In this review, we have had the pleasure of reviewing the Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 9. We have reviewed this brand before with Aura Studio 4. When the Onyx Studio 9 was first delivered to me, I was stunned by how beautiful this speaker is. The speaker is a wireless speaker that also has a cable option to use this speaker inside or outside.

 

First Impressions 

 

This speaker screams sophistication and comes with the fig-8 cable, allowing a quick-release bass design. The speaker can be moved using the carry handle that is hidden from sight, allowing you to move the speaker around the house. I have been using this speaker in my living room and also outside as an entertainment gem for when my wife had her baby shower. At £229, this speaker has the full 5 stars when it comes to value for money. My only issue is that the speaker does not have an IP rating, something that the Onyx Studio 6 did. 

 

Design

 

The speaker keeps that 120mm woofer within as per the older model, but triples the tweeter count to three for a more balanced overall sound. Battery life measures 4722mAh and will deliver 8 hours of charge via the more recent Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity. When you have listened to the full 8 hours, it takes 4 hours to refill, but keep it plugged in, and that issue has gone. What I found useful is that at the rear, there is a USB-C port that allows you to charge your phone.

Now, if you’re buying this speaker to predominantly take it from room to room, the cable is a less elegant way of handling the speaker, but it’s hardly a dealbreaker a especially with the wirefree option.  Moving the speaker in and out of the house can be done using the carry handle, which is a little shelf beneath the logo at the top, which is nicely balanced with fingers perched underneath and more discreet than a full looped design. Considering the weight at only 3.3kgs, I’ve found it easy to grab hold of it to move around the house or into the garden. It can even handle a gust of wind outside it won’t fall over.  Now, if you do not want to use the app to control the speaker, there are physical controls up top that are on/off, volume controls, play/pause, Bluetooth connection and a separate Auracast button for pairing to other Onyx 9 speakers. 

Battery life

As mentioned at the start of this review, you get 8 hours of playtime, which can change depending on the volume you select. The app indicates the volume percentage, but if you’re at the final 20%, it drops down to 10% quickly in mere minutes.

 

Sound Quality

When we first switched this speaker on, the Onyx Studio 9 on I was impressed by just how much bass came out of such a small speaker. The speaker provides you with lots of bass, further enhanced by a passive radiator in addition to the woofer and the trio of tweeters, which can separate the higher frequencies while the mid range remains flat yet assertive. 

The app offers you several listening presets, comprising signature sounds such as vocal, chill, energetic and customise that allows you to open up a 7 band EQ. so you can tweak +/-12dB across the spectrum, from sub-120Hz to over 8kHz. I’ve performed some minor tweaks and have the Onyx sounding sensational for my needs. Even when this speaker is free-standing, it can still wack out power and volume. This is due to the 50W speaker and down to the automatic self-tuning, where the signature sound adjusts based on surroundings to upgrade the sound. 

Yes, this speaker is very much a stereo speaker; you’re not going to get any spatial audio effects here. I think that’s fine. Its also with knowing this is a Bluetooth-only speaker, no Wi-fi connectivity. This will limit some potential higher-end features. If you source music for Spotify Connect or Tidal Connect.

Verdict

 

The Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 9 is a fantastic offering the sophisticated design of this Bluetooth speaker that is designed to hide away how portable this speaker is. At this price, I never expected sound quality so full. The Onyx Studio 9 knows how to deliver low-end with power. The trio of tweeters, meanwhile, handle the overall mix with balance, delivering a suitably wide soundstage from a stereo speaker. 

The Onyx Studio 9 is not IP-rated compared to its rivals, so it might be better indoors or in the garden too, without its considerable sound, coupled with some lush sunshine, ticks my boxes. 

Product Rating    

Design: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0

Features: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0

Audio Quality: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0

Value for Money: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0

 

Overall ranking: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0 – 5.0 stars