Harman Kardon Citation One Review | 130 Data compared

The Harman Kardon Citation One is a $199.95 entry-level, Google Assistant-enabled smart speaker offering powerful, bass-forward audio with bright highs and seamless voice control. While praised for its ease of use and elegant design, the review highlights drawbacks including significant bass distortion at max volume, a sound profile unsuitable for purists, and a complete lack of wired connectivity.

The Harman Kardon Citation One is a compact, "tubby" smart speaker delivering a scale of sound larger than its size suggests, featuring a well-judged, competitive audio performance. While praised for its balanced frequency response, detailed treble, and strong mid-range vocals, the speaker suffers from a slight, congestion-inducing bass overemphasis that limits instrumental separation.

The TechRadar review of the Harman Kardon Citation One highlights its excellent, room-filling sound with deep bass and a premium, stylish design featuring cloth housing and touch-sensitive controls. While the speaker offers seamless Google Assistant and Chromecast functionality, its drawbacks include the lack of a 3.5mm auxiliary input and a rear-mounted, hard-to-see Wi-Fi status indicator.

The Ecoustics review of the Harman Kardon Citation One highlights a premium, exceptionally well-built smart speaker covered in Kvadrat wool fabric, featuring a brushed metal top and reliable Google Assistant voice commands. While the device boasts a satisfying weight, good fit-and-finish, and impressive multi-room audio capabilities through built-in Chromecast, it has notable drawbacks in connectivity and sound, specifically the lack of a 3.5mm input or USB, a lack of versatility with only Bluetooth 4.2/Wi-Fi, and a heavily boosted, bass-forward sound that can become muddy if improperly placed.

The Expert Reviews assessment of the Harman Kardon Citation One highlights a powerful, high-end Google Assistant smart speaker featuring room-filling, bass-forward sound and elegant, fabric-wrapped design. Pros include robust audio performance, seamless connectivity with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Chromecast, and AirPlay, while cons focus on the lack of a built-in battery and a heavily bass-tuned profile.

The Harman Kardon Citation One MkII is a compact 2kg smart speaker that delivers a punchy, room-filling sound driven by 40W of amplification and is bolstered by easy Google Home/Chromecast integration. It features a premium, heavy build, intuitive touch controls, and stereo pairing capability, though it can sometimes struggle with complex music arrangements, leading to a congested sound and overly warm, dominant bass.

The Android Police review praises the $200 Harman Kardon Citation One as a premium, high-quality alternative to the Google Home Max, highlighting its stellar audio performance, attractive design, and excellent Google Assistant responsiveness. Despite the praise, the review notes significant drawbacks, specifically the finicky, non-tactile touch controls and the absence of any physical audio ports. Overall, the speaker is recommended for those seeking high-end sound and smart functionality within the Google ecosystem.

The G Style Magazine review highlights the Harman Kardon Citation ONE as a premium Google Assistant speaker featuring a sophisticated design, Kvadrat fabric, and excellent voice command integration. While praised for its aesthetic and sound, the speaker is criticized for its lack of tactile buttons on the touch interface, lack of portability, and limited local audio playback.

The Resonance Reviews analysis of the Harmon Kardon Citation One highlights a smart speaker with a V-shaped sound signature, featuring heavily emphasized bass, bright treble, and a recessed, warm midrange. While boasting robust construction with premium brushed metal and durable cloth, the speaker's intense bass can cause vibration at high volumes, and the recessed midrange diminishes vocal presence.

The Pocket-lint review finds the Harman Kardon Citation One to be a powerful, stylish smart speaker capable of delivering immense, distortion-free, bass-heavy sound. While praised for its loud, room-filling performance that acts as a strong alternative to standard smart speakers, its sound profile may be too overwhelming for those seeking a neutral, balanced audio experience.

The November 2020 Witchdoctor review highlights the Harman Kardon Citation One as a stylish, premium smart speaker featuring a grey cloth-covered design and an integrated power transformer that eliminates clutter. Key strengths include seamless Google Home setup, great usability, and dual microphones, while downsides noted are the lack of an Ethernet port and the absence of physical auxiliary inputs.

The Harman Kardon Citation One MKII is a stylish, 40W lifestyle smart speaker featuring premium Kvadrat wool, built-in Google Assistant, Chromecast, AirPlay 2, and Bluetooth for versatile streaming. While praised for its robust sound relative to its compact size, the review notes drawbacks including missing technical specifications, no physical 3.5mm input, lack of a battery for portability, and inability to natively stream high-fidelity audio from apps like Tidal.