Harman Kardon Omni delivers HD music anywhere in your home, wirelessly

Harman Kardon Omni delivers HD music anywhere in your home, wirelessly
A musical feast for your ears

Sonos doesn't have it all its own way when it comes to wireless music streaming, and there's now even more competition after the introduction of the Harman Kardon Omni 10 and Omni 20 wireless HD speakers at IFA 2014.

At a basic level the system is similar to what we've seem before. The Omni 10 and Omni 20 speakers connect to you home Wi-Fi network and you can control the tunes they pump out via the Harman Kardon smartphone app.

The Omni 10 is a 2x 25w system, while the Omni 20 packs in more power with a 4x 15w setup.

Harman's app allows you to play any type of music you may have on your phone, be that a song stored physically on the handset or being streamed from the likes of Spotify and other streaming services.

Harman Kardon Omni 10

The Omni 10 features 2x 25w system power

Developers can also create their own apps to work in harmony with the Omni speaker setup, potentially extending the system's functionality above Harman Kardon's offering.

When will the bass drop?

Harman is priding itself on the sound quality its Omni wireless HD loundspeakers can produce, as both the Omni 10 and 20 support 24-bit/96kHz Studio Quality HD audio streaming. That means you'll get improved audio quality, which Harman says is better than CD.

Speakers can be grouped together, and in a first for HD wireless speakers you can connect up to five together for a full multi-channel stereo system.

Harman Kardon Omni 20

The Omni 20 is the larger, more powerful option

For anyone who still has a home hi-fi system, it doesn't need to be shunned. Harman has also launched the Adapt plug-in, which upgrades your current home stereo into a wireless system.

It also lets you play different songs in different rooms, or stream the same song to every speaker in the house - perfect if you're planning a banging house party.

Harman Kardon Adapt

The Adapt - keeping your home hi-fi alive

Another feature is One Touch Follow Me Audio, allowing your songs to follow you through rooms in your house with just a touch of a button.

The speakers don't come cheap, with the Omni 10 setting you back £159.99 (around $260, AU$280), while the Omni 20 carries a sizable £249.99 (around $410, AU$440) price tag. If you fancy hooking up your home hi-fi you'll need to part with £99.99 (around $160, AU$175) for the Harman Kardon Adapt.

All three devices will be available to buy from mid October 2014.

John McCann
Former Global Managing Editor

TechRadar's former Global Managing Editor, John has been a technology journalist for more than a decade, and over the years has built up a vast knowledge of the tech industry. He’s interviewed CEOs from some of the world’s biggest tech firms, visited their HQs, and appeared on live TV and radio, including Sky News, BBC News, BBC World News, Al Jazeera, LBC, and BBC Radio 4.

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