As a multi-room system, the Citation series from Harman Kardon competes against its tough opponent SONOS. Can it survive the duel?
I tested the Citation 200 portable rechargeable speaker and found some advantages and disadvantages.
Big sound at low volume
First things first: the HK Citation 200 sounds fantastic. At least as long as you listen at room volume.
The bass is very powerful – almost a touch too much – and the treble is wonderfully clear and detailed.
Unfortunately, this changes very quickly as soon as you move from the living room to the garden party: Like most modern speakers, the bass is automatically reduced at higher volumes to avoid distortion.
The beautiful sound of the Citation 200 suddenly becomes very flat and individual instruments are more difficult to perceive.
Power supply HK Citation 200
The Citation 200 has an integrated battery which, according to the manufacturer, should last up to eight hours. Of course, this value depends heavily on the volume.
With background music, we managed just under six hours, and at 70 percent volume at a garden party, just under two hours.
The battery can be charged in two different ways: Either via the supplied charging station or via a USB-C cable on the back of the speaker.
However, I can only recommend the latter to a limited extent…
USB-C connection for power supply
At my garden party, I supplied the speaker with power via USB-C. Apparently, the higher volume demanded so much power that the weak battery could not be recharged quickly enough.
This led to regular disconnections as the device simply switched itself off.
Bluetooth, WLAN and Google Home
I’ve already tested a few speakers, but none of them were so complicated to set up the Bluetooth connection, forcing me to study the operating instructions at length.
The trick: The Citation 200 must be connected to Wi-Fi and the Google Home app during the initial setup. Only then can a smartphone or tablet be paired with Bluetooth.
The connection with Apple AirPlay is much easier for experienced Apple users: the speaker is immediately recognized on the iPhone and can be integrated into the system.
Connectivity with weaknesses
As soon as the connection is established, the loudspeaker announces itself several times with instructions and briefly interrupts the music: if the Bluetooth connection is successful, a confirmation tone sounds after ten seconds.
Google is also happy to provide information on possible voice control from time to time.
If you want, you can also communicate with the Google Assistant via “Hey Google” and issue commands using voice control.
On the plus side, this function can also be switched off via a hardware switch on the back.
Design of the HK Citation 200
As always, the design is a matter of taste. However, the fabric covering makes a very robust impression and the leather-look carrying strap is very practical.
There are two colors to choose from: A light gray and black.
Conclusion on the HK Citation 200
In a direct comparison with its competitor SONOS Move, the Citation 200 from Harman Kardon scores particularly well at low volumes with good sound and strong bass.
Unfortunately, as soon as it gets louder, it quickly loses power.
The connection setup, especially with Bluetooth, is very complicated and almost impossible for people without technical know-how.
Improvements should be made here urgently, just like with the annoying Google Assistant notifications.
If you are looking for a beautiful, mobile multi-room speaker for background music in the living room or on the balcony, the Citation 200 is a good choice.
Those with higher expectations may be disappointed.
Lars Grudzinski has been working as a sound and lighting technician since the 90s, was a DJ for electronic music, has a large collection of vintage speakers, and has been working for various radio stations in Germany for 20 years. At home, he enjoys high-quality home theater products such as soundbars and projectors and has installed an extensive Sonos system in his own home.