Harman Kardon BT

Harman Kardon makes a few different full-size headphones, including theClassic (CL), Noise Canceling (NC), and Bluetooth (BT). They all offer excellent sound quality and have very distinct designs, with a modern take on an old-school double headband and square earcups that harken back a little to the Bowers & Wilkins P3 and P5 headphones.

The BT model reviewed here looks almost identical to the over-the-ear NC model, but it features wireless audio streaming for smartphones and other devices that are Bluetooth-enabled. At $250 list, this is considered more of a high-end Bluetooth headphone, but it does cost significantly less than other high-end competitors such as the $400 Parrot Zik, Sennheiser MM 550, and Denon Global Cruiser.

Aside from its excellent fit and finish, the big thing the BT has going for it is its sound quality. It's a well-balanced headphone, with good clarity and tight bass, making it one of the better-sounding Bluetooth headphones currently available.

One thing I didn't love: the headphones are charged via a jack on the left earcup using a non-standard USB cable (you get up to 12 hours of battery life from a single charge). It works well, but the problem is that if you lose the cable, you won't be able to charge the headphones (you can't just use the Micro-USB that comes with a lot of phones and other devices). I therefore suggest keeping the cable stowed in the inner pocket of the carrying case for safekeeping.

Finally, if you want to make maximize the sound quality of the headphones, they have a detachable cord (it plugs into the jack I just mentioned) that allows you to use the BTs as wired headphones. I suspect the vast majority of people won't bother using them that way (after all, why buy a wireless headphone if you're not going to use it as a wireless headphone?), but the wired option is there, which is good.

Performance
The big problem with Bluetooth headphones is that they have a tendency to sound a little muddy and fail to deliver crisp, clear sound. In the last year, several higher-end Bluetooth headphone managed to overcome that problem, delivering a sound more like wired headphones. The Harman BT joins that group of very good-sounding Bluetooth headphones.

Like the NC, the BT sounds comparatively natural and accurate. It has a sound profile similar to that of the CL, which is considered a balanced, more neutral set of headphones that doesn't over accentuate the bass or treble. Still, like that model, the bass here is plump and pleasant (it seems to be a touch more plump than the CL's) but not overreaching. As with the CL, there's a bit of restraint in the treble, so you're not going to get that edgier detail of "faster," more aggressive headphones that push the treble harder. I wouldn't call these laid-back, but they're fairly warm. I tried them with a variety of music and came away feeling that they were quite versatile.