The Harman/Kardon Enchant 1300 is a 5.0 soundbar that's advertised to have 13 channels, but it really has a mix of 13 speakers and tweeters. We confirmed it's a 5.0 bar through our testing files, which send signals to specific channels to determine the true number of channels. It also comes with built-in Multibeam technology that's advertised to help create a more immersive surround sound experience. Out-of-the-box, it has a slightly bass-heavy sound profile that adds some extra punch to your audio, and there are even a few sound enhancement features available to help you customize its sound. However, it struggles to reproduce a thumpy low-bass, which can be disappointing for fans of bass-heavy music and action-packed movies. You can purchase a subwoofer separately, but we don't currently test for this.
Our Verdict
The Harman/Kardon Enchant 1300 is satisfactory for mixed usage. Out-of-the-box, it has a slightly bass-heavy sound profile that adds a little extra punch to the mix while still reproducing clear and accurate vocals and dialogue. There are a few sound enhancement features to help you customize its sound, though it still struggles to reproduce a rumbling low-bass, which can be disappointing for fans of bass-heavy genres. Also, it doesn't support Dolby Atmos content, and it doesn't offer a very immersive surrounds experience.
-
Gets loud.
-
Bass adjustment feature.
-
Doesn't support Dolby Atmos.
-
Lacks low-bass.
The Harman/Kardon Enchant 1300 is very good for dialogue-centric content like TV shows. Thanks to its dedicated center channel and balanced mid-range, it can reproduce vocals clearly and accurately. There's also a dialogue enhancement feature available to help make voices sound more clear and crisp. It gets pretty loud, too, and you can easily stream podcasts from your phone to the bar wirelessly via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Chromecast built-in.
-
Gets loud.
-
Dialogue enhancement feature.
-
Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Chromecast built-in capabilities.
-
Doesn't support Apple AirPlay.
The Harman/Kardon Enchant 1300 is good for music. Out-of-the-box, it has a slightly bass-heavy sound profile that adds a little extra punch and warmth to your audio. You can also use the bass adjustment feature as well as the EQ presets to help customize its sound more to your liking. Unfortunately, it struggles to reproduce a thumpy low-bass, which can be disappointing if you like bass-heavy genres like EDM. However, you can purchase a dedicated subwoofer separately, though we don't test for this.
-
Gets loud.
-
Bass adjustment feature.
-
Lacks low-bass.
The Harman/Kardon Enchant 1300 is fair for movies. Out-of-the-box, it has a slightly bass-heavy sound profile that can still reproduce dialogue clearly thanks to its balanced mid-range. However, it struggles to reproduce a thumpy low-bass, so you don't feel the deep rumbles in action-packed scenes. It doesn't support Dolby Atmos content, and it doesn't have dedicated surround speakers, so surround content doesn't sound as clear and real. On the upside, it does get pretty loud.
-
Gets loud.
-
Bass adjustment feature.
-
Doesn't support Dolby Atmos.
-
Lacks low-bass.
- 7.3 Mixed Usage
- 7.8 Dialogue/TV Shows
- 7.5 Music
- 6.9 Movies
- Updated Apr 13, 2021: Updated 5.1 PCM via Full HDMI In to 'Yes'.
- Updated Apr 13, 2021: Review published.
- Updated Apr 08, 2021: Early access published.
- Updated Apr 05, 2021: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Apr 02, 2021: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
- Updated Mar 31, 2021: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
- Updated Mar 27, 2021: The product has won our suggestion poll, so we'll buy and test it soon.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Harman/Kardon 1300 Soundbar comes in 'Graphite', and you can see the label for the model we tested here.
If you come across another version, let us know in the discussions so we can update our review.
Compared To Other Soundbars
The Harman/Kardon 1300 Soundbar is a 5.0 setup that you can upgrade by purchasing a subwoofer separately. It has built-in Multibeam technology that's advertised to help create a more immersive surround sound. However, it lacks dedicated surround speakers, so it doesn't sound as clear and real as some of the other setups we've tested. It also has a room correction feature that automatically optimizes its audio reproduction based on the room you're listening in.
See also the best soundbars, the best soundbars for music, and the best soundbars for movies.
The Sonos Arc is better soundbar than the Harman/Kardon Enchant 1300. The Sonos has a more neutral sound profile out-of-the-box with a more extended low-bass. It also supports Dolby Atmos, unlike the Harman/Kardon. That said, the Harman/Kardon offers more wireless playback options, comes with three Full HDMI In ports, and supports high-quality passthrough. You can also upgrade both setups with a subwoofer, and you can also see the results for the Sonos Arc with Sub + One SL Speakers.
Depending on your listening habits, you may prefer the Harman/Kardon Enchant 1300 or the Sonos Beam (Gen 2). The Harman/Kardon gets louder with less compression at max volume. It also has more physical inputs, including a Full HDMI In port for high-quality passthrough. That said, the Sonos' better-built, more compact design may be preferable for some users. It also supports Atmos content, unlike the Harman/Kardon.
The Bose Smart Soundbar 900 with Speakers + Bass Module is better than the Harman/Kardon Enchant 1300. While the Harman/Kardon is good for music and dialogue-centric content like TV shows, the Bose offers a more versatile overall performance. It's a better choice for movies, as it supports Atmos content and has better surround and soundstage performances. It also comes with a dedicated sub and satellites, and it can reproduce a more extended low-bass.
The Samsung HW-Q700A is better than the Harman/Kardon Enchant 1300 for most uses. The Samsung is a 3.1.2 setup with a dedicated sub. It can reproduce a more extended low-bass, and unlike the Harman/Kardon, it supports Dolby Atmos content. However, the 5.0 Harman/Kardon has better soundstage and surround performances. If you want a standalone bar for surround content, it's still a solid choice.
The Harman/Kardon Enchant 1300 and the Sonos Beam have similar overall performances, so depending on your listening habits, you may prefer one over the other. The Harman/Kardon offers a better surround performance and comes with EQ presets for sound customization. It also has three Full HDMI In ports and more wireless playback options. You can also use it for high-quality passthrough. However, some users may prefer the Sonos' more compact design, voice assistant support, and neutral default sound profile. It also comes with an app, unlike the Harman/Kardon.
The JBL Bar 9.1 is a better soundbar than the Harman/Kardon Enchant 1300. The JBL comes with a dedicated sub and satellite speakers, and it reproduces a more extended low-bass. It has a better surround performance, and unlike the Harman/Kardon, it supports Dolby Atmos content. It also supports more wireless playback options.
The standalone Bose Smart Soundbar 900 is better than the Harman/Kardon Enchant 1300. The Bose is better built. Unlike the Harman/Kardon, it supports Dolby Atmos content and offers built-in voice assistant capabilities. That said, only the Harman/Kardon has a Full HDMI In port for high-quality passthrough. It also has a few more sound enhancement features, like EQ presets.
The Harman/Kardon Enchant 1300 is a slightly better soundbar than the Bose Smart Soundbar 700. The Harman/Kardon offers better surrounds performance and more sound enhancement features. It also comes with three Full HDMI In ports and supports high-quality passthrough. However, the Bose is better built, and its default sound profile is more neutral. You can also upgrade both bars with a subwoofer, and you can also see the results for the Bose Smart Soundbar 700 with Speakers + Bass Module.
The Samsung HW-Q950A is better than the Harman/Kardon Enchant 1300. The Samsung comes with a dedicated sub that helps reproduce a more extended low-bass. Unlike the Harman/Kardon, it supports Atmos content and has built-in voice assistant capabilities. It also has a better surrounds performance and a graphic EQ for sound customization. That said, the Harman/Kardon is better-built with a better stereo soundstage.
The Samsung HW-Q600A is better than the Harman/Kardon Enchant 1300. Thanks to its dedicated subwoofer, the Samsung can reproduce more of the thump and rumble in your audio. It also supports Dolby Atmos content. As for sound enhancement features, the Samsung has a graphic EQ, whereas the Harman/Kardon has room correction. That said, the 5.0 Harman/Kardon has better soundstage and surround performances.
The Samsung HW-Q950T is better than the Harman/Kardon Enchant 1300. The Samsung is a 9.1.4 setup with a dedicated sub that helps reproduce a more extended low-bass. It supports Dolby Atmos content, and it has a better surrounds performance. It also gets louder, and it has a graphic EQ and built-in voice assistant support. That said, the 5.0 Harman/Kardon is better-built with room correction. It also has a better soundstage.
Depending on your listening habits, you may prefer either the Harman/Kardon Enchant 1300 or the JBL Bar 5.0 MultiBeam. The Harman/Kardon has a better soundstage performance, and it gets louder. However, the JBL supports Atmos content, and it also has more wireless playback options.
The Samsung HW-Q800A is better than the Harman/Kardon Enchant 1300. The Samsung comes with a dedicated sub that helps reproduce a more extended-low bass. Unlike the Harman/Kardon, it has built-in voice assistant capabilities and it supports Dolby Atmos content. Also, it comes with a graphic EQ to help you customize its sound. That said, the 5.0 Harman/Kardon has better soundstage and surround performances, as well as a room correction feature.
The Harman/Kardon Enchant 1300 is a slightly better soundbar overall than the Sonos Playbar. The Harman/Kardon offers a better surround performance, and it has EQ presets for sound customization. It also has three Full HDMI In ports and supports more wireless playback options. You can also use it for high-quality passthrough.
The Samsung HW-Q900A is better than the Harman/Kardon Enchant 1300. The Samsung is a 7.1.2 setup with a dedicated subwoofer. Unlike the Harman/Kardon, it supports Dolby Atmos content and has built-in voice assistant capabilities. It gets louder, and it has more sound enhancement features like a graphic EQ. It also reproduces a more extended low-bass. That said, the 5.0 Harman/Kardon is better built with a better soundstage.
Test Results
The Harman/Kardon Enchant 1300 has a sleek design. There's a tight fabric covering on the front and most of the back of the bar, and the top and the sides have an aluminum feel. The bottom of the bar is made of plastic.
This soundbar doesn't come with a subwoofer; however, you can purchase one separately.
The Harman/Kardon 1300 is quite large, so it likely can't fit between the legs of your 55" TV. On the upside, it isn't very tall, so it shouldn't block your TV screen unless your TV sits flush on the table.
On the back of the bar, there are a few openings for the inputs and the power cable. There are also proprietary mounts so you can mount it on your wall, and the brackets and screws are included.
The Harman/Kardon Enchant 1300 has an impressive build quality. The fabric covering the front and the back is tight and doesn't seem like it could rip easily. The top and the sides have an aluminum feel, which seems solid, but unfortunately is also prone to collecting fingerprints over time.
- Manuals
- Mounting template
- Remote with 2xAA batteries
- Mounting brackets and screws
- AUX cable
- Optical cable
- HDMI cable
- Power cable
The Harman/Kardon Enchant 1300 has a decent stereo frequency response. With its Automatic Multibeam Calibration room correction feature turned on, this soundbar has a slightly bass-heavy sound profile that adds a little extra punch and warmth to your mixes. However, it struggles to reproduce a thumpy low-bass, which can be disappointing for fans of bass-heavy music or action-packed movies. It also comes with a bass adjustment feature and several EQ presets to help you customize its sound more to your liking.
With its room correction feature turned on and the bass adjustment set to -4, the Harman/Kardon 1300 has a decent stereo frequency response. It reproduces a very neutral sound profile that's suitable for listening to lots of different types of audio content. However, it still struggles to reproduce a deep, thumpy low-bass, which can be disappointing if you like to feel the rumbles in bass-heavy music.
The Harman/Kardon Enchant 1300 has a great stereo soundstage performance. The soundstage is perceived to be bigger than the table. Audio sounds a bit processed and mixed to make the soundstage seem bigger, but it doesn't sound too unnatural. It also has very good focus, so objects seem to come from an accurate, pinpoint location rather than a general area.
The Harman/Kardon Enchant 1300 has a great stereo dynamics performance. It can get loud without a lot of compression at max volume, so it's suitable for listening to audio at parties and in large rooms.
The Harman/Kardon Enchant 1300's stereo THD performance is decent. Distortion falls within good limits at normal listening volumes, resulting in clear and pure audio reproduction. However, there's a jump in distortion when you play the bar at max volume. This may not be very noticeable with real-life content, though.
The Harman/Kardon Enchant 1300 has an excellent center channel performance. This 5.0 setup offers a discrete center channel, which helps to more clearly and accurately reproduce voices in dialogue-centric content like TV shows. Though it struggles to reproduce low-bass, this shouldn't be too noticeable, since there typically isn't a lot of low-bass in audio content played on the center channel.
The Harman/Kardon Enchant 1300 has a passable surrounds performance. It uses its front and side-firing speakers to create phantom localization. Unfortunately, this doesn't sound as clear and real as discrete surround speakers, so objects in the soundstage like voices and footsteps may not be clearly and accurately represented. These objects are perceived as coming from in front of you, rather than from all around you.
For a soundbar that supports Atmos content, check out the JBL Bar 5.0 MultiBeam.
This soundbar has a mediocre selection of sound enhancement features. It comes with a room correction feature called Automatic Multibeam Calibration, which automatically optimizes the audio reproduction based on the unique acoustic characteristics of the room you're listening in. It also offers five EQ presets to help you customize its sound: 'Standard', 'Music', 'Movie', 'Voice', and 'Personal'. The 'Personal' preset is a customizable preset, and you can store up to five different presets on the remote by adjusting the bass to your desired level. However, it lacks more robust sound customization features, such as a graphic EQ.
The Harman/Kardon Enchant 1300 has several physical inputs, including three Full HDMI In ports that let you use the bar as a hub between different devices. There's also an AUX port, so you can wire older devices and smartphones to the bar to play audio.
The Harman/Kardon Enchant 1300 Soundbar supports Dolby Digital via ARC, which is commonly found on Blu-ray discs and streaming platforms. However, it doesn't support DTS. While sound was playing from the bar during our DTS tests, the bar displays that it's playing PCM content instead of DTS.
Update 04/13/2021: After retesting the bar with a different HDMI splitter, we confirmed that the bar supports 5.1 PCM.
The Harman/Kardon Enchant 1300 has satisfactory audio format support via Full HDMI In. It supports more common formats like Dolby Digital and DTS, which are found on Blu-ray discs and streaming platforms. However, it doesn't support more premium surround sound formats like Dolby Digital Plus and DTS:X.
The Harman/Kardon Enchant 1300 supports both Dolby Digital and DTS content via Optical. These formats are commonly found on Blu-ray discs and streaming platforms.
The Harman/Kardon Enchant 1300 has an amazing latency performance. It has low latency over its ARC, Optical, and Full HDMI In ports, so video and audio are in sync, making it suitable for watching videos and movies. However, some apps and some TVs compensate for latency differently, so your real-world experience may vary.
The Harman/Kardon 1300 has incredible wireless playback connectivity. You can wirelessly stream audio from your phone or your tablet to the bar over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, and it also supports Chromecast built-in. However, it doesn't support Apple AirPlay, which can be disappointing for listeners with Apple smartphones.
The Harman/Kardon 1300 can passthrough the highest quality signals. When connected between your PC and your TV, text on the screen looks clear and crisp.
The Harman/Kardon Enchant 1300 has a small display screen. It shows all the settings that you change, as well as the inputs and the volume level. You can also have it display the firmware version by pressing a sequence of buttons on the remote.
On top of the bar, there are a few physical controls. You can use them to turn the bar on and off, adjust the volume, and change the inputs.
This soundbar has a fairly simple remote that lets you control all of the bar's functions. You can use the Sound Mode button to switch between the five EQ presets: ' Standard', 'Music', 'Movie', 'Voice', and 'Personal'. The five preset buttons on the remote are for the Personal Presets, which you can program yourself by changing the bass adjustment to the desired level.
The Harman/Kardon Enchant 1300 doesn't have a dedicated companion app. However, you can use the Google Home app to set up the bar and connect it to Wi-Fi. The Google Home app also lets you complete firmware updates, cast to the bar with Chromecast built-in, and adjust the bar's volume level.