Scored using Portable Speakers Methodology v1.0
Portable Speakers Methodology v1.0
Mathematical & Unbiased Scoring
Products in this category are scored under Frontum Portable Speakers Methodology v1.0: technical specifications plus authentic consumer ratings, with 0% commercial bias.
Explore Portable Speakers Methodology v1.0

Harman Kardon Citation 300 Review | 130 Data compared

Avg. price:~ÂŁ400Audio output power:100.00 WBattery life:?IP rating:?Bluetooth version:4.2Weight:4100 g

Harman Kardon Citation 300 Review: Compare 130 technical specifications and user reviews to see how this product ranks in the Portable Speakers category and whether it is worth buying.

7.3/10

Overall score

Score
7.3/ 10
âś•
What it is
An overall evaluation of products in the Portable Speakers category, based on technical analysis and user reviews.
When it matters
When you need a quick reference for identifying the best products in the Portable Speakers category.
Score distribution
â–Ľ
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components

80%

7.3

Technical score

20%

?

User score

â–˛Better than 83% of portable speakers
7.6

Value for money

Value for money
7.6/ 10
âś•
What it is
An indicator that combines the overall score of products in the Portable Speakers category with their prices.
When it matters
When you are comparing products in the Portable Speakers category and want a good balance between quality and price.
Score distribution
â–Ľ
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components

70%

7.3

Overall score

30%

8.4

Price

â–˛Better than 50%
7.3

Technical score

Technical score
7.3/ 10
âś•
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Portable Speakers category across these key areas: Audio, Connectivity, Battery, Durability, Controls, Design, Smart features.
When it matters
When you want to compare products in the Portable Speakers category by technical performance, specifications, and available features.
Score distribution
â–Ľ
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components

32%

8.2

Audio

20%

6.9

Battery

18%

6.2

Durability

16%

6.8

Connectivity

8%

8.2

Controls

3%

5.6

Design

3%

8.5

Smart features

â–˛Better than 89%
?

User score

User score
8.0/ 10
âś•
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews with the total review volume for products in the Portable Speakers category.
When it matters
When you want to know how products in the Portable Speakers category perform in everyday use and how reliable owners find them over time.
Score distribution
â–Ľ
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components

70%

?

User ratings

30%

?

Number of reviews

  • No image
No image
Where to buy
    N/A~ ÂŁ400
Best rankings
Available: ranking among products currently available (including other versions of this product).All: ranking among all products in the database.
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Technical Specifications of portable speaker Harman Kardon Citation 300

Technical score
Technical score
7.3/ 10
âś•
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Portable Speakers category across these key areas: Audio, Connectivity, Battery, Durability, Controls, Design, Smart features.
When it matters
When you want to compare products in the Portable Speakers category by technical performance, specifications, and available features.
Score distribution
â–Ľ
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components:

32%

8.2

Audio

20%

6.9

Battery

18%

6.2

Durability

16%

6.8

Connectivity

8%

8.2

Controls

3%

5.6

Design

3%

8.5

Smart features

7.3
User score
User score
8.0/ 10
âś•
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews with the total review volume for products in the Portable Speakers category.
When it matters
When you want to know how products in the Portable Speakers category perform in everyday use and how reliable owners find them over time.
Score distribution
â–Ľ
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components

70%

?

User ratings

30%

?

Number of reviews

?
Popularity
Popularity
1.0/ 10
âś•
What it is
An indicator based on the number of reviews received by products in the Portable Speakers category.
When it matters
When you prefer products in the Portable Speakers category that have been chosen and reviewed by many other buyers.
Score distribution
â–Ľ
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Popularity:
Harman Kardon Citation 300 has a popularity score of 1 point, which is lower than 59.2% of products in this category.
1.0
Value for money
Value for money
7.6/ 10
âś•
What it is
An indicator that combines the overall score of products in the Portable Speakers category with their prices.
When it matters
When you are comparing products in the Portable Speakers category and want a good balance between quality and price.
Score distribution
â–Ľ
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components:

70%

7.3

Overall score

30%

8.4

Price

7.6
Audio output power
100 W
This portable speaker has an audio output power of 100 W which is higher than that of 88.7% of portable speakers and equal to that of 3.1% of portable speakers.
Driver unit size
89 mm
This portable speaker has a driver unit size of 89 mm which is larger than that of 86% of portable speakers and equal to that of 0.9% of portable speakers.
Number of drivers
4
This portable speaker has 4 drivers, which is more than 81.7% of portable speakers and equal to the number in 11.9% of portable speakers.
Frequency response tolerance
?
Lowest frequency
50 Hz
This portable speaker has a lowest frequency of 50 Hz which is lower than that of 59.9% of portable speakers and equal to that of 9.1% of portable speakers.
Show more
Bluetooth connectivity
yes
This portable speaker supports Bluetooth audio. 5.4% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Bluetooth version
4.2
This portable speaker supports Bluetooth version 4.2 which is older than that of 53.8% of portable speakers and equal to that of 17.8% of portable speakers.
Maximum Bluetooth range
10 m
This portable speaker has a maximum Bluetooth range of 10 m which is longer than that of 4.3% of portable speakers and equal to that of 70.2% of portable speakers.
Bluetooth profiles supported
A2DP; AVRCP
Bluetooth LE Audio
no
This portable speaker does not support Bluetooth LE Audio. 2.5% of portable speakers offer this feature.
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Battery life
?
Battery capacity
?
Charging time
?
Maximum charging input power
?
Built-in rechargeable battery
no
This portable speaker does not have a built-in rechargeable battery. 81.4% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Requires wired mains power and has no built-in rechargeable operating battery.
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IP rating
?
Water resistance
no
This portable speaker is not water resistant. 61.7% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Dust resistance
no
This portable speaker is not rated as dust resistant. 51.5% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Waterproof depth rating
?
Drop resistance
?
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On-device controls placement
top
Touchscreen
yes
This portable speaker has a touchscreen. 99.7% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Smartphone app control
yes
This portable speaker supports smartphone app control. 46.1% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Compatible mobile app provides speaker control or settings.
Remote control
no
This portable speaker does not include a remote control. 15% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Fast pairing
no
This portable speaker does not support fast pairing. 22.5% of portable speakers offer this feature.
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Weight
4,100 g
This portable speaker weighs 4,100 g which is heavier than that of 86.1% of portable speakers and equal to that of 0.4% of portable speakers.
Height
18 cm
This portable speaker has a height of 18 cm which is taller than that of 68% of portable speakers and equal to that of 1.6% of portable speakers.
Width
30.6 cm
This portable speaker has a width of 30.6 cm which is wider than that of 81.5% of portable speakers.
Depth
14.2 cm
This portable speaker has a depth of 14.2 cm which is deeper than that of 77.2% of portable speakers and equal to that of 0.2% of portable speakers.
Carry options
none
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Companion app name
Google Home
Firmware updates
yes
This portable speaker supports firmware updates. 52.9% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Supports user-accessible firmware updates.
Firmware update method
?
Voice assistant support
yes
This portable speaker supports voice assistants. 73.6% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Supports direct voice-assistant control.
Spotify Connect
yes
This portable speaker supports Spotify Connect. 89.3% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Show more

Harman Kardon Citation 300 vs the average portable speaker

246810TotalAudioConnectivityBatteryDurabilityControlsDesignSmart features
  • 80 W more audio output power
    This portable speaker has more audio output power than the average portable speaker (100 W vs 20 W).
    100 W vs 20 W
  • 39 mm larger main driver
    This portable speaker has a larger main driver than the average portable speaker (89 mm vs 50 mm).
    89 mm vs 50 mm
  • Supports Wi-Fi connectivity
    This portable speaker supports Wi-Fi connectivity, while the average portable speaker does not support Wi-Fi connectivity.
  • 2 more speaker drivers
    This portable speaker has more speaker drivers than the average portable speaker (4 vs 2).
    4 vs 2
  • 1 more multipoint connections
    This portable speaker has more multipoint connections than the average portable speaker (2 vs 1).
    2 vs 1
  • Has Chromecast built-in
    This portable speaker has Chromecast built-in, while the average portable speaker does not have Chromecast built-in.
  • 3 more adjustable EQ bands
    This portable speaker has more adjustable EQ bands than the average portable speaker (3 vs 0).
    3 vs 0
  • Supports AirPlay
    This portable speaker supports AirPlay, while the average portable speaker does not support AirPlay.
  • 80 W more audio output power
    This portable speaker has more audio output power than the average portable speaker (100 W vs 20 W).
    100 W vs 20 W
  • 39 mm larger main driver
    This portable speaker has a larger main driver than the average portable speaker (89 mm vs 50 mm).
    89 mm vs 50 mm
  • 2 more speaker drivers
    This portable speaker has more speaker drivers than the average portable speaker (4 vs 2).
    4 vs 2
  • Has built-in stereo speakers
    This portable speaker has built-in stereo speakers, while the average portable speaker does not have built-in stereo speakers.
    Provides true stereo output within the unit.
  • 1 more microphones
    This portable speaker has more microphones than the average portable speaker (2 vs 1).
    2 vs 1
  • 10 Hz deeper bass extension
    This portable speaker has deeper bass extension than the average portable speaker (50 Hz vs 60 Hz).
    50 Hz vs 60 Hz
  • 3 dB SPL higher maximum sound pressure
    This portable speaker has a higher maximum sound pressure level than the average portable speaker (95 dB SPL vs 92 dB SPL).
    95 dB SPL vs 92 dB SPL
  • Supports Wi-Fi connectivity
    This portable speaker supports Wi-Fi connectivity, while the average portable speaker does not support Wi-Fi connectivity.
  • 1 more multipoint connections
    This portable speaker has more multipoint connections than the average portable speaker (2 vs 1).
    2 vs 1
  • Has Chromecast built-in
    This portable speaker has Chromecast built-in, while the average portable speaker does not have Chromecast built-in.
  • Supports AirPlay
    This portable speaker supports AirPlay, while the average portable speaker does not support AirPlay.
  • Supports AAC Bluetooth audio
    This portable speaker supports AAC Bluetooth audio, while the average portable speaker does not support AAC Bluetooth audio.
  • Includes a power adapter
    This portable speaker includes a power adapter, while the average portable speaker does not include a power adapter.
  • 3 more adjustable EQ bands
    This portable speaker has more adjustable EQ bands than the average portable speaker (3 vs 0).
    3 vs 0
  • Has an equalizer
    This portable speaker has an equalizer, while the average portable speaker does not have an equalizer.
    Offers user-selectable EQ, tone adjustment, or sound presets.
  • Has an FM radio
    This portable speaker has an FM radio, while the average portable speaker does not have an FM radio.
  • Supports playback mute
    This portable speaker supports playback mute, while the average portable speaker does not support playback mute.
    Speaker playback audio can be directly muted.
  • Has a touchscreen
    This portable speaker has a touchscreen, while the average portable speaker does not have a touchscreen.
  • Supports multi-room audio
    This portable speaker supports multi-room audio, while the average portable speaker does not support multi-room audio.
    Supports synchronized multi-room playback.
  • Supports Spotify Connect
    This portable speaker supports Spotify Connect, while the average portable speaker does not support Spotify Connect.
  • Supports voice assistants
    This portable speaker supports voice assistants, while the average portable speaker does not support voice assistants.
    Supports direct voice-assistant control.
  • Supports firmware updates
    This portable speaker supports firmware updates, while the average portable speaker does not support firmware updates.
    Supports user-accessible firmware updates.
  • Is not water resistant
    This portable speaker is not water resistant, while the average portable speaker is water resistant.
  • Is not rated as dust resistant
    This portable speaker is not rated as dust resistant, while the average portable speaker is dust resistant.
  • Does not have a built-in rechargeable battery
    This portable speaker does not have a built-in rechargeable battery, while the average portable speaker has a built-in rechargeable battery.
    Requires wired mains power and has no built-in rechargeable operating battery.
  • Does not have a 3.5 mm AUX input
    This portable speaker does not have a 3.5 mm AUX input, while the average portable speaker has a 3.5 mm AUX input.
    No built-in 3.5 mm AUX input.
  • 3,300 g heavier
    This portable speaker is heavier than the average portable speaker (4,100 g vs 800 g).
    4,100 g vs 800 g
  • Does not have a battery level indicator
    This portable speaker does not have a battery level indicator, while the average portable speaker has a battery level indicator.
  • 0.8 Bluetooth levels older
    This portable speaker has an older Bluetooth version than the average portable speaker (4.2 vs 5).
    4.2 vs 5
  • 4.44x more expensive
    Harman Kardon Citation 300 is more expensive than the average portable speaker (ÂŁ400 vs ÂŁ90).
    ÂŁ400 vs ÂŁ90
  • 4.44x more expensive
    Harman Kardon Citation 300 is more expensive than the average portable speaker (ÂŁ400 vs ÂŁ90).
    ÂŁ400 vs ÂŁ90
  • 4.21x less popular
    Harman Kardon Citation 300 is less popular than the average portable speaker (1 vs 4.21).
    1 vs 4.21
  • Does not have a 3.5 mm AUX input
    This portable speaker does not have a 3.5 mm AUX input, while the average portable speaker has a 3.5 mm AUX input.
    No built-in 3.5 mm AUX input.
  • 0.8 Bluetooth levels older
    This portable speaker has an older Bluetooth version than the average portable speaker (4.2 vs 5).
    4.2 vs 5
  • Does not have a built-in rechargeable battery
    This portable speaker does not have a built-in rechargeable battery, while the average portable speaker has a built-in rechargeable battery.
    Requires wired mains power and has no built-in rechargeable operating battery.
  • Does not have a battery level indicator
    This portable speaker does not have a battery level indicator, while the average portable speaker has a battery level indicator.
  • Is not water resistant
    This portable speaker is not water resistant, while the average portable speaker is water resistant.
  • Is not rated as dust resistant
    This portable speaker is not rated as dust resistant, while the average portable speaker is dust resistant.
  • Does not support auto power-off
    This portable speaker does not support auto power-off, while the average portable speaker supports auto power-off.
    No automatic inactivity-based power-off.
  • 3,300 g heavier
    This portable speaker is heavier than the average portable speaker (4,100 g vs 800 g).
    4,100 g vs 800 g
  • 12.5 cm wider
    This portable speaker is wider than the average portable speaker (30.6 cm vs 18.1 cm).
    30.6 cm vs 18.1 cm
  • 5.9 cm deeper
    This portable speaker is deeper than the average portable speaker (14.2 cm vs 8.3 cm).
    14.2 cm vs 8.3 cm
  • 5.6 cm taller
    This portable speaker is taller than the average portable speaker (18 cm vs 12.4 cm).
    18 cm vs 12.4 cm

Video reviews

Hands-on testing, unboxing, and real-world video evaluations

Expert reviews

In-depth analysis and verdict from leading tech publications

U
uk.pcmag.com
05/04/2019
Summary of the review
P
pcmag.com
05/04/2019
Summary of the review
E
expertreviews.co.uk
31/10/2019
Summary of the review
H
hifichoice.com
24/01/2020
Summary of the review
C
consumer.org.nz
17/12/2020
Summary of the review
F
freitest.de
19/01/2019
Summary of the review
C
computerbild.de
24/01/2019
Summary of the review
A
audiovision.de
14/08/2019
Summary of the review
H
heise.de
23/09/2022
Summary of the review
C
computerbild.de
01/02/2019
Summary of the review
H
hifi-journal.de
21/03/2019
Summary of the review
O
on-mag.fr
12/02/2020
Summary of the review
C
clubic.com
06/03/2020
Summary of the review
F
fwd.nl
20/01/2019
Summary of the review
T
tweakers.net
29/01/2019
Summary of the review
T
tweakers.net
20/01/2020
Summary of the review
D
diskidee.be
02/03/2020
Summary of the review

Third-party reviews

What customers like about Harman Kardon Citation 300

  • Excellent, room-filling stereo sound quality with high clarity
  • Deep, rich, and powerful bass response for its size
  • Premium, attractive industrial design with high-quality Kvadrat wool fabric
  • Responsive full-color LCD touch screen display for easy track navigation and settings
  • Simple setup process and seamless integration with the Google Home ecosystem
  • Reliable Google Assistant voice pickup and smart home controls

What customers don't like about Harman Kardon Citation 300

  • Lacks physical audio inputs like a 3.5mm auxiliary or analogue jack
  • Occasional Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless connectivity dropouts reported by some users
  • Lacks a comprehensive multi-band equalizer (EQ) custom tuning option
  • Hardware physical volume buttons can feel partially unresponsive or slow
  • Bass levels tend to roll off or compress heavily via DSP at maximum volume levels
  • Relatively high retail price compared to competitors with similar features

Verdict

The Harman Kardon Citation 300 is a premium home smart speaker delivering 100W RMS power output through a stereo configuration of dual 20mm tweeters and dual 89mm woofers. Key characteristics include an integrated LCD color touchscreen, Google Assistant voice control, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 4.2, and a sophisticated dirt-repellent Kvadrat wool fabric design. Its main advantages include room-filling stereo sound, an impressive rich bass response, multi-room synchronization capability, and seamless Chromecast built-in streaming. However, it is not a truly portable speaker as it lacks a built-in battery and water resistance, requiring constant AC power and a continuous Wi-Fi connection, while also missing physical wired auxiliary or optical inputs.

Compare Harman Kardon Citation 300 with other products in the Portable Speakers category

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