Harman Kardon Invoke

Decent-sounding speaker ; Seamless setup process ; Syncs with Microsoft services

Third-string to Amazon and Google ; Distorts at high volume ; Cortana is a bit behind Alexa

The Harman Kardon Invoke has a certain audience in mind: Windows power-users looking for a smart speaker they can call their own. Should you eschew Windows services such as Skype, Outlook and Office 365, however, you’ll find a barebones smart speaker...

Sound quality is better than Amazon's line of speakers and an Invoke purchase includes unlimited Skype calling.

Cortana needs a much wider set of skills, as Alexa does more and offers more integration with smart home platforms.

If you're a fan of Cortana, Windows 10 or Microsoft in general, Harman Kardon's Invoke is an exciting new smart speaker with quality sound and most of the expected smart speaker tricks.

Great design ; Gorgeous sound ; Impressive smarts ; Great integration with Windows 10 ; Good listener ; Good price

Doesn’t always listen to its own answers ; Smart home device setup should be more obvious

Harman Kardon Invoke may be the smart speaker Cortana needs to break free from your Windows PC.

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...