Audio giant Harmon Kardon showed us its range of new audio products aimed at Mac and iPod users at the IFA show in Berlin.
Possibly the most striking product on display was its new GLA-55 desktop speaker system. This is a high-end set of desktop speakers set into a chiseled see-through plastic stand.
The GLA-55’s (the name is a pun on glass, incidentally) aren’t designed to be a case of style over substance. Harman Kardon is aiming to woo audio professionals and audiophiles looking for something stylish to have on their desktop. The product contains a 100-watt bi-amplified digital amplifier in the base of the unit, coupled with DSP (digital signal processing) equalization.
Harman Kardon's new GLA-55 speaker system
Richard Metcalfe, international brand director for Harmon Consumer said: “our goal was to create a system that truly brought high-performance audio to the computer, but also had stunning visual appeal”.
Mark Hockey, Harman Kardon’s PR manager told us: “it’s a new product category for us that’s redefining home desktop audio. When they appear in the Apple stores and specialist retail stores, people will immediately see them, then they’ll want to touch and listen to them. They are a very individual product with strong visual appeal”.
All this comes at a cost though, and the GLA-55s will retail for approximately 500 in the UK.
Other products on display included a new iPod speaker system and integrated CD player / FM tuner called the MS-100. The unit has a high-gloss black finish and chiseled display with a slightly retro feel thanks to its green glow.
Although a busy stand isn’t the best place to test the audio quality, we can confirm that the MS-100 certainly is a powerful audio system with good audio quality. According to Harman Kardon’s press release the system sports: “a two-way stereo speaker system with premium-quality 5-inch high-excursion woofers, dome tweeters and built-in amplification, for clear, richly detailed and expansive sound.“
The MS 100 is also expected to retail for 500 when it arrives in the UK.
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