Overview

The Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8 is a distinctive portable Bluetooth speaker with a circular baffle and an anodized aluminum handle/base. It houses one 120 mm woofer and two 20 mm tweeters driven to 50 W RMS in a ~3.52 kg body. Official specs confirm Bluetooth 5.2, up to 8 hours of playback, and automatic self-tuning; no IP water/dust rating is stated.

Scientific Validity

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Independent measurements report strong frequency-response accuracy and class-leading bass reach for this size. RTINGS lists Standard Error 2.85 dB and Low-Frequency Extension (-6 dB) 46.2 Hz for the Onyx Studio 8, which is excellent among portable single-box speakers. Manufacturer specs list 50 Hz–20 kHz (-6 dB) response, S/N > 80 dB, and a 11.70 Wh (≈3.6 V / 3250 mAh) battery. These jointly support balanced mids/highs with genuinely extended low-end for the form factor; stereo imaging at low frequencies remains physically constrained by driver spacing.

Technology Level

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Topology is conventional (dynamic 120 mm woofer + dual 20 mm tweeters, class-D amp). Connectivity is up-to-date Bluetooth 5.2; the auto self-tuning is a basic single-box room compensation rather than advanced multi-mic adaptive DSP. Sustainable materials (recycled fabric, aluminum handle) are a plus, but acoustic novelty is limited.

Cost-Performance

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We judge equivalence on user-visible functions plus measured fidelity (frequency-response flatness and bass reach). Among popular rivals:

• Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) — Std. Err. 1.97 dB (better) but LFE 64.4 Hz (shallower bass).
• JBL Charge 5 — Std. Err. 3.75 dB and LFE 59.1 Hz (both worse).
• Anker Soundcore Motion+ — Std. Err. 3.48 dB, LFE 60.8 Hz (both worse).

No cheaper model matches or exceeds the Onyx Studio 8 on both core metrics simultaneously while offering comparable portability; therefore CP = 1.0.

Reliability & Support

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Build is sturdy (aluminum handle), but the lack of any stated IP rating reduces environmental robustness versus IP-rated rivals. Warranty terms in typical regions are limited to 1 year (5 years for non-powered speakers).

Rationality of Design Philosophy

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A living-room-friendly aesthetic with recycled materials is coherent; self-tuning mitigates placement effects but does not replace full-fledged measurement-led DSP. Omission of water/dust protection narrows outdoor utility.

Advice

Choose the Onyx Studio 8 if you value deep bass extension for the size and stylish indoor placement. If ruggedness or all-day battery is critical, consider JBL Charge 5 (IP67, long battery, powerbank) or Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) (IP67, compact). These rivals are easier outdoors but do not beat the Onyx Studio 8 simultaneously on both flatness and bass reach.

References

1) Harman Kardon — Product page “Onyx Studio 8”
https://mm.harmankardon.com/ONYX-STUDIO-8-.html

2) Harman Kardon — Spec Sheet (EN, PDF)
https://www.harmankardon.com/on/demandware.static/-/Sites-masterCatalog_Harman/default/dw09c0a197/pdfs/HK%20Onyx%20Studio%208_Specsheet_EN.pdf

3) RTINGS — Onyx Studio 8 review (key metrics shown in snippet)
https://www.rtings.com/speaker/reviews/harman-kardon/onyx-studio-8

4) RTINGS — JBL Charge 5 review (Std. Err. & LFE)
https://www.rtings.com/speaker/reviews/jbl/charge-5

5) RTINGS — Anker Soundcore Motion+ review (Std. Err. & LFE)
https://www.rtings.com/speaker/reviews/anker/soundcore-motion-plus

6) RTINGS — Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) review (Std. Err. & LFE)
https://www.rtings.com/speaker/reviews/bose/soundlink-flex-2nd-gen

7) Harman Kardon Support — Warranty Information (US)
https://support.harmankardon.com/us/en/howto/harman-kardon-warranty-information-us/000040656.html

(2025.8.16)