JBL Partybox Encore 2 vs Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 7: Which Is Better? (2026)

Q: Should I buy the JBL Partybox Encore 2 or the Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 7?

Buy the JBL Partybox Encore 2. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $81.10 you would save on the Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 7 does not close the gap.

Short answer: the JBL Partybox Encore 2, for cleaner off axis sound. Its move to dome tweeters over cone appears to give better off axis performance, though it is missing a little bit of upper bass. The Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 7 is warm with boosted bass, but it sounds a little sterile.

Buy the JBL Partybox Encore 2. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $81.10 you would save on the Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 7 does not close the gap.

Battery life favors the JBL Partybox Encore 2: rated for 15 hours against 8 hours for the Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 7.

If water resistance matters to you, the JBL Partybox Encore 2 at IPX4 (splashing) holds up far better than the Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 7 at no water resistance.

Want more options? Browse the full Portable Bluetooth rankings.

Buy the JBL Partybox Encore 2 at Sam’s Club ($330) →Buy the Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 7 at Amazon ($248.90) →

Specifications Side By Side

	JBL Partybox Encore 2	Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 7
Price	$330	$248.90
Ranked	#4 of 90 in Boombox Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers	#14 of 90 in Boombox Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers
App	Yes (JBL PartyBox app)	No
Aux Input	Yes	Yes
Battery Life	15 hours (Manufacturer specified)	8 hours (Manufacturer specified)
Built-in Microphone	No	Yes
EQ	Yes (7 band App EQ)	No
IP Rating	IPX4	None
Maximum SPL	110dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews)	96dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews)
Party Mode	Yes (Auracast)	Yes (Wireless Dual Sound)
Power Bank	Yes (USB-C)	No
Power Input	AC Power cord	DC Barrel Connector (19V/2.1A)
Removable Battery	Yes	-
Stereo	Yes	Partially (1 woofer)
Omnidirectional	No	No
TWS	Yes	No
USB Playback	Yes	No
Weight	14.1 lbs (6.4 kg)	6.4 lbs (2.9 kg)
Wireless Microphones	Yes 2 Included	-
Bluetooth	Yes	Yes
Bluetooth Codecs	SBC	SBC
Bluetooth Version	5.4	4.2
Amplifier Power	100W RMS	50W RMS
Dimensions	12.6” x 13.3” x 10.4” (319.5 x 338.6 x 263 mm)	11.3” x 11.3” (285.8 x 285.8 mm) (round design)
Drivers	1x 135mm (5.25”) woofer + 2x 20mm (0.75”) dome tweeters	120mm woofer + 2x 25mm tweeters
Digital Aux Input	No	No
Lights	Yes	-
Strap	No	No
Bass Extension (-10dB)	42Hz	37Hz
Aux Latency	-	0ms
Bluetooth Latency	-	266ms

Buy the JBL Partybox Encore 2 at Sam’s Club ($330) →Buy the Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 7 at Amazon ($248.90) →

How JBL Partybox Encore 2 compares with other leading options:

Prices on this page were last checked October 2, 2026 at 10:18 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

JBL Partybox Encore 2: $330 Sam’s Club eBay

Older model: the JBL Partybox Encore (ranked lower, rated 4.3/5).

Pros: The Encore 2 improves the original with dome tweeters, a less boomy balance, slightly deeper bass, longer battery life and two included wireless microphones. Its compact karaoke-ready design and 7-band EQ make it more adaptable indoors than the earlier Encore. Measured bass extension of 42Hz (-10dB).

Cons: It still lacks some upper-bass punch and cannot match the scale of the larger PartyBoxes. The main value is compact karaoke convenience rather than full-range party output.

Full JBL Partybox Encore 2 review and specifications →

Amplifier Power	100W RMS
App	Yes (JBL PartyBox app)
Aux Input	Yes
Bass Extension (-10dB)	42Hz
Battery Life	15 hours (Manufacturer specified)
Bluetooth	Yes
Bluetooth Codecs	SBC
Bluetooth Version	5.4
Built-in Microphone	No
Digital Aux Input	No
Dimensions	12.6” x 13.3” x 10.4” (319.5 x 338.6 x 263 mm)
Drivers	1x 135mm (5.25”) woofer + 2x 20mm (0.75”) dome tweeters
EQ	Yes (7 band App EQ)
IP Rating	IPX4
Lights	Yes
Maximum SPL	110dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews)
Omnidirectional	No
Party Mode	Yes (Auracast)
Power Bank	Yes (USB-C)
Power Input	AC Power cord
Removable Battery	Yes
Stereo	Yes
Strap	No
TWS	Yes
USB Playback	Yes
Weight	14.1 lbs (6.4 kg)
Wireless Microphones	Yes 2 Included

Check current price at Sam’s Club ($330) →Search eBay for JBL Partybox Encore 2 →

Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 7: $248.90 Amazon eBay

Newer model: the Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 9, ranked lower, rated 4.1/5.

Pros: The addition of dual tweeters gives the Studio 7 a wider, more spacious presentation than older Onyx models. It delivers strong, deep bass, useful large-room volume and can pair with a second Studio 7 for stereo. Measured bass extension of 37Hz (-10dB).

Cons: Consumer Reports finds the bass prominent and boomy, mids hazy, treble slightly smeared and the soundstage congested. Battery life remains only about eight hours, it has no water rating or advanced codecs, and it is not an especially loud outdoor speaker.

Full Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 7 review and specifications →

Amplifier Power	50W RMS
App	No
Aux Input	Yes
Aux Latency	0ms
Bass Extension (-10dB)	37Hz
Battery Life	8 hours (Manufacturer specified)
Bluetooth	Yes
Bluetooth Codecs	SBC
Bluetooth Latency	266ms
Bluetooth Version	4.2
Built-in Microphone	Yes
Digital Aux Input	No
Dimensions	11.3” x 11.3” (285.8 x 285.8 mm) (round design)
Drivers	120mm woofer + 2x 25mm tweeters
EQ	No
IP Rating	None
Maximum SPL	96dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews)
Omnidirectional	No
Party Mode	Yes (Wireless Dual Sound)
Power Bank	No
Power Input	DC Barrel Connector (19V/2.1A)
Stereo	Partially (1 woofer)
Strap	No
TWS	No
USB Playback	No
Weight	6.4 lbs (2.9 kg)

Check current price at Amazon ($248.90) →Search eBay for Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 7 →

Specifications Side By Side

Related Speaker Comparisons

The Two Speakers In Full

JBL Partybox Encore 2: $330 Sam’s Club eBay

Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 7: $248.90 Amazon eBay