Harman Kardon vs. Bose: Which is a better choice?

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Both Harman Kardon and Bose are highly respected audio manufacturers, but which one is better?

Harman Kardon and Bose are two leading brands in audio equipment for music, movies, TV shows, or games with a speaker system. In addition, both these manufacturers have had success over their long history of producing noise-canceling headphones, speakers, and other products such as automotive sound systems.

In this article, we’re going to find out which company excels at certain things. We’ve done our research, and now it’s time for us to present some of the key points that will help you decide between Harman Kardon vs. Bose.

Let’s get started!

Bose overview

Bose is a famous audio company that produces high-quality speakers with well-balanced sound, bass, and treble. The name has been around for decades. They provide quality electronics at competitive prices to consumers worldwide.

Bose products are durable and long-lasting. When selecting an entertainment system or home theater, most people rely on the consistency of this legendary brand in good sound quality and durability.

Bose is well known because:

They manufacture a wide range of headphones, soundbars, speakers, professional audio equipment, and automobile audio systems designed to provide the best possible listening experience.
Their products use psychoacoustic principles so that the audio projection sounds better to people.
Their headphones are engineered with world-class noise cancellation and a premium sound experience that lets you enjoy your music without being interrupted by outside noise.
Bose has a high reputation in terms of product durability.

Harman Kardon overview

Harman Kardon is a company that specializes in audio equipment. They are known for their high-quality speakers and headphones. Harman Kardon has been producing audio products since the 1950s when they released their first speaker system.

Their goal is to provide an excellent design with excellent sound quality at a reasonable price point without adding unnecessary features. The company manufactures mid to high-budget products so they can reach the audience with different budgets.

So, whether you want something small for your desk at work or an entire surround sound system for your home theater, there’s something perfect for you from Harman Kardon.

Popular brands – JBL, AKG, and Infinity are all owned by Harman Kardon.

Harman Kardon is well known because:

They have been producing home audio products for decades, from headphones and wireless speakers to soundbars for domestic and professional use.
They’ve developed a reputation for designing high-quality products that are so aesthetically pleasing they complement any interior design style or décor.
They always produce clean, clear sounds with balanced bass and treble, which satisfies audiences every time.

Let’s dive deep into some detailed head-to-head comparisons between the brands:

Price

Some of the factors that affect audio device prices are functionality, compatibility, drivers used, and technology. Additionally, the material they’re made from can also play a big factor in determining price.

Both Harman Kardon and Bose have a wide range of audio systems at varying prices. However, if we consider products with similar features, those made by Bose tend to be more pricy.

Harman Kardon

The Harman Kardon speakers usually cost between $100-350. However, additional and latest features may add additional costs to them. For example, speakers with the latest technologies cost between $450-600. On the other hand, the Harman Kardon headphones cost between $200-300.

Bose

The Bose speakers usually cost between $150-350. However, with the latest technologies added to them, the speakers may cost between $500-600. Their headphones usually cost from $250 to $350.

If saving money is essential to you, then we recommend going with Harman Kardon because they offer more affordable options than Bose does in this category. On the other hand, if the price doesn’t matter as much, we recommend getting something from Bose because their products are of higher quality overall and will last longer than those offered by Harman Kardon.

Harman Kardon offers cheaper products with simlar features, but they lack the sophistication of Bose.

Material & Durability

Harman Kardon

Harman Kardon speakers are made with plastic, but the grilles themselves have a fabric shield to protect them from debris. Unfortunately, this is not as durable for outdoor use or in an industrial setting where metal would be better suited. Also, it doesn’t provide soundproofing like other materials might do.

Bose

Bose is well-known for producing durable and long-lasting speakers. They typically use metal grilles and fabric, and other high-quality materials. This ensures longevity no matter what you choose to buy them for.

Bose speakers are more waterproof than the Harman Kardon speakers. This allows you to use them for poolside parties.

Color

Bose speakers typically only come in black, with white as the sole other option. Harman Kardon speakers are more diverse and can be found in up to 5 different colors.

Harman Kardon offers a variety of casing types, colors, and designs that beats Bose. But If you value durability a lot, then Bose will probably be your preferred brand.

Harman Kardon

Harman Kardon speakers are well-known for their compact size and portability. The spatial designs of the HK devices make them easy to move around, while the weight of each product is considered when manufacturing. Moreover, the speakers have to carry handles that make them easy and convenient to travel.

Bose

Bose speakers are a bit smaller than Harman Kardon’s. However, they’re slim and cylindrical, easy to carry in your hand while still providing a high-quality sound that fills the whole room with deep bass notes and clear melodies alike.

Most Harman Kardon speakers come up with carrying handles that keep them ahead in the portability race.

Battery Performance

The battery life of Harman Kardon and Bose Bluetooth speakers depends on the individual speaker, not just their brand.

Harman Kardon

The Harman Kardon speaker will last about eight hours before needing to be recharged.

Bose

On the other side, Bose products offer the same duration as well, six to eight hours after you fully recharge them.

If sound quality is more important than battery life for what you need this type of device for, consider making an informed decision between two brands with similar features to suit your needs best.

Both Harman Kardon and Bose audio devices offer almost similar battery performance. However, keep in mid that using your speaker at maximum volume can considerably cut down lifespan on personal usage habits.

Connectivity and pairing options

Harman Kardon

Harman Kardon speakers are typically designed with easy-to-access buttons at the top of the speaker. In addition, they have a power button, volume controls, and pairing options for connecting to other devices in your home.

Harman Kardon speakers are easy to pair with other devices thanks to an innovative feature called “multi-pairing.” This allows you to connect two different Bluetooth-enabled devices at one time. However, some Harman Kardon products lack a 3.5mm port or basic Wi-Fi connectivity, but this shouldn’t be too much of an issue as most have Bluetooth capabilities.

Bose

Bose systems have the same features as Harman Kardon devices and include multiple pairing options that make it even easier than ever before.

The Bose speakers are an excellent option for hooking up to Bluetooth. They can be connected in stereo mode, and you’ll need an app if that’s what you’re looking for, though not all Harman Kardon products have this function. Bose is also the only speaker company with Wi-Fi connectivity on their mid or large-sized models.

Both Harman Kardon and Bose devices are easy to use, and they have good connectivity options.

Overall sound quality

Harman Kardon

Most Harman Kardon speakers do not have a 360-degree sound facility. They rather offer a directional audio experience.

The two brands’ bass performance differs in quantity and quality. Harman Kardon speakers have more bass in the mid to high-range frequencies. Their rich sound and deep bass are what sets them apart from other brands in their field. They’re perfect for listening to electronic dance or hip-hop music. which is why they are better for electronic dance or hip-hop music.

Bose

Most Bose speakers allow for 360-degree sound, which means the quality of music doesn’t differ from where you are standing. This is perfect if everyone in your living room wants to watch a movie and hear it as clearly as possible without having to move around all over the place.

The sound quality of Bose and Harman Kardon devices is not too different, but Harman Kardon’s bass sounds better.

Other features

Harman Kardon

Harman Kardon doesn’t offer a 3.5 mm audio jack feature, making them less flexible than Bose in some ways and harder to set up if your device uses Bluetooth exclusively.

Bose

Bose Speakers allow wired connections and wireless ones, so you don’t need all your friends and family members to own a Bluetooth-enabled device for their music listening experience to be complete. You can also connect these speakers directly into an audio output jack of your computer or laptop if you wish. This means that any speaker with a 3.5 mm audio jack can be connected without buying an additional cable or adapter.

Bose and Harman Kardon have added easy-pairing buttons that make multiple connecting devices incredibly easy. You no longer need to worry about pairing issues because these new speakers connect seamlessly with any device you own.

Both Harman Kardon and Bose offer highly popular speakerphones with built-in voice assistant compatibility for Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant. This allows you to get the best of both worlds – an easy way to use your phone hands-free while also gaining access to more features from your favorite voice assistant.

Harman Kardon vs Bose Soundbars

Both Harman Kardon and Bose manufacture soundbars with excellent sound quality and handy features.

Features of Harman Kardon soundbars:

The soundbars are well-designed, sleek and aesthetically pleasing.
Harman Kardon has an assortment of different-sized sound bars which allows any customer who is looking to purchase one accessibly-priced stereo system or higher quality home theater setup.
The soundbars offer an unparalleled experience with crisp highs, deep lows, and clear vocals – everything one might want from good speakers.
Some soundbars come with subwoofers that provide rich and deep bass.
Preset controls help conveniently control multiple soundbar audio settings with a press of a button.
Come with Bluetooth technology which helps stream music wirelessly from your smartphone, tablet, or laptop.
The automatic Multibeam Calibration (AMC) feature enables calibrating the soundbars with the best surround sound audio effect based on your own room pattern and design.
The usual price of the products is from $150 to $500.

Features of Bose soundbars:

The Bose soundbars are compact and sleek, elegant looking.
Exclusive Bose Voice4Video™ technology expands your Alexa voice capabilities like no other soundbar can. In addition to controlling your TV and playing music, you’ll have the power of natural language interaction with a device that is always in sight on top or below your television screen.
The SimpleSync™ Technology eliminates the need for constant pairing and unpairing by allowing users to connect their devices easily through one button on the remote or controller app.
Bose soundbars come with many connectivity options. Wi-Fi compatibility with Spotify Connect and AirPlay 2 is just the beginning of their impressive lineup, including Bluetooth technology.
With the Bose Music app you can easily sync your soundbar and choose an assistant, then enjoy all of your music with one easy-to-use application. You’ll be able to switch between stations, playlists, and services without ever leaving the app itself.
The usual price of the products is from $150 to $700.

FAQ

Who bought Harman Kardon?

Samsung announced the acquisition of Harman for $US 8 billion on March 11, 2017.

This deal made it the world’s largest audio company, and we expect it will significantly impact Samsung’s mobile division.

What brands does Harman Kardon own?

AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, Mark Levinson®and Revel®.

What car has Harman Kardon speakers?

Harman Kardon audio systems can be found in vehicles from many well-known companies, including Hyundai, Kia, BMW, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Mercedes-Benz, Mini, Subaru, and Volvo.

Why are Bose speakers so costly?

Unlike other audio equipment, Bose speakers are expensive because the manufacturer designs them to be an immersive experience for humans. Using advanced technology and investing in research has earned their brand name a clientele that is used to paying top dollar for quality sound.

Our Verdict

Bose and Harman Kardon are two audio manufacturers that have been around for quite some time. However, they both offer their own unique styles of sound, with Bose being more outdoorsy and rugged while Harman is a bit dressier in its design.