Short answer: the Harman Kardon Luna. It ranks #24 of 145 medium speakers by sound quality, rated 4.0/5, at $290.99; the Bose Portable Smart Speaker ranks #65, rated 3.4/5, and costs $399, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
Why pick the Harman Kardon Luna: Harman Kardon Luna uses 48mm x 90mm woofer, 20mm tweeter. The catch: Bass is limited by its 57Hz specification.
The case for the Bose Portable Smart Speaker: 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. Watch for: 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. 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 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 | Bose Portable Smart Speaker | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $290.99 | $399.00 |
| Ranked | #24 of 145 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #65 of 145 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | No | Yes (Bose Music) |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 57Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC, AAC |
| EQ | No | 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 | Yes | - |
| Weight | 2.5 lbs (1.13 kg) | 2.3 lbs (1.06 kg) |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 4.2 |
| Dimensions | 8.3” x 3.1” x 3.1” (210 x 78 x 80 mm) | 7.6” x 4.7” x 4.1” (192 x 119 x 104 mm) (H x W x D) |
| Drivers | 48mm x 90mm woofer, 20mm tweeter | 1x high-excursion driver with 360-degree deflector + 3x passive radiators |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Amplifier Power | 40W | - |
| Digital Aux Input | 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 |
| Strap | - | No |
| Streaming Services | - | AirPlay 2, Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect, Amazon Music, Pandora, SiriusXM, TuneIn |
Related Speaker Comparisons
How Harman Kardon Luna compares with other leading options:
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- Soundcore Motion+ vs Harman Kardon Luna
- Soundcore Boost “upgraded” 2021 vs Harman Kardon Luna
- Harman Kardon Luna vs Minirig 4
Prices on this page were last checked September 26, 2026 at 11:14 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: $290.99 Amazon eBay
Newer model: the Harman Kardon Luna 2, ranked higher, rated 4.1/5.
Pros: Harman Kardon Luna uses 48mm x 90mm woofer, 20mm tweeter. Its 1.13 kg, claimed 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) battery life, IP67 protection and mono playback make it a practical option for its intended room or portable use. The sound is fairly balanced apart from the boosted bass. Measured bass extension of 57Hz (-10dB).
Cons: Bass is limited by its 57Hz specification. There is no companion app. No EQ adjustment. Boosted bass, and less detailed than higher-ranked speakers.
Full Harman Kardon Luna review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 40W |
|---|---|
| App | No |
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 57Hz |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 8.3” x 3.1” x 3.1” (210 x 78 x 80 mm) |
| Drivers | 48mm x 90mm woofer, 20mm tweeter |
| EQ | No |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| MicroSD Playback | No |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| TWS | Yes |
| USB Playback | Yes |
| Weight | 2.5 lbs (1.13 kg) |
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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 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 |
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