Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 4 Wireless Bluetooth Speaker Black (New Model, 100

ABOUT THIS PAGES There is always the possibility of subjectivity when reading a review of speakers that is not conducted in a lab with calibrated tools. This review is subjective. That means that the results of my test are only as accurate as my ears and instrument can give them to me. They are perceived by the brain. It is impossible for the same audio to sound the same to everyone. We all have our own preferences when it comes to what sounds "best". It seems like people refer to music as "warm" or "bright" or "tired" or "smooth". This is my favorite way of thinking about it The radio or home audio system in your car probably has an EQ. Is it set up the way you want it to be? The ‘curve’ is determined by the frequency range you want to hear. Some people do not like the thumping bass, so they turn it It's common for people to turn down the frequency of cymbals if the sound is too loud. It is my preference to have a curve that is low in the middle (in the midrange) and high on the ends (in the bass and treble). What is heard in music is directly affected by this. I will be focusing on the Harman Kardon Onyx series and the Bose SoundLink Revolve+ in this particular review. The maximum purchase limit on Amazon was $300, so I couldn't afford to buy other speakers such as the Vifa Oslo or BenQ. There was a Zeppelin named W. Although I want to try Play+Go in HK, I don't have the resources to do so at this time. It is not necessary to give me one to review (unless someone would like to donate one)*br The Bose SoundLink Revolve+ ($270), the Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 1 (n/a), Studio 4 ($175), and Studio 5 ($164) have all been in my hands in the last month. It is important to me that I find a speaker that fits MY listening profile. My primary concern is high-quality audio via bluetooth with a maximum price of $300 Because my focus is on this speaker being primarily used indoors with AC power, other factors like portability, water resistance, and battery power don't play a large role in my decision. The following is my rating from "Best" to "Really Good" in order of preference. There is nothing wrong with any of them. What are the reasons for my preference of the HK Onyx Studio 5? In my opinion, it sounds best (to me) and has the best price.
It is then followed by the Onyx 4 HK Onyx 1 is no longer available for purchase and is only available as a reference model. Because of hours spent testing, I chose to leave the Oontz and the DOSS out of this article because they simply aren't part of the same sphere of influence, let alone the same sport. They get their own A summary of the review is as follows For just 70 bucks, you can get the DOSS, or for 100 dollars, you can get the Onyx Studio 5 from HK. Adding just $100 to your listening enjoyment will easily pay for itself after all those years! We plugged all speakers in to AC power so the speakers could be setup. The firmware update was applied if one was available for the speaker. Using an iPhone XS as a central controller, all speakers were connected over Bluetooth. The music looked good on the Amazon Music app (app with full Amazon Music subscription), but I chose songs I know well across a wide variety of genres. Artists and their works are presented here in a small sampling Some albums I listened to in their entirety and some I only listened to selected songs from them. A bell curve whose up side is down. It has a strong bass and treble coupled with a relatively flat middle frequency. I find that the lower-end is too much A muddy midrange can be heard in most music. The price is too high - The sound is hollow or echoey and midrange in nature This is definitely the last place in terms of bass frequencies for Bose. With only one speaker (and very small downfiring one at that) it can't actually create bass that's audible at the low frequencies (unless that's what you really mean by "audible"). The Bose unit is clearly trying to produce a deep sound, but the sound doesn't have the depth you get when you use the large drivers on the HK Onyx units, particularly the Onyx Studio 4 & 5. By putting the Bose on a flat surface that would act as a bass transducer, I was able to give it a more realistic sound. As for that idea, Bose does an excellent job of isolating sound from the surfaces on which they're placed, so any surface won't buzz or reverberate. There will be no vibrations coming from the speaker if it is on a In terms of sound dispersion, the Bose Soundlink Revolve+ excels because it disperses sound evenly across a room due to the fact that it is a downfiring speaker. A piece of its output simply has a certain 'something' that can be explained best by listening, rather than by talking. I am disappointed that, while it sounds smooth and beautiful, it lacks the low end that I need. Despite the lack of bass, the Bose sounds very similar to Currently there are 3 models of the Harman Kardon Onyx Studio on the market, It is for reference only.
As I noted, the Onyx 1 is for reference only. This product has been with a family member for years and I have always been impressed by it. In order to find out what improvements HK has made to its latest models, it was time to take a look at them. There's no question that the Studio 4 and 5 have a better audio quality than the original, but it's not hugely different. In most cases, people would find it hard to distinguish the differences if they weren't side by side. In the case of the 4 and 5, there are even fewer differences in aural quality. In terms of the difference in driver setups between the 4 and 5, I found HK's switch from a 2x2 to a 1x1 interesting. As a student, I immediately thought that the new model would leave a lot of sound staging behind. It is quite surprising how little difference there is between the two, so "kudos to HK" for being able to fix this Better sound engineering has been done on the Onyx Studio 5. I doubt I could tell any difference between the 4 and the 5 speakers if there weren't all five speakers placed side by side It was, however, so 'I was' able to complete the task. This is especially noticeable when testing for low frequencies. HK has switched to a bigger woofer in the 5's speakers. It was absolutely possible to adjust the 5 to the 40Hz range both when playing music and using the Audiolabs test album. It was also at this point the Techmaster PEB album was made available. Bose didn't show up to the game because he didn't want to deal with it. At least the Onyx Studio 1 showed up, but it was the 4 & 5 that really stood out Of the five that took the field, only five actually played. There was just enough room on the board for the 5 to win. Once again, the biggest, single driver in the 5 appears to be the solution. The Studio 5 also had better overall staging and management, and it increased production efficiency by a third It contains slightly better vocals and treble than the original. Despite having a more "live" sound on any albums, the vocals of the 5 fared slightly better on the Live Albums, which had Performing with a Bose was also very successful, but the vocals were not quite as clear as they usually are. Whether you enjoy classical music more or not depends on your preference. The Bose or the Onyx Studio 5 fall into that category. As with the Sony, the Bose does an excellent job of giving you a large array of instruments, albeit with some of them being a little less crisp and distinct. Sometimes it sounds like some of the orchestra pieces are hidden behind a curtain despite knowing they are there. Once again, the choice is really up for grabs. As one listens to Holst The Planets, there are some quiet moments that are handled with ease by the two speakers. Even if the Bose is only slightly better than the 5, I suspect classical aficionados may prefer it in a perfectly quiet environment for the way it separates the stage.

A little summary A reference graph for #2 - According to this subjective, unscientific graph, this is what I hear in each of their sounds. Despite its relatively flat response curve, the Onyx 4 has an overall high level of stability. This means that I don't like a lot of the midrange. The speakers are pretty even between 90Hz and 110Hz. In general, the Bose falls pretty much in line with the Onyx 4 and 5, but misses the initial bass response, and compensates with a significant amount of As I indicated at the outset, the HK Onyx Studio 5 is the speaker that I find most similar to how I listen to music, and gains the overall award. Finally, now that the speaker I prefer sounds the best to me, let's explore the other features that distinguish them. The volume / loudness for the overall track is A reference graph is depicted in case you were wondering how I felt their volume at different I think the way this is done is very unscientific. For the sake of normalizing the sound, I first set all the speakers at about the same volume based on 1000Hz as the frequency to set I started with 40Hz and then stepped up to 16kHz after that, but the volume didn't get adjusted for the rest of the test. I interpreted this graph as showing where my perception of volume increased or decreased when compared There is no scientific basis for this, since the higher the frequency, the louder it will seem. With the higher frequencies, it gets more about which speaker is louder than the other at the given The graph can be taken for what it is worth. In exchange for a free review, I give this to you. The time spent on it will not be worth it Achieving results requires effort and determination It consists of equipment for recording and displaying a channel sweep for each speaker. (*laughing*)
As you can see on the volume graph. . . at 16kHz there doesn't appear to be much volume. Furthermore, none of the speakers sound crystal clear when they are at their maximum Nevertheless, there are many compounded factors that can account for this This is the encoded bitrate of the Audiolabs album that can be listened to on Bluetooth handles a huge portion of the spectrum with its protocol. From my tests, I also believe that once Bluetooth goes beyond about 80%, the BT becomes the primary source of distortion, not the speaker or amp. The amplifier of the device. It would be entirely impossible to achieve any of these results if I had used both my actual/physical Test CD and my actual/physical computer. As before, I did not see the point in spending more time on it I will try my best to help you. While I found it interesting that the Bose didn't sound as loud at the lowest volume levels (as a percentage of the total volume adjustment), it did play louder than the Onyx 5 in the end. I think the Onyx plateaus and ramps up faster than the Onyx. Furthermore, they had a flatter volume response by comparison with the Onyx units, which had a tendency to peak In my opinion, if someone focuses on the graph, it seems to contradict my statement that the Bose was generally louder at maximum I have never seen subjectiveity so good!
- In the early phases of my testing with the Bose, the control volume with VOL+/- seems to be a significant improvement It takes 20 steps to use the iPhone. With the speaker's volume buttons, there was however, a ratio of 5 steps per one on the In effect, the Bose is capable of adjusting its volume from 0 to 10 When done manually at the speaker, the result is 100. As far as manual volume control is concerned, I did not test the HK models. The portability and mobility of the device What is aesthetics? Please note I strongly recommend the Bose Soundlink Revolve+ as far as portability is concerned. This is definitely the lightest bag of the bunch and is extremely convenient to transport by picking up the fabric handle and heading out. As well as having the smallest footprint, it is the most compact. While the Bose still does well, its 3' USB charging cable will cost it a little bit. There are longer USB cables available at places like Amazon/Monoprice that will solve any issues with this. That being said, 3 feet is not much when you're trying to use your speaker at the same time as it is plugged in. Please note The 4 and 5 are neither very portable in the sense that one can simply throw it in a backpack and go for a day trip. As with the original model, the HK Onyx Studio 4 uses the same basic setup. There is a cup on top - Two people with a back to carry it, and one person without a back The legs of the chair stick out below the The Studio 5 went to a different design that made the bag look like a woman's handbag, but with a full handle at the Furthermore, the Studio 5 is much heavier than the Studio It's a plus that it's a heavyweight since it stays put and is less likely to vibrate when you place it. comparing the Studio 4 to the 5, it appears that the 4 would be more susceptible to falling over from behind if something knocked it. This is simply an observation and is unlikely to happen. I agree - With regard to the button layout, I like the Bose the best out of the four units. It includes the Onyx 1 and the Onyx 2 The next step is 4. There are only a few buttons that are convenient for use in the Onyx 5. You can't see its buttons due to its top placement. The fabric on the front of the speaker. The sound feedback of the HK is not nearly as intuitive as that of There is a voice coming from the Bose Most of the time, the HKs play only tones. Please note As a result of the 360 degree directionality of the Bose SoundLink Revolve+, if you were to hang them like light fixtures from high ceilings, you would get amazing sound in the room! You can also hang them from some really tall Shepherd's Hooks if you're planning on using them outside. With the Onyx Studio 5, you can do the same thing, but the speaker is much more directional, so you’ll probably want to place it in a corner firing inwards.

Serviceability Interested readers may want to note that the original Onyx Studio 1 had both a removable grill so that you could see all the speakers, as well as the ability to open the case and replace any components, including the failed rechargeable battery (which I replaced during my review of Bose and newer HK Onyx's don't seem to have any openings, although one can learn how to open them. The following features are included as extras Please note Additionally, I mentioned at the outset that I was not that interested in extra features. Playing my music on a speaker is what I want. As far as the rest is concerned, I'm not so concerned. Please note Wireless connections are possible between similar units such as Bose and HK. As a result, the Onyx Studio 5 can only be paired with other Studio 5 models. You cannot connect it to any previous Onyx models since it lacks the HKConnect technology. HKConnect is unable to recognize it for this reason. Reviews for all of the speakers have complaints from those who are unable to pair the exact same speaker with theirs. This fence seems to have green grass on both sides, but the grass isn't completely green on both sides. Please note Both the Bose and HK should handle incoming phone calls. I am not sure I did not test them. Please note a firmware update available and I was able to update it quickly and easily. It recognized the speaker without any issue when I connected it to my Windows 10 system. Without any problems, I downloaded Bose's Windows app and updated the firmware. The HK site indicated that there is no firmware update available for the 4 or 5. I did not carry out battery rundown tests, so I cannot comment on battery life. Due to the fact that I plan on keeping my speaker on a shelf and/or near AC power, battery life isn't an issue As soon as the Bose is turned on, you can clearly see how much battery it has. This name is also spoken by the device with which it's connected. My only wish for the other HK's is to have that feature. According to the price that we found, the HK Onyx Studio 5 is the least expensive of this group at this time. it has the best sound I've ever heard! Now that's what I call a WIN! Currently, the audio quality of the Onyx Studio 4 is a close second to that of the Studio 5, but it is currently more expensive. And then there is the Bose which is currently more than $100 more expensive than As it turns out, you'll have to pay for the name Bose There may have been other features I missed, such as battery life. It is nice to have the Bose, but I'll keep the extra $100 if you don't mind.
All in all, if you are not nearly as particular as I am, any of these three speakers would be an excellent choice for you. As far as my recommendation goes, the HK Onyx Studio 5 sounds the best and costs the least. However, if you aren't nearly as picky and have a concrete budget of $100, I would recommend the DOSS Soundbox XL.

Emily Clay

| Oct 18, 2020

Harman speakers replaced my Bose speakers but I am glad I took another look. It is a reputable company with a great product line. I have tried other products from HK and am satisfied with their quality. I believe that this is a great deal, making it your best choice. I received a Amazon Echo plus from Amazon before buying the HK and was disappointed with the sound quality. As a result, I had two choices In your opinion, what is better the Bose revolver or the HK Onyx 4? After reviewing JBL Pulse, MegaBoom, and others, I determined that HK is the best option based on price and functionality. complain that it is too big and it is not portable, but I am not looking for a speaker to go out, but instead, for the best sound at the lowest price, and I also have the ability to move it around. There are differences in size and size is a bit on the big side, like a sonos speaker but on the small side like a speaker. The new model has an 8-hour battery. I found that this model contains a multi speaker option, which connects 4 speakers at the same time.

In conclusion, this is a good Bluetooth speaker, with a good battery (8 hours, enough for a party), quick connect and multi speaker options. Device that seems to be very complete!.

Everleigh McGowan

| Dec 12, 2020

This review is the one you should pay attention to if you want to know more about this product. Interestingly enough, I purchased it as an upgrade to the one we've enjoyed for years (by the same company). This model is supposed to have better battery life and we ordered it on May 2nd 2018 and received it the next day. August was the month when it stopped working entirely. Not even a sound can be heard. In contacting Amazon, I requested that they contact the company on our behalf and the response was 'too bad'. Those are the problems I have. It wasn't dropped, abused or left outside. There was no help from them during the three-month period. Approximately $150 was spent on it. This event was supposed to last until 00, but it only lasted about 45 minutes. Despite having a 1 year warranty, they said it cannot be used since we didn't register it on some page again. It was really disappointing. The speaker was not up to par. I find it astonishing that a company would simply say "tough. ".

Phoenix Browning

| Jan 28, 2021

I don't review products often, but when I do, it means that it is a great product. The opposite is also true. In testing, testing, testing, and testing, I have found that the best wireless speakers are That is by far the best. This sounds better than the Google Home Max and Sonos and can be had for half or more the price. A Voice & A Computer The number is Really great, really cool, seriously. I keep this at my desk at all times to take all my calls on. A long time. The music is No idea how they did it, but they made it through the roof The sound of it, however, is Please do not waste your money on other speakers that are double the price or higher. It's always been my pleasure to listen to Harmon/Kardon, and this album is no different.

Opal Kaufman

| Jul 02, 2021

As a result, I bought two Aura Studio 2s after hearing them in a friend's office. I am in love with the base. We are in love with It seems to me that these could be paired up The great sound they produce can be paired with each other, but no stereo separation will be heard. According to HK, the Onyx 4 is the only device that can be paired with a true stereo speaker. , I picked up a pair of the Onyx 4s and compared them to each other.
I learned that you can't pair all 4 together because there are compression issues. There can be up to 100 Onyx paired at any time. On the other hand, you cannot pair an Aura with Secondly, I believe that you can only pair two aura with each other. An advantage of the Onyx is that it is battery powered for up to 8 hours. The volume didn't seem to differ much no matter if it was plugged in or not. There is better separation between the two stereo channels than the Aura, which also has better sound across all ranges. In comparison with the Aura, the volume is only about 80% of what it has. You give up the portability of size and battery operation when you buy the aura due to its excellent volume and fantastic base. Aura is also a great sounding speaker, despite the Onyx's better mid-range / high range. I can imagine the Onyx being great in a living room where you don't need to crank it all the way This is a good choice for the deck or dance floor where you want more volume and base
No matter what you decide to buy, get It sounds great when these two are combined. It's hard to tell whether one alone is special or not.

Skyler Ingram

| Sep 17, 2020