Harmon Kardon has announced a new smart speaker
called Citation 500 with Google Assistant support. The smart speaker will be
shown at the upcoming IFA 2018 and will be available for pre-order in Europe
around September.
The company has collaborated with Kvadrat, Europe’s
leading design textiles manufacturer to design the wool fabrics that lend the
speaker a minimalist look. The speaker comes in gray and black color option
similar to that of Google Home speakers.
The Citation 500 features Wi-Fi, Bluetooth,
Chromecast and Google Assistant as well. It has 200W stereo speakers and
supports 24 bit/96Khz high-definition audio streaming. It can be controlled
through an LCD touch panel housed on the top of the speaker or through voice to
request music or other wireless play.
In addition to it, the Citation 500 can be used as a
smart home hub for controlling functions like lights or thermostat. The
Citation 500 carries a price tag of £ 549 (US$ 709), which
is US$ 300 more than the Google Home Max.
