Harman Kardon Announces New Google Assistant Smart Speaker

Harman Kardon has announced the Citation 500, a new smart speaker that’s powered by Google Assistant. The new Harman Kardon smart speaker looks a lot like the Google Home Max, but it’s actually a lot more expensive.

The Harman Kardon Citation 500 will be showcased for the first time at IFA 2018 in Berlin and it will be available to pre-order in Europe by the end of September, according to The Verge. Like the Google Home Max, the Citation 500 comes with a fabric that’s wrapped around the speakers. The Citation 500 will have two wool cover options: black and gray.

The Harman Kardon Citation 500 smart speaker will sell in Europe for £549, or around $700 in the United States. The upcoming smart speaker will be around $300 more expensive than the Google Home Max. Although the Citation 500 will be one of the most expensive Google Assistant smart speaker on the market, it’s still a lot cheaper than the Bang & Olufsen premium smart speakers that were announced last week. B&O’s Beosound 1 will go on sale later this fall for $1,750, while the Beosound 2 will sell for $2,250.

The Citation 500 comes with 200W speakers and it can support 24 bit/96KHz high-definition audio streaming. On top, it comes with an LCD touchscreen, which will let users control music playback. With Google Assistant support, users can also just use voice commands to play music from streaming services or play music wirelessly from a smartphone.

The Citation 500 can also function as a smart home hub, allowing users to control their smart home devices like lights or the thermostat. Like with the Google Home smart speakers, Harman Kardon’s devices will allow users to ask Google Assistant questions or ask for weather and traffic information and news.

The Citation 500 has not been released yet, but it has already received some recognition from the Expert Imaging and Sound Association (EISA) in Europe. It was awarded with the EISA Smart Speaker 2018-2019 earlier this month and was lauded for delivering “superb sound while complementing the aesthetics of your home.”

“Our unprecedented audio legacy matched with the Kvadrat’s premium textiles has allowed us to develop this unique smart home speaker. Consumers today are looking for superior sound and superior design and with the Citation 500, that’s exactly what they’ll get,” Harman lifestyle audio president Michael Mauser said. “We’re delighted that the Citation 500 has been recognized by EISA”

The Citation 500 will be the third smart speaker created by Harman Kardon. It already has an Alexa-powered speaker called the Allure, which costs $249, and the Cortana-powered Invoke, which costs $199. What’s strange is that the company is currently owned by Samsung, but it hasn’t released a Bixby smart speaker yet.