Harman Kardon Invoke

Better sound quality than other smart speakers ; Cortana works well across PCs, iOS and Android ; Cortana's voice sounds very natural

Limited music service integration (no Pandora!) ; Cortana doesn't have as many skills as Alexa ; Short power cord length

The Invoke is a great piece of hardware hamstrung by Cortana's fledgling ecosystem. It could get better over time, but most consumers would likely be better off with a competing smart speaker that might not sound as good but can do much more. But if...

Great sound quality ; Sharp design ; Good microphones for hearing voice commands

Only works with Microsoft’s calendars and productivity services ; Twice as expensive as an Echo ; Doesn’t support multiple accounts or multi-room audio

A smart speaker for Microsoft’s world

First smart speaker with Microsoft's Cortana voice assistant.

As a voice assistant, Cortana isn't as polished as the competition. Speaker woke without using the wake word several times in testing. Mediocre sound quality, particularly for the price.

Bottom Line: Harman Kardon's Invoke, the first Microsoft Cortana-powered speaker, is a poor competitor for voice assistants from Amazon and Google.

Harman Kardon smartly weights the Invoke towards its audio capabilities, an area where it feels it can compete favorably with Alexa-powered devices, and presumably Google’s smart speakers. I’m not entirely convinced that the Invoke is a better purchase...

Great sound quality for music ; 7 microphone array is accurate ; Cross-platform and cross-device sync is useful ; Solid set of launch features

No multi-user or multi-account support ; $199 price higher than Google Home and Amazon Echo ; No Pandora support (yet)

Good sound ; Cortana has real potential as a smart home platform ; Strong hooks into Microsoft's productivity apps

Very limited third-party product support ; No multi-room audio support ; It’s too early to bet on Cortana as a smart home platform

Based on Harman Kardon’s implementation in the Invoke, I’d say Cortana has the potential to be a great smart home platform. But it’s not even a contest today. Amazon’s Alexa is a juggernaut, racking up partnership after partnership with both...

Very sleek design ; Solid build quality ; Cortana integration works well ; Easy setup ; Fantastic sound ; Reasonably priced ; Smart home device integration ; Spotify, iHeart Radio, TuneIn integration

Can't delete a calendar appointment with Cortana ; Reported weather in Fahrenheit even though Cortana settings are in Celcius ; Doesn't support phone calls over Bluetooth ; Some popular smart home devices and music services not supported yet ; Needs...

Excellent audio ; Cortana has good general knowledge

Limited smart-home compatibility ; Very few skills ; Bulky power brick

The first smart speaker with Cortana sounds fantastic, but Microsoft's virtual assistant lags behind Alexa and Google Assistant.

Harman Kardon is a great partner for Microsoft to have for Cortana's introduction into the home. The Invoke clearly shows off Harman Kardon's audio expertise, producing loud, high-quality sound that's both immersive and convenient. The Invoke could be...