The new Harman Kardon Onyx 8 Studio is the newest member of the Harman Kardon Onyx Studio Series. According to Harman International Industries, it should be no less than a premium-class Bluetooth speaker.However, it is particularly interesting that the manufacturer is talking about a solution that is equally suitable for private and professional applications.It is stated that the new Harman Kardon Onyx 8 Studio is a solution for room-filling, crystal-clear sound that can be stylishly integrated into any living environment and can also be used for telephone conferences and thus home offices.According to the manufacturer, the Harman Kardon Onyx 8 Studio combines elegant design and the best audio quality and he particularly points out that the essential features of a conventional speaker system are used here.The new Harman Kardon Onyx 8 Studio relies on a 120 mm woofer driver in combination with two 20 mm tweeters, which should guarantee an appealing performance over a wide frequency range and are powered by a Class D amplifier module with 50 watts will.The manufacturer even speaks of room-filling stereo sound, whereby this is achieved not least because the new Harman Kardon Onyx 8 Studio has a calibration that is intended to ensure optimal adjustment to every room.When switched on, the Harman Kardon Onyx 8 Studio automatically calibrates itself to the environment, as the manufacturer expressly emphasizes.And if you actually want particularly convincing stereo sound, you can combine two Harman Kardon Onyx 8 Studio into a pair, whereby this is of course also done via Bluetooth and therefore without cables.Of course, Bluetooth is also the focus when it comes to the sources for the Harman Kardon Onyx 8 Studio, above all smartphones and tablets will probably be used, whereby you can access all relevant online streaming offers in addition to your own content.The Bluetooth module of this solution uses Bluetooth 5.2 and supports the Bluetooth profiles A2DP 1.3 and AVRCP 1.6.It is interesting that up to two Bluetooth source devices can be connected to the Harman Kardon Onyx 8 Studio at the same time in order to alternately play a colorful playlist.The new Harman Kardon Onyx 8 Studio also functions as a hands-free device via Bluetooth, whereby the manufacturer promises the best voice quality through the use of a double microphone.As already mentioned, the Harman Kardon Onyx 8 Studio is an ideal solution for use in the study, where it can then be used as a high-quality audio solution for telephone calls or video conferences.According to the manufacturer, the integrated 3.6 V 3,250 mAh lithium-ion polymer battery should offer a playing time of up to eight hours, so that the new Harman Kardon Onyx 8 Studio can actually be used anywhere in the house, regardless of whether there is a power supply in the immediate vicinity to have to take.Charging should take about five hoursWith the new Harman Kardon Onyx 8 Studio, Harman International Industries explicitly states that it is a product that was designed with sustainability in mind.The new Harman Kardon Onyx 8 Studio is said to be made from recycled plastic, right down to the speaker grille, which is woven from recycled polyester yarn.The carrying handle is made of aluminium.The Harman Kardon Onyx 8 Studio weighs 3.52 kg with dimensions of 312 x 275.8 x 163.8 mm.The product packaging is also FSC-certified and made of paper as a sign of responsible forestry and paper use.Even the ink used to print the pack is sustainable, as it is eco-friendly soy ink.“The Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8 is a milestone in design and manufacturing at Harman Kardon.On the surface it may look like the latest model in our beautifully crafted Onyx Studio line.But the switch to using recycled plastic and paper-based packaging demonstrates our commitment to reducing the environmental impact of our products without compromising on quality and performance.”According to the manufacturer, the new Harman Kardon Onyx 8 Studio will be launched in mid-October 2022.The user can then choose between the versions black, champagne and dark blue.The recommended retail price is €299.With the new Harman Kardon Onyx 8 Studio, a particularly flexible, premium-class Bluetooth speaker is to be made available, with Harman International Industries taking this solution from the Harman Kardon brand not only to the elegant design, the appealing sound quality, but also the production and packaging from the aspect of highlights sustainability.A point that fortunately is gaining in importance for more and more manufacturers.Michael Holzinger, founder and editor-in-chief of semper-audio.at |The HiFi Blog - The HiFi Magazine and HiFi BLOG, has been working as a journalist in the fields of IT, photography, telecommunications and consumer electronics for years.With HiFi.Luxury and Smart Appliances by semper-audio.at, he also founded two other categories that stand for modern lifestyle.The most important news from the industry in your mailbox every Monday morning!