New Harman Kardon launches mark 70th anniversary
Trio of new audio models are a blast from the past
Harman/Kardon was established in New York back in 1953 – and in the seven decades since, it’s gone from strength to audio strength. So to celebrate 70 years in business, the company is launching three new Bluetooth speakers at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.
It’s become fashionable to dip into the back catalogue when developing an anniversary product, and Harman/Kardon is no different. Its Jonny Ive-designed SoundSticks have been part of the permanent collection in New York’s Museum of Modern Art, after all – so the new Aura Studio 4 Bluetooth speaker references that product quite strongly.
A downward-firing 132mm bass driver works in conjunction with a six-driver array in an effort to create a spacious, precise sound. The transparent cabinet affords a view of 324 individual crystals at its base – these illuminate in a number of different colours in order to offer a visual complement to the speaker’s audio output.
The Go + Play 3 Bluetooth speaker is another recognisably Harman/Kardon design – it’s an evolution of the company’s almost semi-circular range of portable speakers. This time out, the speaker features three-way stereo drivers including an exposed, down-firing bass driver – it will play for up to eight hours before its battery requires recharging.
It has automatic calibration on board (so should sound its best no matter where you position it) and it’s constructed from a combination of aluminium and textile with touch-controls as part of its tempered glass top panel. Two Go + Play 3 can form a stereo pair if you’re after the biggest sound around.
The Luna portable Bluetooth speaker is the smallest of the three products, but it’s got a pretty big specification. 12 hours of battery life, an IP67 rating against moisture and dust, a two-way driver set-up and the ability to pair a couple together for true stereo sound are among the highlights, and the fabric-and-aluminium construction (available in grey or black) means it should really be as touchy-feely as it is portable.
All three of these Bluetooth speakers are on sale from September 15th. Aura Studio 4 is expected to sell for €329, while Go + Play 3 should cost €349 and Luna will be €179. More details are available at harmankardon.co.uk
Simon Lucas
Contributor 
