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Harman

Harman Kardon HKTS 20BQ review: Stylish surround speakers for less than $500

Harman Kardon has a reputation for exceedingly stylish design, and the HKTS 20BQ 5.1 speaker system is no exception. Aesthetics are subjective, but the Harman Kardon is easily among the best at this price range, along with the Energy Take Classic 5.1 and Boston Acoustics SoundWare XS 5.1 systems. The Harman offers particularly detailed sound quality and we appreciate that Harman includes handy swivel wall-mounts, a step-up over some other packages.

However, as much as we like the Harman Kardon HKTS 20BQ, we'd still recommend most buyers go for the Energy Take Classic 5 instead, as it sounds just a little better and generally is a little cheaper, too. (And Pioneer's SP-PK21BS sounds significantly better, although it's a much larger system.) But if you're a fan of Harman's style, the HKTS 20BQ is a very solid value if you can find it for less than $500.

Read the full review of the Harman Kardon HKTS 20BQ

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Harman intros four new 2011 AV receivers

Most of the major AV receiver manufacturers have already announced and released their new 2011 line, but Harman Kardon is playing catch-up and rolled our four new midrange AV receivers yesterday. All of the details are already available on Harman's website (including excellent owner's manuals for each model) and we've broken down the most important features throughout the line.

Harman Kardon AVR 1565

Key features of the Harman Kardon AVR 1565:

5.1 AV receiver, 50 watts per channel Three HDMI 1.4a inputs 3D video pass-through and audio return channel Front panel USB port (for firmware updates only) Three digital audio inputs (two optical, one coaxial) Basic text on-screen display Logic 7 audio processing $400 list price; available now

Harman Kardon AVR 1650

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Harman Kardon brings music to kitchen cabinets

Fancy kitchens may be regarded as the domain of the culinary inclined, but that isn't stopping Harman Kardon from attempting to make them a haven for audiophiles as well.

In what could be the first high-end audio system built into kitchen cabinets, the Harman Kardon MaestroKitchen 100 boasts iOS device connectivity and no messy wiring--except for that one cable that connects your iPhone or iPod.

When we say the speakers are built in, we aren't kidding (refer to image below). The main drivers are embedded within cabinet doors, while the subwoofer unit is perfectly concealed behind the skirting boards at the base. A glass control panel with the Harmon Kardon brand subtly emblazoned has a small color LCD screen so users can see what's playing. … Read more

Harman gets into the sound-bar biz with SB 16

Harman Kardon is best known for its stylish, component-style AV receivers, but the company is expanding its lineup to include a sound bar. The newly announced SB 16 is available now, and will join the crowded market of sound-bar home theater systems, with its $600 price pushing past the standard price of a system like this.

From Harman Kardon's product page, we're not seeing anything that would distinguish the SB 16 from its many competitors. It's a 2.1 channel system with a wireless subwoofer and it includes "3D" virtual surround processing, which is included … Read more

Aha Radio app checks traffic, plays music, reads twitter

Smartphones offer many useful apps for drivers, but these very same apps can be a distraction. Harman steps in with an app designed to make smartphone functions safer to use in the car. The free Aha Radio app, which is limited to the iPhone, monitors traffic, Twitter, Facebook, and plays podcasts.

Design

One key element of the Aha Radio app to make it driver-friendly are the large buttons for each function. Although the user can add podcasts, Aha stations, and Twitter feeds to the app, it only allows four buttons per screen. Moving from screen to screen requires a sideways … Read more

Harman demonstrates next-gen navigation

At the 2011 Detroit auto show, Harman International, supplier of infotainment systems for brands such as BMW, showed off a new navigational concept that uses the windshield for route guidance. The demonstration was shown on a small LCD that also portrayed a new rotational menu interface.

In the short video above, at 14 seconds and again at 28 seconds, you can see what the view out of the windshield would look like in a car equipped with this navigation system. At the very top of the windshield, a translucent line stretches out along the road. When the navigation system wants … Read more

Study: Japan firms are best in infotainment

TOKYO--Japanese suppliers of information and entertainment systems score highest in quality, says a recent study by J.D. Power and Associates.

These systems, including satellite radio and navigation devices, are increasingly must-have features in vehicles. About 66 percent of drivers now have satellite radio, up from 59 percent in 2009. Factory-installed navigation systems are in 30 percent of vehicles, up from 25 percent.

The findings, from J.D. Power's 2010 U.S. Multimedia Quality and Satisfaction Study, underscore the rapid penetration of such infotainment technology into the U.S. market.

High-tech onboard entertainment and navigation systems got an early … Read more

Possible fix for Harman Kardon iSub problems with PowerPC Macs

When Apple released some of the final updates to OS X 10.5 for PowerPC systems, a number of Harman Kardon iSub owners found their speaker systems no longer worked properly with their computers. The problem appeared to be a driver-related error but neither Harman Kardon nor Apple stepped up to fix the issue and owners had to resort to other speaker systems.

Recently, an open-source project "iSub Fix" has become available, which is a small driver replacement for PowerPC-based Macs running OS X 10.5.8, which should get the iSub working again. The package comes with … Read more

Audi 2010 A8 sedans get mobile hot spot

Don't even think of surfing the Net while you're driving, but... the 2010 Audi A8 will be what is believed to be the first vehicle to feature a factory-installed mobile hot spot, Marvell and Harman announced Monday.

The companies have come together to bring a built-in WLAN module to the car that enables high-speed online and Internet access via cellular link or Bluetooth. The 802.11 (WPA2) hot spot will support up to eight devices, including smartphones, digicams, laptops, tablets, and portable gaming devices.

"I believe today's consumers want the convenience of seamless connectivity and live … Read more