Short answer: the Harman Kardon Go + Play 2. It ranks #18 of 73 boombox speakers by sound quality at $350; the B&O Beolit 20 ranks #31 and costs $690.28, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
What the Harman Kardon Go + Play 2 offers: Warm sound with boosted bass. Watch for: Not as loud as others.
What the B&O Beolit 20 offers: Wireless phone charging. Watch for: Warm sound.
Buy the Harman Kardon Go + Play 2. It ranks higher for sound quality than the B&O Beolit 20 and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
If water resistance matters to you, the B&O Beolit 20 at IPX4 (splashing) holds up far better than the Harman Kardon Go + Play 2 at no water resistance.
Specifications Side By Side
| Harman Kardon Go + Play 2 | B&O Beolit 20 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $350 Discontinued | $690.28 |
| Ranked | #18 of 73 in Boombox Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #31 of 73 in Boombox Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| Aux Latency | 0ms | - |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 40Hz | 45Hz |
| Battery Life | 8 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 8 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | None | IPX4 |
| Bluetooth Latency | 33ms | - |
| Max Volume | 99dB | 93dB |
| Party Mode | Yes (Wireless Dual Sound) | No |
| Power Input | AC Power brick | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes | No |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC |
| App | No | Yes (Bang & Olufsen app) |
| EQ | No | Yes (App EQ) |
| TWS | No | Yes |
| Power Bank | No | Yes (USB-C) |
| USB Playback | No | No |
| Built in Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| Output Power | 100W AC / 30W battery | 240W peak |
| Dimensions | 20" x 9" x 9.5" (508 x 228.6 x 241.3 mm) | 5.3" x 9.1" x 7.4" (135 x 230 x 189 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 90mm (3.5") woofers (front and rear firing) + 2x 20mm tweeters | 2x 30mm tweeters + 2x 40mm mid-range + 1x 60mm woofer + dual passive radiators |
| Weight | 5.3 lbs / 2.4 kg | 6 lbs / 2.7 kg |
| Discontinued | Yes | - |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Aux Input | - | Yes |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
- JBL Boombox 4 vs Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 5
- Brane X vs Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 5
- JBL Boombox 4 vs JBL Partybox Stage 320
- JBL Boombox 2 vs B&O Beolit 20
- B&O Beolit 20 vs Demerbox DB2
The Two Speakers In Full
Harman Kardon Go + Play 2: $350 Discontinued
Pros: Warm sound with boosted bass.
Cons: Not as loud as others. No water rating. Discontinued.
Full Harman Kardon Go + Play 2 review and specifications →
| App | No |
|---|---|
| Aux Latency | 0ms |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 40Hz |
| Battery Life | 8 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Latency | 33ms |
| Built in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 20" x 9" x 9.5" (508 x 228.6 x 241.3 mm) |
| Discontinued | Yes |
| Drivers | 2x 90mm (3.5") woofers (front and rear firing) + 2x 20mm tweeters |
| EQ | No |
| IP Rating | None |
| Max Volume | 99dB |
| Output Power | 100W AC / 30W battery |
| Party Mode | Yes (Wireless Dual Sound) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | AC Power brick |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | No |
| USB Playback | No |
| Weight | 5.3 lbs / 2.4 kg |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Alan Ross Reviews: Harman Kardon Go+ Play 3 vs Go Play 2, the holy grail has arrived? ✔
- Alan Ross Reviews: JBL Boombox 2 bass monster or the mature Harman Kardon Go+ Play 2 mini for bass?? 💥
- Alan Ross Reviews: Tribit Stormbox Blast or Harman Kardon Go+ Play 2 Mini by an old bloke!
- Alan Ross Reviews: Harman Kardon Go+ Play 2 mini or Onyx Studio 6 - best speaker for bass?
- Alan Ross Reviews: Soundcore Motion Boom Plus vs Harman Kardon Go+ Play 2 mini - party vs HiFi
- Alan Ross Reviews: Bag of Riddim vs Harman Kardon Go+ Play 2 - boom boom in da room! 🥳
- Alan Ross Reviews: HK Go+ Play vs Soundcore Motion Boom - biggest bass battle ever!!!!!!!!!!!!
- Reddit Search for Harman Kardon Go + Play 2 Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Harman Kardon Go + Play 2 vs JBL Boombox 2
- Harman Kardon Go + Play 2 vs JBL Authentics 300
- Harman Kardon Go + Play 2 vs Harman Kardon Go + Play 3
- Harman Kardon Go + Play 2 vs Sony SRS-XG500
- Harman Kardon Go + Play 2 vs Soundcore Motion Boom+
- Harman Kardon Go + Play 2 vs Demerbox DB2
- Harman Kardon Go + Play 2 vs Bumpboxx Flare 6
- Harman Kardon Go + Play 2 vs Turtlebox Gen 2
- See all 10 comparisons
B&O Beolit 20: $690.28 Amazon
Pros: Wireless phone charging.
Cons: Warm sound. Rolled off treble. Bass not as deep as the Onyx Studio 7
Full B&O Beolit 20 review and specifications →
| App | Yes (Bang & Olufsen app) |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 45Hz |
| Battery Life | 8 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Built in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 5.3" x 9.1" x 7.4" (135 x 230 x 189 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 30mm tweeters + 2x 40mm mid-range + 1x 60mm woofer + dual passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (App EQ) |
| IP Rating | IPX4 |
| Max Volume | 93dB |
| Output Power | 240W peak |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| TWS | Yes |
| USB Playback | No |
| Weight | 6 lbs / 2.7 kg |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: B&O Beolit 20 vs Earfun UBoom X - everything fake?
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: $600 premium Bluetooth speaker vs $115 cheapo UBoom X
- techkiste.net: B&O Beolit 20 vs Vifa Copenhagen 2.0 sound-comparison with different music-genres
- Oluv Patreon: B&O Beolit 20 - frequency response measurements
- Reddit Search for B&O Beolit 20 Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons