Harman Kardon Citation Oasis Review
It would seem, what interesting can be in the next portable speakers? Not even wireless! But Harman Kardon is able to surprise: the guys crammed into their new speaker a clock, an FM receiver (yes, with a real antenna) and wireless charging. The new speaker is called – Harman Kardon Citation Oasis, and let’s try to check how it all works.
Design
Harman Kardon Citation Oasis looks like a mix of modern acoustics and electronic watches from the early 2000s. This is because the top panel had to be made flat: it is she who is used for charging. The control keys were also placed on it. A small rubber ring prevents gadgets from sliding.
The side surface is covered with acoustic fabric – the same as on other Citation units. There is a small monochrome screen on the front, connectors and a few more buttons on the back: turn off Wi-Fi from 00.00 to 06.00, adjust the brightness and mute the microphone.
Citation Oasis is a wired model, powered from the network via its own cable. It makes no sense to find fault with the fact that it is not via USB-C: the thing is stationary, and you obviously will not enable/disable it.
Of course, this is primarily acoustics. Inside the Citation Oasis there are two 44mm 6W speakers, the volume is enough even for a large apartment, the sound quality is at the traditionally high level for Harman Kardon. But nevertheless, I note that this is a household speaker, that is, it is designed rather for playing background music, and not for serious listening to classical concerts.
Connectivity
Speaking of music, here it is available in all its forms. As I said, the kit includes an antenna that you can plug into the connectors on the rear panel and listen to FM radio stations. A great option in case you are left without the Internet. The second possible way is using Bluetooth. But that’s not all. The column supports streaming services, AirPlay 2 and Chromecast. If you are a subscriber of Google Music, Spotify or other similar resources, you can set up playback directly. You can stream any music from your smartphone to it, be it an iPhone or an Android model. I connected it to Google Home – it takes less than a minute. You can also create a Multiroom system if you have multiple Citation units.
The ideal place for the Citation Oasis is on the bedside table. The screen is still not so big that you can see the numbers on it from the opposite end of the room. The device supports voice control via the Google Assistant. If it is next to the bed, you can also control it using the keys on the top panel. True, there is only one mechanical button here: it stops / starts music and turns off the alarm. Volume touch buttons are located on either side of this one. You can feel them, but they do not give any sound confirmation when pressed.
Wireless charging supports all devices with Qi protocol. In addition, there is a USB port on the back panel – you can plug a wire into it and use it to charge a regular one.
Conclusions
Still, this is not the most common and not entirely music lover device. But the concept of “all in one” is captivating – despite the fact that you can find out the time now on a smartphone, bracelet or, in fact, a watch, it’s still nice to open your eyes and see the numbers without even raising your hands. And a bunch of other settings can also be performed without hands: set an alarm (and select a melody or radio station to be turned on), set the timer to turn off (for example, if you turned on a fairy tale for a child). Of course, first of all, Citation Oasis will be of interest to owners of devices with wireless charging.
If you’re still interested in portable speakers with their own rechargeable batteries, look elsewhere. Need something powerful for hangouts and parties? Take a closer look at the JBL Boombox 2, for example, and let’s leave the Harman Kardon Citation Oasis on the bedside table.
