Harman Kardon is an Electronics Company in the U.S. that deals with manufacturing of audio equipment. The company was established in 1953 by Sidney Harman and. Bernard Kardon, who were business partners. It is also an association of the Harman International and Samsung Electronics.
Initially, Sidney Harman and Bernard Kardon, both were involved with a different company. Later, they resigned from there due to some issues and joined together to build a new company of their own with a startup amount of $10000. That company came to be known as the Harman Kardon.
Early production of some high-quality products led to the strengthening of their business. They came up with Integrated receivers, which were meant to provide remarkable outputs in a single unit. First-ever product designed by the company was an FM tuner.
With the retirement of Bernard Kardon in 1956, Sidney Harman became the Supreme head of the company. He involved more in the making of Hi-Fi products. Over no time, the company gained popularity and is one of the leading companies in the field of audio equipment today.
Primarily producing audio equipment, the company manufactures products such as the Sound Sticks, Car audio, Computer speakers, Headsets and Smart speakers.
Harman Kardon has done a brilliant job in introducing numerous models of Bluetooth wireless speakers. Undoubtedly, their products come up with a tag of “never to disappoint”, and this is what they actually maintain. Two such products are the Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 5 and Onyx Studio 6.
Harman Kardon Onyx 5 vs 6
The main difference between Harman Kardon Onyx 5 and 6 is that Onyx Studio 5 is not water-resistant, whereas, Onyx Studio 6 comes with an IPX7 Certificate, which makes the product able of being submerged into water of around 1feet for up to 30 minutes.
Comparison Table Between Harman Kardon Onyx 5 and 6
| Parameter of Comparison | Onyx 5 | Onyx 6 |
| Launch | Harman Kardon Onyx 5 was launched in August 2018. | Harman Kardon Onyx 6 was launched in June 2020. |
| Weight | It is a little heavier, weighing around 6.6 pounds. | While it weighs around 6.4 pounds. |
| Design | There is no cover for the ports. | Whereas it has a port cover at the back. |
| Water-resistance | It does not come with IPX rating and is not water-proof. | It comes with IPX7 Certificate; it can be submerged in 1ft of water for up to 30 minutes. |
| Sound Output | It delivers a decent sound output. | While it delivers a louder and more intense sound. |
| Woofer | The woofer is 4.7-inch. | Here, the woofer is 3-inch. |
| Tweeter | The tweeter is 1-inch long. | The tweeter is 0.75-inch long here. |
| Pricing | It retails at a lower price. | It is priced at a higher rate. |
What is Onyx 5?
Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 5 is basically the fifth version of Harman’s Onyx series that released in August 2018. It is slightly different from the previous products of the Onyx series in terms of the design. Although it has the same circular shape, the undetachable legs were removed from it.
The design is quite unique, along with a handle on its top which addresses portability. It comes with three colour options, i.e., black, grey and blue. The blue one comes with a bronze handle that makes it even more eye-catching. Five buttons for play, pause, skip and two volume keys are placed beneath the handle. There is a Harman’s logo in a classy design at the bottom.
The speaker has a LED light that informs when the battery goes down. It delivers a satisfying sound output with a frequency from 50Hz to 20kHz. The battery is very big but is only 3,280 mAH.
Coming to the connectivity, the speaker has a 4.2 version of Bluetooth. It does not support NFC pairing feature. It comes with an option for connecting two Onyx 5 devices simultaneously.
Despite all these features, the device lacks the feature of being water-resistant and does not have any in-built microphone. This might act as a drawback as all other devices nowadays come with these features.
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What is Onyx 6?
Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 6 is an updated version of the Onyx 5. It was released in June 2020. This Bluetooth speaker has the same built quality as its predecessor and the same high-quality materials are used in it too.
The design is also similar; a circle-shaped speaker with a top handle. Along with the blue variant, the grey variant of Onyx 6 also has a bronze handle. Moreover, the logo on the grey one also comes with a bronze coating. There is a cover for the ports on the backside too.
The main upgrade in the Onyx Studio 6 is the water-resistance feature. It comes with IPX rating with an ability to remain submerged in 1ft of water for up to 30 minutes. This brings a big difference in the speaker’s demand.
Other specifications including connectivity, frequency range, battery etc. are the same as in the Onyx Studio 5. Just that, Onyx 6 delivers a louder and more intense sound output than the former.
Surprisingly, Onyx 6 weighs a little less than the Onyx 5, even after all these similarities. It does not differ from its predecessor to a bigger extent. There are not many noticeable differences in both of them, but still the latter costs more.
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Main Differences Between Harman Kardon Onyx 5 and 6
- Onyx Studio 5 is a little heavier than Onyx 6.
- Only the Onyx 6 comes with a cover for the ports.
- Onyx 6 is water-resistant, while Onyx 5 is not.
- The sound output in Onyx 6 is better.
- Onyx 5 costs less than Onyx 6.
Conclusion
True leadership is the one which even takes its negative points and works on them. Sidney Harman is an example of this. How he shaped Harman Kardon (later named Harman International) deserves an applaud. The company has come a long way till now.
Onyx Studio 5 and Onyx Studio 6 are two very popular products of the company. With not many differences between them, the devices offer a high-class experience. Although Onyx 5 is not water-proof, it does a great job in its output. Onyx 6 is a favourable option according to today’s demands.
References
https://books.google.co.in/books?hl=en&lr=&id=914FDgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT66&dq=info:2PexlyPl7iQJ:scholar.google.com/&ots=wJu7_bpGoB&sig=eVRlT28q434__EGWJQznatZ7UEA&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false
Last update on 2022-04-02 / Amazon Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API