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CES 2012: Harman Launches Smart Speaker Technology

CES 2012: Harman Launches Smart Speaker Technology

January 12, 2012
Choosing the right sound system for one’s home can be complicated and unnerving. Will the sound be loud enough for an oversized living room? Will there be too much power for a small apartment? Consumers can stop worrying now that Harman has introduced the Kardon BDS x70 series of home theater systems which recognize the size of a room and adjust accordingly. The highly styled, yet compact home theater systems can automatically sense the size of a room and calibrate acoustics for optimal surround-sound performance. The feature rich audio systems each include a multifunctional receiver that plays DVDs, Blu-ray discs and 3D movies, as well as an FM tuner.

There are two different home theater systems to choose from. The BDS 770 includes the 570 receiver, four satellite speakers, a center-channel speaker and a powered subwoofer to fully integrate a powerful sound to the home theater experience. The BDS 570 receiver offers the three types of disc playback mentioned above, plus BD Live interactivity, an FM tuner, multiple HDMI inputs, a front panel USB port and Harman’s Bridge IIIP connectivity for iPad and iPhone. The BDS 370 system includes the 270 receiver, two speakers and a powered subwoofer for those that need a slightly less dynamic experience, but still want quality sound. The BDS 270 receiver offers the three types of disc playback mentioned above, BD Live interactivity, an FM tuner, multiple HDMI inputs, a front panel USB port and Harman’s Bridge IIIP connectivity for iPad and iPhone. The BDS 370 system is priced at $899 and the BDS 770 system at $1,099. They both can be purchased from the company’s website. There is no information as to when the systems will be available for sale.

Harman also launched their lightweight JBL On Tour iBT Bluetooth speakers so you can have great sound while playing movies, games, music, or even having a video chat from your iPhone/iPod touch or iPad. The portable speaker weighs just one pound and is small enough to slip into a backpack for convenient mobility. It comes with a tabletop stand allowing the use of an iPad in landscape mode to really show off the portable home theater design. The JBL On Tour iBT produces high-quality sound featuring Odyssey transducers with computer optimized digital signal processing. It comes with a built-in microphone to allow mobile devices to be used as a speakerphone for great sounding conference calls. It runs on four AA batteries or wall outlet power with the included AC adapter, which will charge an iPhone/iPod touch or iPad. Harman’s newest portable speakers are selling today from the company’s website for $149 with free shipping.

Harman also has an attractive portable speaker called the JBL OnBeat Air, which connects to your Apple device using AirPlay technology. This speaker system features digital sound processing equalization with dual Phoenix transducers to maximize sound quality in any room. Weighing in at just under two pounds, the OnBeat Air doubles as a display for your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch. It costs $249 and is available now from the company's website.

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