Harman's popular Citation range of wireless speakers has been upgraded to include a new portable smart speaker; the Harman Kardon Citation 200 combines Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity to take your music seamlessly from indoors to outdoors.
Initially announced at CES 2020 back in January, Harman has now given us a few more details on the Sonos Move-style Bluetooth speaker, which is kitted out with the same chic fabric grille and architectural design as its siblings in the Citation range.
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Available to buy later this year for £299.99 / $299.95 (about AU$430), it's more expensive than the Citation One – however, it's far cheaper than the Sonos Move, which currently sits at the top of our list of the best portable speakers you can buy in 2020.
A speaker that does it all
With a carrying handle and bucket-like build, the Harman Kardon Citation 200 is designed to be moved around your home, and if you want to take it outside, it's protected from the elements thanks to an IPX4 water-resistance rating. You won't be able to take it into the pool as you can with fully waterproof speakers, but it should be able to withstand a spot of rain.
You get eight hours of playback from the Citation 200, which comes with a charging base – alternatively, you can top up the battery via USB-C.
With all those travel-friendly specs, you'd be forgiven for forgetting that this is a Google Assistant smart speaker that can be used to control your smart home devices.
There's also support for AirPlay 2 and Chromecast, allowing you to access pretty much any music streaming service you could want.
Inside the speaker is a one-inch tweeter, five-inch midrange driver, and two passive radiators to boost the bass frequencies in your music – if the 200 is anything like the Citation One, it should pack a powerful punch.
As part of the Citation range, this portable speaker can form part of a wireless multi-room audio set up, much like the Sonos Move integrates into the Sonos ecosystem.
So, to sum up: portable design? Check. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity? Check. Google Assistant smarts? Check. Multi-room audio? Check. This is a speaker – that if it can live up to its specs – can pretty much do it all, and for cheaper than its biggest rival.
