Products
JBL Authentics 500
Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 9
Tested using Methodology v0.8
Updated Nov 25, 2025 02:39 PM
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Amazon.com
Tested using Methodology v0.8
Updated Apr 14, 2025 08:02 PM
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Amazon.com
Bluetooth
Yes
Wi-Fi
Yes
Speakerphone
No
Voice Assistant
Yes
Battery Powered
No
Bluetooth
Yes
Wi-Fi
No
Speakerphone
No
Voice Assistant
No
Battery Powered
Yes
Our Verdict
JBL Authentics 500
Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 9
The JBL Authentics 500 and Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 9 have different strengths. The JBL is quite a bit larger than the Harman/Kardon, so it unsurprisingly gets much louder. But the Harman/Kardon puts up a sporting fight on the frequency response front, offering about as much mid-bass punch as the larger speaker. The Harman/Kardon is also battery-powered and easy to carry around with you, though we wouldn't take it outside as it lacks an IP rating against water and dust ingress. But the JBL has a built-in mic, so it's the one to choose if voice assistant support is crucial to you.
Variants
- Authentics 500 (Black)
- Onyx Studio 9 (Black)
- Onyx Studio 9 (Grey)
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Black
Authentics 500
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Black
Onyx Studio 9
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Black
Authentics 500
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Grey
Onyx Studio 9
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Black
Authentics 500
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Black
Authentics 500
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Main Differences for
Music
Music
Threshold
Music
7.7
7.3
Dynamics
8.4
6.2
Soundstage
7.3
7.8
Full Comparison
Design
Style
Style Photo
RGB Lights
No
No
Portability
2.9
9.0
Dimensions Photo
Volume
1,629 in³ (26,700 cm³)
565 in³ (9,251 cm³)
Weight
17.5 lbs (8.0 kg)
7.5 lbs (3.4 kg)
Power Source
AC Only
AC & Battery
One-Hand Carry
No
Yes
Build Quality
6.7
6.7
Build Quality Photo
Material Quality
Great
Great
Water Resistance
No
Unspecified
Dust Resistance
No
Unspecified
Impact Resistance
Unspecified
Unspecified
Floats In Water
No
Unspecified
Controls
8.0
7.8
Controls Photo
Controls Photo 2
Ease Of Use
Great
Good
Feedback
Great
Good
Music Play/Pause
Yes (Physical)
Yes (Physical)
Call Answer/End
No
Yes (Physical)
Volume Up/Down
Yes (Physical)
Yes (Physical)
Track Next/Previous
Yes (Physical)
Yes (Physical)
Microphone On/Off
Yes (Physical)
No
Additional Controls
Yes
Yes
In The Box
In The Box Photo
Sound
Frequency Response Accuracy
7.6
7.5
Frequency Response Graph
Slope
0.04
-0.33
Std. Err.
2.58 dB
2.83 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
44.3 Hz
44.9 Hz
High-Frequency Extension
19.9 kHz
19.9 kHz
Raw Frequency Response
Raw Frequency Response Graph
Binaural Recording @ 1m
Binaural Recording @ 2m
Soundstage
7.3
7.8
Directivity Graph
Directivity Index
4.99 dB
4.01 dB
Stereo
Yes
Yes
Dynamics
8.4
6.2
Dynamic Range Compression
SPL @ Max Volume
102.8 dB SPL
88.1 dB SPL
DRC @ Max Volume
2.81 dB
3.58 dB
Active Features
Battery
0.0
6.1
Battery Life
N/A
6.1 hrs
Charge Time
N/A
2.7 hrs
Power Saving
N/A
Yes
Charging Port
No Battery
AC
Battery Powered
No
Yes
Voice Assistant
9.3
0.0
Alexa
Built-in (Wi-Fi Only)
No
Google Assistant
Built-in (Wi-Fi Only)
No
Speakerphone
No
No
Siri
No
No
Voice Assistant
Yes
No
Voice Activation
Yes
No
Microphone Mute
Yes
No
Far-Field Performance
Excellent
No Assistant
Ambient Noise Performance
Good
No Assistant
App
9.6
9.6
App Picture
App Name
JBL One
Harman Kardon One
iOS
Yes
Yes
Android
Yes
Yes
EQ
Graphic
Graphic + Presets
Stereo Pair Mode
Yes
Yes
Party Mode
Yes
Yes
Multi-Room
Yes
Yes
Connectivity
Wired
Aux Input
Yes
Yes
USB Audio
No
No
Other Ports
Yes
No
Bluetooth
7.5
9.0
Bluetooth
Yes
Yes
Bluetooth Version
5.3
5.3
Bluetooth iOS Latency
269 ms
24 ms
Bluetooth Android Latency
244 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
7.6
0.0
Wi-Fi Version
Wi-Fi 6
No Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi Frequency Band
2.4GHz & 5GHz
No Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi
Yes
No
Apple AirPlay
Yes
No
AirPlay Latency
161 ms
N/A
Google Chromecast
Yes
No
Chromecast Latency
N/A
N/A
Check Price
Black
Authentics 500
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Amazon.com
Black
Onyx Studio 9
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Amazon.com
Black
Authentics 500
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
Grey
Onyx Studio 9
SEARCH
Amazon.com
Black
Authentics 500
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Walmart.com
Black
Authentics 500
SEE PRICE
B&H
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JBL Authentics 500
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JBL Authentics 500 vs Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 9: Main Discussion
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