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- Table of Contents
- Top
- Main Differences
- Design
- Sound
- Active Features
- Connectivity
- Comments
Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 8 vs Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 9
Side-by-Side Comparison
Products
Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 8
Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 9
Tested using Methodology v0.8
Updated Apr 14, 2025 08:13 PM
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Amazon.comTested using Methodology v0.8
Updated Apr 14, 2025 08:02 PM
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Amazon.com
BluetoothYes
Wi-FiNo
SpeakerphoneNo
Voice AssistantNo
Battery PoweredYes
BluetoothYes
Wi-FiNo
SpeakerphoneNo
Voice AssistantNo
Battery PoweredYes
Variants
- Onyx Studio 8 (Black)
- Onyx Studio 8 (Blue)
- Onyx Studio 8 (Champagne)
- Onyx Studio 9 (Black)
Our Verdict
Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 8
Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 9
The Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 8 is the predecessor to the Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 9. Where the Studio 8 stood out for its arresting design, with the entire speaker framed by an aluminum wraparound handle, the Studio 9 has a more traditional, laid-back oval design. Both speakers are easy to carry around your house and sound fairly similar. The main difference is the addition of companion app support to the Studio 9, giving you access to a 7-band EQ to tweak the sound to your heart's desire.
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Black
Onyx Studio 8
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Onyx Studio 9
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Amazon.comBlue
Onyx Studio 8
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Onyx Studio 9
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Amazon.comChampagne
Onyx Studio 8
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Music
Threshold
Music
7.0
7.3
EQ
No
Graphic + Presets
Soundstage
7.2
7.8
Full Comparison
Design
Style
Style Photo
RGB Lights
No
No
Portability
8.8
9.0
Dimensions Photo
Volume
832 in³ (13,640 cm³)
565 in³ (9,251 cm³)
Weight
7.8 lbs (3.6 kg)
7.5 lbs (3.4 kg)
Power Source
AC & Battery
AC & Battery
One-Hand Carry
Yes
Yes
Build Quality
6.7
6.7
Build Quality Photo
Material Quality
Great
Great
Water Resistance
Unspecified
Unspecified
Dust Resistance
Unspecified
Unspecified
Impact Resistance
Unspecified
Unspecified
Floats In Water
Unspecified
Unspecified
Controls
7.5
7.8
Controls Photo
Controls Photo 2
Ease Of Use
Good
Good
Feedback
Okay
Good
Music Play/Pause
Yes (Physical)
Yes (Physical)
Call Answer/End
Yes (Physical)
Yes (Physical)
Volume Up/Down
Yes (Physical)
Yes (Physical)
Track Next/Previous
Yes (Physical)
Yes (Physical)
Microphone On/Off
No
No
Additional Controls
Yes
Yes
In The Box
In The Box Photo
Sound
Frequency Response Accuracy
7.5
7.5
Frequency Response Graph
Slope
-0.18
-0.33
Std. Err.
2.85 dB
2.83 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
46.2 Hz
44.9 Hz
High-Frequency Extension
18.5 kHz
19.9 kHz
Raw Frequency Response
Raw Frequency Response Graph
Binaural Recording @ 1m
Binaural Recording @ 2m
Soundstage
7.2
7.8
Directivity Graph
Directivity Index
5.17 dB
4.01 dB
Stereo
Yes
Yes
Dynamics
6.4
6.2
Dynamic Range Compression
SPL @ Max Volume
90.7 dB SPL
88.1 dB SPL
DRC @ Max Volume
3.77 dB
3.58 dB
Active Features
Battery
4.8
6.1
Battery Life
6.7 hrs
6.1 hrs
Charge Time
3.3 hrs
2.7 hrs
Power Saving
No
Yes
Charging Port
AC
AC
Battery Powered
Yes
Yes
Voice Assistant
0.0
0.0
Alexa
No
No
Google Assistant
No
No
Speakerphone
No
No
Siri
No
No
Voice Assistant
No
No
Voice Activation
No
No
Microphone Mute
No
No
Far-Field Performance
No Assistant
No Assistant
Ambient Noise Performance
No Assistant
No Assistant
App
0.0
9.6
App Picture
App Name
No App
Harman Kardon One
iOS
No
Yes
Android
No
Yes
EQ
No
Graphic + Presets
Stereo Pair Mode
No
Yes
Party Mode
No
Yes
Multi-Room
No
Yes
Connectivity
Wired
Aux Input
Yes
Yes
USB Audio
No
No
Other Ports
No
No
Bluetooth
7.3
9.0
Bluetooth
Yes
Yes
Bluetooth Version
5.2
5.3
Bluetooth iOS Latency
278 ms
24 ms
Bluetooth Android Latency
309 ms
124 ms
Bluetooth Range
334.6 ft (102.0 m)
334.6 ft (102.0 m)
Multi-Device Pairing
2 Devices
2 Devices
Wi-Fi
0.0
0.0
Wi-Fi Version
No Wi-Fi
No Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi Frequency Band
No Wi-Fi
No Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi
No
No
Apple AirPlay
No
No
AirPlay Latency
N/A
N/A
Google Chromecast
No
No
Chromecast Latency
N/A
N/A
Check Price
Black
Onyx Studio 8
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Onyx Studio 9
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Amazon.comBlue
Onyx Studio 8
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Onyx Studio 9
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Amazon.comChampagne
Onyx Studio 8
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Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 8
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Comments
Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 8 vs Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 9: Main Discussion
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