Apple HomePod (2nd generation) vs Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 8

Which Speaker Is Better?

Products

Apple HomePod (2nd generation)
Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 8

Tested using Methodology v0.8

Updated Feb 03, 2025 02:19 PM

SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com

Tested using Methodology v0.8

Updated Apr 14, 2025 08:13 PM

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Amazon.com
  1. Recommended in 3 articles:
  2. Brands
  3. iPhone
  4. Apple

Our Verdict

Apple HomePod (2nd generation)

Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 8

The Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 8 and Apple HomePod (2nd generation) are both premium speakers that cater to different needs. The Harman/Kardon can be operated wirelessly and has better portability, making it a better choice for on-the-go listening. You can also use it to stream audio via Bluetooth, which isn't possible on the Apple. The Apple has a different feature set, with WiFi compatibility and excellent voice assistant integration. It's better suited to acting as a smart speaker hub to help integrate other smart devices. It also has iOS compatibility, so you can adjust a bevy of settings via your iOS device. Both speakers have similarly balanced default sound profiles, though, and feature room correction tools to bring out the best of your unique acoustic space. 

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Variants

  • HomePod (2nd generation) (Midnight)
  • HomePod (2nd generation) (White)
  • Onyx Studio 8 (Black)
  • Onyx Studio 8 (Blue)
  • Onyx Studio 8 (Champagne)

Check Price

Midnight
HomePod (2nd generation)
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
Black
Onyx Studio 8
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
White
HomePod (2nd generation)
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
Blue
Onyx Studio 8
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
 
Champagne
Onyx Studio 8
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com

Main Differences for
Music

Threshold 

0.10

Music 

7.2
7.0

Frequency Response Accuracy 
 

7.8
7.5

Dynamics 
 

5.7
6.4

Full Comparison

Design

Style  

Style Photo  

RGB Lights  

No
No
Show Text 

Portability 
 

4.3
8.8

Dimensions Photo  

Volume 
 

205 in³ (3,367 cm³)
832 in³ (13,640 cm³)

Weight 
 

5.1 lbs (2.3 kg)
7.8 lbs (3.6 kg)

Power Source 
 

AC Only
AC & Battery

One-Hand Carry 
 

No
Yes
Show Text 

Build Quality 
 

6.4
6.7

Build Quality Photo  

Material Quality 
 

Good
Great

Water Resistance 
 

No
Unspecified

Dust Resistance 
 

Unspecified
Unspecified

Impact Resistance 
 

No
Unspecified

Floats In Water 
 

No
Unspecified
Show Text 

Controls 
 

8.0
7.5

Controls Photo  

Controls Photo 2  

Ease Of Use 
 

Great
Good

Feedback 
 

Great
Okay

Music Play/Pause 
 

Yes (Tactile)
Yes (Physical)

Call Answer/End 
 

Yes (Tactile)
Yes (Physical)

Volume Up/Down 
 

Yes (Tactile)
Yes (Physical)

Track Next/Previous 
 

Yes (Tactile)
Yes (Physical)

Microphone On/Off 
 

No
No

Additional Controls 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

In The Box 
 

In The Box Photo  

Show Text 
Sound

Frequency Response Accuracy 
 

7.8
7.5

Frequency Response Graph  

See details
See details

Slope 
 

0.87
-0.18

Std. Err. 
 

3.68 dB
2.85 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

32.7 Hz
46.2 Hz

High-Frequency Extension 
 

19.3 kHz
18.5 kHz
Show Text 

Raw Frequency Response 
 

Raw Frequency Response Graph  

See details
See details

Binaural Recording @ 1m 
 

Binaural Recording @ 2m 
 

Soundstage 
 

7.6
7.2

Directivity Graph  

See details
See details

Directivity Index 
 

0.90 dB
5.17 dB

Stereo 
 

No (mono)
Yes
Show Text 

Dynamics 
 

5.7
6.4

Dynamic Range Compression  

See details
See details

SPL @ Max Volume 
 

85.2 dB SPL
90.7 dB SPL

DRC @ Max Volume 
 

3.78 dB
3.77 dB
Show Text 
Active Features

Battery 
 

0.0
4.8

Battery Life 
 

N/A
6.7 hrs

Charge Time 
 

N/A
3.3 hrs

Power Saving 
 

No
No

Charging Port 
 

No Battery
AC

Battery Powered 
 

No
Yes
Show Text 

Voice Assistant 
 

10
0.0

Alexa 
 

No
No

Google Assistant 
 

No
No

Speakerphone 
 

Yes
No

Siri 
 

Built-in
No

Voice Assistant 
 

Yes
No

Voice Activation 
 

Yes
No

Microphone Mute 
 

Yes
No

Far-Field Performance 
 

Excellent
No Assistant

Ambient Noise Performance 
 

Excellent
No Assistant
Show Text 

App 
 

6.6
0.0

App Picture  

App Name 
 

Apple Home
No App

iOS 
 

Yes
No

Android 
 

No
No

EQ 
 

No
No

Stereo Pair Mode 
 

Yes
No

Party Mode 
 

Yes
No

Multi-Room 
 

Yes
No
Show Text 
Connectivity

Wired 
 

Aux Input 
 

No
Yes

USB Audio 
 

No
No

Other Ports 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Bluetooth 
 

0.0
7.3

Bluetooth 
 

No
Yes

Bluetooth Version 
 

No Bluetooth
5.2

Bluetooth iOS Latency 
 

N/A
278 ms

Bluetooth Android Latency 
 

N/A
309 ms

Bluetooth Range 
 

N/A
334.6 ft (102.0 m)

Multi-Device Pairing 
 

No
2 Devices
Show Text 

Wi-Fi 
 

7.7
0.0

Wi-Fi Version 
 

Wi-Fi 4
No Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi Frequency Band 
 

2.4GHz & 5GHz
No Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi 
 

Yes
No

Apple AirPlay 
 

Yes
No

AirPlay Latency 
 

121 ms
N/A

Google Chromecast 
 

No
No

Chromecast Latency 
 

N/A
N/A
Show Text 

Check Price

Midnight
HomePod (2nd generation)
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
Black
Onyx Studio 8
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
White
HomePod (2nd generation)
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
Blue
Onyx Studio 8
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
 
Champagne
Onyx Studio 8
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com

Apple HomePod (2nd generation)

Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 8

Comments

  1. Comparison

Apple HomePod (2nd generation) vs Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 8: Main Discussion

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