an IP67 rating that protects the speaker from both rain and dust. Both speakers can float in water too. Although little separates them in their water resistance, I find the dust resistance rating on the Turtlebox to offer a little more peace of mind.
Portability
Winner: DemerBox
The DemerBox is a slightly smaller and significantly lighter speaker, weighing close to half that of the Turtlebox (5.5 lbs vs 10 lbs respectively). The reason for this significant difference in weight is that the DemerBox has very little going on inside of it, and is in fact designed to hold items inside of it. Just open it up like you would any other Pelican case and place your sunscreen, phone or wallet inside for safe keeping while out on your adventures.
Controls, Connectivity & App Support
Summary: The Turtlebox has more ports and much more comprehensive controls, however, the DemerBox has better Bluetooth connectivity, with more range and slightly less latency.
Inputs & Outputs
Winner: Turtlebox
With durability being the focus, it’s unsurprising that neither speaker is particularly feature-packed. Yet we still get some additional ports. The DemerBox for example, comes with a USB output for charging your phone, and a simple 3.5mm aux in. In contrast, the Turtlebox has a USB-C output, 3.5mm aux input and a microphone jack (also 3.5mm), which can also be used with a guitar, allowing you to turn the Turtlebox into a portable guitar amp too.
Controls
Winner: Turtlebox
Despite some overlap in their designs, the Turtlebox’s controls are significantly more comprehensive than the DemerBox. The DemerBox keeps things real simple with a power button and volume controls, everything else will need to be done via mobile device. To activate the multi-speaker pairing, you will need to press down the volume buttons at the same time.
The Turtlebox, in contrast, has a power button, volume controls, track skipping, Bluetooth pairing and multi-speaker pairing buttons. Another benefit is that these buttons are backlit, making them easy to use in dark conditions.
Wireless Connectivity / Bluetooth
Winner: DemerBox
The Turtlebox supports Bluetooth 5.0 and provides a reliable connection which in my testing could reach around 50 to 60 feet, in contrast the DemerBox reaches up to 100 feet but doesn’t state which version of Bluetooth is being used.
The latency is good on both speakers, but the DemerBox has slightly lower latency than the Turtlebox.
Multi-Speaker Pairing
Winner: Turtlebox
Both speakers offer multi-speaker pairing, but in different ways. The Turtlebox supports a TWS connection, allowing you to pair 2 Turtleboxes together in stereo sound.
The DemerBox on the other hand supports more speakers, but not in a stereo pairing. You can pair up to 6 DemerBoxes together in a general pairing, which will help to improve coverage and overall volume.
App Support
Winner: Tied
With both these speakers being quite expensive and fairly modern, you may expect a mobile app – however, neither speaker has a companion app.
Audio Performance
Summary: The DemerBox isn’t as loud as the Turtlebox, but it retains more clarity at traditional listening volume. Its sound is brighter than the Turtlebox, but the Turtlebox has more bass than the DemerBox.
Frequency Response
Winner: DemerBox
With both speakers being designed primarily for the outdoors, one may be a little disappointed when listening to them indoors. That’s because they both have a bright sound that can be a little grating indoors. But this tuning is ideal for the open air, and helps to retain detail.
They have very different speaker designs, with the Turtlebox using a 6×9 woofer along with a smaller central tweeter for the highs. The DemerBox on the other hand, features two smaller drivers which limit the lows, but give that same bright sound that the Turtlebox does.
The Turtlebox has more bass to it, thanks to the 6×9 woofer which can produce lower frequencies than the two 3″ full range drivers on the DemerBox. So while there are similarities in their sound, the Turtlebox sounds a little fuller.
Soundstage & Dynamics
Winner: DemerBox
Although the DemerBox has smaller drivers, the separation between these drivers allows it to sound more immersive than the Turtlebox. This separation helps to improve the soundstage of the speaker. The Turtlebox’s soundstage performance isn’t terrible, but having the tweeter centered with the woofer behind it, there isn’t much audible separation between frequencies.
Dynamic performance is good on both speakers, but fall short of larger party speakers. You’ll still get good amounts of detail preserved when cranking up the volume, but both still see some degradation in detail when played at over 75%.
Volume
Winner: Turtlebox
While the DemerBox is quite loud, producing up to 94 dB at 1 foot, the Turtlebox is substantially louder, reaching over 104dB at a distance of 1 meter. It’s this powerful sound that separates the Turtlebox from the DemerBox, as well as many other speakers on the market. The DemerBox will still give enough volume for group listening sessions, but won’t cover quite the same area.
Battery & Charging
Winner: DemerBox
Battery life is excellent on both speakers, but because the Turtlebox is so loud, turning up the volume can drain it fairly quickly. Although rated to last for up to 25 hours, at 50% volume I get between 10 and 12 hours of playtime.
The DemerBox is rated to last up to 40 hours, and given its more modest volume levels and less power-intensive drivers, it lasts longer than the Turtlebox. At 50% volume, you can expect between 20 and 22 hours of playtime from the DemerBox. However, for group sessions where you may want to push it a bit more, between 15 and 18 is a realistic amount.
Price & Value
When it comes to price and value, these speakers both retail for $399, but which one has better value?
The truth is that each speaker has its own unique set of positive qualities it brings to the table that can justify the cost. The DemerBox’s biggest value lies in the fact that it’s an American made product in association with Pelican. It also has the massive benefit of being serviceable for life. Although it’s not as loud as the Turtlebox, its sound is slightly clearer.
The Turtlebox on the other hand has the benefit of additional connection ports, for instance the microphone port. It also gets extremely loud, which is ideal for larger group gatherings. The on-speaker controls are also more comprehensive and very useful.
If you’re considering these two speakers, I also recommend checking out ECOXGEAR’s Defender, a similar sized speaker that gets just as loud as the Turtlebox, but costs half the price of the these speakers. The Defender isn’t quite as rugged, but it is more versatile and sounds better than the Turtlebox in my opinion, particularly indoors.
Conclusion
Although both speakers share some similarities, there isn’t a clear winner between them. Their value is entirely dependent on one’s personal subjective taste. The DemerBox is a better sounding speaker with incredible build quality and a lightweight design. Much of its value lies in the unique design which doubles as a storage case. The Turtlebox mirrors that durable design, but is significantly louder and comes with more controls and features.
