Design piece with tonal weaknesses

Design piece with tonal weaknesses

Harman Kardon SB 35 Sabre speaker system in the ultraslim design silver with active wireless subwoofer (Electronics)

Customer Review

The Harman-Kardon SB 35 is a visual treat. Due to the design, which makes use of super in any modern living environment, I was very excited about this soundbar. Unfortunately, currently disagree (1/2015) available in the network test reports in many ways. A Preview of hi-fi equipment in noisy and acoustically not exactly optimal electronics markets will help most to make products like empty cans sift sound. Differences between good products you can not make in this environment generally. Therefore, I have acquired the Soundbar and extensively tested at home with me.
First the positive points:
- The design is worthy of an award. The processing is also flawless. Anti-fans will forgive the comparison, but the bar could be a product of Apple in this form.
- The connection options are numerous and work intelligently. I shut the TV via HDMI ARC at everything works as you would expect. The remote control of my Samsung TV could be easily coupled with the bar. This uses the HK remote control only for bass control and to adjust the sound mode. More on that later.
- The sound bar can with timely and thoughtful features like an auto standby after 10 minutes and an OSD Attending.
Unfortunately there are also some negative points:
- The supplied cables are absurd short. The only enclosed mini-HDMI cable measures a meter. The power cord for the sub also measures only one meter. The power supply for the bar measures two meters, with a transformer in the middle. I have the bar on a Lowboard placed directly in front of / under the TV. The Sub next to Lowboard. Far from being a failed site. Nevertheless cables were all (!) Mercilessly too short. It was not possible for me to take the Sabre without 3 additional replacement / extension cable in operation. For a product in this price range in my opinion is not acceptable for. Also enclosed is still a TOSLINK optical cable, also this only measures one meter.
- At the Soundbar several status LEDs are installed. At the rear of the sub have two LEDs indicate the operational state. At the top of the bar, a white LED is lit when switched on. All three of these LEDs are so bright that they stand very disturbing in a non-daylit environment eye. Just when the Sabre stands or suspended below a TV, the power LED draws very much on the image. I have pasted the LED for my other test with electrical tape. This is the design of the Soundbar however detrimental. Also back: For a product in this price range and with a focus on design my feeling by inappropriate.
- The Harman Volume Control feature is, as reviewers wrote before me, simply erroneous. Often when changing the channel or source of the bass is turned off and must be manually with the remote control again be regulated. The relaxed television affects the contrary, unfortunately.
- The best for last: the sound. I wanted to like this soundbar. Really. The design is just great, most of the features are well thought out. For this, I would have taken all of the above as a cut in. Therefore, I have spent several hours in order to experiment with different sound settings. Unfortunately manifested itself, whether movies or music, PCM, Dolby Digital or DTS Neo, always the same picture: The bar does not sound good. What I mean by that exactly: The bar lacks midrange and dynamic. Music sounds verwaschern, tinny, like a tin can over the ear. This is very clear especially in back-to-back test with a traditional 2.0 system (Harman / Kardon amplifier with Canton-LS).
The sound in movie playback is acceptable. However, the price of the Soundbar he will not begin to do justice. Explosions, such as in the helicopter scene in XXX or the firefights in Doom sound flat and insubstantial. In the said helicopter scene you can hear the helicopter with a 5.1 surround system revolve around the room. When Sabre is it does not even begin to hear something that only a movement from left to right. The Virtual modes and WAVE "(all settings) enttäsuchen here. Save some stereo panning is nothing to hear. Virtual Surround is therefore unfortunately only flowery marketing.
Dialogues are at low volume on the Soundbar poor understanding than through the internal speakers of my TV. This is also an indication on an extreme frequency of Sabre hole in the lower middle. Test, I have the sub once disconnected and the impression that the sound bar itself was only reproduces high frequencies with sufficient volume thus still underpinned. I am far from being a professional acoustics, however, the suspicion arises that requires the whole could only be solved by Harman engineers by the low volume of the sound bar itself and the small size of the installed speakers. What the look is so conducive, the overall result is unfortunately highly detrimental. Competing products such as the Teufel Cinebar 52 or the often maligned Bose Cinemate 130 sound much richer, richly textured and more present than the Sabre. In particular, the Cinebar also creates actually something like space. The Sabre can not here is simple 2.1 commanded that the Virtual mode with some extended Stereopanorma is inflated. That was it but unfortunately. Overall, the sound of a soundbar is perfectly acceptable. If the Sabre would cost approximately 500 EUR, you would be measured by the sound, "price-value". In the class of about 1000 EUR you can not compete, however, also taking account of the design.

Unfortunately I was very disappointed with the Harman Kardon Sabre for their current price and did they therefore sent back. I very much hope that Harman developed the design and a sound more mature successor hangs. Ideally, even with longer cables attached.

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