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Logitech unveils two sub-$100 Harmony remotes

The Harmony 600 and Harmony 650 are among Logitech's most affordable universal remotes to date.

John Falcone Senior Editorial Director, Shopping

John P. Falcone is the senior director of commerce content at CNET, where he coordinates coverage of the site's buying recommendations alongside the CNET Advice team (where he previously headed the consumer electronics reviews section). He's been a CNET editor since 2003.

Expertise Over 20 years experience in electronics and gadget reviews and analysis, and consumer shopping advice Credentials

Self-taught tinkerer, informal IT and gadget consultant to friends and family (with several self-built gaming PCs under his belt)

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John Falcone

March 2, 2010 1:00 a.m. PT

The Logitech Harmony 650 will cost under $100. Logitech

If you've been avoiding a Harmony remote because you felt they were too expensive, you may soon be out of excuses.

Logitech has added two new models to its Harmony product line. The Harmony 600 and Harmony 650 will debut in Europe and the U.S. later in March at prices of $79.99 and $99.99 respectively, effectively replacing the aging Harmony 510 as the new entry-level models in the company's line-up.

The Harmony 650 appears to be a near doppelganger of the Harmony 700 save for a few basic differences: it's gray instead of black; it's not rechargeable; and it controls five devices instead of six. The 600 is identical to the 650, except that it's silver and white and offers a monochrome LCD screen instead of the 650's color version. Like all Harmony remotes, these models are programmable via a Mac or Windows PC, and use activity-based commands such "Watch TV" or "Listen to Music" to control a home AV system.

Logitech Harmony 600 — The Harmony 600's black and white LCD knocks $20 off the price. Logitech

While we haven't reviewed either of the new models, we'd expect them to perform identically to the Harmony 700. That model retails for an already affordable $120 to $150, but the even lower list prices of the 600 and 650 will likely further the appeal of Logitech's universal remotes among recession-addled shoppers.

For those who aren't Harmony fans--and we know you're out there--stay tuned for our review of the Acoustic Research XSight Touch AARX18G (coming next week).