Short answer: the Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8. It ranks #10 of 73 boombox speakers by sound quality at $159.99; the Marshall Tufton ranks #60 and costs $450, so there is little reason to consider the other one.
What the Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8 offers: Warm sound with boosted bass. Watch for: Not as loud as others. No water rating.
What the Marshall Tufton offers: 20 hour battery life; 2.5 hour full charge, or 20-min quick-charge for 4 hours of play. 3-way speaker design covers full frequency range in 360°. Sturdy construction with IPX2 rating. Watch for: Not much lower bass, upper bass boomy, boosted treble, not very balanced overall. Not as loud as others in the class. Very low water rating
Buy the Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Marshall Tufton and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
Skip the Marshall Tufton if sound quality matters to you. It ranks near the bottom of the 73 boombox speakers.
There is a real battery-life gap here: the Marshall Tufton is rated for 20 hours, the Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8 only 8 hours.
Specifications Side By Side
| Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8 | Marshall Tufton | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $159.99 | $450 |
| Ranked | #10 of 73 in Boombox Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #60 of 73 in Boombox Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| Aux Input | Yes | Yes |
| Aux Latency | 42ms | - |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 35Hz | 42Hz |
| Battery Life | 8 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built in Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| IP Rating | None | IPX2 |
| Bluetooth Latency | 175ms | - |
| Max Volume | 96dB | - |
| Power Input | DC Barrel Connector (19V/2.1A) | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | Yes |
| TWS | Yes | No |
| Weight | 7.3 lbs / 3.3 kg | 10.8 lbs / 4.9 kg |
| App | Yes (Harman Kardon One app) | No |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| EQ | Yes (App EQ) | Yes (hidden bass and treble adjustment) |
| Party Mode | No | No |
| USB Playback | No | No |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.2 | - |
| Output Power | 50W RMS | 80W |
| Dimensions | 10.6" x 11.9" x 6.3" (268 x 302.5 x 159.5 mm) | 9" x 6.4" x 13.8" (229.1 x 163.1 x 350 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 75mm woofers + 2x 20mm tweeters | 1x 5.25" woofer + 2x 2" full-range + 1x 16mm tweeter |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
- Teufel Boomster NG (2017) vs ION Pathfinder 4
- Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 6 vs JBL Boombox 2
- Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 6 vs Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 5
- Marshall Tufton vs Zealot S78
- Zealot S95 vs Marshall Tufton
Prices on this page were last checked August 27, 2026 at 10:09 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.
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
The Two Speakers In Full
Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8: $159.99 Amazon eBay
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 |
- 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!
- 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 44 comparisons
Marshall Tufton: $450 Amazon eBay
Pros: 20 hour battery life; 2.5 hour full charge, or 20-min quick-charge for 4 hours of play. 3-way speaker design covers full frequency range in 360°. Sturdy construction with IPX2 rating.
Cons: Not much lower bass, upper bass boomy, boosted treble, not very balanced overall. Not as loud as others in the class. Very low water rating
Full Marshall Tufton review and specifications →
| App | No |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 42Hz |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Built in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 9" x 6.4" x 13.8" (229.1 x 163.1 x 350 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x 5.25" woofer + 2x 2" full-range + 1x 16mm tweeter |
| EQ | Yes (hidden bass and treble adjustment) |
| IP Rating | IPX2 |
| Omnidirectional | Yes |
| Output Power | 80W |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| TWS | No |
| USB Playback | No |
| Weight | 10.8 lbs / 4.9 kg |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons