For a consumer audio brand, trying to stand out in the ever-crowded portable Bluetooth speaker market must be as gruelling as it is for a rookie influencer to gain flocks of TikTok followers in the fashion and beauty space.
After all, it’s a lucrative pie that every speaker manufacturer, new and old, seemingly wants a slice of. Harman Kardon has been munching on it for longer than most, and yet it clearly feels it still needs to offer something extra to attract the attention of music lovers.
Build & design
Experts in etymology may well guess that, for the Luna 2 Bluetooth speaker, that ‘extra something’ relates to the Latin root of ‘Luna’ – ‘to shine’. Specifically, this Harman Kardon model offers a light show alongside an audio one, via an ambient light ring at its base.
Harman Kardon Luna 2 tech specs
Power 40W
Battery Up to 12 hours
Features Auracast, Ambient Light, stereo pairing, IP67
Bluetooth 5.4
Connections USB-C (charging)
App? Yes (Harman Kardon One)
Dimensions (hwd) 8.4 x 21.6 x 8.1cm
Weight 740g
Finishes x 3 (Classic Black, Warm Sand, Ice Mint)
We’ve previously encountered such approaches to catch the eye, primarily through speakers with bold, multicoloured ‘party’ lights that can turn living rooms into miniature discotheques. But Harman Kardon’s is a classier affair.
Rather than streams of garishly bright light pumping out of LEDs with the intensity of a ‘cocktail bar’ neon sign, the Luna 2’s ring light serves as a subtler, elegant enhancement to its already aesthetically pleasing design. It moves in accordance with the music and also visualises volume adjustments, though the effect is rather muted in bright daylight, and you can turn it off altogether if you prefer.
Even with the light ring deactivated, the pill-shaped, pencil case-sized Luna 2 is one of the more stylish speakers in its category, available in Classic Black, Warm Sand or, as pictured, a cool Ice Mint.
Thoughtful design elements include shiny accents around the anodised aluminium grille; a sloped, grippy rubber enclosure that keeps the profile compact and makes it easy to hold. The positioning of the USB-C charging socket on the side of the speaker, as opposed to the customary rear placement, makes it easy to plug in a cable if your speaker is placed near a back wall.
A USB-C cable isn’t supplied with the Luna 2 – an eco-conscious decision by Harman Kardon – but you’ll likely have one in your household already.
Despite not appearing as rugged as some portable speakers, like those from JBL and Bose, its IP67 dust/water-resistance rating means it can weather the elements – reassuring if your Sunday afternoon picnic or weekend camping trip turns soggy. Uncharacteristically, the British weather behaved itself during our testing period, but the speaker did survive us briefly running it under the tap.
Features
Completing the design are six soft-press buttons for power, Bluetooth pairing (two devices can connect simultaneously), volume up/down, light on/off, and Auracast.
Auracast is an increasingly prevalent feature of wireless speakers nowadays, allowing compatible speakers to synchronise their playback. You can even sync the Luna 2’s lighting with that of multiple light-enhanced Auracast-enabled speakers, though we didn’t have another to hand to test this feature.
AirTouch is the name Harman Kardon has given to its stereo pairing functionality, where two Luna 2s will automatically configure for true stereo sound when moved within close proximity of each other.
This can also be managed in the Harman Kardon One app, where you can also change the speed, colour theme and brightness of the light ring; select one of four audio EQ modes (the default Signature Sound is the clear winner) or create your own; and see battery status.
The claimed 12-hour battery life holds up well in real-world use, with five straight hours of playback on mid-to-high volume draining the battery by just less than 40 per cent. That spec is rather miserly in today’s market, though; the JBL Charge 6 offers double that playtime from a single charge.
Sound
That What Hi-Fi? Award winner from JBL is the Luna 2’s natural rival, and performance-wise sets a high bar for portable Bluetooth speakers under £200.
The Luna 2 makes a solid first impression as we get our testing underway with Chappell Roan’s Pink Pony Club, which plays to the Luna 2’s biggest talent – midrange insight.
Roan’s strong pop soprano is faithfully delivered, well projected, and soars through the soundstage with plenty of space around it. It isn’t every day we come across such an expressive and articulate vocal delivery from a speaker of the Luna 2’s size and price.
There’s weight and dynamic variation to the piano underneath, and a sense of musical flow as the keys act as the track’s melodic backbone. And thanks to a well-tuned 62mm x 82mm woofer and passive radiator, which sit beside a 20mm tweeter, the Luna 2 produces a tight, prominent bass that allows the synth beat to make itself duly known.
That the open, spacious soundstage has clear instrument separation and precise imaging helps the presentation sound more lucid than most at this level, too.
Unfortunately, the Luna 2 conforms to its name where higher frequencies are concerned. Its treble is a little bright and edgy, even after tens of hours of use.
We play Wet Leg’s catch these fists, and while the intense shimmering cymbals aren’t really a fair fight for any budget Bluetooth speaker, they are more listenable through the Charge 6, which offers greater treble subtlety and refinement.
The JBL rival is bigger sounding and fuller in the bass, too, but what makes it the more enticing speaker is its greater dynamic punch and rhythmic cohesion. The Harman Kardon isn’t flat or ponderous sounding by any means, it just doesn’t pin down a rhythm with the adept timing and effortless flow of the benchmark-setting Charge 6.
Verdict
Harman Kardon’s latest effort may not shine above the best-in-class competition, then. But the Luna 2 does produce one of the most articulate and vocally impressive performers this sort of money can buy, and does so from a portable design that isn’t just necessarily practical but also promises to soundtrack your al fresco adventures in elegant style.
Review published: 13th August 2026
SCORES
- Sound 4
- Features 4
- Build 5
MORE:
Read our review of the JBL Charge 6
Also consider the JBL FLip 7
