Harmony remote competitor going for bargain price

Looking for a deal? The Acoustic Research ARRX18G is a very good universal remote that's a fraction of the cost of a Logitech Harmony.

Ty Pendlebury Editor

Ty Pendlebury has worked at CNET since 2006. He lives in New York City where he writes about streaming and home audio.

Expertise Ty has worked for radio, print, and online publications, and has been writing about home entertainment since 2004. He is an avid record collector and streaming music enthusiast. Credentials

Ty was nominated for Best New Journalist at the Australian IT Journalism awards, but he has only ever won one thing. As a youth, he was awarded a free session for the photography studio at a local supermarket.

See full bio

Ty Pendlebury

Jan. 23, 2012 10:50 a.m. PT

If you're looking for a remote control, most people will tell you to get a Logitech Harmony. But there are a number of high-quality alternatives.

For the past two years, the Acoustic Research ARRX18G ($200) has been one of these. Unfortunately, it's just been discontinued, but if you're looking for a good remote at rock bottom prices--around $60--take a look online.

We've been using the ARRX18C for a couple of weeks and found it to be more flexible than the Harmony line because it offers both in-remote and online setup. Programming it was straightforward, but it did have a problem with our HDMI distributor, which had to be programmed in manually. It also comes with RF control, something only the Harmony 900 does, and can enable inter-room usage.

It was only when we went to check pricing with the manufacturers that they informed us he product was discontinued. Their loss, your gain--if you're quick.

We love Harmony remotes--especially the One and the 900, but they're a little hard to tweak in comparison. If you want something that's easy and feels good in your hand we'd recommend the ARRX18G while it lasts.