Home > Consumer Reviews > JBL Harmony CD Personal Music System

I purchased a Harmony about five months ago to replace my venerable Proton clock radio. The good news is that Harmony has a great sound that can fill a small room pretty well. A lot of small systems are thin in the bass and treble at low volume(like when you want to fall asleep to music) but Harmony sounds rich and full even at very low volume settings. The radio has good FM sensitivty and selectivity with the included diapole. The CD player has a nice feel to the transport and works well. You can play a CD from front to back in order, or use a random play feature, but you can't program tracks. Also, the unit sounds good in stereo mode and gives a good stereo image (although not as good as separate speakers) especially if placed across a corner. The small remote also works well.

The bad news is that the display is crappy. It is small, as to some features it is so small that I can't imagine why anyone would have desiged them this way. The alarm settings,for example are about 6 points -- one half the size of this type -- and very hard to read. The display is impossible to read in bright daylight and you cannot tell at a glance what the settings are. On the plus side, it has dual alarms and a good snooze feature.

Pictures can be deceiving and I was relieved to see when I opend the package that the unit is very good looking, stylish, and looks like a quality hi fi component.

I am happy with the sound and the features. If you are over 40 or wear glasses, think twice about this unit because you will not be able to see the display unless the room is somewhat dim and you will need glasses to set the alarm function or to see the second tier of features.

The JBL Harmony certainly has quite a good sound quality for its size. The fact that the display is not that good hasn't been a problem at all since I just put my cheep digital clock next to it. The sound balance of this system tends to select the type of music it can play well. Popular/rock music sound best on this system since it has a powerful bass. Although I might be demanding too much for this price range, classical music does not sound good. In general, the cymbals sound cheep, or rather, the bass is sometimes too powerful that it tends to cover up the details. I sometimes got the impression that the music was flat and not very interesting. Jazz is inbetween rock and classical music.

If you are in college and don't want to be carrying huge boxes every year when you move out during the summertime, this is the product you want within this price range. If you are looking for good sound and you don't mind the capacity, I recommend that you rather assemble a system by yourself.

Great sound at all levels. Small size with big sound. Perfect for small rooms. Display is a drawback. A high end clock radio better used as a stereo than the clock and alarm functions.

I agree with the other reviewers. For a relatively small audio system (or should I dare say clock radio? ), the sound quality is exceptional. It has a warmth and depth that cannot be matched with comparable systems. The display is a disappointment but not as bad as I had expected when I read the reviews prior to the purchase. The design is sleek and elegant. Overall, coupled with the price...it is an exceptional value. I intend to buy a second one!

I'm not an audiophile, but I can tell to anyone how goooood it sounds!! After its brake-in period, the sound became spacious, crisp and clear. Originally was a little bit stiff. Good things: solid. Well built. It has CLASS and presence. It has 2 JBL speakers pumping 10 watts each. 20 Watts coming from the integrated subwoofer. I love its bass! It's tight, cozy, espectacular and clear. VERY unusual quality of sound for its price. I even hooked up a single tape deck to it, and I listen also to my tapes while in bed. I have also cranked it up several times, including with the Beethoven's 9th and the crazy sounddtrack from A Clockwork Orange. It came out impervious!! What a puppy!! The JBL Harmony is a very versatil: dual ALARM CLOCK, AM/FM RADIO/CD PLAYER and a very decent ornament in the table bed too. It's so good in sound reproduction that people entering the room will be surprised the sound is coming from such a little thing!! Its sound will make you think it came out of an expensive component turned on and hidden somewhere in your bedroom. I'm not going to get into the technical data. I'll let you check it up by yourself under "explore this item". I'm just telling you how tremendous value it is and how beautifully it sounds. THERE IS NOTHING IN THE MARKET THAT CAN COMPETE WITH THIS PUPPY IN QUALITY, CRAFTMANSHIP, SOUND AND VALUE FOR THE MONEY.
On the bad side: Display cannot be read from 2 ft away. You hardly can tell what track is being played even by getting closer than one foot to check it out and you can't even tell what time it is from the other side of your bed. The remote is non-illuminated. No treble/bass controls whatsoever, but it's functional when you can see its markings to activate its functions. You will love it!!