Sleek looks, smooth sounds – Harman/Kardon Soho

The Harman/Kardon Soho evokes the style and class of the Lower Manhattan neighborhood and delivers surprisingly good quality audio. We list below how this pair of cans helped satisfy our ear candy lust.

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• The Soho takes on an angular design approach with square ear cups and leather headband. And despite being lightweight, the headphones feel solidly built. However, the white model might need to be cleaned constantly to avoid the headband and cords from getting too dirty.
• These headphones feature a hinged structure that allows you to fold the cups and place them flat against the bow for easy storage. The hinges don’t look like they would easily break even if you swing the ear cushions for 180° in either direction or when you flip the cushions up against the headband.
• The cords attach to each earpiece and are hidden underneath the detachable cushions. While some might find the extra step cumbersome, the design aspect offers a bit of security for people who tend to accidentally rip the cord out of the 2.5mm port attached to the headphones.
• The headphones pack in a lot of punch with powerful bass response. The lows remain full and without distortion even at high volumes. It doesn’t sound overboosted and it doesn’t muddle the highs or midtones as much either. But there seems to be a lack of definition for the highs and mids. We’d recommend this for those who fancy electronic dance music or other bass heavy genres.
• Since these are supra-aural headphones, the Soho won’t be able to block out noise and prevent minimal sound leaks. It is, however, comfortable for extended use. But suppress the urge to headbang as the headband has a tendency to get dislodged rather easily.
• The unit we reviewed is made specifically for Apple iPhone, iPod, and iPad devices. The in-line microphone/remote/volume control adds the convenience of switching tracks, raising or lowering the volume, and answering calls without having to take out the device out of your bag or pocket. If you plan on using this with other non-Apple devices, the remote only works to play music and answer calls.

The verdict:

The Harman/Kardon Soho is one truly classy pair of headphones with great sound. But the premium price might leave potential buyers on the fence.

Price: P9,990

Spec sheet:

Dynamic drivers: 30mm

Frequency response: 16 Hz-20 kHz

Impedance: 32Ω

Max input power: 30 mW

Sensitivity: 100 dB @ 1kHz / 1 mW

Audio jack: 2 x 3.5mm stereo plug (1 with remote, 1 without remote)

Other features: In-line mic/remote/volume control for one of the cords