Bluetooth speakers have become such a hit these days
especially with the rise of music and video streaming apps. Indeed, the ability
to wirelessly control and project your music library has in a way created a
niche that a lot of audio equipment manufacturers are trying to get a piece of.
Harman Kardon, being one of the most established brands in
the audio equipment industry has of course created several versions of the
Bluetooth speaker. In fact, the company already has several iterations of the wireless
speaker from high performance wireless speaker systems to portable versions that
double as power banks.
Over the past couple of weeks, I got the chance to test
drive one of Harman Kardon’s portable Bluetooth speakers – the Esquire 2 and put
it to its paces. If you’re on the hunt for a wireless speaker but want to
distinguish yourself from the rest of the crowd, read on and check whether the
Esquire 2 is the best product for you.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX
For the hefty price tag it commands, the box of the Esquire
2 is a bit uninspiring, well at least on the outside. The exterior of the box
is clad with various signages and images of the device as well as text
description of its features in different languages.
Opening the box, involves lifting two flaps of cardboard.
The insides of the box is padded with black high-density foam, which cradles
all the contents of the box in a secure manner. Apart from the Esquire 2, the
box also contains a micro USB charging cable (no wall adapter) and the usual
mix of paper work including a quick start guide and important safety
instructions booklet.
DESIGN AND
CONSTRUCTION
Harman Kardon has long been known for producing top notch
audio products with premium build materials and design. The Esquire 2 is definitely
not exempted from this tradition. The speaker is bound by a metal band with
chamfered edges both at the front and at the back. The back panel of the
Esquire 2 seems to be made from leather while the speaker grill at the front is
made from high-grade plastic.
There’s also a chrome-plated kickstand at the back with a
strip of rubber at one end to prevent the stand from slipping. Correspondingly,
there are two rubber feet located at the bottom portion of the speaker to keep
the speaker in place when on a flat surface.
The Esquire 2 also features several LED lights that work as
indicator lights for various statuses. On one hand, there are five LED lights at
the left side of the speaker which shows the battery level of the Esquire 2.
There’s also a multi-color LED light at the front of the device which shows a
different color depending on its status – white when the device is turned on,
blue when the speaker is paired or is pairing with another device, green when a
call is active or is ringing and red when the call is on mute.
Looking at the top of the device, you’ll find a plethora of
buttons that of course controls various functions of the speaker. At the far
left, there are four buttons: power, Bluetooth, the call answer and mute button;
while a volume rocker sits at the opposite end.
The right side of the device is where you’ll find its trio
of ports, namely the charging port, an aux port and finally a USB port as the
Esquire 2 also doubles as a portable power bank that can charge other devices.
Finally, the Esquire speakers also features four microphones that are placed at
each corner at the front of the speaker making it a great device for office conference
rooms.
Overall, the design and construction of the Esquire 2 is
mostly intended for those with sophisticated tastes. The device fits well in
specific spaces like conference rooms or formal living rooms and probably is
suitable for company execs and professionals who are into high-end audio
equipment, which is essentially Harman Kardon’s target market.
USER EXPERIENCE &
SOUND QUALITY
Just like any other Bluetooth speaker, the Harman Kardon
Esquire 2 connects to smart devices without much effort. Once the device is on,
a user simply needs to press the pairing button at the top and use the
Bluetooth settings in their phone or tablet to pair with the speaker.
Once paired, the Esquire 2 becomes an extension of the device
churning out audio for the phone, tablet or laptop. Moreover, since the speaker
also comes with four microphones, it also works as an audio input device
allowing users to utilize the Esquire 2 when making audio or video calls.
In terms of audio quality, I was pleasantly surprised with
the quality of the sound coming out of the Esquire 2. Even when the speaker is
on full blast, I didn’t notice that much sound distortion compared to other
speakers. Moreover, in contrast to other Bluetooth speakers in the market, the
Esquire 2 focuses on delivering crisp audio instead of the usual bass boost.
Speaking of audio levels, the Esquire 2 is able to generate
a considerable amount of boom. I tried cranking the volume up to the maximum
level and my phone’s audio meter registered over 60dB. It’s worth noting that
even at this level, the sound coming from the speakers are still clear and
crisp with minimal quality loss.
EXTRA FEATURES AND
BATTERY LIFE
Apart from playing tunes and acting as a conference room gadget,
the Esquire 2 is also a portable power source. A USB port is located at the right
side of the speakers which users can use to top-off their smartphone or tablet.
Theoretically, the 3200mAh battery on the device is enough
to fully charge a decent-size smartphone, however, this theory is doesn’t really
work well in practice since the sound drivers also draw power from this battery.
It was quite difficult to accurately test how well the speaker was at charging
other devices but I wouldn’t recommend users relying on this device in a power
emergency.
Finally, when it comes to longevity, the Esquire 2 was able
to last for days on moderate use. According to the package, the device is able
to go for 8 hours of continuous playback, which is quite respectable especially
for a Bluetooth device.
As for charging time, one can expect the device to be fully
charged in less than two hours depending on the type of charger they are using.
FINAL WORDS
To sum it all up, I find the Harman Kardon Esquire 2, quite
an enjoyable device to listen to. I really like the design language that the
company used in the construction of this product. In terms of looks and appeal,
I can clearly see this device harmoniously living with other premium gadgets in
an executive’s office.
I also like that it has the ability to charge other devices.
Although its ability to share power to other devices is quite useful, it doesn’t
make it a replacement for your full-fledged power banks. Nonetheless, it’s a
feature that’s quite welcome.
The quad-microphone feature is also nifty, although I think
it’s a component that a lot of people will take advantage of (especially here
in the Philippines). But then again, it’s nice that Harman Kardon included it.
For around Php10,995 (or around $199.95 on Harman Kardon’s
US website), the Harman Kardon Esquire 2 is not a cheap buy. This particular model
of Bluetooth speakers will most likely be owned by a high-level executive, who
takes this device in his “jetsetter” lifestyle taking conference calls in
different parts of the world.
As for the rest of us, it’s something we’d like to include
in our dream board of gadgets we want to own, when we make it to the big league
or if we ever won the lottery. It is for this reason that I highly recommend
the Esquire 2 – that is, if you can afford it.
- JBL Sound Gallery – B3 Bonifacio High Street (beside TGIFriday’s and Happy Lemon), 799-9344
- JBL Acoustical Space – 4th Floor SM Megamall Cyberzone, 919-6012
- JBL Digital Dreams – 4th Floor SM North EDSA Annex, 738-2554
- JBL / Harman Kardon Level 3 Mindanao Wing TriNoma
- JBL / Harman Kardon 3rd Floor Fairview Terraces
- A.Refinery Level 2, UP Town Center
- A.Refinery Level 3, Ayala Center Cebu
- A. Refinery Level 2, Abreza Ayala Mall
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