Short answer: the Harman Kardon Go + Play 3. It ranks #3 of 73 boombox speakers by sound quality at $385; the Turtlebox Gen 2 ranks #69 and costs $400, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
What the Turtlebox Gen 2 offers: Waterproof and crushproof, loud with punchy bass. 25 hour battery life (6 hours at full volume; 3 hour charge time). USB-C charging and USB-C output charges other devices, an upgrade over the original’s AC power brick. Pairs with a second unit for stereo. Watch for: Sounds basically identical to the original and the Gen 3: each generation mainly added features, not sound quality. They pretty much lie about all their specs and sound horrible in all youtube sound samples. Only 50w (from their indigogo page), will never hit 120db at a reasonable measuring distance. Putting your db meter right against the speaker doesn’t count, 1 meter distance is the standard. Barely any bass. Rattles at high volume. Looking at it, it appears to be a generic car 2-way 6x9 speaker in a plastic box.
What the Harman Kardon Go + Play 3 offers: Warm sound with boosted bass. Deepest bass out of any speaker in this size. Sound is more natural than the Go + Play2. Watch for: Just a little over half as loud as the higher rated boomboxes. Only 8 hours of battery at medium volume. No water rating.
Buy the Harman Kardon Go + Play 3. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Turtlebox Gen 2 and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
If sound quality matters at all to you, skip the Turtlebox Gen 2. It ranks near the bottom of the 73 boombox speakers, so look higher up the list instead.
If battery life is a priority, the Turtlebox Gen 2 is rated for 25 hours versus 8 hours for the Harman Kardon Go + Play 3.
If water resistance matters to you, the Turtlebox Gen 2 at IP67 (brief submersion) holds up far better than the Harman Kardon Go + Play 3 at no water resistance.
Specifications Side By Side
| Turtlebox Gen 2 | Harman Kardon Go + Play 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $400 Discontinued | $385 |
| Ranked | #69 of 73 in Boombox Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #3 of 73 in Boombox Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| Aux Input | Yes | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | ~65Hz | 35Hz |
| Battery Life | 25 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 8 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IP67 | None |
| MicroSD Playback | Yes | - |
| Stereo | Yes | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| Weight | 10 lbs / 4.54 kg | 10.4 lbs / 4.7 kg |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC, AAC |
| App | No | Yes (Harman Kardon One app) |
| EQ | No | Yes (App EQ) |
| TWS | Yes | Yes |
| Party Mode | No | No |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) | Yes |
| USB Playback | No | No |
| Built in Microphone | No | Yes |
| Power Input | USB-C | AC Power brick |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 | 5.2 |
| Output Power | 50W | 160W RMS |
| Dimensions | 12" x 7" x 8.7" (305 x 178 x 222 mm) | 17.3" x 9.4" x 7.6" (439 x 240 x 192 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x 6x9" (152x228mm) woofer + 1x 1" (25mm) tweeter | 1x 130mm (5") subwoofer + 2x 70mm midrange drivers + 2x 20mm tweeters |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Discontinued | Yes | - |
| Aux Latency | - | 112ms |
| Bluetooth Latency | - | 120ms |
| Max Volume | - | 103dB |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
- Turtlebox Gen 3 vs Harman Kardon Go + Play 2
- Turtlebox Gen 3 vs JBL Boombox 2
- Turtlebox Gen 3 vs Braven XXL 2
- B&O Beoplay A2 active vs Harman Kardon Go + Play 3
- Turtlebox Gen 2 vs JBL Boombox 3 Wifi
Prices on this page were last checked August 25, 2026 at 6:19 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
Turtlebox Gen 2: $400 Discontinued eBay
Pros: Waterproof and crushproof, loud with punchy bass. 25 hour battery life (6 hours at full volume; 3 hour charge time). USB-C charging and USB-C output charges other devices, an upgrade over the original’s AC power brick. Pairs with a second unit for stereo.
Cons: Sounds basically identical to the original and the Gen 3: each generation mainly added features, not sound quality. They pretty much lie about all their specs and sound horrible in all youtube sound samples. Only 50w (from their indigogo page), will never hit 120db at a reasonable measuring distance. Putting your db meter right against the speaker doesn’t count, 1 meter distance is the standard. Barely any bass. Rattles at high volume. Looking at it, it appears to be a generic car 2-way 6x9 speaker in a plastic box. Discontinued.
Full Turtlebox Gen 2 review and specifications →
| App | No |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | ~65Hz |
| Battery Life | 25 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 |
| Built in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 12" x 7" x 8.7" (305 x 178 x 222 mm) |
| Discontinued | Yes |
| Drivers | 1x 6x9" (152x228mm) woofer + 1x 1" (25mm) tweeter |
| EQ | No |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| MicroSD Playback | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 50W |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | Yes |
| USB Playback | No |
| Weight | 10 lbs / 4.54 kg |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Outeraudio: Turtlebox vs EcoXgear Defender Sound Comparison
- Risk Profile: TurtleBox Demo Risk Profile Podcast
- Everyday Man: Soundboks Go Vs Turttlebox Vs EcoXGear Defender
- Turtlebox Audio: Turtlebox Gen 2 - Live Sound Demo
- KosherTech: Soundcore Rave VS Turtlebox- (Sound Test Only)🎧
- Reddit Search for Turtlebox Gen 2 Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
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- Turtlebox Gen 2 vs Monster Rockin’ Roller 270
- Turtlebox Gen 2 vs ION Pathfinder 320
- Turtlebox Gen 2 vs Braven XXL 2
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- Turtlebox Gen 2 vs Bumpboxx Flare 6
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Harman Kardon Go + Play 3: $385 Amazon eBay
Pros: Warm sound with boosted bass. Deepest bass out of any speaker in this size. Sound is more natural than the Go + Play2.
Cons: Just a little over half as loud as the higher rated boomboxes. Only 8 hours of battery at medium volume. No water rating.
Setup: Use the hidden EQ modes to adjust the bass up when outside and down when inside. To adjust bass, quickly press the bluetooth and volume down buttons together, the number of light flashes tell you what mode you’re in. To adjust treble, quickly press the volume up and phone buttons at the same time, the number of yellow flashes on the light tell you what mode you are in.
Full Harman Kardon Go + Play 3 review and specifications →
| App | Yes (Harman Kardon One app) |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Aux Latency | 112ms |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 35Hz |
| Battery Life | 8 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC |
| Bluetooth Latency | 120ms |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.2 |
| Built in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 17.3" x 9.4" x 7.6" (439 x 240 x 192 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x 130mm (5") subwoofer + 2x 70mm midrange drivers + 2x 20mm tweeters |
| EQ | Yes (App EQ) |
| IP Rating | None |
| Max Volume | 103dB |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 160W RMS |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | Yes |
| Power Input | AC Power brick |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | Yes |
| USB Playback | No |
| Weight | 10.4 lbs / 4.7 kg |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Alan Ross Reviews: Harman Kardon Go+ Play 3 vs Go Play 2, the holy grail has arrived? ✔ More from alanrossreviews →
- Alan Ross Reviews: Harman Kardon Go + Play 3 hidden eq modes - world has gone crazy! 🤣
- Alan Ross Reviews: Minirig 2.1 or the Brane X or the Harman Kardon Go Play 3?
- Alan Ross Reviews: JBL Distortion Fest vs my favorite speaker today! I wasn’t expecting this!
- Mateusz Cholewa: BOGASING S8 Pro Max „HiFi” 🎶🧐🆚 Harman Kardon Go Play 3 „HiFi”🔊 More from Mateusz Cholewa →
- Oluv Patreon: Harman Kardon go+play 3 - best sounding? More from Oluv’Sone →
- Oluv Patreon: Harman Kardon go+play 3 vs Tribit Stormbox Blast - outdoor soundtest
- Oluv Patreon: Harman Kardon go+play 3 vs JBL Xtreme 4 - first impressions
- Reddit Search for Harman Kardon Go + Play 3 Review
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