Harman International, a $6B audio company, has a lot of high-end audio brands. Lots and lots. It’s a little intimidating, actually.
Here at High End, Harman was showing off a few not-quite new products.
Introduced at CES, the No 536 mono amplifiers ($15k/channel) from Mark Levinson are designed and engineered in the USA. Each amp is good for 400watts into 8Ω and doubles down into 4Ω, and features a low-feedback Class A/B bias. Availability is scheduled for Fall.
Also new-ish were the JBL DD67000 Everest loudspeakers, now available in a variety of automotive finishes. This availability will be limited, however, as it’s being offered as some kind of exclusive thing.
Some updates to the Concerta Series from Revel were also discussed, including a high-gloss finish, curved sides, magnetic front-fasteners, and an acoustic lens for the tweeter. Towers get a third woofer, bringing the overall sensitivity to 90 or 91dB (depending on the model). Prices for the new line start at $900/pair for the bookshelves, which also includes a shallow-depth version for on-wall mounting.
The JBL-fronted system, played with the new Mark Levinson monos, was surprisingly good. Horns sounded breathy, and there was a good sense of space. The sweet spot was exactingly precise, but once attained, imaging was spooky good. Bass, regardless of the seat, was percussive and persuasive.
