Harman Kardon - Go + Play 3

The four I own are the Bose soundlink mini. Great sound for the size and take anywhere. The Harmon Kardon go+play 2. Really punchy sound and good separation. The Harmon Kardon go+play 3. More bass than "2" and a much smoother midrange. Can get plenty loud. The Vifa Oslo. Fantastic midrange and clarity. Probably my favorite all around that I own.

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

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.

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.

did you try HK go play 2 or 3? I own 2 for 7 years and am so satisfied that i've ordered go play 3 today and will pick it up tomorrow. This is the speaker that enables the user to enjoy music outdoors .

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

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.

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

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

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

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

To me between those, i would choose either the boombox 3 for outdoor use or HK Go play 3 for indoor use. Both are bass heavy speakers, overall sound Quality for me is HK, but if you need portability go with bb3

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.

Depending on how portable you want it to be….For $500 wait for Go+Play 3 to drop to $250 (it frequently does) and buy two for TWS pairing. Makes for an amazing INDOOR listening experience competing with entry level Hi Fi systems. I use the hidden eq modes AND a third party eq to very slightly bring up the mid bass and lower vocal range. I keep mine in treble reduction (mode 1) but sometimes use the eq to boost at 15K herz. It gives it detail and sparkle without sounding harsh and tinny. Optimize speaker position in the room just like you would with any pair of stereo speakers. It’s bass heavy for sure but it’s clean, tight bass. Vocals sound beautiful. Highs are crisp and detailed but never harsh with my setup. Beware if you live in apartments, lol Not ideal for OUTDOOR use though

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 🙂

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.

I'd go for the jbl partybox encore. Great sound and the most bass capable speaker of this size. Fot more home use, i'd go for the harman kardon go play 3.

Sonos Moves are rugged, outdoor centric bass heavy speakers, not really well suited for indoors. They don't sound bad, especially not the move 2, but they are far from the best sound quality you can get for that price. They are good for camping and bbq sessions i guess. If you really can spend the money, look at some Vifa speakers. I recommend the Oslo. It's not new, so it doesnt have bluetooth 5 and all the bells and whistles, but the sound quality is top. Also, people seem to like their b&o beolit 20-s and a5-s, but both sound muffled compared to the Vifa in many tests online. They can be great though, and the app support and connectivity is superb. The harman kardon go+ play 3 is also well liked for its great bass extension and relatively(!) clear sound so its overall performance. Also the soundcore motion x600 could be good for you. Its a relatively controversial speaker because it claims to have some sort of 360 degree spatial audio nonsense while all it does is play sound upward while still being just 2.0. Many say that it's pretty convincing though. I can't think of more high-end speakers. This is a very niche segment in bt portable speakers.

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'm very happy with my Harmon Kardon Go Play 3. I had a v2, bought 2 of them, and grabbed the 3 when it came out. Will have no issues at all filling a room, and nice clarity throughout.

Depending on your needs, I love the HK Go Play 3. I have 2 of them. Good, crisp, clean sound with deep reaching bass, but doesn't get muddy imo. The battery isn't great, but it will work in a pinch. However, I love the sound enough that it's a good trade off for me.

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.

Wait for black friday, maybe you can get x2 go play 3 for that amount of money, amazing speaker

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

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