Harman Kardon Nova
Superb speakers for your Mac
£260 Manufacturer Harman Kardon, harmankardon.co.uk Total power output 2 x 40W Frequency response 55Hz-20kHz (-6db) Connectivity Bluetooth with NFC, 1x digital optical input, 1x 3.5mm analogue audio input; 1x 3.5mm headphone output, USB (power only)
Harman Kardon is a past master at making greatlooking, great-sounding speakers for the Mac, and the brand new Nova is no exception. Comprising two small, football-shaped speakers, the Nova really does embody the company’s dedication to creating “a work of both art and sound”. It’s difficult not to be impressed by what’s on offer here.
Each of the speakers in this Nova system are beautiful to behold, thanks to a rounded, translucent cabinet design that has flat front and back faces. The cloth-covered front hides a high frequency tweeter and mid-range/bass woofer; the rear contains a passive bass radiator capped with an aluminium disc. Sadly, you can’t see in the inner workings of the speaker due to them being covered a twisted plastic cover, but the translucent shell does give the speakers a lightness that makes rivals look clunky by comparison.
The right speaker is the ‘master’, containing a ring of touchsensitive controls around its edge, including an adjustable volume control you slide your finger over to increase or decrease the sound. Also present are simple buttons that make it easy to pair with Bluetooth and NFC-equipped smartphones and tablets. The right speaker also contains analogue and digital optical audio inputs, a headphone socket, plus a DIN connector that lets it feed sound to the left speaker.
Everything is straightforward to set up and use, although the DIN cable’s pins can be tricky to line up first time. Build quality is good, with a rubber foot on the bottom of each speaker to hold it securely on your desk and to absorb any unwanted vibrations. The Nova is every inch a quality item.
To prove the point, we had no problems pairing the speakers with an iPhone over Bluetooth. The connection never let us down – something you can’t say about most speakers in this category.
But the Nova’s real trump card is its audio quality, delivering a transparent, detailed and balanced sound that works well with just about any kind of music, thanks to its warm, believable vocals, crisp, clean treble and a bass presence that’s always felt, but never becomes overwhelming.
Is the Nova worth the £260 asking price? Yes. Every penny. These really are the best-sounding speakers we’ve heard from the company since the original Appledesigned Soundsticks. Go get some. Now. Rob Mead-Green
Computer speakers don’t have to be boring to look at or listen to, as Harman Kardon’s Novas prove.
Sounds great with anything
Stylish, versatile design
Range of connectivity options
Slightly fiddly DIN connector