OVERALL
ALTERNATIVES
SPECS
VS AVERAGE
REVIEWS
Scored using Portable Speakers Methodology v1.0
Portable Speakers Methodology v1.0
Mathematical & Unbiased Scoring
Products in this category are scored under Frontum Portable Speakers Methodology v1.0: technical specifications plus authentic consumer ratings, with 0% commercial bias.
Explore Portable Speakers Methodology v1.0

Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 5 Review | 130 Data compared

Avg. price:~£110Audio output power:50.00 WBattery life:8 hoursIP rating:?Bluetooth version:4.2Weight:2980 g

Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 5 Review: Compare 130 technical specifications and user reviews to see how this product ranks in the Portable Speakers category and whether it is worth buying.

Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 5
6.7/10

Overall score

Score
6.7/ 10
✕
What it is
An overall evaluation of products in the Portable Speakers category, based on technical analysis and user reviews.
When it matters
When you need a quick reference for identifying the best products in the Portable Speakers category.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 52% of models
Score components

80%

6.1

Technical score

20%

9.4

User score

â–²Better than 52% of portable speakers
7.7

Value for money

Value for money
7.7/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the overall score of products in the Portable Speakers category with their prices.
When it matters
When you are comparing products in the Portable Speakers category and want a good balance between quality and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 59% of models
Score components

70%

6.7

Overall score

30%

9.9

Price

â–²Better than 59%
6.1

Technical score

Technical score
6.1/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Portable Speakers category across these key areas: Audio, Connectivity, Battery, Durability, Controls, Design, Smart features.
When it matters
When you want to compare products in the Portable Speakers category by technical performance, specifications, and available features.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 79% of models
Score components

32%

7.2

Audio

20%

5.5

Battery

18%

5.8

Durability

16%

5.8

Connectivity

8%

4.6

Controls

3%

6.0

Design

3%

4.1

Smart features

â–¼Worse than 79%
9.4

User score

User score
9.4/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews with the total review volume for products in the Portable Speakers category.
When it matters
When you want to know how products in the Portable Speakers category perform in everyday use and how reliable owners find them over time.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
★ Better than 94% of models
Score components

70%

9.4

User ratings

30%

9.4

Number of reviews

Based on ratings from across the web.
★Better than 94%
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Where to buy
*As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Best rankings
Available: ranking among products currently available (including other versions of this product).All: ranking among all products in the database.
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Technical Specifications of portable speaker Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 5

Technical score
Technical score
6.1/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Portable Speakers category across these key areas: Audio, Connectivity, Battery, Durability, Controls, Design, Smart features.
When it matters
When you want to compare products in the Portable Speakers category by technical performance, specifications, and available features.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 79% of models
Score components:

32%

7.2

Audio

20%

5.5

Battery

18%

5.8

Durability

16%

5.8

Connectivity

8%

4.6

Controls

3%

6.0

Design

3%

4.1

Smart features

6.1
User score
User score
9.4/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews with the total review volume for products in the Portable Speakers category.
When it matters
When you want to know how products in the Portable Speakers category perform in everyday use and how reliable owners find them over time.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
★ Better than 94% of models
Score components

70%

9.4

User ratings

30%

9.4

Number of reviews

Based on ratings from across the web.
9.4
Popularity
Popularity
9.4/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator based on the number of reviews received by products in the Portable Speakers category.
When it matters
When you prefer products in the Portable Speakers category that have been chosen and reviewed by many other buyers.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 88% of models
Popularity:
Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 5 has a popularity score of 9.4 points, which is higher than 88% of products in this category.
9.4
Value for money
Value for money
7.7/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the overall score of products in the Portable Speakers category with their prices.
When it matters
When you are comparing products in the Portable Speakers category and want a good balance between quality and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 59% of models
Score components:

70%

6.7

Overall score

30%

9.9

Price

7.7
Audio output power
50 W
Market range: <4 W – >100 W
This portable speaker has an audio output power of 50 W which is higher than that of 75.8% of portable speakers and equal to that of 3.3% of portable speakers.
Driver unit size
?
Number of drivers
2
Market range: <0 – >5
This portable speaker has 2 drivers, which is more than 24.5% of portable speakers and equal to the number in 45.5% of portable speakers.
Frequency response tolerance
?
Lowest frequency
50 Hz
Market range: <20 Hz – >120 Hz
This portable speaker has a lowest frequency of 50 Hz which is lower than that of 59.9% of portable speakers and equal to that of 9.1% of portable speakers.
Show more
Bluetooth connectivity
yes
This portable speaker supports Bluetooth audio. 5.4% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Bluetooth version
4.2
Market range: <3 – >5.3
This portable speaker supports Bluetooth version 4.2 which is older than that of 53.8% of portable speakers and equal to that of 17.8% of portable speakers.
Maximum Bluetooth range
10 m
Market range: <10 m – >30 m
This portable speaker has a maximum Bluetooth range of 10 m which is longer than that of 4.3% of portable speakers and equal to that of 70.2% of portable speakers.
Bluetooth profiles supported
A2DP; AVRCP
Bluetooth LE Audio
no
This portable speaker does not support Bluetooth LE Audio. 2.5% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Show more
Battery life
8 hours
Market range: <6 hours – >24 hours
This portable speaker has a battery life of 8 hours which is shorter than that of 68.9% of portable speakers and equal to that of 11.6% of portable speakers.
Battery capacity
3,283 mAh
Market range: <900 mAh – >6.6k mAh
This portable speaker has a battery capacity of 3,283 mAh which is larger than that of 64.7% of portable speakers and equal to that of 0.1% of portable speakers.
Charging time
5 hours
Market range: <2 hours – >5 hours
This portable speaker has a charging time of 5 hours which is longer than that of 87% of portable speakers and equal to that of 7.7% of portable speakers.
Maximum charging input power
40 W
Market range: <5 W – >30 W
This portable speaker has a maximum charging input power of 40 W which is higher than that of 93.8% of portable speakers and equal to that of 0.9% of portable speakers.
Built-in rechargeable battery
yes
This portable speaker has a built-in rechargeable battery. 18.7% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Show more
IP rating
?
Water resistance
no
This portable speaker is not water resistant. 61.7% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Dust resistance
no
This portable speaker is not rated as dust resistant. 51.5% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Waterproof depth rating
?
Drop resistance
no
This portable speaker lacks an impact-resistance rating. 32.8% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Show more
On-device controls placement
front
Touchscreen
no
This portable speaker does not have a touchscreen. 0.3% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Smartphone app control
no
This portable speaker does not support smartphone app control. 54% of portable speakers offer this feature.
No compatible mobile app for speaker control.
Remote control
no
This portable speaker does not include a remote control. 15% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Fast pairing
no
This portable speaker does not support fast pairing. 22.5% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Show more
Weight
2,980 g
Market range: <200 g – >5.6k g
This portable speaker weighs 2,980 g which is heavier than that of 79.6% of portable speakers.
Height
28.4 cm
Market range: <5.79 cm – >29 cm
This portable speaker has a height of 28.4 cm which is taller than that of 89.6% of portable speakers and equal to that of 0.1% of portable speakers.
Width
29.1 cm
Market range: <7.6 cm – >37 cm
This portable speaker has a width of 29.1 cm which is wider than that of 78.2% of portable speakers and equal to that of 0.2% of portable speakers.
Depth
12.8 cm
Market range: <4.3 cm – >19.97 cm
This portable speaker has a depth of 12.8 cm which is deeper than that of 71.6% of portable speakers and equal to that of 0.3% of portable speakers.
Carry options
handle
Show more
Companion app name
?
Firmware updates
no
This portable speaker does not support firmware updates. 47.2% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Firmware update method
USB
Voice assistant support
no
This portable speaker does not support voice assistants. 26.5% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Spotify Connect
no
This portable speaker does not support Spotify Connect. 10.8% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Show more

Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 5 vs the average portable speaker

246810TotalAudioConnectivityBatteryDurabilityControlsDesignSmart features
  • 30 W more audio output power
    This portable speaker has more audio output power than the average portable speaker (50 W vs 20 W).
    50 W vs 20 W
  • Includes a subwoofer
    This portable speaker includes a subwoofer, while the average portable speaker does not include a subwoofer.
    Has an integrated active subwoofer driver.
  • 1 more multipoint connections
    This portable speaker has more multipoint connections than the average portable speaker (2 vs 1).
    2 vs 1
  • 30 W higher charging input power
    This portable speaker has higher charging input power than the average portable speaker (40 W vs 10 W).
    40 W vs 10 W
  • Supports aptX
    This portable speaker supports aptX, while the average portable speaker does not support aptX.
  • 4 dB SPL higher maximum sound pressure
    This portable speaker has a higher maximum sound pressure level than the average portable speaker (96 dB SPL vs 92 dB SPL).
    96 dB SPL vs 92 dB SPL
  • Includes a power adapter
    This portable speaker includes a power adapter, while the average portable speaker does not include a power adapter.
  • 10 Hz deeper bass extension
    This portable speaker has deeper bass extension than the average portable speaker (50 Hz vs 60 Hz).
    50 Hz vs 60 Hz
  • 17.4% higher user score
    User score
    9.4/ 10
    ✕
    What it is
    A rating that combines user reviews with the total review volume for products in the Portable Speakers category.
    When it matters
    When you want to know how products in the Portable Speakers category perform in everyday use and how reliable owners find them over time.
    Score distribution
    â–¼
    â–¼
    <55-66-77-88-99-10
    Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 5
    the average portable speaker
    Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 5 has a higher user score than the average portable speaker (9.39 vs 8).
    9.39 vs 8
  • 2.24x more popular
    Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 5 is more popular than the average portable speaker (9.42 vs 4.21).
    9.42 vs 4.21
  • Includes a subwoofer
    This portable speaker includes a subwoofer, while the average portable speaker does not include a subwoofer.
    Has an integrated active subwoofer driver.
  • 30 W more audio output power
    This portable speaker has more audio output power than the average portable speaker (50 W vs 20 W).
    50 W vs 20 W
  • 4 dB SPL higher maximum sound pressure
    This portable speaker has a higher maximum sound pressure level than the average portable speaker (96 dB SPL vs 92 dB SPL).
    96 dB SPL vs 92 dB SPL
  • 10 Hz deeper bass extension
    This portable speaker has deeper bass extension than the average portable speaker (50 Hz vs 60 Hz).
    50 Hz vs 60 Hz
  • 1 more multipoint connections
    This portable speaker has more multipoint connections than the average portable speaker (2 vs 1).
    2 vs 1
  • Supports aptX
    This portable speaker supports aptX, while the average portable speaker does not support aptX.
  • 30 W higher charging input power
    This portable speaker has higher charging input power than the average portable speaker (40 W vs 10 W).
    40 W vs 10 W
  • Includes a power adapter
    This portable speaker includes a power adapter, while the average portable speaker does not include a power adapter.
  • 683 mAh more battery capacity
    This portable speaker has a larger battery capacity than the average portable speaker (3,283 mAh vs 2,600 mAh).
    3,283 mAh vs 2,600 mAh
  • Supports playback mute
    This portable speaker supports playback mute, while the average portable speaker does not support playback mute.
    Speaker playback audio can be directly muted.
  • Is not water resistant
    This portable speaker is not water resistant, while the average portable speaker is water resistant.
  • Is not rated as dust resistant
    This portable speaker is not rated as dust resistant, while the average portable speaker is dust resistant.
  • 2 hours longer charging time
    This portable speaker has a longer charging time than the average portable speaker (5 hours vs 3 hours).
    5 hours vs 3 hours
  • Does not support smartphone app control
    This portable speaker does not support smartphone app control, while the average portable speaker supports smartphone app control.
    No compatible mobile app for speaker control.
  • 4 hours shorter battery life
    This portable speaker has a shorter battery life than the average portable speaker (8 hours vs 12 hours).
    8 hours vs 12 hours
  • 6 fewer paired devices remembered
    This portable speaker remembers fewer paired devices than the average portable speaker (2 vs 8).
    2 vs 8
  • 2,180 g heavier
    This portable speaker is heavier than the average portable speaker (2,980 g vs 800 g).
    2,980 g vs 800 g
  • 0.8 Bluetooth levels older
    This portable speaker has an older Bluetooth version than the average portable speaker (4.2 vs 5).
    4.2 vs 5
  • 6 fewer paired devices remembered
    This portable speaker remembers fewer paired devices than the average portable speaker (2 vs 8).
    2 vs 8
  • 0.8 Bluetooth levels older
    This portable speaker has an older Bluetooth version than the average portable speaker (4.2 vs 5).
    4.2 vs 5
  • 2 hours longer charging time
    This portable speaker has a longer charging time than the average portable speaker (5 hours vs 3 hours).
    5 hours vs 3 hours
  • 4 hours shorter battery life
    This portable speaker has a shorter battery life than the average portable speaker (8 hours vs 12 hours).
    8 hours vs 12 hours
  • Is not water resistant
    This portable speaker is not water resistant, while the average portable speaker is water resistant.
  • Is not rated as dust resistant
    This portable speaker is not rated as dust resistant, while the average portable speaker is dust resistant.
  • Does not support smartphone app control
    This portable speaker does not support smartphone app control, while the average portable speaker supports smartphone app control.
    No compatible mobile app for speaker control.
  • Does not provide voice prompts
    This portable speaker does not provide voice prompts, while the average portable speaker provides voice prompts.
    No spoken status prompts; feedback is absent, visual, or tone-based.
  • 2,180 g heavier
    This portable speaker is heavier than the average portable speaker (2,980 g vs 800 g).
    2,980 g vs 800 g
  • 16 cm taller
    This portable speaker is taller than the average portable speaker (28.4 cm vs 12.4 cm).
    28.4 cm vs 12.4 cm
  • 11 cm wider
    This portable speaker is wider than the average portable speaker (29.1 cm vs 18.1 cm).
    29.1 cm vs 18.1 cm
  • 4.5 cm deeper
    This portable speaker is deeper than the average portable speaker (12.8 cm vs 8.3 cm).
    12.8 cm vs 8.3 cm

Video reviews

Hands-on testing, unboxing, and real-world video evaluations

Expert reviews

In-depth analysis and verdict from leading tech publications

L
letemsvetemapplem.eu
05/01/2019
Summary of the review
Harman/Kardon Onyx review Studio 5 – a very pleasant companion
T
theempire.nz
25/07/2019
Summary of the review
Harmon/Kardon - Onyx Studio 5 - Review - THE EMPIRE
L
letemsvetemapplem.eu
05/01/2019
Summary of the review
Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 5 Review – A Very Pleasant Companion
(Translated)Show original
L
lesnumeriques.com
19/03/2019
Summary of the review
Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 5 Review - Speakers
(Translated)Show original
L
lemondenumerique.ouest-france.fr
31/10/2018
Summary of the review
Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 5 - Le Monde Numérique Les Numériques +2
(Translated)Show original
R
rts.ch
06/06/2020
Summary of the review
Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 5 Review
(Translated)Show original
L
letemsvetemapplem.eu
05/01/2019
Summary of the review
Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 5 Review – A Very Pleasant Companion
(Translated)Show original
L
letemsvetemapplem.eu
05/01/2019
Summary of the review
Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 5 Review – A Very Pleasant Companion
(Translated)Show original
L
letemsvetemapplem.eu
05/01/2019
Summary of the review
Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 5 Review
(Translated)Show original
L
letemsvetemapplem.eu
05/01/2019
Summary of the review
Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 5 Review – A Very Pleasant Companion
(Translated)Show original

Third-party reviews

Based on ratings from across the web.
Reviews last updated: August 2026 · How we calculate this

What customers like about Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 5

  • Exceptional sound clarity and audio quality across high volume levels
  • Deep, powerful, and punching bass response
  • High maximum volume capable of filling large rooms
  • Distinctive round silhouette design with a premium fabric finish
  • Sturdy, integrated aluminum handle makes it easy to carry around the house
  • Ability to wirelessly connect two units together to expand the sound
  • Great overall value for the performance it delivers at its price point

What customers don't like about Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 5

  • Lacks any IP rating for dust or waterproofing, limiting safe outdoor use
  • The heavy and bulky form factor restricts true on-the-go portability
  • Subpar battery life under heavy use despite the long 5-hour charge time
  • Heavy bass can occasionally overwhelm the midrange frequencies, creating a muffled sound
  • Automatically turns off/goes to sleep after 15 minutes of inactivity with no standby mode
  • Inconvenient Bluetooth behavior, such as connection drops or prioritizing previously paired devices
  • Lacks a standard USB port to charge external devices or smartphones

Verdict

The Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 5 is a portable Bluetooth 4.2 speaker featuring an elegant round design with an integrated handle, a 120mm woofer, and a 25mm tweeter. It outputs a powerful 50W RMS with a 50Hz–20kHz frequency response, offering main advantages like exceptional room-filling sound, punchy bass, and dual-device pairing. However, its primary disadvantages include a lack of waterproofing, a short 8-hour battery life requiring a 5-hour charge, and reduced volume performance when running on battery power.

Compare Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 5 with other products in the Portable Speakers category

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