Harman Karman who are looking for double digit lifestyle products growth, following their acquisition by Samsung are set to be a major seller of products on Amazon when they launch in Australia claims senior management.
According to Andy Tsui Vice President and General Manager of Harman Kardon’s Lifestyle Audio Division “Amazon will be a key part of our business in Australia”.
Speaking exclusively to ChannelNews at IFA in Berlin he said that their Australian business which has witnessed significant growth since being taken over and operating as a subsidiary had grown over 20% and that the Australian business made up between 2-3% of the Companies global business.
He said that one object for Harman was to become the #1 portable speaker brand in Australia.
He acknowledged that this objective was achieved last month up against Logitech’s UE Ears.
He claimed that the Companies strategy of “holding prices” in a category was paying off and that the company was refreshing products on average every 18 to 20 months.
He said that “Everything is in place” for Harman to launch on Amazon and that the Company was expecting to launch before Christmas 2017.
One of the key products that Harman will launch on Amazon in Australia, is a brand new ‘Allure’ Voice Activated speaker that works on Amazon’s Alexa technology.
The Harmon Kardon Allure delivers 360-degree sound, and has Amazon Alexa functionality “baked in” negating the need for an Echo Dot (currently the favored way to extend Alexa to a decent speaker).
The Allure also brings ‘ambient lighting’, which means it will glow and react to both your voice commands and the music that you play through the speaker.
“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 Harman’s Michael Mauser.
“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.”
Australian pricing has been set at AU$400, It’s expected to be on sale on Amazon by Xmas.
Harman have also released a personal soundbar that fits round the neck. At first, I was skeptical as to how the sound got from the bar to my ears without being distorted.
All you do is Bluetooth the device into your TV and immediately you get this personal soundbar sound without anyone else in a room being able to hear the output.
Set to go on sale in Australia next year the technology is set to be ideal for big sporting events or watching a favourite movie.
