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 October 1, 2006
Logitech Harmony 880 Universal Remote Control
Thankfully those billy-club-sized remotes have been tucked away; same with other smaller ones. What changed? A couple of months ago, a Logitech Harmony 880 arrived, and my life as an audiophile has literally not been the same. Think that's exaggeration? It's not. The Harmony 880 is among the most intelligently designed A/V products I've ever used, turning a glut of remotes into a non-issue. It's so easy to set up that I didn't need to burn a weekend figuring it out. User-friendliness and ergonomics are maximized, which minimizes time and effort. Yes, Logitech is the company well known for its computer mice. That computer-world know-how is a great advantage when it comes to making universal remotes. Logitech understands how people use such products, and they have created a lineup of remotes that replace the often-frustrating programming of macros with simple Internet access. The Harmony 880 not only fits nicely in your palm and is easily operated with your thumb, it's dead simple to set up for use with your electronics, including esoteric audio goodies like an Audio Research Reference 3 or Aurum Acoustics Integris CDP. The 880 is currently second from the top in Logitech's Harmony line. Above it is the 890, which looks identical but adds radio-frequency output for use out of sight line -- the 880 is infrared only. When the Harmony 1000 touch-screen remote begins shipping later this year, it will reside at the top of the Harmony line. One important feature of all three models, at least as far as I'm concerned, is that they are rechargeable. No more hunting for AAA batteries after you've sat down to listen and relax. The 880's sleek base station recharges the remote when it's not in use, but you won't have to worry about putting it back on its base religiously. Even with heavy button-pushing, the 880 works for weeks before it needs to be recharged. It is when you begin to configure the Harmony 880 that you will discover how truly advanced it is. Instead of having to learn how to program it, you connect it to your computer via a USB port and then access Logitech's website and its listing of products for which Harmony remotes have already been configured. The database is huge -- 5000 brands and 175,000 products. Every well-known manufacturer is represented, and for some of these there are a hundred products listed. What surprised me, though, was that the website has a great number of audiophile products listed, including some like the VLT TL-7.5 and Mark Levinson No.32 preamps, whose remotes handle most of both units' many features. When you set up your Harmony remote, you choose the devices with which you will use it -- the 880 can store command sets for up to 15 different devices in its 2MB of flash memory -- and then create activities that use the devices you've configured based on what you plan to do: watch TV, watch a DVD, or, in my case, listen to music. With the press of one button, the Harmony 880 powers up my Audio Research Reference 3 preamp and Reference CD7 CD player, sets the preamp's input, and adjusts the volume. When I switch over to the Aurum Acoustics Integris CDP, which is both a preamp and CD player, I only have to change activities and the Harmony 880 assumes control. The Logitech Harmony website saves all of the configuration information for the remote, so making adjustments is easy. The Harmony 880 has a 1 1/4" x 1 1/2" color LCD display with eight corresponding buttons that you can customize, moving commands up or down in the display or changing their labels. Modifying the way buttons work is a snap as well. Logitech's website will be useful to those of us for whom the Harmony 880 is a first universal remote, and a godsend for owners of other universal remotes that practically require a degree in computer programming to set up. Logitech's online device database is extensive, but you may own a product that's not included, or a product that's included but with a command set that is not complete. In these cases, the Harmony 880 can learn missing commands, a task the website will walk you through. Even if you don't have the remote for the product you want to control, the online database can help you track down a similar product that uses the same commands. One of the trickiest parts of configuring any universal remote is making it operate as the product's own remote does. I'm referring to how quickly the press of a button translates into a received command. Sometimes the remote lags behind the device, and other times one press turns into multiple commands. The Harmony website's context-sensitive system can help you identify how to change the action of the remote so it operates like it's original equipment.
While having six remotes at once will make you appreciate the Harmony 880 all the more, when you use it as a replacement for the remote that came with your preamp or integrated amp and CD player, you will understand its smart design. The layout is intuitive, and the buttons have just the right amount of tactile resistance. Commands always hit their mark, and you don't have to worry about dead batteries. The only downside is one you can't control: You'll probably wear out the 880's buttons long before you outgrow its capabilities. Now, whenever a new review product comes my way, the second thing I do after unboxing it is log on to the Logitech Harmony website and see if it's listed in the database. In half an hour, I can have the Harmony 880 operating just like the remote that came with the product. While the Harmony 880 won't make your precious audio system sound better, it will make it easier to use. Given the amount of money we audiophiles spend on short lengths of wire and fluids in tiny bottles, the $249 USD spent for a Harmony 880 remote is a pittance, especially when you consider that the 880 has utility outside audiophilia, controlling your TV, home-theater and lighting systems, and your entire audio system. If you have an excess of remotes lying around the house, you won't regret replacing them all with this one. I wish every electronic device worked half as well as Logitech's Harmony 880. …Marc Mickelson Logitech Harmony 880 Universal Remote Control Logitech Inc. Website: www.logitech.com/harmony
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