Get insider access
Preferred store
Notice: Your browser is not supported or outdated so some features of the site might not be available.
Notice: Big Spring Sale Deal: The Amazon Echo Pop has dropped by 25% on Amazon.com. See all Speaker Big Spring Sale deals.
  1. Table of Contents
  2. Top
  3. Main Differences
  4. Design
    1. Pictures
    2. Style
    3. Portability
    4. Build Quality
    5. Controls
    6. In The Box
  5. Sound
    1. Frequency Response Accuracy
    2. Raw Frequency Response
    3. Soundstage
    4. Dynamics
  6. Active Features
    1. Battery
    2. Voice Assistant
    3. App
  7. Connectivity
    1. Wired
    2. Bluetooth
    3. Wi-Fi
  8. Comments

JBL Xtreme 2 vs Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 6

Side-by-Side Comparison

Products

JBL Xtreme 2
Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 6

Tested using Methodology v0.8

Updated Sep 04, 2024 07:30 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com

Tested using Methodology v0.8

Updated Dec 05, 2024 05:38 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
JBL Xtreme 2 Picture
Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 6 Picture

Variants

  • Xtreme 2 (Black)
  • Xtreme 2 (Blue)
  • Xtreme 2 (Camo)
  • Xtreme 2 (Green)
  • Xtreme 2 (Red)
  • Onyx Studio 6 (Black)
  • Onyx Studio 6 (Blue)
  • Onyx Studio 6 (Gray)

Our Verdict

JBL Xtreme 2

Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 6

The JBL Xtreme 2 and the Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 6 have similar overall performances, and depending on your listening habits, you may prefer one over the other. The Harman/Kardon has a more neutral, balanced sound profile out-of-the-box. However, the JBL has a better soundstage performance, longer battery life, and it supports voice assistants from your smartphone, unlike the Harman/Kardon.

0 

Check Price

Black
Xtreme 2
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Black
Onyx Studio 6
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Blue
Onyx Studio 6
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Camo
Xtreme 2
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Gray
Onyx Studio 6
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
 

Main Differences for
Music

Threshold 

0.10

Music 

6.5
6.6

Frequency Response Accuracy 
 

6.6
7.2

Soundstage 
 

7.0
5.5

Full Comparison

Design

Style  

Style Photo  

JBL Xtreme 2 Style Photo
Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 6 Style Photo

RGB Lights  

No
No
Show Text 

Portability 
 

9.3
9.0

Dimensions Photo  

JBL Xtreme 2 Dimensions Photo
Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 6 Dimensions Photo

Volume 
 

272 in³ (4,463 cm³)
637 in³ (10,439 cm³)

Weight 
 

5.1 lbs (2.3 kg)
6.4 lbs (2.9 kg)

Power Source 
 

AC & Battery
AC & Battery

One-Hand Carry 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Build Quality 
 

7.5
7.5

Build Quality Photo  

JBL Xtreme 2 Build Quality Photo
Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 6 Build Quality Photo

Material Quality 
 

Great
Great

Water Resistance 
 

Submersible (IPx7)
Submersible (IPx7)

Dust Resistance 
 

Unspecified
Unspecified

Impact Resistance 
 

Unspecified
Unspecified

Floats In Water 
 

Unspecified
Unspecified
Show Text 

Controls 
 

7.6
5.9

Controls Photo  

JBL Xtreme 2 Controls Photo
Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 6 Controls Photo

Controls Photo 2  

JBL Xtreme 2 Controls Photo 2
Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 6 Controls Photo 2

Ease Of Use 
 

Great
Great

Feedback 
 

Good
Good

Music Play/Pause 
 

Yes (Physical)
Yes (Physical)

Call Answer/End 
 

Yes (Physical)
No

Volume Up/Down 
 

Yes (Physical)
Yes (Physical)

Track Next/Previous 
 

Forward Only (Physical)
No

Microphone On/Off 
 

No
No

Additional Controls 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

In The Box 
 

In The Box Photo  

JBL Xtreme 2 In The Box Photo
Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 6 In The Box Photo
Show Text 
Sound

Frequency Response Accuracy 
 

6.6
7.2

Frequency Response Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Slope 
 

-0.28
-0.28

Std. Err. 
 

4.09 dB
3.21 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

57.4 Hz
49.0 Hz

High-Frequency Extension 
 

16.0 kHz
18.2 kHz
Show Text 

Raw Frequency Response 
 

Raw Frequency Response Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Binaural Recording @ 1m 
 

Binaural Recording @ 2m 
 

Soundstage 
 

7.0
5.5

Directivity Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Directivity Index 
 

5.56 dB
4.69 dB

Stereo 
 

Yes
No (mono)
Show Text 

Dynamics 
 

6.8
6.7

Dynamic Range Compression  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

SPL @ Max Volume 
 

90.2 dB SPL
87.9 dB SPL

DRC @ Max Volume 
 

2.90 dB
2.48 dB
Show Text 
Active Features

Battery 
 

8.9
5.0

Battery Life 
 

14.6 hrs
4.7 hrs

Charge Time 
 

2.7 hrs
4.1 hrs

Power Saving 
 

Yes
Yes

Charging Port 
 

AC
AC

Battery Powered 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Voice Assistant 
 

4.3
0.0

Alexa 
 

No
No

Google Assistant 
 

Yes (Requires Smartphone)
No

Speakerphone 
 

Yes
No

Siri 
 

Yes (Requires Smartphone)
No

Voice Assistant 
 

Yes
No

Voice Activation 
 

No
No

Microphone Mute 
 

No
No Microphone

Far-Field Performance 
 

Excellent
No Microphone

Ambient Noise Performance 
 

Poor
No Microphone
Show Text 

App 
 

6.6
0.0

App Picture  

JBL Xtreme 2 App Picture
Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 6 App Picture

App Name 
 

JBL Portable
No App

iOS 
 

Yes
No

Android 
 

Yes
No

EQ 
 

No
No

Stereo Pair Mode 
 

Yes
No

Party Mode 
 

Yes
No

Multi-Room 
 

No
No
Show Text 
Connectivity

Wired 
 

Aux Input 
 

Yes
Yes

USB Audio 
 

No
No

Other Ports 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Bluetooth 
 

9.6
7.7

Bluetooth 
 

Yes
Yes

Bluetooth Version 
 

4.2
4.2

Bluetooth iOS Latency 
 

31 ms
264 ms

Bluetooth Android Latency 
 

25 ms
163 ms

Bluetooth Range 
 

272.3 ft (83.0 m)
334.6 ft (102.0 m)

Multi-Device Pairing 
 

2 Devices
2 Devices
Show Text 

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
Show Text 

Check Price

Black
Xtreme 2
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Black
Onyx Studio 6
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Blue
Onyx Studio 6
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Camo
Xtreme 2
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Gray
Onyx Studio 6
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
 

JBL Xtreme 2

Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 6

Comments

  1. Comparison

JBL Xtreme 2 vs Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 6: Main Discussion

What do you think of these products? Let us know below.


Looking for a personalized buying advice from the RTINGS.com experts? Insiders have direct access to buying advice on our insider forum.

PreviewBack to editorFormat guide
No comments yet, refresh to see new ones