Harman Kardon Aura Studio 3 vs Marshall Woburn 2 Which Is a Better Choice?

There are many Bluetooth speakers on the market, but few come close to Marshall Woburn II’s rich audio fidelity and classic design or Harman Kardon Aura Studio 3’s visually stunning appeal and natural 360 sound. So, it’s no surprise when people get confused about which of these Bluetooth speakers sounds better and which of them to purchase. If you are an audiophile, you probably want a speaker that easily fills a room, with nicer treble, crystal clear clarity at high volumes, and killer bass. And even if you aren’t, you still need a speaker good enough for any occasion and do not want to make a mistake on a purchase.

Luckily you won’t. Here, we are going to compare two of the most popular Bluetooth speakers; Harman Kardon Aura Studio 3 to Marshall Woburn II to determine which is a better choice. We will cover their features, sound quality, price, value for money, and specifics like preference, style, and design based on several factors. Let’s dive right in.

Speaker Features

At first glance, you may think the Harman Kardon Aura Studio 3 is a pretty domed alien spaceship, but it’s a peculiar home speaker packing some elite status features.

It comes equipped with a 4.5-inch down-firing 100-watt subwoofer, six 5-watt speakers hidden inside the mesh grill surrounding the base of the speaker, ambient lighting with a domed-shaped enclosure.

Touch-sensitive buttons around the middle strip of the speakers, Bluetooth 4.2, 3.5 mm input, and the power slot. It also has DSP technology, making it less prone to sound quality degradation over time.

Compared to Harman Kardon Aura Studio 3, the Marshall Woburn II retains its classic Marshall design style. It uses a wooden enclosure wrapped in soft leather and has a textured vinyl grill covered with the Marshall Logo emblazoned in style at the center.

The metal plate at the top of the speaker features Tactile buttons for source and Bluetooth, with volume, bass, and treble control knobs.

It features Bluetooth 5.0, DSP technology, a 3.5 mm input, an RCA input, two 1-inch dome tweeters, and two 5.25-inch Subwoofers powered by 110 watts of power, Multi-host Bluetooth functionality, and it can be wirelessly controlled with the Marshall App.

The Marshall Woburn simply wipes the flow in this category.

Sound Quality

As you probably expect, these two Bluetooth speakers are high-quality sounding speakers, although there are fine distinctions.

The sound quality of Harman Kardon Aura Studio 3 is crystal clear even at loud volumes. It produces deep and tight bass, clears the mid ranges easily, and has a well-balanced treble.

It’s simply decent for music and has a wide coverage like a natural sound stage, thanks to the 360-speaker design. The speaker is also loud enough to fill a room at mid-volume and anything above can be used for a small party.

It is also widely consistent from all angles. Although at max the bass has some little distortion and it has trouble reproducing low bass. Plus, there is no way to adjust the sound if you don’t have an equalizer.

Considering bass, the Marshall Woburn II is unreal when it comes to reproducing bass. At max volume, it is enough to shake a room even though it distorts a little when cranked to maximum volume.

It has a warm, punchy sound and the clarity is unmatched. You will pick up musical notes, strings, and bits of instruments you have never noticed before, and you can always customize tracks with the physical bass and treble knobs or with the Marshall App.

In terms of volume, this can easily fill up an entire loft space, serve as a single unit for a mid-sized to a large party and produce robust sound with its dual subwoofers.

The Woburn II has a greater sound quality. It wipes the floor with deeper bass and provides a much more thrilling listening experience.

Pricing And Value for Money

This is where things get a little bit trickier.

The retail price of the Marshall Woburn II is currently $649 on the manufacturer’s website, which is more than twice the price of the Harman Kardon Aura Studio 3 at $299.

The Harman Kardon Aura Studio 3 offers a ton of value at that price point. It’s a great-sounding home Bluetooth speaker. It will fit in nicely with any modern home decor and at that price of the Woburn, you can get two of these–which will most likely increase the range and sound quality if you use them as dual surround speakers.

We would also say that the Woburn II is also totally worth the price if you choose to go for it. While it’s a fairly expensive home Bluetooth speaker, it is not without its merits. It has great build quality, premium looks and feels, extensive connectivity options, and unreal sound quality.

It’s that good. We can’t pick any negatives except maybe the slight distortion on some bass-heavy tracks at max volumes. This is rarely an event as you will most likely never use it at max volume for extended periods.

If you want a Bluetooth speaker that is powerful enough to fill a large room and still delivers robust sound with room for customization and more connectivity options, then the Woburn II is the better choice.

However, if you are on a budget not quite as high as the cost for the Marshall Woburn II, but you still need a home Bluetooth speaker that packs a serious punch in your living room, then the Harman Kardon Aura Studio 3 will be the better choice.

As you would expect, the Harman Kardon Aura Studio 3 offers better value for money overall. When the Woburn II launched, it was priced at $499 but is now listed at $649 on the manufacturer’s page, which is a tad higher.

We believe it offered a lot of value at the initial price, but it’s now overpriced, all things considered. $500 to $550 seems to be the right amount to pay for it.

Style and Preference

This is a category that offers no point to the winner as it’s more specific to users. However, it is a huge buying consideration for people with hardcore preferences.

That aside, we can’t wait to say how much we love the Harman Kardon Aura Studio 3 design. It is a unique take on speaker aesthetics, and can easily be one of the speaker’s best-selling points.

It boasts a sleek dome-shaped enclosure that houses the ripple-like speaker grill and a mesh-like covering for the base. The ambient light shines through the grills, making it look more organic and lifelike with pulsating tunes and patterns.

It’s a bold and beautiful take like its predecessor, the Aura Studio 2, and will even please those with the most hardcore swagger.

While the Marshall Woburn II is no slouch in the design and style department its design is not as daring as Harman Kardon Aura Studio 3’s visually stunning design.

It takes the look of a classic Marshall guitar amplifier in style, size, and weight, with its analog controls, and soft leather/wooden enclosure.

Its updated front-facing grille, brushed aluminum, and gold accents make it a big and beautiful speaker that will look just at home in a stage speaker hall of fame.

The Verdict

It’s time to give our honest verdict. We have looked at each speaker’s features, appraised their sound quality, evaluated the pricing and value for money.

The Marshall Woburn II is the better choice.

It is better made in terms of quality and functionality. It has more connectivity options, comes with physical adjustable sound controls, and can also be controlled wirelessly with the Marshall App.

It is loud, punchy, and clear and can be used for any occasion as it produces near concert level sound.

Yes, it is a bit more priced than the Harman Kardon Aura Studio 3, but in this showdown, quality and functionality are kings.

In closing

While the Marshall Woburn II is the better choice. You can’t go too wrong with the Harman Kardon Aura Studio 3 either. Especially if you are making your decision on a budget or you prefer the visually stunning design of the Aura Studio 3.

Even though the Woburn II may be more expensive, it more than makes up for it. It’s a fantastic all-in-one home Bluetooth Speaker, that remains one of the best Bluetooth speakers in today’s market.

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