Short answer: the Harman Kardon Luna 2. It ranks #23 of 150 medium speakers by sound quality, rated 4.1/5, at $199.95; the Bose Portable Smart Speaker ranks #68, rated 3.4/5, and costs $399, so there is little reason to consider the other one.
Why pick the Harman Kardon Luna 2: Articulate, spacious midrange with precise imaging and instrument separation. The tradeoff: Treble can sound bright and edgy, and it loses more output off-axis than some rivals.
What the Bose Portable Smart Speaker does well: Both Alexa and Google Assistant are built in, and RTINGS rates its microphones as excellent at hearing commands from far away or in a noisy room. The tradeoff: RTINGS found the out of the box tuning boomy and says it doesn’t get very loud; the app’s bass and treble sliders help, and SoundGuys recommended cutting bass by 10 to 20 steps to balance it.
Buy the Harman Kardon Luna 2. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Bose Portable Smart Speaker and costs less, so only choose the other one for a particular feature it does better.
There is a real gap in water resistance: the Harman Kardon Luna 2 at IP67 (brief submersion) against the Bose Portable Smart Speaker, which has IPX4 (splashing).
Want more options? Browse the full Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Harman Kardon Luna 2 | Bose Portable Smart Speaker | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $199.95 | $399.00 |
| Ranked | #23 of 150 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #68 of 150 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes (Bose Music) |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC, AAC |
| EQ | Yes (4 presets + custom) | Yes (Bass/Treble) |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IPX4 |
| MicroSD Playback | No | - |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | Pointing up |
| TWS | Yes | - |
| USB Playback | No | - |
| Weight | 1.6 lbs (735 g) | 2.3 lbs (1.06 kg) |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 | 4.2 |
| Dimensions | 8.5” x 3.3” x 3.2” (216 x 84 x 81 mm) | 7.6” x 4.7” x 4.1” (192 x 119 x 104 mm) (H x W x D) |
| Drivers | 62mm x 82mm woofer with passive radiator, 20mm tweeter | 1x high-excursion driver with 360-degree deflector + 3x passive radiators |
| Frequency Response | 58Hz - 20kHz (-6dB) (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Amplifier Power | 40W (25W woofer + 15W tweeter) | - |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Strap | No | No |
| Built-in Microphone | - | Yes (far-field mic array, mic mute button) |
| Wi-Fi | - | Yes |
| Voice Assistants | - | Amazon Alexa & Google Assistant |
| Party Mode | - | Yes (Bose Music multi-room, SimpleSync, AirPlay 2) |
| Power Bank | - | No |
| Streaming Services | - | AirPlay 2, Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect, Amazon Music, Pandora, SiriusXM, TuneIn |
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Prices on this page were last checked September 30, 2026 at 2:57 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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The Two Speakers In Full
Harman Kardon Luna 2: $199.95 Amazon B&H Photo Video eBay
Older model: the Harman Kardon Luna (ranked lower, rated 4/5).
Pros: Articulate, spacious midrange with precise imaging and instrument separation. Tight, well-controlled bass from the 62mm x 82mm woofer and passive radiator despite the compact body, and it stays cleaner at volume than pricier rivals like the Sonos Play. IP67 rated, and two units pair via AirTouch for true stereo sound.
Cons: Treble can sound bright and edgy, and it loses more output off-axis than some rivals. Some listeners hear mid-range rattling on certain tracks, similar to sibling JBL models. 12-hour battery life trails category leaders like the JBL Charge 6, which doubles it. Single unit is not stereo (1.1 driver layout).
Full Harman Kardon Luna 2 review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 40W (25W woofer + 15W tweeter) |
|---|---|
| App | Yes |
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 8.5” x 3.3” x 3.2” (216 x 84 x 81 mm) |
| Drivers | 62mm x 82mm woofer with passive radiator, 20mm tweeter |
| EQ | Yes (4 presets + custom) |
| Frequency Response | 58Hz - 20kHz (-6dB) (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| MicroSD Playback | No |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| Strap | No |
| TWS | Yes |
| USB Playback | No |
| Weight | 1.6 lbs (735 g) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- What Hi-Fi?: Harman Kardon Luna 2 review
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: Sonos Play & Harman Kardon Luna 2 - listening test More from Oluv’Sone →
- Mateusz Cholewa: Harman Kardon Luna 2 UNBOXING vs HK Luna Short Test More from Mateusz Cholewa →
- Storytripper HD: Harman Kardon Luna vs Luna 2 More from storytripperhd →
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Bose Portable Smart Speaker: $399.00 Bose eBay
Pros: Both Alexa and Google Assistant are built in, and RTINGS rates its microphones as excellent at hearing commands from far away or in a noisy room. It works as a Wi-Fi speaker at home (AirPlay 2, Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect) and as a Bluetooth speaker away from Wi-Fi, weighs about 1 kg with a carry handle, and is IPX4 splash resistant. SoundGuys measured 13 hours 6 minutes of playback at 75 dB, beating Bose’s 12 hour claim, and found the bass impressive for its size, especially near a wall or corner. Its 360 degree design spreads sound evenly around a room.
Cons: RTINGS found the out of the box tuning boomy and says it doesn’t get very loud; the app’s bass and treble sliders help, and SoundGuys recommended cutting bass by 10 to 20 steps to balance it. Pushed to full volume, Tom’s Guide heard unbalanced sound and Pocket-lint found the bass struggling and turning incoherent. RTINGS measured only about 5 hours of battery in its own test. It is mono, has no aux input (the USB-C port only charges), uses Bluetooth 4.2, and the Bose Music app supports a limited list of streaming services. IPX4 covers splashes only, not submersion or dust.
Full Bose Portable Smart Speaker review and specifications →
| App | Yes (Bose Music) |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (far-field mic array, mic mute button) |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 7.6” x 4.7” x 4.1” (192 x 119 x 104 mm) (H x W x D) |
| Drivers | 1x high-excursion driver with 360-degree deflector + 3x passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Treble) |
| IP Rating | IPX4 |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up |
| Party Mode | Yes (Bose Music multi-room, SimpleSync, AirPlay 2) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| Strap | No |
| Streaming Services | AirPlay 2, Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect, Amazon Music, Pandora, SiriusXM, TuneIn |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa & Google Assistant |
| Weight | 2.3 lbs (1.06 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
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