There is no shortage of Alexa-powered smart speakers at this point. Even though the first third-party Google Assistant smart speakers were the stars of IFA in Berlin this past week (at least as far as audio products go), Amazon hasn't been resting on its laurels. A few more Alexa speakers were revealed at the event, including ones from big-name companies like DTS and Harman (parent company of JBL).
Harman Kardon Allure
First is the Harman Kardon Allure, pictured at the top of this post, which will be released in Winter 2017 for $249.99. Like the Amazon Echo, it has 360-degree audio, making it ideal for placement in the center of a room. It has a 4-microphone array with advanced noise cancellation.
The top section is an ambient light, which changes based on the music playing. And if you want to play something not available to Alexa, it can function as a normal Bluetooth speaker.
Phorus PS10
One of the new Alexa speakers by DTS is the Phorus PS10, which looks like a larger (and slanted) Amazon Echo. It has a 30-watt Class D amplifier with DTS Sound processing, two 65mm neodymium full range transducers, and dual passive radiators for powerful bass.
The speaker also supports DTS' Play-Fi technology, which is the company's Chromecast-like wireless standard. It will retail for $249 when it ships in late September/early October. DTS also announced the Onkyo Smart Speaker P3 and Pioneer Elite Smart Speaker F4, but nothing was revealed about them besides Alexa support.
PRESS RELEASE
IFA 2017, BERLIN – AUGUST 31, 2017 – HARMAN International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. focused on connected technologies for automotive, consumer and enterprise market, today introduced the Harman Kardon Allure. An intelligent speaker with Amazon Alexa Voice Service, the Allure complements any home space with its stunning design and beautiful 360-degreel Harman Kardon sound.
By pairing Harman Kardon’s refined and powerful audio performance with Alexa’s intuitive voice technology, Allure brings discerning music-lovers a rich premium listening experience, anywhere anytime, around the home.
Harman Kardon Allure is hands free and controlled by voice commands. Just ask Alexa to play music, read the news, control a smart home, make purchases from Amazon Prime, and more. Even in noisy environments, proprietary far-field voice technology allows the speaker to hear commands from a far distance. Alexa is always getting smarter and customers can enable more than 20,000 skills, which makes using Harman Kardon Allure a truly personal experience.
The sturdy yet elegant transparent design of Allure blends into any interior with a subtle touch of delicacy and ease. Place it anywhere and the speaker will be able to fill any space with refined and powerful 360-degree Harman Kardon sound.
Harman Kardon Allure’s stunning 360-degree ambient lighting design glows from within. The ambient light will react to the voice commands and move along with the rhythm of the music.
“We’re excited, to integrate with Amazon Alexa to deliver a beautiful speaker with astounding audio coupled with all the intelligent features of Alexa,” said Michael Mauser, President, Lifestyle Audio Division at HARMAN. “Research shows the number one use of digital voice services is music streaming and Allure with its premium sound quality, iconic design, and exceptional voice-enabled technology, will produce a spectacular sound experience while delivering on our promise of elevating a connected life through smart technology.”
“The Allure smart speaker will bring Harman Kardon’s premium audio and the 20,000+ skills available for Amazon Alexa to even more customers,” said Steve Rabuchin, VP Amazon Alexa. “This is a great benefit for customers who love quality music and want a voice service in their home. Customers can just ask Alexa to play great sounding music, control their smart home, get news or weather, play games, order food, and more.”
Harman Kardon Allure with Amazon Alexa ($249.95) will be available for purchase starting winter 2017 on www.harmankardon.com and www.amazon.com.
KEY FEATURES
- Powered by Amazon Alexa Voice Service: Connect to Alexa through dual-band Wi-Fi, just ask and Alexa will provide information, place an order, play music, and more. It’s always getting smarter and adding new features with more than 20,000 Alexa skills.
- Far-field Voice Recognition: Built-in 4-microphone array with advanced noise cancellation technology allows for hands-free voice control from across the room.
- 360-Degree Sound: Transducers and built-in subwoofer produce 360-degrees of rich and powerful sound that fills up every corner of the room.
- 360-Degree ambient Lighting: 360-Degree, multicolored and responsive lighting in an iconic design to elevate and enhance any décor.
- Wireless Bluetooth Streaming: Stream room-filling music wirelessly from your mobile devices via Bluetooth.
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About HARMAN
HARMAN (harman.com) designs and engineers connected products and solutions for automakers, consumers, and enterprises worldwide, including connected car systems, audio and visual products, enterprise automation solutions; and services supporting the Internet of Things. With leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, Mark Levinson® and Revel®, HARMAN is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform around the world. More than 50 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and connected car systems. Our software services power billions of mobile devices and systems that are connected, integrated and secure across all platforms, from work and home to car and mobile. HARMAN has a workforce of approximately 30,000 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. In March 2017, HARMAN became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
PRESS RELEASE
First DTS Play-Fi Speakers with Amazon Alexa Voice Service to Be Unveiled at IFA
The Phorus PS10 Wireless Speaker, Onkyo Smart Speaker P3 and Pioneer Elite Smart Speaker F4 to begin shipping in late September/early October