Good and cheap alternative for ONYX

I just got a while busy with speakers of this type and a worthy successor to my old Logitech mm50 (used with an older iPod clickwheel) wanted ... What was not so easy, as I discovered. I have countless reviews and customer reviews (many of which are really useless) and read various localities visited by one or other device even really listening. The first speaker, who had really excited me was the Go + Play from Harman / Kardon. But unfortunately I had my own specifications and the device does not have a built-in battery. I quickly came again and again to the somewhat more expensive option, and that the ONYX, which was to me personally but a bit overpriced (with a price of nearly 500). But also I came again and again on this device, namely the ONYX Studio. I researched a bit to find "Studio Onyx" out to learn more about the model. I also joined directly to Harman / Kardon in contact which also responded to me very quickly and my previous findings confirmed.

To get to the point ...
In this model, "Onyx Studio" is actually a stripped down version of the "Onyx", which is originally or not thought up to that point for the German market. Primarily the equipment is sold in the United States. There, however, does not have the usual harman / kardon distribution channels, but primarily through shops that also offer mobile phones.

Optical contrast to Onyx:
- Rear body cover not leather (I could personally live with ...)
- Instead of the round bent stainless steel tube, which acts as a stand, two feet (I was now not so bad)

Technical contrast to Onyx:
- No AirPlay (I would have liked, but I am not worth more than twice as high price)
- Also no DLNA, NFC and WiFi, just very primitive Bluetooth (Bluetooth 3.0 A2DP AVRCP v1.3 v1.5) (you can not have everything ...)
- No 3.5 mm auxiliary input
- No USB port in the sense ... So to load an example, mobile phone, or to transfer audio signals. (Probably a USB port on the back in place, but it is believe to a mini-USB port and lt. H / k should this be only for maintenance purposes. But here I have already opposites read and myself will examine at times times and test what is possible with it.)

As for the speakers, the speaker technology and the speaker cabinet itself, and the installed battery (except the mentioned features just) ... the units are completely identical. Does this mean that if your audio source has a corresponding quality, there is no difference in sound to the model for just 500. As for the issue of Bluetooth, you have to consider in principle that not all Bluetooth connections are to be lumped together. According specifying the unit "Bluetooth 3.0 A2DP AVRCP v1.3 v1.5" has. If, for example, in Wikipedia again searches for the terms "A2DP" and / or "AVRCP", one quickly learns that a potential loss in the quality of the audio signal is likely to not play in the audible range.
Personally, I've been listening to some speakers, all using the same audio source (iPhone 5 via Bluetooth) and say the same songs and needs ... I am really happy.

(The information gathered I did not invent, but were me and phone also confirmed to be in writing made by harman / kardon personally.)