Digitaltrends – Harman Kardon Sabre SB 35

Product Description

Out of the box
Pulling the bar from its cardboard home revealed a sinewy silver fin, covered with a smooth speaker screen at the front, and a good selection of inputs buried within a cubby on the rear. The unit felt fairly stout as we positioned its 5.7-pound frame onto its skeletal aluminum stand, and setting it in place angled the bar ever so slightly upward.

The wireless subwoofer really sets the tone for progressive design; its thin rectangular disc recalled images of a TV room from Blade Runner. Curvy airports peek out of the center section of the cabinet, dividing a firm plastic face on the one side, and an open driver under a protected speaker screen on the other.

As we examined the back panel of the bar, we noticed the standard fare: a power port, a digital optical port and 3.5mm Aux input, as well as an input for an IR blaster. The right side boasts a more progressive input configuration, trading standard HDMI ports for a trio of space-saving micro-HDMI inputs, along with a micro-HDMI output port for TV connection.

We were impressed by how much space the micro HDMI ports saved – until we got our hands on the accessories. Digging through the box uncovered only a single HDMI to mico-HDMI cable. For the average user, that means that after throwing down a grand on the Sabre, a separate trip is still required to purchase a bounty of new cables for system setup. Other accessories in the box included an RCA-to-3.5mm cable, a digital optical cable, an IR transmitter cable, and a sleek little silver-backed remote.
Features and design
Cable woes aside, HK’s new Sabre is one of the sexiest sound bars we’ve laid eyes on. The black and silver color scheme is chic and modern, and the unit looks fantastic beneath a flat screen. As for the subwoofer, no one will know it’s a subwoofer. While most subs are designed for condemnation to the corner, HK’s little unit looks like it belongs on a desktop feeding a hi-res monitor. Anywhere you place it, including on the wall, will satisfy.

The sub sits 18-inches high by 15-inches on its broad side, while the slim center section is a mere 3.3 inches across. The cabinet is heavier than it looks, weighing in at almost 13 pounds – a hefty load for a wall-mount. A tiny 4.5-inch driver rests inside the cabinet, which likely utilizes some form of sympathetic radiator configuration, though Harman Kardon does not specify as such. The sub is powered by a claimed 100 watts of juice, and offers a phase control switch, a pairing button, and a crossover dial that runs from 0-250 Hz.