Harman Kardon’s new Nova speakers put a vortex inside a sonic globe of awesome

By Ryan Waniata November 7, 2013

harman kardons new nova speakers blend modern tech post style novablk 001 edit — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The sound gurus at Harman Kardon want to class up your living room, unveiling today a sparkling new pair of compact Bluetooth speakers, the Nova. Set in translucent cabinets that are carved like cut-glass sculptures, the speakers aim to balance form and function, cultivating bass response from their “turbine” enclosures, and catching the eye with their post-modern design.

The Nova offer multiple ways to connect, including a 3.5mm analog input, a digital optical input, and NFC for one-touch Bluetooth pairing, making them ideal for connecting to a TV or streaming device, as well as jamming tunes from your smartphone or tablet. Each speaker harbors a 2.5-inch midrange driver, a 1.25-inch tweeter, and a passive bass radiator suspended at the center. The system is amplified with 40 watts of total power, and run through HK’s secret sauce of DSP for a respectable frequency response of 70Hz-20kHz. In addition, Harman Kardon offers a remote app for iOS and Android devices which allows for easy set-up and more hands-on control of the speakers wirelessly.

HK is calling the Nova “the next generation in hi-fi,” suggesting there’s more to the package than just good looks. We haven’t gotten a chance to listen to the speakers as of yet, but we should have a pair in our offices soon, so we’ll let you know if these little gems sound as classy as they look.

Harman Kardon’s new Nova speakers are priced at $300, and are available today.

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Ryan Waniata is a multi-year veteran of the digital media industry, a lover of all things tech, audio, and TV, and a…

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