CES: Harman Kardon adds soundbar and streaming services to Omni wireless speaker range

We originally reported on Harman Kardon's Omni system at last year's IFA show in Berlin. Until now the range has consisted of a couple of wireless speakers (the Omni 10 and 20), and a wireless adapter. A soundbar seems the obvious route to go, bringing Omni in line with similar systems from the likes of Sonos, LG and Samsung.

The Omni Bar connects to a TV through standard optical or HDMI connections, but it also hooks up to your home wi-fi network. It's controlled and configured using Harman Kardon's own Controller App.

Used as part of an Omni system, the Bar allows you to stream the same audio (including TV audio) to the rest of the Omni speakers in your set-up. As with the rest of the Omni family, the bar also supports playback of 24-bit/96kHz high-resolution audio files.

The Omni Bar's wireless subwoofer comes with its own floor stand, but there's also the option for wall-mounting and Harman claims it's even compact enough to be hidden under a sofa or chair.

Harman Kardon has also announced that its Omni wireless music system is going to be made compatible with Tidal, Qobuz, Tunein, Rhapsody and Juke music streaming services. All of the new additions are expected to be made available in April 2015.

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Andy Madden

Andy is Deputy Editor of What Hi-Fi? and a consumer electronics journalist with nearly 20 years of experience writing news, reviews and features. Over the years he's also contributed to a number of other outlets, including The Sunday Times, the BBC, Stuff, and BA High Life Magazine. Premium wireless earbuds are his passion but he's also keen on car tech and in-car audio systems and can often be found cruising the countryside testing the latest set-ups. In his spare time Andy is a keen golfer and gamer.