Customer Reviews

Harman Kardon GLA-55 2.0-Powered Loudspeaker System (Clear)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I first bought these for my bedroom TV setup. They sounded great there, even without a subwoofer (though I would have attached one eventually). My problem was that they have an LED light that illuminates them. When they go into standby, these white lights start blinking, making two lighthouses slapping the roof with an annoying blinking light.

My girlfriend kept yanking the power out at night (in the dark), which made me nervous given the cones are not covered.

I now have them at my office, where I enjoy them for near field listening. The bass sounds excellent up close at low volumes (been enjoying the heck out of some dubstep radio on Pandora, which I upgraded just because of these speakers), and can shake the office at high volumes. They are connected to my PC through a Sound Blaster X-FI Titanium Fatal1ty sound card and sound phenomenal (I have the sound card's Crystalizer funciton on).

They also make an excellent conversation piece for anyone coming into my office. They're definitely unique works of art.

Overall, glad I moved them to the office, since I now can enjoy them all day. Sure they were an investment given the price, but you're worth it! They pay me back all day with clear/responsive audio.

I did some research before spending this chunk of money, and certainly NOT disappoint by the these lovely speaker
I read an article saying the 3 inches sub-woofer suppose to mimic a 15 inches which i did not think possible,however it is now, the lower end of the sound spectrum in these spectrum certainly impressed me. The high is clear and strong never fade out regardless how high. They definitely live up to the specification saying 35hz to 20khz.

One recommendation Harman Kardon should consider is having volume remote control for it.

Certainly worth every penny
strongly recommend for anyone

I love my new speakers. I have a small space, and they provide great sound and excellent design to go with my minimal and modern decor. There is no need for a bass unit if you have a small room. Love them!

Do not be fooled by the beautiful crystal-like appearance into thinking this is all looks and of no utility. In my opinion this is the best speaker in it's category as dedicated pc/laptop speaker (to prevent argument, I know you can build better sound system via home theater setup, but not everyone is interested in such complexity, so lets not go there).
Back on to the review. The tweeter is amazing, reproducing sound in beautiful clarity. I love being able to hear the singer's breathing sound and all the little details in the different musical instruments. The midrange is also very good. The Low is incredible considering a 2.0 system. To get the ultimate result from this setup, I recommend adding a 8 inch subwoofer which will add two hundred or less to your overall cost. However you will not be disappointed with this setup.
Competitors: The most frequently mentioned competitors are the bose 5 series and the bowers and wilkins (B&W). The B&W's sound is just not loud enough, so you'll just have to sit close to it to enjoy your music, certainly not room filling sound. The bose has a dedicated woofer so of course it will give loud sound, and what seems enveloping sound. However, you must decide is loudness more important or is clarity more important. I find that if you don't listen very closely, you will love the bose, but if you pay attention, you will be amazed at that lovely tweeter in the GLA-55. That's is why, I recommend adding a subwoofer to get the best of both worlds.
For me, GLA-55 is the best PC speaker that not only looks amazing, but also produce sounds that makes me smile every time. I don't own this speaker myself, my brother does, and I was the one that recommended a subwoofer to him, that's how I am able to give you my experience now.
Lastly you are spending a lot of money on these speakers, regardless of your choice, so I highly recommend you to go into a store, perhaps the apple store, and listen to each one and see which one is for you, don't just read reviews.

These speakers replaced a pair of Auedioengine A5's that I have been using. Granted the GLA-55's are quite a bit more expensive, but they are a night and day difference better over the Audioengines. They have a great spectrum of sound reproduction, all the way from the lows to the highs. They are crystal clear.

The looks do take some getting used to, but everyone that has come over and has seen them has gone "wow, what are those"? Very good speakers, especially if you can get them on sale and not pay full retail MSRP.

The sound quality will blow you away. I no longer have to mess with the equalizer because all frequencies are well represented with these speakers. The Atlas excursion is amazing and a sub is not necessary. I turned the bass up about 70% in the rear button and it does not distort even at high volume. The aluminum tweeter sizzles with the best treble I have heard on computer speakers. The mids are smooth as well.

But to really put these speakers over the top I added an Infinity PS38 sub (8in, 300w) crossed at about 60hz and the system feels and sounds amazing in a 12x12 ft office.

I'm giving it a 5 star review because the sound is so great, which is all I care about.

But most people would really object to a price of 1K, even an amazon sale of $777. Other cons include the fact that the tweeter grille has very wide gaps which allow you (or your kids) to stick their fingers and easily cause a dent in the extremely thin tweeter membrane. The Atlas woofer membrane is hard so that would not appear to be a problem. I would also have loved to have the bass control on the front of the speaker as well as an LED light control.

Again, the sound quality is best out there for speakers this size.

Wow...

These speakers are truely something to behold. I'm going to break up this review for everyone.

* APPEARANCE *

These are very cool looking speakers. Some people have said they are too "bling-bling" or whatever but in my opinion they aren't too much of anything. They are transparent and are shaped in a way that no matter what light they are in they shine beautifully and reflect all light with a perfection that is great.

* SOUND *

I will break this section into a few parts. I listen to hip-hop, R&B and Latin music. I used music from [...] to test out these speakers.

-TREBLE-
Great treble! No sounds are compromised and I hear things that I haven't heard before with these speakers. The mids and lows do not overpower the highs no matter how strong they come out, you will not miss any slight ringing sounds or birds chirping.

-MIDS-
Nice and clear. As we all know, mids are important for rhythm and these speakers bring out the mids perfectly and you'll never miss a clap or a tap in any song.

-BASS-
Wow... Wow... Wow... Great, powerful bass that will make your house shake. Harman Kardon claim that they produce a sound equivalent to 18" subwoofers. I never had one of those but I can tell you that your house will be shaking and you'll feel the bass in every single part of your body. If a song has weak bass, it will remain weak; if a song has strong bass, it will come through strongly but will not overpower the rest of the sound in any circumstance.

-SOUND IMAGE-
This is great as wel. All instruments are wonderfully seperated and the stereo image is nice and wide and perfect. Again, you will hear sounds that you have not heard before. Also, since all sounds are not all mixed together with these speakers, it makes it a lot easier to understand lyrics in the songs.

* OVERALL *

If you have the money, spend it you will NOT be disappointed. If you don't have the money, find some and buy these you won't be sorry.

These speakers are awesome! Sound is crystal clear and the bass is smooth as butter! Will be buying a sub woofer to go with it!

I have the Harman Kardon Sound sticks and they sound better than these! I returned these ASAP. I wouldnt pay $250 for these speakers.

Garbage.