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Neither Bose SoundLink Micro nor Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 5 were recommended by experts this month
On 2 Apr 2024 (24 days ago) we went through 115 Bluetooth Speaker expert endorsements , however neither Bose SoundLink Micro nor Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 5 were included in any of those recommendations. Since neither Bluetooth Speaker received a single endorsement, as far as expert recommendations go, it's technically a tie. We do, however, recommend taking a look at Sonos Roam or other critically acclaimed Portable Bluetooth Speakers of this month.
For reference, Sonos Roam received 4 endorsements this month, from TechRadar (4 Mar 2024), Tom's Guide (26 Mar 2024) WIRED (18 Feb 2024) and 1 other.
Rank | Change | Price | Bluetooth Speaker | What Hi-Fi | SoundGuys | PCMag | Popular Mechanics | TechRadar | Rtings.com | Tom's Guide | WIRED | TechHive | Digital Trends |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
3 | - | $176 | Sonos Roam A great speaker that can be taken anywhere | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | 11 | 10 | - | 3 |
N/A | N/A | $119 | Bose SoundLink Micro | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
N/A | N/A | $141 | Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 5 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Curious to see this month's entire Portable Bluetooth Speakers ranking? It's here
Customers like Bose SoundLink Micro somewhat more
At ReviewFinder we prefer to focus on professional product reviews, because customer reviews can be disproportionately affected by unrelated factors such as delivery, specific seller listing problems, and, of course, fake reviews. With that said, below is the summary of consumer sentiment.
Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 5
CS of 10 is similar to a 4.8 star review, CS of 0 is similar to a 2 star review.
Bose SoundLink Micro, the cheaper option, tends to get more favorable reviews than Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 5.
As can be seen in the chart above, median best-selling bluetooth speaker receives a consumer score of 9.1 (great). Both Bose SoundLink Micro and Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 5 receive customer reviews that average out above that median threshold.
Bose SoundLink Micro |
In comparison:
Bose SoundLink Micro ranks #15 out of 189. Very high levels of customer satisfaction. Go to rankings 10.0 Amazing
|
Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 5 |
In comparison:
Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 5 ranks #44 out of 189. Very high levels of customer satisfaction. Go to rankings 9.6 Amazing
|
Median best-selling Bluetooth Speaker |
In comparison:
9.1 Great
|
Bose SoundLink Micro is more popular than Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 5
It's fairly safe to say that Bose SoundLink Micro is a more popular bluetooth speaker than Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 5, based on its 30,000+ reviews. Popularity is determined based on product sales. Note that older and cheaper products tend to sell more.
To consider
Table: Top compared alternatives for Bose SoundLink Micro and Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 5 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sonos Roam | $176 | 4 expert recommendations | |||
Sonos Move 2 | $427 |
We don't yet have enough review information for Sonos Move 2 N/A
| 5 expert recommendations | ||
Ultimate Ears MegaBoom 3 | $170 |
In comparison:
Ultimate Ears MegaBoom 3 ranks #138 out of 189. Very high levels of customer satisfaction. Go to rankings 8.3 Great
| 3 expert recommendations | ||
Ultimate Ears Hyperboom | $399 |
In comparison:
Ultimate Ears Hyperboom ranks #51 out of 189. Very high levels of customer satisfaction. Go to rankings 9.5
Amazing
| 4 expert recommendations |
Rank | Change | Price | Bluetooth Speaker | What Hi-Fi | SoundGuys | PCMag | Popular Mechanics | TechRadar | Rtings.com | Tom's Guide | WIRED | TechHive | Digital Trends |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
3 | - | $176 | Sonos Roam A great speaker that can be taken anywhere | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | 11 | 10 | - | 3 |
4 | - | $48 | Tribit StormBox Micro 2 | 3 | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | 9 | - | 8 |
5 | - | Check price | Jbl Boombox 3 | - | - | 7 | - | - | 1 | 9 | - | - | - |
6 | - | $68 | Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 | - | 5 | - | - | - | 4 | 8 | - | - | 6 |
Show all rows |
Expert reviews [18]
- with a score: 11
- without a score: 7
Highest score by Old Time Music | 96 |
Average score based on 18 reviews | 78 |
Lowest score by Expert Reviews | 60 |
Score distribution:
80-100 | |
60-80 | |
40-60 | |
20-40 | |
0-20 |
Expert reviews [8]
- with a score: 0
- without a score: 8
- BOSE WATERPROOF SPEAKER: Small but powerful, the Bose SoundLInk Micro Bluetooth speaker produces loud, clear sound with shockingly deep bass. It packs a custom-designed transducer and passive radiators for crisp, balanced sound, WATERPROOF AND DUSTPROOF (IP67)
- Read more
- Harman Kardon Onyx studio 5 Bluetooth 4. 2 enables wireless streaming for room-filling sound & Speakerphone lets you take hands-free calls
- Rechargeable battery provides up to 8 hours of playtime, so you can keep the party going all night long
- Read more
Speakers range from not being able to handle even a drop of water to being able to be fully submerged in water for several minutes. Do you plan to take your speaker outside? To the beach? To the pool? In the shower? Then you definitely need to verify the level of water resistance before purchasing. You can tell the water resistance by the IP rating—the higher the rating, the more resistant the speaker is to the elements. For reference, the first digit refers to dust protection and the second digit refers to water protection. It reads as: IP68. Anything higher than IP66 will be dust- and splash-proof, meaning it can handle some contact with water, but cannot be fully submerged or soaked.
Battery life for Bluetooth speakers is measured in milliampere hours (mAh). Manufacturers will report the battery life of a speaker in the average number of hours it takes to empty from a full charge. Keep in mind this number is based on medium levels of usage. If you play the speaker on full volume, it will drain the battery faster. Some specialty features like using the speaker to charge your phone or casting an LED light show will also drain the battery faster. The manufacturer reported number is just an estimate, and may be slightly different based on your usage.
It’s also important to consider is the type of battery. Rechargeable lithium-ion (LI-ion) batters are ideal, but some speakers only take standard or rechargeable AA/AAA/C/D batteries. You may even find Bluetooth speakers that recharge via solar power—great for outdoor use!
Bose SoundLink Micro is a very popular option in the middle of the bluetooth speakers price range. It's in the top 3 bestselling bluetooth speakers and has dozens of popular alternatives in the same price range, such as LG Xboom Go PK7 or Jawbone Mini Jambox .
Bose SoundLink Micro was released in 2017. There are dozens of newer bluetooth speakers on the market. Show newer Bluetooth Speakers
Bose SoundLink Micro is $45 more expensive than the average bluetooth speaker ($124.99).
Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 5 is a popular and one of the most expensive options. It's in the top 3 bestselling bluetooth speakers and has dozens of popular alternatives in the same price range, such as LG Xboom Go PK7 or Jawbone Mini Jambox .
Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 5 was released in 2018. There are a lot of newer bluetooth speakers on the market. Show newer Bluetooth Speakers
Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 5 is $285.01 more expensive than an average bluetooth speaker ($124.99).