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Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 6 Review

Kenn Muguna Avatar
Updated Jan 25, 2024 6:27 PM

True Score

81
78
3

Experts

90
2,407

Consumers

Product Awards

GR Certified

Customer Favorite

Expert Rankings

Top testers liked the deep, thumpy bass produced by the Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 6 and how portable it was. They appreciated its balanced sound profile but didn’t like that it didn’t have an equalizer. They also lamented its short battery life and missing WiFi connectivity.

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Table of Contents

Product Snapshot

Overview

The Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 6 is a top-tier Bluetooth speaker that was first announced in mid-2020. The speaker has an IPX7 waterproof rating for light outdoor use, and like most of the top speakers around, it supports multi-device pairing as it can be paired with up to two devices at once for stereo output. This is ideal for both movies and music Its Bluetooth range is also up to pair with some of the top-rated Bluetooth speakers on the market as it has a working distance of almost 335 ft, and since it is battery-powered and weighs only 6.4 pounds, it is incredibly portable. Available in black, blue, or gray, the speaker has an aluminum top handle, but it cannot be used as a speakerphone and also doesn’t have voice assistant support. These missing features can be found on the Google Nest Mini, which we’ve covered in our Google Nest Mini review.

Consensus

our Verdict

The Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 6 pleased expert testers with its deep bass, portability, and ease of use. During their music tests, reviewers from PC Mag liked that the Studio 6 produced satisfyingly deep bass and that two Studio 6 speakers could be paired for a stereo output. Experts from Rtings found it to have a neutral, balanced sound profile, and because of its 6.4-pound weight, they agreed it was pretty portable. It doesn’t have RGB lighting like the DOSS SoundBox Plus (which we’ve explored in our DOSS SoundBox Plus review), but its battery lasts about 4.7 hours.

However, its lack of WiFi connectivity and missing equalizer did not impress testers. They also termed its battery life relatively short. This is contrary to the iFox iF012, which lasts almost a full day when fully charged. Check it out in our iFox iF012 review.

ReasonS to Buy

  • Lightweight and portable
  • Deep bass
  • Long-range Bluetooth connectivity
  • Multi-device pairing
  • IPX7 waterproof rating

Reason to Avoid

  • No equalizer
  • Short battery life
  • No WiFi connectivity

Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 6 Specs

Battery LifeBattery Life8 hrs
Built In MicrophoneBuilt In MicrophoneYes
Charge TimeCharge Time5 hrs
SizeSize11.2" (h) x 11.5" (w) x 5" (d)
Smart AppSmart AppYes
Speaker PairingSpeaker PairingYes
Water ResistantWater ResistantYes
WattageWattage50W
Wireless RangeWireless Range10 m

All Specs

Test Results

Battery Life (Hours)4.7
Volume Output (dB)87.9
Low End Roll Off (Hz)62.586
High End Roll Off (Hz)6,736.397

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Product Comparison

Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 6 Review

Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 4 Speaker Review

Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 4 Speaker Review

True Score

81
81
83
NR

Ranking

#

59

/

109

#

66

/

109

#

39

/

109

#

/

109

Market Context

The Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 6 is a top-tier Bluetooth speaker that was first announced in mid-2020. The speaker has an IPX7 waterproof rating for…

The Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 6 is a top-tier Bluetooth speaker that was first announced in mid-2020. The speaker has an IPX7 waterproof rating for light outdoor use, and like most of the top speakers around, it supports multi-device pairing as it can be paired with up to two devices at once for stereo output. This is ideal for both movies and music Its Bluetooth range is also up to pair with some of the top-rated Bluetooth speakers on the market as it has a working distance of almost 335 ft, and since it is battery-powered and weighs only 6.4 pounds, it is incredibly portable. Available in black, blue, or gray, the speaker has an aluminum top handle, but it cannot be used as a speakerphone and also doesn’t have voice assistant support. These missing features can be found on the Google Nest Mini, which we’ve covered in our Google Nest Mini review.

The Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 6 is also battery-powered, while the Harman Kardon Aura Studio 3 is not; but the Studio 3 has RGB lights…

The Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 6 is also battery-powered, while the Harman Kardon Aura Studio 3 is not; but the Studio 3 has RGB lights while the Studio 6 does not. The Studio 3 is also capable of a stereo output while the Studio 6 is not, but the Studio 6 can be paired with up to 2 devices. Learn more about the Harman Kardon Aura Studio 3 in our Harman/Kardon Aura Studio 3 review.

The Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 6 has a better Bluetooth range of up to 334.6 ft compared to the JBL Xtreme 3 at 190.3 ft….

The Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 6 has a better Bluetooth range of up to 334.6 ft compared to the JBL Xtreme 3 at 190.3 ft. Still, the Xtreme 3 has a companion app that’s missing on the Studio 6.

There are many differences between the Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 6 and the Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 4 that buyers ought to consider. Some of…

There are many differences between the Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 6 and the Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 4 that buyers ought to consider. Some of them are that the Onyx 6 has a sleep timer and a radio while the Studio 4 does not, while the Studio 4 is capable of a stereo output and has a noise canceling microphone that the Studio 6 does not.

Battery Life

8 hrs

n/a

15 hrs

Built In Microphone

Yes

Yes

n/a

Charge Time

5 hrs

n/a

2.5 hrs

Size

11.2" (h) x 11.5" (w) x 5" (d)

11.2" (w) x 9.1" (h) x 9.1" (d)

11.8" (w) x 5.3" (d) x 5.4" (h)

Smart App

Yes

n/a

Yes

Speaker Pairing

Yes

n/a

Yes

Water Resistant

Yes

n/a

Yes

Wattage

50W

2 x 15W RMS + 1 x 100W RMS

50W

Dig Deeper

Harman/Kardon Aura Studio 3 Review →

JBL Xtreme 3 Review →

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Score Card

E

Expert Score

78

*.75

We place a 75% weighted value on Expert Test Scores

C

Customer Score

90

*.25

We place a 25% weighted value on Customer Scores

True Score

81

Any product with a True Score above 70 is a Mixed Reviews

Expert Scores

  • Rtings
    100.6

    Category Trust Rating

    66
    The Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 6 is alright for music. It has a very balanced, neutral… Read More

    By:

    Tim Gideon
  • PC Mag
    43.6

    Category Trust Rating

    70
    If you like intense bass depth, the waterproof Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 6 will help… Read More

    By:

    John Panoryios
  • Consumer Reports
    15.6

    Category Trust Rating

    NR
    “No bottom line found for this product” Read More

    By:

    Unknown

Customer Scores