Customer Reviews

Harman Kardon GPS-810 4.3-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I bought this unit but returned it because, for me, the cons (most significantly the battery life) outweighed the pros. Here is a rundown of what I found:

Pros:

- solid build - you can feel the quality when you hold this device

- generally good performance, rapid satellite lock and route calculation

- excellent car mounting accessories

- beautiful large screen with video playback as well as audio

- control knob is innovative and convenient

- menus are intuitive and easy to follow

Cons:

- 2 hour battery life (confirmed to be "normal" by HK tech) - this is fine if you don't plan to use video feature and instead intend to leave it mounted in the same vehicle all the time

- suspend feature described in quick start guide missing on some units pending firmwire update expected in the next couple of months - so the unit reboots completely every time you turn it off

- recalculation routing sometimes erratic (lots of U-turns!)

- full user manual not available and no time-frame within which it will be released - a complex, feature-rich device such as this deserves better

Bottom line: a good product, but needs some refining before it can justify the price tag.

I have tried MIOc310x, tomtom 920T, Garmin nuvi 660, 670, 200w, 5000, Magellans, Navigon .... ALL of them have their quirks. none of them are perfect. ofcourse this is all the matter of individual taste. HK 810 has its quirks too... but they are all insignificant when you look at the practicality of this GPS unit. Its like a swiss army knife of sorts. Long plane journeys will no more bother you because the batteries actually do last at least 3.5 hours with video playback. Route calculations are simple and to the point. It does not have an exhaustive list of menus to go through. The remote for this product is very intuitive just like an iDrive in a BMW or any high end car system. The menus are identical to the one in the 2007 BMW 7series. Phone calls are crystal clear....provided you have all your windows shut. It pairs well with 3 phones I have. Blackberry pearl, Motorola krzr and the iphone. The music sound quality is great and you don't even have to crank it all the way up to hear it. it is solidly built and quick on GPS fixes, route recalculations. It uses the same map as the MIO does... which are not cartoonish as the garmins out there. But does use a different set of algorithms to calculate effective routes. The accuracy is good but dont expect to be spoon fed and spoilt to take you to the doorstep of the destination. In 3 months of use I have had 2 freezes ...both when I insert the sd card while the unit was turned on. Otherwise a very recommended product. Stands out in a crowd of the same looking GPS units.

If you are looking for something different in a GPS - and that would also include the single coolest interface in a GPS unit - look no further. I had no idea Harmon Kardon, maker of great Audio equipment, was in the GPS business, but after working with a demo in a local Best Buy, I simply had to have one!

Why this unit?
I travel extensively for work. A couple features I wanted in a GPS included the following:
- Simple and clean interface
- Audio announcement with street names
- Bluetooth mobile phone capability
- MP3 Player with FM tuner
- Rugged and flexible mount
- Traffic warnings

The HK GPS 810 delivers on all points - and more! - although not perfectly in every instance.

The interface is an especially clean design that looks suspiciously like Microsoft Windows. That's no accident. The unit is powered by Windows CE - an embedded version of the Windows operating system found on most PCs. To date, (I've been running this unit for 2 months now) the system has never crashed once and has been stable as a rock. A contributing factor to this might be the update I installed immediately after recieving the unit. Don't miss this, as reviews of this unit previous to this indicate significant problems with stability. The update was simple enough, and if you feel you might need assistance with it, you can call the manufacturer and they will walk you through it. All you need is your PC, the GPS and the supplied USB cable. The entire process took about an hour - most of it spent waiting for it to install the software on the unit itself.

This product also comes with a wireless remote-control knob that works great and is very simple to use. Although if you travel for a living like I do, it won't be much use ... but in my own vehicle, (a 2007 Ford F-150 STX) it works great mounted to the dash.

Once installed, the unit is very easy to use - much simpler and more powerful than the devices I've used in the past from Magellean and others. The map automatically changes perspective for you, depending upon the distance and speed you are travelling. Navigational directions are clearly posted on the left of the screen and are easy to see and understand.

The unit ships with two voices - one male, one female - both being pleasant and easy to hear over road noise. The unit announces street names as well as turn directions. One quirk of this unit (still waiting for response from HK) is that it occasionally announces a turn direction incorrectly. For example, you might be looking at the screen and see a Right Turn ahead - but the GPS voice will tell you to turn left. The behaviour is not consistent - doesn't happen often, but when it does, it's really annoying.

The Bluetooth feature is also a bit quirky. The first time I set it up it worked perfectly. The Phonebook was imported automatically without prompting - something that should probably change, since some customers might not want thier entire phonebook imported. Another feature that could be added would be a PC interface that would allow the user to select the addresses from Outlook. The unit "lost" my BT configuration after the first week for soeme reason and I wasn't able to re-establish the connection. Then a day or two later, after climbing into the car, all of a sudden the BT feature began to work again - however, without the phone book being populated.

MP3 Player with FM tuner - I hate bringing music CDs with me on the road, so the integrated Media Player with FM tuner seemed a great idea. Additionally, the unit has an SD card interface, so now I can load the DDC card with whatever music I want and I'm done. Climb into the rental car, install the GPS unit, tune the car's radio to whatever frequency I want (I use 88.8 MHz) and tool on down the road. Unfortunately, the transmitted signal is not very strong (Blame the FCC) and the fidelity isn't the best. Playing with the unit's location helps a bit, since the key to good reception is the proximity of the transmitter to the radio's antenna. I keep two 4 GB SD cards with me and change them up as desired. In addition to the FM transmitter, the unit also has an audio output jack that you can plug into the car's AUX input for higher-quality audio. If you happen to be driving one of the new Ford-manufactured vehicles with Microsoft Sync, it's as easy as just plugging it in - the car's audio system will walk you through the adjustments.

The unit's mount is exceptional. It is small, light, and rugged - and integrates power and audio signals into the mount. It can also be adjusted to the most complex positions and has never fallen off a windshield yet (a statement I'd never have been able to make with the Magellean and TomTom units). The friction of the ball mount can also be easily adjusted with a cross-point screwdriver. The mount comes as a complete kit for those who want a more permanent mount on thier dashboard. included is a smooth, black disk that can be affixed to your dash to ensure the unit can be mounted there as well. I placed this item on my truck's dashboard and it is great. The unit is easily reachable and hasn't come "unglued" once.

HK offers a "Total Traffic Network" option from the Traffic Message Channel. This feature warns you of construction and accidents along your path and is very up-to-date. I have to admit it works very well - and although I was used to the MSN traffic updates I used to get with the Magellean unit, I have to say that TTN is at least as good as the MSN version.

As with all GPS units - the maps themselves are actually purchased from one of a handful of mapping companies. All of them have thier own foibles and this one is no different. On occasion it simply gets a street wrong (in my case, one right next to my house that doesn't exist). The method for providing feedback about wrong information isn't clear and should be made easier for more accurate updates. There is also no clear way to know when updated maps are available - you simply must check the website periodically. One great feature of this unit is that it is not restricted to North America as many of the competitor's units are.

All-in-all, it's a great unit, has every feature I wanted - plus some - and is going to be with me for awhile.

Buy it!

Bought this and used on a trip to Pittsburgh. The choices you can make are very well defined...
Good signal pickup even when going thru the tunnels and up in the mountains on the turnpike.

I personally like the unit as it is portable and can slip in my pocket.
Also the remote is very handy when making updates as it is illegal to try and make changes on your GPS while driving.

Only concern is with the voice directions it will sometime tell you to make a turn and the map is still showing a direct path. So common sense will need to be in effect when using any GPS product.

The unit is a fair unit. You cannot expect GPS to know every direction and location. GPS Navigation is a guide for the direction, not perfect. It is fair to say that it dos the job of the navigation possibly 85 to 90% accurate. I do not think none of GPS Navigation unit does the job for 100%. This units comes with the entertainment package as well as the remote. If you are looking for the GPS with Entertainment, this is it. Do not expect the unit is perfect. None of GPS unit is perfect.

Only Cons:
thicker than most GPS Unit (heavy as well)
Battery life is short
time lag for the positioning sometimes

Pros are more than cons. I recommend to the people who does not demand GPS Navigation system to be perfect. If your neighborhood streets are not listed, do not worry because you know the areas. It is workable with this unit for the directions. If you are not good at the directions, probably better off to buy Garmin, Tom Tom or Magellian. But this is still a good unit especially you can get it around $150 (I got it off ebay - remanufactured unit but same warranty).

I've been using it for only week now and here are couple of initial comments -
Pros -
1. Not too big
2. Good design - asthetics, ability to jump from one application to another without quitting the current application
3. External volume control - you don't have to touch on screen repeatedly yo raise or lower the volume.
4. Auto-brightness - has a light sensor
5. GPS application color scheme - not too bright at night to make you want to turn it off.
6. Sensitive GPS chip
7. Fast processor - helps fast GPS refreshes and fast application response
8. Great Bluetooth - seeks and connect to your phone as soon as the unit is turned on
9. Ability to play a wide varitety of music and video

Cons -
1. Too thick or big to carry in your pocket
2. Battery time - again makes it more like a car GPS, not one you could carry in your pocket while walking around in NY City.
3. AVERAGE GPS application -
a. Does NOT show what street are you currently on!!!
b. Highway icons (including interstate and state) are all generic icons - you've to figure out 86 is I-86 and 17 is NY-17!!!
4. FM Transmitter - as with most GPSs, the FM transmitter is of no use!

My request to Harman Kardon -
I've many Harman Kardon products and this is the first which I'm not "Very" happy with
- please improve the GPS application in the next update.
- if you're going to charge more than $500 for this, why would one not buy the newer Garmin units with Lane-Assist? Please be quick to update your GPS application before Garmin outdoes you.

I am a first time GPS user. I read all the reviews here plus at other websites and I was very hesitant in purchasing this unit due to the system locking up issue that most people has mentioned. But for me I was looking for a unit that had it all! And for right now, this is the only unit with GPS, MP3, Video, Pictures, and Bluetooth Phone connectivity..... I searched for a comparable unit with the same features in all the major electronic stores and only found ones with only GPS/MP3. Well anyways, I'm sure you figured it out....I crossed my fingers and purchased this unit..... It's been one month now and I could be jinxing myself for writing this review, but here goes:

PROS:
* The unit has not locked up on me yet... WOOHOO!!
* The GPS is great! I live in Austin, TX and already made a trip to Dallas and to North Oklahoma. And the GPS was accurate. I only had one instance when the unit had erratic recalculations (lots of U-turns!) But for the most part the map and voice navigation is accurate.
* The MP3 sounds awesome! Simple to use menu and I use a SD card reader to drag-n-drop my music into my 8G SD card
* The Video also plays and sounds fantastic!! I played a couple of movies and plays beautifully as most portable DVD players
* I have some pictures, but haven't used this much...But what I do have, looks great!!
* The Phone connectivity is awesome!! I have a Nokia 6085 and it had no issues finding it. Address book downloaded perfectly. The mic and speaker on the unit is crystal clear and I use it quite often. This is an excellent feature for handsfree phone conversation while you're driving!!
* The dash and windshield mounting accessories are very good
* The best feature I love is the remote control knob!! You can have this conveniently anywhere in the vehicle and go thru all the menus with ease!!

CONS:

* I have to agree with everyone about the battery. The battery life sucks and this will not be a good unit if relying on battery life. For me, the HK810 is only for my car, so mine is always plugged in and this con doesn't really pertain to me.
* I have seen the new firmware at HK website, but haven't uploaded it to my unit since it's working fine. (I always say, why fix it if it's not broken!)
* No current map updates
* Did not come with a full manual

For me, I think I made a good decision for my first GPS!! But like I said, I might have jinx myself and you might hear from me again!

The firmwear update is up. I see alot of people giving the battery a con. At 3.5 hours for movies (that look and sound great) it beats alot of DVD players when on the plane. Longer time and fits in my pocket. I'm having difficulty getting my Samsung SGH-D307 to pair up. I got it once then it dropped within a couple minutes and haven't got it to work yet. My phone works with the Uconnect in my van so I think it just I missing something. Otherwise so far I really like the unit. Haven't had any route errors that others are talking about. That may have been fixed when I loaded the new firmwear.

I had the Garmin Nuvi 360 for about 7 months (someone broke into my car and took the thing but don't believe he can use it b/c of security code. What a waste!). As compared to Nuvi 360, GPS-810NA seems to have the better satellite reception. It picks up the signal much faster. I remember at times Nuvi used to take at least 3~5 minutes to pick up the satellite signal for navigation but there was no lag with 810NA. As far as picking up the signal (speed/range), 810NA seems to be a lot better. As for accuracy I cannot say much as I only had the device for few days. The nuvi 360 (even w/ 2008 Map update) resulted a lot of errors so I am not expecting anything perfect with this one either but so far, it seems reliable enough. In summary, I believe this is a great buy at this price. Many great features with the wireless remote knob which I find it extremely useful. Initially, I prefered the simple navigation method of Nuvi, but over the time I am also enjoying 810NA navigation very much ( a lot more options).

I would have given 5 stars if it wasn't for the poor battery life. This one has a horrible battery life but if you intend to use it in the car, I guess it should be alright.

I've had the HK 810 for 3 1/2 years. Cost $400.00 It is loaded with features not available on units even today; however, the battery is so bad, all the features in the world are useless without it. I tried to upgrade the firmware and the instructions say 50% battery is needed. I have almost 2 seconds of battery...yes, 2 seconds! When I tried to upgrade, I unplugged the USB and the unit dies in; (again), 2 seconds!! I mount it on the windshield and is too far away to reach, so would have to remove it from the base to input data, even with cool remote control unit:which also eats batteries. You can probably see my problem now. I called HK and the battery can be replaced for $70.00. I will try to take it apart to replace the battery, but if I can't; time to buy a Garmin. HK support has been terrible from the start. They act like I am bothering them with my problem. Customer Service can make or break a company. HK..your CS is broken! Too bad, they had a great product, but just couldn't support it.