SoundbarsHome CinemaNetworkNewsSpeakerWireless Speaker

Harman Kardon Citation MultiBeam 1100 – New soundbar with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X

Not only is it the latest soundbar in the Harman Kardon Citation Series, it’s also the first in the line to support immersive 3D surround sound, alongside Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support.

Harman Kardon Citation MultiBeam 1100, this is the latest solution of the meanwhile very broadly positioned Harman Kardon Citation Series and thus a product line from the house of Harman International Industries, which extends from compact smart speakers to soundbars and active speaker systems. All products in the Harman Kardon series are united by the focus on streaming, the product series is even designed as a flexible multi-room audio streaming system, this also applies to the latest addition to the family, the Harman Kardon Citation MultiBeam 1100. However, and this is particularly exciting, this is the first soundbar in the series to offer immersive 3D surround sound.

Harman Kardon Citation MultiBeam 1100 debuts immersive 3D surround sound

Of course, the new Harman Kardon Citation MultiBeam 1100 is not the first soundbar of the product series; the Harman Kardon Citation Series already offers the Harman Kardon Citation Bar and Harman Kardon Citation MB 700 as such products.

What is interesting here is that the Harman Kardon Citation Series as a multi-room audio streaming platform not only allows streaming in several rooms of the house, but also the combination of several speakers.

Around the soundbar systems, this means that, for example, with the help of the Smart Speakers and the subwoofers of the product series, surround systems with Dolby Digital can also be realised. Taken on their own, however, the soundbar systems available so far have only supported Virtual Surround.

The new Harman Kardon Citation MultiBeam 1100 is, however, as already mentioned, the first solution in the product series that is not content with Virtual Surround, but can reproduce immersive 3D Surround Sound based on Dolby Atmos and DTS:X from a single source.

  • Foto © Harman Kardon | Harman Kardon Citation MultiBeam 1100
  • Foto © Harman Kardon | Harman Kardon Citation MultiBeam 1100
  • Foto © Harman Kardon | Harman Kardon Citation MultiBeam 1100
  • Foto © Harman Kardon | Harman Kardon Citation MultiBeam 1100
  • Foto © Harman Kardon | Harman Kardon Citation MultiBeam 1100
  • Foto © Harman Kardon | Harman Kardon Citation MultiBeam 1100

Designed as a 5.1.2-Channel Surround System

The new Harman Kardon Citation MultiBeam 1100 is designed as a so-called 5.1.2-channel surround system, whereby a total of eleven drivers are used, which are distributed across the front, but also aligned upwards on the very compact, very slim housing of the Harman Kardon Citation MultiBeam 1100.

There are six 55 x 90 mm wideband Racetack drivers in an oval design at the front, plus a centrally positioned tweeter and two tweeters on the sides, each with a diameter of 25 mm. The immersive surround sound is produced by two 70 mm diameter drivers that radiate upwards at an angle and generate the desired surround sound via ceiling reflections at the listening position. To guarantee the most accurate results possible, the Harman Kardon Citation MultiBeam 1100 is calibrated to analyse the individual room conditions and adjust the reproduction accordingly.

The drivers in the Harman Kardon Citation MultiBeam 1100 are driven by amplifier modules in Class D with an output of 150 watts and the signal processing is of course carried out by means of DSP, which not only decodes the content and plays it back via Harman Kardon MultiBeam Technology, but also always ensures optimal control of the drivers and also allows for several sound modes.

Foto © Harman Kardon | Harman Kardon Citation MultiBeam 1100
Foto © Harman Kardon | Harman Kardon Citation MultiBeam 1100

From HDMI to streaming

To establish the connection to the TV set, first and foremost an HDMI connection is available, whereby this of course offers an eARC (enhanced Audio Return Channel) as well as HDMI CEC for central control via the remote control of the TV set alone.

An optical digital input, i.e. TOS link or optical S/PDIF interface, is also available here.

Apart from that, the new Harman Kardon Citation MultiBeam 1100 also concentrates on streaming, whereby the basis for this is once again Google Chromecast, but Apple AirPlay 2 and Amazon Alexa MRM are also supported. Of course, this allows access to a wide variety of streaming services via mobile devices with Apple iOS and Google Android in equal measure.

On the other hand, those who want to use said mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets directly as a source without a network can do so in the proven manner via Bluetooth.

Open for extensions

The Harman Kardon Citation MultiBeam 1100, like all systems of the Harman Kardon Citation Series, is of course open for expansions, i.e. it can be expanded by a subwoofer of the Harman Kardon Citation Series. The connection is “wireless” via WiFi.

In combination with other solutions of the Harman Kardon Citation Series, a multi-room audio streaming network is also possible, so that centrally controlled music can be played throughout the entire house, or separate zones can be set up for the individual playback of different playlists.

Voice control is also possible, of course, whereby the new Harman Kardon Citation MultiBeam 1100, like all products in the series, functions directly as a so-called smart speaker for Google Assistant and can thus not only be controlled itself, but is also ready to retrieve a wide range of information and control smart home systems.

The Harman Kardon Citation MultiBeam 1100 is also compatible with Apple Siri and Amazon Alexa, but requires corresponding smart speakers of the respective platform in the same network.

As an alternative to convenient control of the Harman Kardon Citation MultiBeam 1100, a small touchscreen display is also available on the top of the device and a suitable infrared remote control is included in the scope of delivery.

Foto © Harman Kardon | Harman Kardon Citation MultiBeam 1100
Foto © Harman Kardon | Harman Kardon Citation MultiBeam 1100

Elegant, compact appearance

As mentioned earlier, the designers of the new Harman Kardon Citation MultiBeam 1100 wanted to create a slim, compact solution that could be easily integrated into any living environment.

The new Harman Kardon Citation MultiBeam 1100 measures 115 mm in width, 6.5 cm in height and 13 cm in depth, weighing in at 4.6 kg.

As with all solutions of the Harman Kardon Citation Series, the focus is on a very elegant, discreet design concept, in which a high-quality textile covering by the specialist Kvadrat is a particularly important element. In the proven manner, the new Harman Kardon Citation MultiBeam 1100 will also be available in a choice of black or anthracite.

Prices and availability

The new Harman Kardon Citation MultiBeam 1100 will probably not actually be launched on the market until autumn 2022, although an official announcement from the manufacturer is expected on the occasion of the IFA 2022 in Berlin. According to the information currently available, a recommended retail price of € 899,- will have to be expected for this solution.

Getting to the point

The Harman Kardon Citation Series is an extremely broadly positioned product line, which should actually be described as a so-called smart speaker at its core. The spectrum ranges from compact all-in-one solutions to soundbar systems and powerful active speakers, whereby the soundbar segment has received a particularly exciting addition this year with the new Harman Kardon Citation MultiBeam 1100. This is the first soundbar in the Harman Kardon Citation Series from Harman International Industries to feature Dolby Atmos and DTS:X and thus immersive 3D surround sound.

PRODUCTHARMAN KARDON CITATION MULTIBEAM 1100
Price€ 899,-
BrandHARMAN INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIES
ManufacturerHarman International Industries
Distribution GermanyHarman International Industries
More about this manufacturer at HIFI BLOG
Show More

Michael Holzinger

Michael Holzinger, founder and editor-in-chief of HiFi BLOG and sempre-audio.at, has been working for years as a journalist in the fields of IT, photography, telecommunications and consumer electronics.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Back to top button