Verdict: Not Bad. Not Great. Plays Videos.
Harman/Kardon is a company widely known for their fantastic audio equipment, and recently jumped into the growing GPS market with two units, the Harman/Kardon 300 and the 500. These units weren't generally received well, so HK went back to the drawing board, did some re-designing, and has released the much improved 310, 510 and 810 models, targeting the entry level, mid-range and high-end, respectively.
The Harman/Kardon 810 looks like a normal GPS unit, but it combines the power of its Drive + Play system to add a twist (literally). With a suggested retail price of $599, the 810 faces stiff competition from Garmin, Magellan and TomTom. The question is, can the 810 handle the heat? Read on.
Table of Contents
- Specifications
- Features
- Harman/Kardon's Product Line: Meet the 310, 510, and 810
- What's in the box (Unboxing)
- Mounting the Harman/Kardon 810 GPS in the Car
- Harman/Kardon's Map Screen
- Finding An Address
- Finding A Point of Interest
- Bluetooth (hands-free) Operation
- Multimedia Capabilities
- Wireless Remote
- Pros
- Cons
- Conclusion
1. Specifications
- GPS receiver: SiRF StarIII
- Preloaded with maps of the United States and Canada (Tele Atlas)
- 4.3" WQVGA touchscreen display
- Operating system: Microsoft Windows CE Net 5.0
- CPU: Centrality Atlas II Dual Core
- Power supply: Rechargeable lithium-polymer battery
- Battery life: Up to 4 hours
- Interface: USB
- Wireless technology: Bluetooth
- Traffic receiver: Integrated
- Dimensions: 4.8 x 2.9 x 0.7 inches (W x H x D)
- Weight: 8 ounces
- System requirements: Windows 2000/ME/XP; CD-ROM drive; available USB port; SD/MMC card reader recommended
- External memory: SD card (4 GB)
2. Features
- Listen to music while navigating
- High-speed 2D/3D navigation
- Turn-by-turn maps and spoken directions in your choice of 17 languages
- Text-to-Speech (TTS) announces road and highway names (English only)
- Traffic Message Channel (TMC) provides real-time traffic information (antenna and built-in receiver included; subscription required for service - 90-day, free trial included)
- Specify shortest, fastest, highway or non-toll routes
- Navigation prompts appear as needed during music playback
- Fast route recalculation in the event of detours or wrong turns
- Preloaded maps of the U.S. and Canada (additional maps can be purchased at www.guideandplay.com)
- Plays MP3/AAC/WMA audio formats
- Image viewer displays JPEG, BMP and GIF formats up to 4096 x 3072 pixels
- SD/SDHC card slot (card not included)
- Windows Media® DRM 10 decoding for compatibility with music and video subscription services
- Browse by artist, album, genre, song or playlist
- Displays ID3 tags for artist, title and album
- Displays album artwork
- Dual microphones and noise-canceling system
- Displays phone call information on map screen while navigating
3. Harman/Kardon's Product Line: Meet the 310, 510, and 810
Harman/Kardon Feature Matrix
|
310 |
510 |
810 |
Screen Size |
4.3" |
4.3" |
4.3" |
Map coverage |
US (lower 48 states) |
North America (excluding Mexico) |
North America (excluding Mexico) |
POIs |
12 million |
12 million |
12 million |
Text to Speech |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Bluetooth |
No |
No |
Yes |
Wireless Remote |
No |
No |
Yes |
Retail Price |
$299 |
$399 |
$599 |
It's a nice touch from HK that the entire product line has text-to-speech and a whopping 12-million POIs. While the 310 and 510 are practically the same unit with some feature differences, the 810 is in its own realm. The 810 adds a lot more features, has a different form factor and includes the wireless remote.
