Harman Kardon - Go + Play 3

Go play 3 is the only answer but get the max for beach and travel

I have a GO+3 Play by Harman Kardon. The best thing I have bought yet being an audiophile... Warmest sound ever! Before that I had a Onyx studio 7 by Harman Kardon... So I got a great upgrade! 😃

The Harman Kardon Go Play 3 is a great option.

The Harmon kardon go play 3 will go on sale every now and then for around 150-160. Definitely worth it if you can get it. It is a bigger speaker and battery life isn’t the best but the sound quality and bass for the price are great.

You're not into bass. I got it 2 days ago and I'm going to return it because the bass isn't enough. JBL extreme 4 has more bass but I want more

I agree, the bass in HK play 3 is so sweet.

I just ordered mine! They have a few left in stock!!$129 https://ebay.us/m/eje6am

Where the hell do you see it at that price? Excuse my French! I'm only seeing it for $262

HK GO Play 3.

The exposed Subwoofer is dumb but they make covers now. It's still a little less heavy and smaller than the Boombox 2. Maybe the HK GO+Play Mini.

You can sometimes find the Harman Kardon Go+Play 3 for 250. I had one till it was stolen. I loved it. Otherwise Brane-X from Brane Audio is my #1 choice.

Jeeeeez that is bonkers! Let me know when that happens if you happen to catch it. That's cheaper than my current Bluetooth speaker which I got at Walmart for 149.99. Soundcore Motion X600. I didn't have the money to get anything more expensive. Soon I'll probably get 2 Go+Play 3's though.

Yes, GO+Play 3 delivers the best sound and power - and no surprise you'll have to haul that 4.5 kg beast around. I’ve got a nice carrying case, subwoofer protection grille to make it more travel-friendly, and planning a battery upgrade for all-day playtime. The only considerable factor against portable use is it's weight (that you trade for the best sound).

Harman lists a brand-refurbished Go+Play for 250$ now. Could be a nice deal, I've ordered a second unit for myself to pair in stereo.

This review covers these three models paired in TWS mode: * 2x Earfun UBOOM L ($50 each) * 2x Earfun UBOOM X ($118 each) * 2x Harman Kardon Go + Play 3 (usually $250-$350 each, got them on sale for $128) All have impressive clarity and soundstage when in TWS mode but obviously the UBOOM X and Harman are in a different class than the smaller/cheaper UBOOM L (was initially comparing two UBOOM Ls to one UBOOM X, then ordered a second UBOOM X and had TWS stutter issues, then got the Harmans). # Pros common to UBOOM L and X * iOS and Android app (speaker info, battery status, firmware updates, EQ and other customizations, etc.) * Excellent battery life * USB-C charging * Ruggedized and IP67 waterproof * Regularly available at lower prices than the competition # Cons common to UBOOM L and X * Off-axis sound quality is mediocre. # UBOOM L Pros * Small and light enough for travelling or tossing in a bag * Inexpensive # UBOOM L Cons * Not as much bass and limited volume (to be expected since the other speakers are \~7 times bigger) # UBOOM X Pros * More immersive sound than UBOOM L * Many EQ profiles * Shape, handle, and strap make it somewhat easy to move around for its size/weight * Lighting effects * Huge battery (60 Wh) # UBOOM X Cons * Hefty for traveling, especially if using a pair * When using an EQ (Oluv or custom) while in TWS mode, audio drops intermittently and sometimes frequently (might happen 5 times in 5 minutes, might not happen for hours). Don't have this problem with the other speakers in TWS (edit: this is a known issue; explanation from Earfun [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Bluetooth_Speakers/comments/1htkbxi/comment/m5g0p77/)). # Harman Kardon Go + Play 3 Pros * The best audio quality of all of them * Sounds significantly better off-axis than the UBOOMs. * Though TWS mode is the way to go, a single Go + Play 3 still sounds quite good (while the sound quality of a single UBOOM L or X isn't as impressive). * Upscale aesthetics and clean look * Glass surface with touch-buttons (also a con) # Harman Kardon Go + Play 3 Cons * Normally expensive * Slightly heavier than the UBOOM X * Awkward shape and handle * No app (there is an EQ available via button combinations, though the Harman sounds excellent with the default profile) * Gotta pair in stereo mode every time they're turned on (a minor complaint as it only takes seconds, but don't have to do this with the Earfuns). * Lacks IP67 waterproof rating and isn't ruggedized like the Earfuns. Downward facing sub doesn’t have any protection beyond being recessed (they're meant to be used on a flat surface). * Fabric cover attracts dust/hair and won't be as easy to clean. * Touch-buttons are difficult to see/use in the dark. * Doesn't charge over USB-C (but at least there's no transformer and it uses a standard non-polarized C7 Figure 8 PC cable). * Smaller battery (26 Wh) # Conclusion * Returned the UBOOM Xs. The TWS stuttering issue means no custom/Oluv EQ, which results in sound quality that isn’t nearly as satisfying. * Kept the UBOOM Ls for work and travel. They're very portable, and sound great in a small quiet space when pointed right at you. * Kept the Harmans for use around the house, porch, and backyard. They can't touch my Denon Polk hi-fi setup, but they're still very enjoyable, and being *somewhat* portable makes them far more useful (though they aren't suitable for many situations given the lack of ruggedization or IP67). Edit: Cleaned up wording, added a few details, linked to Earfun's explanation about TWS stutter.

>only 4 hours of battery. I’m getting more than 4 hours of battery life, but yeah not being ruggedized and lacking IP67 waterproofing is indeed a significant limitation for the Harman.

The Go Play 3 attracts major dust. I am constantly dusting mine 3-4 times a day. If you let the dust pile up on the fabric material its not going to be easy to clean since the speaker isnt waterproof.

I've heard both. Go play 3 easily, very highly recommended.

Bose Max has parasitic battery drain of 10-20% so you know. Have you considered the Harman Kardon Goplay 3? It has Aux and mains that apparently can bypass its battery. Has a built in subwoofer.

Where did you hear that? In any case, if they were to be the case, is so easy to unlink the BT of any device to it. The HK is a really well designed device.

The Go play 3's sound very clear with a good button end I've tried many boombox speakers and they all lack a clear mid. It sounds like a veil is out over them... Except the GoPlay 3s. My latest purchase of the WiFi BB3 at Costco had the mid veil problem and I couldn't fix it with the app EQ. Plus the sound wasn't cohesive...the bass felt disjointed....too boomy in some cases. The GoPlay 3 never had this issue....it's the best boombox I've ever tried. 👍 (Never heard the uboomX but a YouTuber who compared several top rated boomboxes said the GoPlay was markedly the clearest sounding of his entire lineup. I got 2 Goplay 3s for $81/each this holiday season. Very happy with them! 😁

I hope you DO know that you can raise. the Bass 3 steps OR Treble 3 steps. It really rocks when you do it! An amazing speaker!

I own both the Acton 3 and HK Go Play 3. Without a doubt the Acton 3 for the simple fact that it's a plug in. It's the right sweet spot of size with big, full clear sound. Great for movies or music. The BT latency is fantastic but gets even better with the Aux port. The HK Go Play 3 is battery powered, but have no doubt it will be bricked when the battery craps out in a few years. It's also huge and heavy. I use two of these for the deck for movie night in stereo. It's also clear and balanced and since it has a downward firing subwoofer, hits a little lower but not enough for me to care vs the Acton 3. The BT latency and Aux port is also good. Again, horses for courses. I use each for a specific intended use (indoors vs deck). FWIW,they're both about the highest rated speakers in their tiers. I paid $81 for the HK3 during Black Friday (vs $180 for the Acton) so don't care if the GoPlay 3's 8 hr battery craps out down the road--for $350, no way in hell I'd pay that much.....might as well get a uBoom X for $120 if battery powered boomboxes are your thing.

To answer your questions: Harmon Kardon GoPlay 3. That's my proudest BT purchase. $83/each for a universally top-of-the-top rated speaker that goes for over $350. I use 2 in stereo when watching movies on the iPad on the deck. Much more satisfying and balanced than even a whopper JBL Boombox 3 WiFi. A total banger of a speaker when you want to rock out! Acton 3 is absolutely amazing! Grabbed 3 for the bedrooms during Target's blowout sale. I listen to it daily. Powerful yet balanced. VERY(!!) satisfying! It's Amazon's highest user rated BT speaker at 4.8/5 for good reason. 👍 The WB 4 was a Target pricing mistake. They had the WB3 priced at $29 on supersale, and they mis-ticketed the newly released WB4 at the same price. 😄 The WB4 is a great little speaker for the outside deck hung on the pole of the deck umbrella (i.e. podcasts, YouTube/YouTube TV, background music). I'm not left for "wanting" when listening to it. Perfect for car road trips/hotels. There's a reason why the WB4 is NYTimes top rated speaker-- a cheap, supremely portable "do-it-all" device with a 14 hr battery. Hard to argue against it. 🤷🏽‍♂️

Harmon Kardon Go + Play 2 might work for you. I'm personally not a fan of the Onyx series. Edit: I meant to say Go + Play 3

I don't have any background hiss with my X600, but I can tell you my Harmon Kardon Go + Play 3 is in a different league when it comes to sound quality. Better bass as well. The play 3 is both punchy and chill at low volumes. I can't recomend it enough.

I bought a refurbished unit for about $30 more. This is an amazing deal. Great speaker at an amazing price. I highly recommend it. [Harman Kardon Go + Play 3, Portable Bluetooth speaker. | eBay](https://www.ebay.com/itm/156428451357)

Harman Kardon Go + Play 3 is unmatched in the sound department

Harman Kardon Go + Play 3 would be my pick for this

Literally just get the Go Play 3 It’s superior to the boombox in every way sound quality wise and the only thing you lose is the waterproofing

The Go Play is absolutely in a tier of its own Not much of a comparison here

The sound quality blows my mind , somehow even better than the Onyx studio 8 and that thing was something else. Sounds warm which I don’t mind and even though I can’t EQ it much, I don’t need to. And the bass…. No words can describe it. Not as boomy as the Onyx studio but I prefer it on here

It’s HK Go + Play 3

The boombox sounds way better than this outdoors, is waterproof and has a MUCH MUCH bigger battery

I got it on sale for about $399 Canadian

For the price of a max you can just grab a HK Go+ Play 3 for an even bigger jump and bigger “holy shit” factor

Legitimately amazing indoor Bluetooth speaker. Shame for the battery though..

JBL Charge 5, Boom 2, SoundLink Max, JBL Boombox 3, StormBox Blast, GO + Play 3. I returned them all. I would have kept Boombox 3 if I didn't feel like Boombox 4 was going to come out.

got to say I was all in on JBL for years with my Charge 4, not really having much to compare with outside of soundcore and UE but after getting my Harman Kardon Go + Play 3 and Luna I'm not sure there is a better sound quality to price ratio out there for me. Crystal clear sound without distortion at any volume and really well balanced bass. Even better if you can catch any of their speakers on sale.

The only good one on your list is the Boombox 3. Flip 6 is good for its size. The others are trash unless you absolutely love wifi speakers which is the only reason to ever consider a Sonos speaker. Personally the Harmon Kardon Go + Play 3 is the best indoor speaker I've heard and the Onyx 7 that is currently on sale on the HK website comes close to it.

Harman Kardon Go + Play 3 is probably the highest quality sound if you don't want to go Sony, but doesn't have long battery life nor ip rating. The absolute best speaker is something that highly depends on your preferences.Jbl Boombox 3 WiFi is also great.

How important is mobility? The two best sounding speakers are probably the Earfun UBoom X with some tuning and the Harman Kardon Go + Play 3. Earfun is more portable, more durable and way cheaper, the H/K looks more presentable.

I agree that two X are the better sounding option over one HK. In my opinion, the HK is better looking and fits nicely into e.g. a finer clothing store. But which speaker better fits for them really depends on the type of business and customers they have.

Not plug-in but can be left plugged in with the flexibility of portability if needed — Harman Kardon Go+Play 3 is under $400, and Brane X just under $500. Both sound great and sounds like they’re larger and more expensive than they actually are.

Bass depth and quality is largely a function of the size of the speaker — larger speaker = deeper/better bass. If size is not a factor, go with one of the JBL Partyboxes. Brane X has the best bass/sub-bass in the smallest size. A close second would be the Harman Kardon Go+Play 3.

They actually have a yearly sale for 130 which is bonkers. I had to get two for stereo and by far the best sounding Bluetooth for home use

I enjoy Go play 3, even onyx studio 8 is nice.

Expensive: Harmon Kardon Go+ Play 3. Budget: Earfun Uboom X. (I bought the latter. Larger battery, app with full EQ, professionally tuned presets)

Do you find the battery life on the HK limiting or just keep it plugged in all the time? I almost bought one when they had the super sale last month, but ultimately decided to pass since I already have 2 of the Uboom X for TWS. On paper the Play 3 does have deeper bass, but only by ~3hz and I’m not sure how noticeable that is in person, especially if it has to compete with a stereo pair… The HK gets all the style points though lol.

Placing it on a carpet will take a toll on the bass but also soften it which results in slightly elevated mids and treble as well as less fatiguing bass

The X600 is also the speaker I would recommend. While I own and enjoy the JBL Authentic 300 and the Harman Kardon Go + Play 3, I am cautious about taking them outside and I have no worries about the X600 outdoors. It's also is an extremely good sounding speaker, although no where near the bass of the other two speakers, it does great considering it's size.

My personal choice would be Harman Kardon Go+ Play 3

Generally all of the neutral speakers are well known and documented in the [over 1000 upvotes pinned post at the top of this sub](https://www.reddit.com/r/WirelessSpeakers/comments/16zs2ol/ranking_all_battery_powered_wireless_speakers/) which includes descriptions and sound samples of all of the speakers you mentioned. You'd generally be best off with an Earfun Uboom X, or if contemporary looks matter a lot to you and you're willing to give up waterproofing and battery life then the Harmon Kardon Go+ Play 3. If those are too big, the Soundcore Boom 2 with Oluv's EQ will be the most neutral in the size below. The Diamondboxx and Devialet speakers generally aren't worth your time and are far from neutral. The Move 2 is reasonable but warm tuned, but overly expensive for what it does

Harman Kardon Luna sounds great at low volume and its sound is very pleasant, hk go play 3 too

All depends on what you want to use it for the harman kardon is a good option if you want a nice powerful speaker for indoor use I don’t have the bose soundlink max but do have the smaller revolve+ this one is obviously lighter and probably less powerful but it is very suitable as a travel speaker for taking with you on a trip

European alternative ? I now only one European bluetooth speaker Brand that is Blauwpunt and Teufel audio they are German sonos is not bad it is a good brand but for connectivity with the sonos app it can be difficult But you can still get around this if you have an iPhone buy a Sonos with AirPlay and Bluetooth as well and use AirPlay to connect your iphone to sonos that is very fast and you don't have to use the sonos app anymore with AirPlay it works directly like bluetooth but with wifi quality wifi is qualitatively better than bluetooth keep that in mind wifi can stream more data at a higher speed than bluetooth and is more performant this allows you to stream lossless without loss of quality with wifi bluetooth uses codec to compress the audio files there are codecs without loss of quality with bluetooth such as LDAC and ApteX LL but there is almost no bluetooth speaker that supports these codecs and if you have an iphone you can only go up to codec AAC and you need a Fiio BT 11 transmitter that you connect with usb c on iphone 15 and higher to bypass this and still be able to have LDAC and ApteX LL harman kardon go play 3 is a good bluetooth speaker but it has no wifi and use codec SBC wat is worst codec but regardless this bad codec its still sounds very good I actually know almost no European brands of Bluetooth speakers just Blauwpunt and Teufels audio that sit Sonos, JBL, Harman Kardon, Bose, Marsall, Ultimate Ears are the best known brands and none are European brands but all USA Sony , Denon and Yamaha are also a well known brands but is Japanese not from Europe Almost all Bluetooth speaker brands are either American or Japanese but I don't know many from Europe Teufels and Blauwpunt are the only one I now but there are not many shops where you can buy them European speakers are mainly known for their passive speakers that are used for hifi and home cinema systems, especially the UK makes very good speakers such as KEF, B&W, Q Acoustics , Monitor Audio There are also a number of good French brands such as Focal , Triangle , Elipson and Germany also has good brands like Avantgarde Acoustic , Burmester , sennheiser , Teufel , Blauwpunt Yes I found one bluetooth speaker brand that is from EU Blauwpunt sennheisser is a brand well known for his headphones but it also has soundbars the Best high and speakers in EU en UK for hifi systems and home cinema systems are from UK , France and Germany and the UK will be the winner for making the best speakers for hifi and home cinema systems

Thank you! I've purchased and returned the EarFun speakers. They were great but similar to other speakers in my arsenal. Just received my HK and excited to take it for a test run.

The HK does but it's more luggable than grab and go. Still think tws is the way to go if you want good stereo separation. Takes me 30 seconds to turn on and set up.

You can often find it for $200. About once a year it goes down to $130.

Size matters. I have a variety of Bluetooth speakers and home audio equipment. I loved the sound of that EarFun UBoom X but it was too large for my purposes. That may not apply to you. I kept the Boom 2 because of the size and weight. Normally I'd want something heftier but was quite surprised of the profile considering how little it weighed. I kept the Harman Kardon Go+Play 3 because I'm not planning on moving it around a lot. Yes, it's similar in size to the UBoom X but it serves a different purpose. I also have a Soundcore x600. I like it for near field listening. Good luck and report back what worked for you.

Thanks for the feedback. The reason I kept the HK and returned the EarFun is virtual peer pressure. I'm starting to listen more to my HK and understand why people enjoy this speaker. However, if I want a fun sounding speaker, I pull out my Boom 2. I also have a stereo system with a dedicated subwoofer. There's just something about the convenience of listening to a Bluetooth speaker.

There are times I prefer using the boom 2 instead of the HK. This includes bringing it outside when itm doing chores. It's lighter and easier to move around than the HK.

This speaker is outstanding. The only potential issue is that the subwoofer driver on the bottom is exposed (i.e. doesn't sit behind a grill), so you need to be a bit careful.

Definitely would go with the harmon kardon go plus play 3

Harmon kardon go plus play 3 but the battery isn't great, bose soundlink max i heard is good and my mlove a200 has been fantastic

I have two G+P’s in TWS. Very impressive given the size of the drivers My audiophile older brother who has a 5 figure, true hi fi home system (tower speakers and multiple Velodyne subs, etc) was impressed with the clarity, bass and overall warmth of the HK’s. Vocals sound especially good. Best suited for pop, EDM, bass heavy music and anything with an emphasis on vocals Take the time to position the speakers like you would any hi fi speaker. Also, bass will get better as the sub breaks in. I didn’t use to believe in driver “break in” until I’d had them for about a month Have never had a glitch with the HK’s

Another very happy Go+Play 3 owner here. As mentioned, it has a beautiful warm, full bodied sound signature. Crystal clear vocals. Never harsh. Can listen to for hours without fatigue. And yes, the bass is pretty remarkable given the size of the drivers. As a previous post mentioned, it responds very well to 3rd party eq. Doesn’t need it as HK did a great job out of the box. But for me a slight bump up at 400Hz made the vocals even better by filling out the lower end

You can leave the G+P 3 plugged in at all times. I believe it runs directly off AC and bypasses the battery. I rarely unplug mine The build quality is very solid and I’m confident it will last a long time Haven’t listened to the other two speakers you mentioned so can’t help you with a comparison

Fair enough. I contacted HK customer support via text and received the following: “Thank you for waiting, the unit was designed to work even when plugged in or unplugged. Regarding your concern It will depends on the battery issue, If the battery no longer holding a charge it can still works when you plugged in the unit. If the battery depleted and no longer charging or turning on the unit will not work even when you plugged in the speaker.” “Yes, but if the unit is just drain fast or not holding a charge. The unit still works but the unit should be plugged in to work. This speaker is a battery operated so it will not work without the battery even you plugged in the speaker.” “No worries, there is NO harm in leaving your Harman portable product connected to electricity at all times.” “Once our device is fully charged, it will stop charging and discard any electrical current received.”

I agree with what you’re saying regarding healthy battery maintenance. That’s why I said I “rarely” (not “never”) unplug mine. Every so often I’ll unplug and run the batteries down to cycle them 🙂

I know how you feel. The more I compare the Go+Play 3 against the UBOOM X (which sounds good) the more I appreciate just how good the HK truly is. Glad you’re enjoying it 👍

As much as I love the Go+Play 3 it’s not a great choice for outdoor use UBOOM X works well for outdoors and indoors Soundcore Motion Boom Plus doesn’t sound as good as the UBOOM X but it’s emphasis on mid and upper bass and forward mids makes it a solid choice for outdoors IMO

Harman/Kardon Go+Play 3 has strong, tight, accurate bass. The mids and highs are nicely balanced with a beautiful tonal quality. Sounds great with all genres IMO. Can find refurbished ones on eBay for under $200. A great indoor speaker. Not sure if Best Buy sells them

Since you already have a Go+Play 3 you could try boosting its bass using a third party eq on top of the units built in bass boost. The HK has a lot of headroom and responds very well to additional eq’ing. I have two GP 3’s in TWS. Both are on bass eq 3. I’m using the Spotify eq to boost it even more. On bass heavy tracks it can cause things in the room to vibrate and rattle. Mids and highs remain crystal clear. Would be a bit too much for EDM though

Have to say harman kardon go+ play 3!! Absolutely savage bass for its size

Authentics 300 isn't as good as the hk go play 3 on sale though, it's obtainable below 350 for the play 3

Imo play 3 better

I started loving the luna more than before. My trick is using the samsung music dolby atmos function to enhance the treble which sometimes lacks on the luna to my ears. The go & play 3 is amazing, the battery life is a bit disappointing tho. I take the luna to work just to listen in the office. But when it comes to the go play 3 i love the bass, but i don't end up using it as much. Because sometimes i prefer something smaller indoors to take from a room to another. I use the soundlink max more, but the bass on the HK is another level.

Glad you showed a real proof of how the sony is🤣 Well, you will get more punch out of a JBL partybox encore, Partybox 120, even boombox 3 / 3 wifi, also Harman Kardon go + play 3.

maybe something in the JBL authentics series? the 200 or 300 should be within your budget. the harman/kardon go + play 3 would also be a great pick. you should probably look for speakers with AUX ports to try and ensure lower latency performance while watching videos. it's not a guarantee of good performance, but it can help.

ah you want wireless. okay i'd suggest something like the harman kardon onyx 8 or 9, or the go play 3. otherwise maybe the bose soundlink max? that's also very versatile as it works well outdoors if needed.

I can give enthusiastic thumbs ups for the Harmon Kardon Go + Play 3, B&O A1 (Gen. 2), and 1the UBoom X (as a pair) for being the low-budget high-quality-sound boombox style. I’ll say this, though, if I could only have one BT or AirPlay 2 (WiFi) speaker, I’d choose the HK GP3 over every other portable speaker I have…including my Brane X, which is insanely great. The GP3’s sound stage is wider, and more detailed in the mid-bass. The Brane X’s bass overall is deeper, though. I even love what others derisively call “hand purse” style on the HK. I think it looks super-classy. [A smorgasbord of speakers…partial group in my “office:”](https://imgur.com/a/qDnoTlE)

I’m not sure if the HK GP3 is a good fit for what you want/need, but I have one and the difference in sound from a Bose Max is night and day. I can easily recommend one, especially coming from a Sony ULT 1. But ultimately if you’re looking for a soundbar, save up for one. They’re a very different use case, with very different options. I have a Sonos Beam 2 with Sub Mini that sounds very good…

I have all three (pair of XG300s and Flex 2s), and just bought the Harman Kardon Go + Play 3. I'm astonished at how well the HK plays music...after futzing around with the EQ (I went with treble boost). The other two speakers simply can't compete with the HK for volume, clarity, and detail...not to mention superb bass. But the HK and Sony speakers are not lightweights. The HK is not designed to travel, and the XG300 is still a pretty big speaker. While the Flex 2s travels easily, it doesn't have the "oomph" of the much larger speakers. That will always be a tradeoff.

It's typically over $300. Buy it. You'll love its sound.

I have one in red, and have to say it is/was one of my favorite BT speakers back in the day. Terrific bass, very good detail, and a much louder sound than its size hints at. I live in mostly a WiFi/AirPlay 2 environment, with a mix of Apple/Apple TV, Sonos, Bose, B&W, B&O speakers and gears, and don't use BT speakers much except for travel. I also picked up an HK Go +Play 3 (stupid name) that I absolutely love, so I kept it. OP, wanna' buy mine? It's just collecting dust, and in perfect condition.

I own the brane x, it has outward firing mid range drivers and centered tweeters. It sounds pretty big for the size. The mids/highs definitely compliment the bass (the main attraction) and it has pretty good soundstage especially when listening closer but even just sitting on a counter a few feet away you can hear phantom l/r drivers. The hk has outward firing tweeters and it can sound wide. But I thing the brane x is better. Not to mention awesome sound quality

I know they’re not in the same league at all but I prefer sound quality over portability and I’m home 90% of the time. If I’m travelling to far places, my 16” M3 MacBook or 12.9” iPad Pro usually do the job pretty well so no need for small portable speaker. If I do feel like bringing a speaker to an out of town trip, I drive anyway so I wanted a bigger unit that won’t compromise on sound quality too much and can still deliver great audio over larger spaces. The Luna sounds great, I love it, but I just needed a little more ‘oomph’. I’ve since given the Luna to my mom. I’ve always had a thing for the sound signature of HK, not overly analytical nor too boomy—though, some might disagree with my last statement, that’s okay this is subjective after all. For me, it sounds mostly flat but good clarity, separation, vocals are a bit more forward, and a hint of VERY PLEASANT WARMTH that makes long hours of listening very enjoyable. I’ve only had this for a few hours, might write a review in the future for those who are still on the fence about purchasing this. What I’ve noticed so far: - More than enough volume for my needs, never going past 50% on my iPhone. - Amazing build quality for the price. - Great audio quality, as expected from HK, price/performance ratio will always be king. - Quite heavy to be honest. - Exposed subwoofer doesn’t inspire confidence, then again, I’ve always used all of my wireless speakers on flat surfaces. Other things to note: I’m very disappointed with the fact that HK didn’t even bother with APTX adaptive or LDAC with this unit. I have a Samsung Z Flip 5 which I use exclusively as a portable audio player paired with my Sony WH1000XM5–the difference in audio quality between AAC/SBC vs LDAC on Android is very apparent. (I use Apple Music, all songs in lossless format) On iOS, though, AAC sounds particularly good, but I wish a better bluetooth audio protocol was integrated into the product. Just a bit of a letdown for a “flagship” model from the HK house. Yet to try hooking it up to my MBP via 3.5mm cable, tomorrow I’ll give it a shot. Sorry for the long post, tried my best to be objective and helpful. :) (Also, I bought it for like $290, cheapest I could find here in the Middle East)

Definitely thumbs up. No regrets. Of course it’s a lot better than the luna. 🤣

No difference plugged/unplugged on the GP3, or none that I’ve noticed, the amplifier power delivery has been revamped in this new series versus the older ones. Sound quality is consistent regardless of power source, at least for me. Maybe at max volume there’s a difference but I have noticed nothing thus far. I will most likely use it plugged in 80% of the time.

I personally didn't like the sound of A5, for that much money i expected more but i have to admit that the design is really beautiful and nice. And for the sound i feel like my HK plays a lot nicer and fuller. That's all I can say, i don't own A5 and only tested it at the store (in listening room so no white noise). I don't know if the design of HK go play 3 will suit you however I highly recommend it, is sounds really nice (i have the older version and it already sounds awesome) and is a lot cheaper.

However, with its short battery life and lack of weather protection, the Go & Play 3 is only suitable for the garden and other outdoor uses to a limited extent.

Wait wait wait... "bass boost" ? So that's why mine sounds so flat! because even my onyx 4 has better bass than my go play 3. I just did some google fu and found the secret combination (because the manual doesn't talks about it), I will test it later.

Well, the bass response is really different, but I still need more testing, not fully satisfied... I'm not really seeing the 160w rms. I know its bad to compare it with my klipsch promedia 2.1 that has a proper woofer, but I feel like the Onyx 4 does an amazing job for it size and power. This woofer feels more for a movie experience, it just feels odd, its like the bass is spread/diffused through the room.

I tried in a couple of rooms. In one of them is funny that I can feel and hear the bass harder in a small closed space (where the sink in the bathroom is), even that the speaker is not in there.That was with the default settings.

I just mailed them a couple of days ago. They sent me the button combination to reset the speaker (I don't know why they don't put those instructions in the manual), but haven't tested them yet. By the way, do you know something about the "stand by mode" ? When I have the speaker through cable, it usually "sleeps" until some sound come through, 2 seconds after a "loud enough" sound is emitted, the speaker sounds. This does not happens when connected to my Switch or PS5 through a dac, but with the same dac connected to my PC (or different one) it will do that sleepy thing.

If you can get a HK go play 3 for that price, that is probably best home speaker for the price

If it's for a home speaker for around the house or maybe the back yard on a sunny day I recommend the harmon kardon go play 3, battery life is around 6 hours to 9 hours at normal listening levels, and it's probably the cheapest best sounding speaker in your price range while also saving you money. It's not a speaker that's travel friendly at all though, it has an exposed downward facing subwoofer, needs to be main charged, not waterproof and has a fabric type of cover. For a speaker for outside and inside the tribit stormbox blast is hard to beat for sound quality and price, it has a 30 hour battery life but is mains charged only. Another speaker that is good is earfun uboom x, it's a little lighter and smaller plus cheaper than the blast and takes usb fast charge. It doesnt sound quite as good as the blast but it's really close to as good and very eq able plus has carry strap making it more travel friendly

A year ago I got the *Harmon Kardon Go + Play 3* for $130 on the HK website itself. Wild.

Brane x is the only thing out there that can play low enough to handle riddm/dubstep/freeform bass music and be moved around by a "dainty person" full stop. Modern bass music can dip below 30hz and the brane x is the only speaker that is equipped to do it justice thats less than like 3ft tall. My harmon kardon go play 3 does a decent job as well and is easier to find locally. Same with the jbl partybox encore. But the brane x plays a full half octave lower. Note that the battery life of the brane x (and most bt speakers) at full volume isn't going to be that long. You can solve this with a portable power box if you have the space. I use a Milwaukee top up inverter and milwaukee power tool batteries to extend the battery of the go play 3 all day at any volume. Best of luck Edit: just to keep expectations in check, no bluetooth speaker is going to give you full body vibrations or whatever, you might feel a little thump in your chest indoors. Ive heard a partybox ultimate at full tits and its a fart in the wind compared to what you might be hoping for.. but the brane x will play all the notes in the music and sound satisfying.

Harmon kardon go+play 3 if you can find it for a good price and it'll look right at home in a work setting

Dude, go play 3 bypasses the battery if you're using a power cord. Also the battery can be replaced easily. I also have go play 2 and changed the battery by myself in 30 mins. There is no portable bt speaker in the market rn which is better than go play 3.

When I unplugged the battery from Go Play 2 while changing I plugged the power cord in and it works without battery. How about that? I don't think you can find a "documentation" about this feature

The battery costs about $20 and you need a basic screwdriver and 30 mins of your time. But yeah, I agreed that for the 99,99% of users this will be absolutely impossible to do, cuz they're lazy af

Not comparable. Flex is among the best for the size but it's a small speaker. Harman is offering good detail is sure better than the flex and if I m not wrong x6 the weight. Don't know about xg300.

Yeah, both the HK Go+Play and Onyx Studio series would blow away the Max. They are my go-to speakers when I want the music to really shine through. Incredibly deep bass and crystal clear mids and highs. None of my other 5 portable Bluetooth speakers come close. Edit - Just saw someone post the HK Go+Play 3 is selling on ebay for $132 right now. At that price, it's a no brainer.

Keep in mind bigger isn't necessarily always louder or better. Before you buy some big ass rolling suitcase speaker, take a look at something like the Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 5 or HK Go+Play speakers. I own both and have used them outdoors at the beach, pool, camping, several parties, and even a few times to DJ small get-togethers. They get super loud quality sound and have the most insane bass coming out of them when you sit it next to a wall that can help project the sound outwards. Battery life is also pretty killer on them. They are heavy and feel like quality. I sold my JBL Extreme and Bumpboxx because the quality of sound they would output at high volumes were trash. Yes, they got loud, but it was hollow sounding distorted music. The HK series sound so good and full in comparison.

The Harmon Kardon Studio and Go play speakers have a fat low end and go on sale for much less than the Brane. Good "indoor" speaker but not as tough as JBL/Soundcore/Bose designs.