Short answer: the Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8. It ranks #10 of 73 boombox speakers by sound quality at $159.99; the JBL Boombox 4 ranks #17 and costs $549.95, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
On the Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8 side: Warm sound with boosted bass. Set against that: Not as loud as others.
The case for the JBL Boombox 4: Pretty insane output capability for the size. The tradeoff: Pretty overpriced for the category.
Buy the Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8. It ranks higher for sound quality than the JBL Boombox 4 and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
If battery life is a priority, the JBL Boombox 4 is rated for 28 hours versus 8 hours for the Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8.
If water resistance matters to you, the JBL Boombox 4 at IP68 (extended submersion) holds up far better than the Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8 at no water resistance.
Specifications Side By Side
| Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8 | JBL Boombox 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $159.99 | $549.95 |
| Ranked | #10 of 73 in Boombox Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #17 of 73 in Boombox Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| Aux Input | Yes | No |
| Aux Latency | 42ms | - |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 35Hz | 41Hz |
| Battery Life | 8 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 28 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built in Microphone | Yes | No |
| IP Rating | None | IP68 |
| Bluetooth Latency | 175ms | AAC 144ms, SBC 48ms |
| Max Volume | 96dB | 115dB |
| Power Input | DC Barrel Connector (19V/2.1A) | AC Power cord |
| Stereo | Yes | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| TWS | Yes | Yes |
| Weight | 7.3 lbs / 3.3 kg | 13.2 lbs / 5.98 kg |
| App | Yes (Harman Kardon One app) | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC, LC3, AAC |
| Power Bank | No | Yes (USB-C, up to 30W) |
| EQ | Yes (App EQ) | Yes (7 band) |
| Party Mode | No | Yes (Auracast) |
| USB Playback | No | No |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.2 | 5.4 |
| Output Power | 50W RMS | 210W AC / 200W battery |
| Dimensions | 10.6" x 11.9" x 6.3" (268 x 302.5 x 159.5 mm) | 20.1" x 10.2" x 8.3" (510 x 260 x 210 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 75mm woofers + 2x 20mm tweeters | 2x 123mm woofers + 2x 20mm tweeters with passive radiators |
| Digital Aux Input | No | Yes (USB-C) |
| Removable Battery | - | Yes |
| FM Tuner | - | No |
| Microphone Input | - | No |
| MicroSD Playback | - | No |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
- Harman Kardon Go + Play 2 vs JBL Boombox 2
- Harman Kardon Go + Play 2 vs JBL Boombox 3
- Harman Kardon Go + Play 2 vs Sony SRS-XG500
- JBL Boombox 4 vs Zealot S95
- JBL Boombox 4 vs Soundcore Boom 2 Plus
The Two Speakers In Full
Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8: $159.99 Amazon
Pros: Warm sound with boosted bass.
Cons: Not as loud as others. No water rating.
Full Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8 review and specifications →
| 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 |
| Max Volume | 96dB |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 50W RMS |
| 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 |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Alan Ross Reviews: Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8 review - part 2 of 3
- 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!
- Reddit Search for Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8 Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8 vs Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 6
- Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8 vs Vifa Copenhagen 2.0
- Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8 vs Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 7
- Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8 vs Aiwa Exos-9
- Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8 vs Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 9
- Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8 vs JBL Partybox Encore Essential
- Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8 vs JBL Partybox Encore
- Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8 vs Zealot ZE41
- See all 16 comparisons
JBL Boombox 4: $549.95 Amazon Bhphotovideo
Pros: Pretty insane output capability for the size.
Cons: Pretty overpriced for the category. Better than the Boombox 3 mostly because there are more 7 EQ bands instead of just 3 and it can be better tuned. Try Oluv’s EQ for it. Out of the box sounds worse than the Boombox 3. No Aux input.
Full JBL Boombox 4 review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 41Hz |
| Battery Life | 28 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, LC3, AAC |
| Bluetooth Latency | AAC 144ms, SBC 48ms |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 |
| Built in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | Yes (USB-C) |
| Dimensions | 20.1" x 10.2" x 8.3" (510 x 260 x 210 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 123mm woofers + 2x 20mm tweeters with passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (7 band) |
| FM Tuner | No |
| IP Rating | IP68 |
| Max Volume | 115dB |
| MicroSD Playback | No |
| Microphone Input | No |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 210W AC / 200W battery |
| Party Mode | Yes (Auracast) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C, up to 30W) |
| Power Input | AC Power cord |
| Removable Battery | Yes |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | Yes |
| USB Playback | No |
| Weight | 13.2 lbs / 5.98 kg |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- JOY‘s 🎧3D🔈Audio-Show: JBL Boombox 4 vs Boombox 3 - old one sounding better? 🤔
- JOY‘s 🎧3D🔈Audio-Show: JBL Boombox 4 vs Earfun UBoom X - sound test
- JOY‘s 🎧3D🔈Audio-Show: JBL Boombox 4 vs Boombox 3 - any improvement?
- JOY‘s 🎧3D🔈Audio-Show: JBL Boombox 4 vs Partybox Encore 2 - outdoor loudness & basstest
- JOY‘s 🎧3D🔈Audio-Show: JBL Boombox 4 - finally a real BOOMbox from JBL 👏
- Alan Ross Reviews: JBL Boombox 4 HUMILIATES Brane X?! Ultimate Bass Battle!
- Alan Ross Reviews: JBL Boombox 4 Compared to Boombox 3 & 3 WiFi – Worth the Upgrade?
- Alan Ross Reviews: JBL Boombox 4 distortion fest bonanza! how bad can it be lol 🤣
- Jagist reviews: Jbl Boombox 4 Vs Zealot Ze21!!!
- Techder Audios: JBL Boombox 4 VS Zealot ZE21 BATTLE OF THE BOOMBOXES!
- Dominik Reviews: Zealot S89 vs JBL Boombox 4 - JBL Alternative? Sound Test
- Jagist reviews: Jbl Boombox 4 Vs Zealot S89!!!
- Jagist reviews: Jbl Boombox 4 Vs Zealot S95!!!
- Reddit Search for JBL Boombox 4 Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- JBL Boombox 4 vs Zealot S89
- JBL Boombox 4 vs Harman Kardon Go + Play 2
- JBL Boombox 4 vs Zealot ZE21
- JBL Boombox 4 vs Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 5
- JBL Boombox 4 vs Zealot ZE41
- JBL Boombox 4 vs JBL Boombox 3 Wifi
- JBL Boombox 4 vs JBL Boombox 3
- JBL Boombox 4 vs Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 9
- See all 32 comparisons