Short answer: the Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8. It ranks #11 of 75 boombox speakers by sound quality at $199; the B&O Beolit 20 ranks #33 and costs $599.99, which makes this an easy call rather than a real tradeoff.
What the Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8 offers: At 3.3 kg, Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8 combines 2x 75mm woofers + 2x 20mm tweeters with Bluetooth and aux. Claimed 8 hours (manufacturer specified) battery life, up to 96db and stereo playback make its feature set practical for its intended room or portable use. Watch for: Bass is limited by its 35Hz specification.
What the B&O Beolit 20 offers: B&O Beolit 20 uses 2x 30mm tweeters + 2x 40mm mid-range + 1x 60mm woofer + dual passive radiators. Its 2.7 kg, claimed 8 hours (Manufacturer specified) battery life, IPX4 protection, aux input, up to 93dB and mono playback make it a practical option for its intended room or portable use. Watch for: Bass is limited by its 45Hz specification.
Buy the Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8. It ranks higher for sound quality than the B&O Beolit 20 and costs less, so the other one has nothing left to offer.
If water resistance matters to you, the B&O Beolit 20 at IPX4 (splashing) holds up far better than the Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8 at no water resistance.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8 | B&O Beolit 20 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $199.00 | $599.99 |
| Ranked | #11 of 75 in Boombox Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #33 of 75 in Boombox Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| Aux Input | Yes | Yes |
| Aux Latency | 42ms | - |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 35Hz | 45Hz |
| Battery Life | 8 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 8 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| IP Rating | None | IPX4 |
| Bluetooth Latency | 175ms | - |
| Maximum SPL | 96dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) | 93dB (Manufacturer specified) |
| Power Input | DC Barrel Connector (19V/2.1A) | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | Yes |
| TWS | Yes | Yes |
| Weight | 7.3 lbs (3.3 kg) | 6 lbs (2.7 kg) |
| App | Yes (Harman Kardon One app) | Yes (Bang & Olufsen app) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC |
| Power Bank | No | Yes (USB-C) |
| EQ | Yes (App EQ) | Yes (App EQ) |
| Party Mode | No | No |
| USB Playback | No | No |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.2 | - |
| Amplifier Power | 50W RMS | 240W peak |
| Dimensions | 10.6" x 11.9" x 6.3" (268 x 302.5 x 159.5 mm) | 5.3" x 9.1" x 7.4" (135 x 230 x 189 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 75mm woofers + 2x 20mm tweeters | 2x 30mm tweeters + 2x 40mm mid-range + 1x 60mm woofer + dual passive radiators |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
Related Speaker Comparisons
How Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8 compares with other leading options:
- Tribit Stormbox Blast vs Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8
- Harman Kardon Go + Play 3 vs Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8
- JBL Partybox Encore 2 vs Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8
- JBL Partybox Encore Essential 2 vs Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8
- JBL Partybox Encore vs Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8
Prices on this page were last checked September 16, 2026 at 12:41 AM 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 Onyx Studio 8: $199.00 Amazon eBay
Pros: At 3.3 kg, Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8 combines 2x 75mm woofers + 2x 20mm tweeters with Bluetooth and aux. Claimed 8 hours (manufacturer specified) battery life, up to 96db and stereo playback make its feature set practical for its intended room or portable use. Measured bass extension of 35Hz (-10dB).
Cons: Bass is limited by its 35Hz specification.
Full Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8 review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 50W RMS |
|---|---|
| App | Yes (Harman Kardon One app) |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Aux Latency | 42ms |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 35Hz |
| Battery Life | 8 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Latency | 175ms |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.2 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 10.6" x 11.9" x 6.3" (268 x 302.5 x 159.5 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 75mm woofers + 2x 20mm tweeters |
| EQ | Yes (App EQ) |
| IP Rating | None |
| Maximum SPL | 96dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | DC Barrel Connector (19V/2.1A) |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | Yes |
| USB Playback | No |
| Weight | 7.3 lbs (3.3 kg) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Alan Ross Reviews: Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8 review - part 2 of 3 More from alanrossreviews →
- Alan Ross Reviews: Onyx Studio 8 vs HK Onyx 6, Xtreme 3, PartyBox Encore, Go+ Play, Bag of Riddim! part 3 of 3
- Alan Ross Reviews: Dead room vs Live room - Onyx studio 8 self tuning test! part 1 of 3
- Alan Ross Reviews: Ultimate HK Onyx Studio speaker review and comparison! 8 speakers!
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
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- Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8 vs Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 7
- Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8 vs Vifa Copenhagen 2.0
- Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8 vs Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 9
- Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8 vs Aiwa Exos-9
- Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8 vs JBL Partybox Encore Essential
- Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8 vs Zealot ZE51
- See all 56 comparisons
B&O Beolit 20: $599.99 Amazon eBay
Pros: B&O Beolit 20 uses 2x 30mm tweeters + 2x 40mm mid-range + 1x 60mm woofer + dual passive radiators. Its 2.7 kg, claimed 8 hours (Manufacturer specified) battery life, IPX4 protection, aux input, up to 93dB and mono playback make it a practical option for its intended room or portable use. Measured bass extension of 45Hz (-10dB).
Cons: Bass is limited by its 45Hz specification.
Full B&O Beolit 20 review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 240W peak |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| Maximum SPL | 93dB (Manufacturer specified) |
| Omnidirectional | Yes |
| 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) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: B&O Beolit 20 vs Earfun UBoom X - everything fake? More from Oluv’Sone →
- 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
- Head-to-Head Comparisons