HARMAN products and technologies recognized for exceptional quality, design and breakthrough innovation include:

  • “Best Product of the Year” awards for AKG N90Q headphones and HARMAN Individual Sound Zones for automotive interiors

  • HARMAN HALOsonic sound management technologies

  • Harman Kardon Esquire 2 portable speaker

 

STAMFORD, CT – HARMAN International Industries, Incorporated (NYSE:HAR), the premier connected technologies company for automotive, consumer and enterprise markets, has been awarded a total of 13 Plus X Awards, including two for “Best Product of the Year,” for a variety of its products and technologies. The prestigious Plus X Awards honor manufacturers for new and innovative technologies, extraordinary design and intelligent and easy-to-use operating systems and user interfaces. With an international and independent panel of judges from 25 industries, the Plus X Award is the world’s largest competition for technology, sports and lifestyle. The following HARMAN products and technologies received this year’s awards:

 

HALOsonic – Plus X Award for Innovation

To tackle the acoustic challenges within the unique automotive environment of traditional, electric and hybrid cars, HARMAN created HALOsonic, an award-winning suite of various sound solutions that work to improve noise levels and to enhance and contour sound inside and outside the vehicle. HALOsonic Engine Order Cancellation (EOC) and Road Noise Cancellation (RNC) were developed to address road noises before they reach the ears of vehicle occupants. In addition to EOC and RNC, HALOsonic offers Electronic Sound Synthesis (ESS) which generates the authentic sounds of an engine, inside or outside the car.

 

Harman Kardon Esquire 2 – Plus X Awards for High Quality, Design, Ease of Use and Functionality

The sleek, ultra-slim Harman Kardon Esquire 2 wireless audio system is a perfect fusion of master craftsmanship and performance. In addition to the rich, high end sound, the Harman Kardon Esquire 2 features an unparalleled teleconferencing system, thanks to its quad-microphone VoiceLogic noise and echo canceling technology system with 360-degree voice pick-up. The Harman Kardon Esquire 2 is available in graphite, black or champagne and makes a stylish addition to any office or conference room. Its rechargeable battery supports up to eight hours of playtime and its USB charge out ensures traveling professionals’ smartphones and tablets never run out of power.

 

Individual Sound Zones – Plus X Awards for Innovation and Functionality

HARMAN’s Individual Sound Zones (ISZ) is a new in-cabin technology that enables drivers and passengers to create sonic zones between individuals. Digital signal processing has been specifically tuned to the vehicle cabin and speakers to reduce the signals from other zones, regardless of whether they are music, voice or other noises. ISZ does not eliminate all sounds and signals, but ensures that passengers have the audio experience they want. ISZ utilizes a vehicle’s existing speakers with the addition of headrest speakers along with thin and flat Electro Dynamic Planar Loudspeakers in the vehicle ceiling. Passengers can still hear other sounds in the cabin, but those sounds are controlled to limit distractions to each passenger’s own sound experience. Individual Sound Zones can be integrated into any HARMAN in-car audio system via the amplifier and is available to all automakers.

 

AKG N90Q – Plus X Awards for Innovation, High Quality, Design, and Functionality

The AKG N90Q is the world's first headphone featuring personalized sound. HARMAN’s expertise in signal processing, psychoacoustics and headphone ergonomics has been further perfected by the acute ears of Quincy Jones, the most lauded producer of all-time. HARMAN’s TruNote technology is a revolutionary software solution for auto-calibration and frequency response measurement. In combination with its patented, dual-foam ear cushion and optimized pistonic motion driver, unwanted reflections and cavity effects are avoided, which is essential for accurate sound reproduction. In addition to TruNote, the HARMAN audio engineers and Quincy ensured that the AKG N90Q leverages the latest noise-cancelling and sound customization technology in order to optimize the audio experience to the listener's taste.

 

Individual Sound Zones and AKG N90Q – Plus X “Best Product of the Year” Awards

In addition to the individuals laurels they gathered, HARMAN’s AKG N90Q headset and ISZ solution both were awarded the special award of being best products of the year 2015/2016.

“We are delighted that so many of HARMAN's innovations have again been recognized by the prestigious international Plus X jury,” said Dinesh Paliwal, Chairman, President and CEO of HARMAN. “These awards are further validation of the incredible work that our engineers are doing around the world to redefine superior acoustics and create entirely new sound management categories for all platforms, from automotive and consumer to enterprise and professional entertainment venues.”

 

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 connected services. 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 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and connected car systems. The Company's 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 28,000 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $6.4 billion during the 12 months ended September 30, 2015. The Company’s shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.