It’s the season when all those great new products that will be appearing under Christmas trees start to go on sale. Audio behemoth Harman Kardon has announced the Citation 200, a powerful smart speaker designed to be both portable and great sounding for use inside and outside the home.
The Harman Kardon Citation 200 can stream music in HD quality over Wi-Fi or be used nearly anywhere by streaming from a smartphone using Bluetooth if Wi-Fi isn’t available. The new portable speaker has a 1-inch tweeter and a 5-inch midrange driver, as well as two passive radiators for serving up a nice and deep bass.
When fully charged, the Harman Kardon Citation 200 can play for up to eight hours. To recharge, the user simply puts it back on its compact charging cradle to stoke up another eight hours of continuous playback. The rechargeable battery can also be topped up or powered using a regular charger or power bank and a USB-C cable.
In common with the other models in the Harman family, the stylish s Citation 200 is covered in blended wool fabric by Kvadrat with a special coating for easy cleaning. The speaker is also IPX4 splash-proof so it should be fine for use while washing up or having a rainy picnic outdoors.
Because the Harman Kardon Citation 200 is compatible with Google Assistant it can play music simply by saying “Hey Google” in its general direction. The Citation 200 can stream music, podcasts and news in high definition, all from the cloud. While streaming audio over WiFi, the Citation 200 can use Apple AirPlay and Chromecast built-in with access to more than 300 music streaming services. Additionally, the Citation 200 can form part of a multi-room audio experience by adding additional speakers and streaming over AirPlay or Chromecast Built-in.
I’ve reviewed a Harman Citation wireless speaker before. The sound quality is definitely premium and the Google Assistant voice activation works very well. The addition of a charging cradle and battery power makes this a go-anywhere version that would be ideal for indoor and outdoor use. Hopefully I’ll have a review for you later in the year.
Pricing and availability: The Harman Kardon Citation 200 will be available in Winter Gray or Classic Black from Q4 2020 onwards and priced £299.99 /
More info: harmankardon.com
