After writing about different technologies for over 20 years, I’m used to focusing my attention on the new, the next exciting gizmo ever-cresting over the horizon. So when one sticks with me and I end up using it for over a decade, that’s quite special—and in the case of my Harman Kardon GLA-55 PC speakers, that’s doubly true because I’ve never seen another pair of speakers like these in all my years.
Similar in style to HK’s more common Soundsticks range, the GLA-55 speakers sport the same crystal-esque aesthetic that’s emblematic of Harman Kardon’s PC sound design. They’re huge, they take up way too much space on my desk, they don’t have any kind of modern wireless connectivity, and their aesthetic doesn’t even remotely fit with the rest of my PC hardware… but I love the GLA-55 speakers to death and I have no idea what I’ll replace them with when they finally bite the dust.
The “coolest speakers ever made”
Those aren’t my words. That’s TechPowerUp’s take when these speakers debuted in the UK market toward the end of 2009. The Times called them Gadget of the Week in 2010, too.
Suffice it to say, the GLA-55 speakers made a big splash when they released over 15 years ago—and they still turn heads today. I have lots of cool tech in my home office space, and I’m particularly proud of my Uplift standing desk, but it’s these decade-plus-old speakers that get the most comments when people see them.
Jon Martindale / Foundry
I mean, look at them! They’re so over the top. They’re made from similar stuff to bulletproof glass, but they look like they’re made of crystal. It’s a unique design that I haven’t seen replicated elsewhere by anyone. They’re weird enough to look at, and they never quite blend into the background, no matter how used to them I become.
It’s not a design I even particularly care for, but they just look so impressive and they’re a real centerpiece of my home office.
Are they actually any good?
Yes! I wouldn’t have kept them this long if they weren’t.
To be honest, I didn’t actually buy them myself in the first place. They were gifted to me by an editor I used to work with, who was moving onto something better. That said, they were expensive when they came out—about $1,000 brand-new—and they still sound every bit as expensive now as they did then, 15 years on from their debut.
Harman Kardon
While the look of the GLA-55 speakers is definitely their main selling point, they back up their unique aesthetic with decent sound quality. The highs are clear and unmuddied, and the bass is impressively strong considering there’s no subwoofer. (They can handle an external sub if you feel you need it, but I never have.) The one thing they lack is support for the range of digital features you might expect on modern speakers, and they’re restricted to a 3.5mm input. But they sound excellent.
I’m no audiophile, to be fair, so I won’t pretend to have used these speakers to their full potential, nor have I compared them to studio-grade hardware. But for listening to music while I work, playing immersive games, and watching the odd movie over the years, they’ve been fantastic. They’re complete overkill for the dancey synthwave and ASMR I listen to while I work, but when I have the house to myself and I want to get something really pumping, they rise to the challenge.
Their age is slowly catching up to them
As much as I hate to admit it, these speakers aren’t going to last forever. I almost felt like I needed to write this article before it’s too late. My kids have dented some portions of the plastic drivers, and the rubber is starting to thin and fray. There’s a strange buzzing sound when I use my headphones instead and the volume is cranked too high. The bass has always been rattly and loses its clarity at high volumes, too. And they really do take up way too much desk space.
Jon Martindale / Foundry
But they’re really fun speakers to have around. They’re a conversation starter and an iconic reminder of years of faithful service. They’ve outlasted at least four gaming PCs, a handful of monitors, and more mice and keyboards than I can count.
My GLA-55 speakers are a symbol of longevity in an industry and profession where the old is always out and the new is always in, with techy e-waste piling up around the globe. They’re grounding in a very real way that goes beyond just sounding cool, and they continue to grab my attention year after year with their design and performance.
Jon Martindale / Foundry
So, while their end likely draws near, I find myself wondering what I’ll replace them with. I certainly won’t be spending $1,000 on a new set of speakers because, as I said, I’m no audiophile and the kind of music and videos I listen to don’t warrant something that good. I won’t be buying speakers this big again, because why would I? It’s ridiculous! I’m definitely more in the market for budget-friendly speakers.
But I will sorely miss them—these ridiculous, beautifully ugly, impressive-sounding speakers that don’t even try to fit in with what’s around them. They’ve earned status as a legendary part of my home office and gaming PC space, having stood the test of time. I don’t know what I’m going to do without them. Then again, those new Edifiers look pretty good…
Author: Jon Martindale, Contributor, PCWorld
Jon Martindale is a voracious writer and technology fanboy who loves nothing more than digging into the specs of the latest graphics cards, processors, and displays. He's passionate about everything PC, but also enjoys experimenting with AIs, and covering new standing desks that can help avoid his worst posture habits.