A Stylish Step Back In Time

Of all the devices I've tested out over the years, few exude sheer class and performance like those from Harman/Kardon. HK has always mastered the knack of creating something that looks like a work of art, yet still works - often better than anything else on the market.

In saying that, until now my Harman/Kardon experiences have been exclusively about speakers - not headphones or earbuds. Now, with the introduction of its new FLY range, that's all changed.

The moment I unboxed the Harman/Kardon FLY BT, I experienced an acute sense of deja vu. Many years ago, back in the mists of time, I used to run more regularly and a lot further than I do now. Decent earbuds were essential in order to distract myself from the fact I was exercising. But this was before bluetooth was really a thing and so you used to have to connect your earbuds to your phone via a cable. I know kids, pretty crazy. To make this work while running involved a very specific tucking of that cable into a combination of my hat, my shirt and my arm-band. If I got all that just right, I could just about do 10kms without one or both of my buds falling out.

Then a real revolution happened; "wireless" earbuds made possible via bluetooth connectivity. These were actually only semi-wireless - no cable from buds to phone anymore but they were still lashed together with a wire - usually to be worn behind the neck.

This was a massive improvement, although nothing like the freedom about to be offered by the "True Wireless" buds to come.

Yet here, in 2022, I was again looking at a pair of bluetooth earbuds connected to each other by a wire. How quaint.

It must be said, on the FLY BT, that wire is not particularly wire-like - its woven fabric and thinness making it seem more like a piece of black string. HK claims the cable is anti-tangle and that certainly seems to be so, which is just as well given it all squashes into a very small, flat, square, soft case that will easily slip into your pocket, leaving narry a visible bulge.

Like other earphones I've tried in a similar form factor, the mic, charging port and on-board controls are to be found in a small plastic box dangling just below the left earbud. This obviously leads to certain issues with unbalanced fit but we'll come to that shortly. The real shock here was when I discovered the FLY BT charges via microUSB - not USB-C like pretty much every other device in the world these days.

This is a real pain because it means you need an extra charging cable wherever you go.

Yes, the FLY BT will play for up to eight hours on a full charge but you'll still have to plug it in eventually. I do like the little warning beeps that play occasionally when the battery gets low though - not too intrusive - more like a polite reminder.

Let's get back to how these earbuds fit - not only is there a little bit of extra weight on the lefthand side because of the control unit but the buds simply don't stay in - not in my ears, anyway. There are three sizes of soft tips included and when you choose the right size, they offer a reasonable level of passive noise cancellation which is usually crucial for decent bass response.

But despite the IPX5 water/sweat resistance rating, there's no way I'm going to be wearing these running ever again. They were perhaps the least secure earbuds I've ever worn - certainly in the last five years anyway.

Which might explain why the people pictured on the HK website aren't in exercise gear, they're in business wear.

Ironically, the two buds on the FLY BT can magnetise together when not in use, keeping them secure around your neck - just not in your ears.

So they look good but fit badly. I guess I might be able to forgive them if they sound absolutely amazing.

They sound absolutely amazing. 

"Must've Been Something" by Lake Street Dive is a bravely stripped-down track, leaving Rachael Price's raspy lead vocals totally exposed for all the world to hear. The FLY BT makes it sound like she's singing directly into your brain. It doesn't get more intimate than that.

John Mayer's "Relief" is a much busier track, with his furious lead guitar riffs duelling with Pino Palladino's equally complex bass work - both of which punch through loud and clear.

And if it's sheer bass boom you're after, "Therefore I Am" by Billie Eilish clearly demonstrates just how good the Harman/Kardon sound engineers are at their job. It's a song that is basically all bass and yet there's no muffling or distortion, only one accurate and powerful deep, driving, note after another. It's really pretty impressive.

Unlike the over-ear and true-wireless options in the Harman/Kardon FLY range, there's no companion app for the FLY BT. That means no customisation options for controls or EQ. Just as well that default EQ has been tuned in a way I love - from acoustic guitar though to rock anthems, I've been consistently impressed with the accurate reproduction.

Phone call quality seems fine too. It passed my real-life testing; I never had to repeat myself to my callers, even when out walking the dog in the wind.

The FLY BT has me rather perplexed... I don't really know who it's for. The terribly insecure fit means it's definitely not for me but I can imagine business commuters would appreciate its reasonably long battery life, tiny pocket footprint, wonderful sound engineering and that oh-so-classy Harman/Kardon logo clearly visible in reflective silver on the control unit hanging from the left ear.

I just hope they don't have to run for the bus.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Harman/Kardon FLY BT.