HarmanKardon Reviews

Harman Kardon was always my go-to name when thinking about quality in-car audio back in the day. Sadly, around 2020 something shifted. Now every year it becomes more obvious that their so-called premium car sound systems are just mediocre at best. They've really let their reputation slip.

Tried to return something within hours of it arriving because I wasn't happy with how it sounded or looked. Look, sound and design are personal preferences so I'm not saying that's their fault. The problem is how impossible it was to actually process the return. Attempted to do it through their online system like they said but got no email and no follow-up. Chat agents weren't available on day one. WhatsApp took 24 hours to respond and told me to wait for an email that never came. Tried again and got told to wait another day. Finally got a live chat person but they just said someone else was handling it and would get back to me. That was hours before I'm writing this. Why is returning something to HK so complicated compared to every other online retailer? It's put me off the brand entirely. I was actually thinking about swapping this speaker for a different model but now I'm just going to find another company.

The BMW HK package just doesn't deliver what it promises. For the price you're paying, you could piece together a much better sound system yourself. Honestly, the hype around their car audio systems is way overblown.

Older HK gear is legitimately great stuff. Lasts forever and worth the effort to fix if something breaks. Don't sleep on older products either, even if they have minor cosmetic wear. They'll outperform almost anything you can buy new from most brands today. What they're selling currently on the site though? Way overpriced for what you actually get inside the box.

Don't buy from them if you're expecting a smooth return experience. I ordered an Aura Studio 4 online and sent it back, thinking I'd get my money back quickly. Turns out their customer support team works remotely and you can literally hear kitchen noises in the background during calls. To make matters worse, the representatives have zero authority to actually help you or connect you with someone who can. They just type information into their system. HK sends an email saying the investigation takes up to 2 working days, but I've gotten 6 different emails since then with zero refund in sight. Do yourself a favor and shop elsewhere.

Their marketing makes big promises about what these speakers can do, but then they throw in these weird disclaimers about how they won't work if there's another wireless signal close by. So basically, to use the wireless feature you need to go out in the middle of the ocean, leave your phone at home, and stream over some non-wireless method? That defeats the entire purpose of wireless. Terrible execution by the company.

Pretty solid overall. The gear they make delivers crisp sound, really strong bass response, nice treble range, and you get a well-balanced tone across the board. I'm a fan of their work. When I'm shopping for cars, the ones that come equipped with their audio package tend to be winners. You get a really immersive listening experience in a vehicle.

Ordered a JBL soundbar and in-ear headset on July 12th and never got the initial order confirmation. I messaged support and they replied right away. After explaining the issue, they got my details and sent the confirmation email pretty much instantly. The 13th, they gave me a delivery window of Friday the 15th from 8 AM to 5 PM. Nothing showed up by 9 PM. I reached back out and got a response the next morning with an apology. They told me if it didn't arrive by Monday the 18th, to contact them again. I just have to say, I'm really happy with JBL and Harman Kardon products. Their customer service this time around was honestly one of the best experiences I've ever had with any company.

Placed an order for a JBL soundbar and in-ear headset on July 12th. No order confirmation came through initially, so I reached out to their team. They got back to me immediately, looked into it, and resent the confirmation email within minutes. They told me delivery would happen Friday the 15th sometime between 8 AM and 5 PM. Nothing arrived by 9 PM that evening. I contacted them again and received a response the next morning apologizing for the delay. They said if the package didn't show up by Monday the 18th, I should reach out one more time. I'm really impressed with how Harman and JBL treat their customers. The whole process, from the product quality to how they handled the delivery hiccup, has been nothing short of fantastic. Best service experience I've had in a long time.

Experienced a handful of technical headaches with one of their products over the last twelve months. Despite the problems with the device itself, their support team was absolutely outstanding. They didn't just help me troubleshoot, they replaced the item twice to make sure I was satisfied. When you're paying top dollar, you want to know the company will stand behind what they sell. They definitely did that here. Excellent work.