Short answer: the Harman Kardon Citation 200. It ranks #13 of 77 large speakers by sound quality at $130; the Marshall Middleton II ranks #28 and costs $330, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
What the Harman Kardon Citation 200 gets right: Deeper bass than any Onyx. Watch for: Overly boomy by default, you can short press the Bluetooth and volume down buttons simultaneously to decrease the bass, and the Bluetooth and volume up buttons simultaneously to increase it.
On the Marshall Middleton II side: Very deep bass for the size/weight. Set against that: Bass boosted which drowns out the midrange. Dip around 200hz, peak at 1khz, dipped at 1.6khz.
Buy the Harman Kardon Citation 200. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Marshall Middleton II and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
If battery life is a priority, the Marshall Middleton II is rated for 30 hours versus 8 hours for the Harman Kardon Citation 200.
If water resistance matters to you, the Marshall Middleton II at IP67 (brief submersion) holds up far better than the Harman Kardon Citation 200 at IPX4 (splashing).
Specifications Side By Side
| Harman Kardon Citation 200 | Marshall Middleton II | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $130 Discontinued | $330 |
| Ranked | #13 of 77 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #28 of 77 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| Aux Input | No | Yes |
| Battery Life | 8 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 30 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX4 | IP67 |
| Stereo | Partially (1 woofer) | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| Weight | 6.3 lbs / 2.85 kg | 4 lbs / 1.8 kg |
| Wifi | Yes | - |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC |
| App | Yes (Harman Kardon app) | Yes |
| EQ | No | Yes (5 band) |
| TWS | No | Yes |
| Party Mode | No | Yes (Marshall Stack) |
| Power Bank | No | Yes (USB-C) |
| USB Playback | No | - |
| Built in Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 | 5.3 |
| Dimensions | 7" x 8.6" x 6.8" (178 x 219 x 172 mm) | 9.1" x 3.9" x 4.3" (230 x 98 x 110 mm) |
| Drivers | 5" woofer, 1" tweeter | 2x 75mm woofers, 2x 0.625" tweeters + 2x passive radiators |
| Frequency Response | 40Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 50Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Output Power | 50W | 80W |
| Discontinued | Yes | - |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | - | 38Hz |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
- Soundcore Motion X600 vs Sonos Move
- Sonos Move vs Sony SRS-XB43
- Sonos Move vs Ultimate Ears Everboom
- Soundcore Rave Neo 2 vs Marshall Middleton II
- Marshall Middleton II vs Ultimate Ears Everboom
The Two Speakers In Full
Harman Kardon Citation 200: $130 Discontinued
Pros: Deeper bass than any Onyx.
Cons: Overly boomy by default, you can short press the Bluetooth and volume down buttons simultaneously to decrease the bass, and the Bluetooth and volume up buttons simultaneously to increase it. Discontinued.
Full Harman Kardon Citation 200 review and specifications →
| App | Yes (Harman Kardon app) |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | 8 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 |
| Built in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 7" x 8.6" x 6.8" (178 x 219 x 172 mm) |
| Discontinued | Yes |
| Drivers | 5" woofer, 1" tweeter |
| EQ | No |
| Frequency Response | 40Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX4 |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 50W |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Partially (1 woofer) |
| TWS | No |
| USB Playback | No |
| Weight | 6.3 lbs / 2.85 kg |
| Wifi | Yes |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Ezekielo: Citation 200 vs Beolit 20 with Sound Comparison!
- KULAS TECH SHOW: Harman Kardon Citation 200 vs JBL Xtreme3 Sound & Bass test
- Ezekielo: Citation 200 vs Onyx Studio 6 vs Bose Portable Speaker Sound Comparison
- KULAS TECH SHOW: Harman Kardon Citation 200 vs Onyx Studio 7 Bass comparison
- Reddit Search for Harman Kardon Citation 200 Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Harman Kardon Citation 200 vs B&O Beosound A5
- Harman Kardon Citation 200 vs Soundcore Motion Boom
- Harman Kardon Citation 200 vs Marshall Stockwell 2
- Harman Kardon Citation 200 vs Soundcore Select Pro
- Harman Kardon Citation 200 vs Soundcore Boom 2
- Harman Kardon Citation 200 vs B&O Beoplay A2 active
- Harman Kardon Citation 200 vs Bose SoundLink Max
- Harman Kardon Citation 200 vs JBL Xtreme 3
- See all 20 comparisons
Marshall Middleton II: $330 Amazon
Pros: Very deep bass for the size/weight.
Cons: Bass boosted which drowns out the midrange. Dip around 200hz, peak at 1khz, dipped at 1.6khz. Strange frequency response through the mids.
Full Marshall Middleton II review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 38Hz |
| Battery Life | 30 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 |
| Built in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 9.1" x 3.9" x 4.3" (230 x 98 x 110 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 75mm woofers, 2x 0.625" tweeters + 2x passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (5 band) |
| Frequency Response | 50Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 80W |
| Party Mode | Yes (Marshall Stack) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 4 lbs / 1.8 kg |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Marshall Middleton II vs Sonos Move
- Marshall Middleton II vs LG Xboom Bounce
- Marshall Middleton II vs Sonos Move 2
- Marshall Middleton II vs Marshall Middleton
- Marshall Middleton II vs Ultimate Ears Everboom
- Marshall Middleton II vs Soundcore Motion X500
- Marshall Middleton II vs Bose SoundLink Plus
- Marshall Middleton II vs Teufel Rockster Cross
- See all 21 comparisons