Tip: Harman Kardon Invoke is Just $50 at Best Buy

The Cortana-based Harman Kardon Invoke smart speaker is currently on sale for just $50 at Best Buy. If you’re interested, I’d move quickly.

According to the Best Buy listing, both the graphite and silver pearl versions are available. And $50 is an amazing $150 off the original $200 price.

Windows Intelligence In Your Inbox

Sign up for our new free newsletter to get three time-saving tips each Friday — and get free copies of Paul Thurrott's Windows 11 and Windows 10 Field Guides (normally $9.99) as a special welcome gift!

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

“Combine the convenience of Microsoft’s Cortana with incredible sound by using this Harman Kardon Invoke speaker,” Best Buy explains. “Its voice-control technology lets you pick up phone calls, Skype and ask Cortana questions, and the quality construction ensures long-lasting use. This Harman Kardon Invoke speaker projects powerful 360-degree sound, so you won’t miss a beat.”

And this is a pretty great smart speaker. You know, aside from that whole Cortana thing.

Thanks to Walt Snider for the tip!

 

Tagged with

Share post

Please check our Community Guidelines before commenting

Conversation 48 comments

  • Sprtfan

    20 September, 2018 - 10:19 am

    <p>All sold out with in 250 miles of me. Hopefully some others will have better luck. </p>

    • wolters

      Premium Member
      20 September, 2018 - 10:28 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#325701">In reply to Sprtfan:</a></em></blockquote><p>At this price, I'd pick it up as a curiosity. Though I don't use Spotify so it would be just that…a curiosity. </p><p><br></p><p>Side note, I've always found Cortana underrated and loved it at the height of Windows Phone 8.1. And I use it from time to time on my PC and Android Device. But I'm pretty much Google Assistant. </p>

      • webdev511

        Premium Member
        20 September, 2018 - 4:48 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#325707">In reply to wolters:</a></em></blockquote><p>I have this speaker in my kitchen. It's my french press coffee timer, News reader and gives me a rundown on my calendar for the day. Yes, it's decidedly business focused for me. Oh and Spotify when cooking dinner.</p>

    • jrswarr

      Premium Member
      20 September, 2018 - 11:00 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#325701">In reply to Sprtfan:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p>Same here – nothing within 250 miles. </p>

  • gregsedwards

    Premium Member
    20 September, 2018 - 10:25 am

    <p>Already sold out, both in-store and online. Damn!</p>

    • nicholas_kathrein

      Premium Member
      20 September, 2018 - 10:39 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#325705">In reply to gregsedwards:</a></em></blockquote><p>You just saved yourself $50 for a speaker that might not work a year from now when it can't connect to the service. </p>

      • Sprtfan

        20 September, 2018 - 10:42 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#325713">In reply to Nicholas_Kathrein:</a></em></blockquote><p>I assume it would always work via bluetooth. I would have loved to have picked one up for $50 just to mess around with. </p>

      • VancouverNinja

        Premium Member
        21 September, 2018 - 12:43 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#325713">In reply to Nicholas_Kathrein:</a></em></blockquote><p>Goofy comment.</p>

    • gregsedwards

      Premium Member
      20 September, 2018 - 1:43 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#325705">In reply to gregsedwards:</a></em></blockquote><p>Ha, actually found one in the Asheville store and grabbed it. Now I just have to figure out how to get over to Asheville this weekend to pick it up. Road trip!</p>

      • RonH

        Premium Member
        21 September, 2018 - 1:21 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#325834">In reply to gregsedwards:</a></em></blockquote><p>Get a Chromecast Audio for it (if you use Google devices,,)</p>

  • prjman

    20 September, 2018 - 10:26 am

    <p>The end is near for Cortana. Yet another consumer play from Microsoft that was great when they released, but died on the vine due to lack of attention from them, along with a serious lack of marketing.</p><p><br></p><p>RIP.</p>

    • train_wreck

      20 September, 2018 - 7:40 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#325706">In reply to prjman:</a></em></blockquote><p>Microsoft has really made an art form out of releasing products early on in a new category, then somehow managing to squander the lead they had &amp; let competitors beat them senseless.</p>

      • SenorGravy

        20 September, 2018 - 11:08 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#326105"><em>In reply to train_wreck:</em></a><em> Not sure which product you're talking about. Most every consumer product Microsoft released has been years after they should have released it followed by a total disinterest in burning the midnight oil to catch up to the market leader.</em></blockquote><p><br></p>

  • yaddamaster

    20 September, 2018 - 10:57 am

    <p>already sold out online and within 250 miles of Redmond, WA. Bummer. I already have one and it's a great speaker. Cortana works just fine for the few things I ask: calendar, time, weather, list taking, Spotify, etc. And if Cortana dies then it's still a great bluetooth speaker for $50. Heck, it was a good deal at $99 last Christmas. It's a great sounding speaker.</p>

  • Wizzwith

    20 September, 2018 - 11:00 am

    <p>Darn, sold out. Even if just using as a BT speaker it would have been an incredible deal at $50. Sound quality is superb. </p>

  • GT Tecolotecreek

    20 September, 2018 - 11:24 am

    <p>I don't think we will be seeing an updated model from HK in the future. </p><p>Usually a fire sale this extreme means they are leaving the market space.</p>

  • Tony Barrett

    20 September, 2018 - 11:46 am

    <p>This is a fire sale. Nothing more. Once they're gone, they're gone, and HK are very unlikely to be making any more – sales were just terrible by all accounts.</p>

    • VancouverNinja

      Premium Member
      20 September, 2018 - 1:38 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#325739"><em>In reply to ghostrider:</em></a></blockquote><p>Interesting. Where did you get the dismal sales statistics? I would be cool to check them out.</p>

      • Bats

        20 September, 2018 - 2:29 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#325816">In reply to VancouverNinja:</a></em></blockquote><p>It's from the data company called Common Sense.</p>

        • VancouverNinja

          Premium Member
          21 September, 2018 - 12:50 pm

          <blockquote><em><a href="#325878">In reply to Bats:</a></em></blockquote><p>Oh so you simply subscribe to talking about an issue without any data to back it up. Pretty much sums up all of your posts. At least you are consistent.</p>

  • NoFlames

    20 September, 2018 - 11:55 am

    <p>I have one and love it, the build and sound quality is excellent. I use it mostly with Spotify but also weather questions for where I travel or random facts.</p>

  • petrolemo

    20 September, 2018 - 11:58 am

    <p>sold out a lot of places. If you live in NY plenty of supply left.</p>

  • jules_wombat

    20 September, 2018 - 12:03 pm

    <p>So much for Cortana then :(</p><p>Another previously Microsoft lauded feature bites the dust. </p>

  • Illusive_Man

    20 September, 2018 - 12:07 pm

    <p>The $50 deal for the two Insignia Alarm Clocks with Google Home is a better deal….</p>

  • richfrantz

    Premium Member
    20 September, 2018 - 1:25 pm

    <p>Bought mine for $100 several months ago. Primarily because it was HK, Cortana was gravy. Sounds great so no complaints from me.</p>

    • VancouverNinja

      Premium Member
      20 September, 2018 - 1:40 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#325784">In reply to richfrantz:</a></em></blockquote><p>I just got one and it is better than our echo 2's. For $50 it is a killer bluetooth speaker with Cortana and Alexa. Picking up a few for gifts. Change that they are all gone. Absolute no brainer purchase.</p>

  • kshsystems

    Premium Member
    20 September, 2018 - 1:28 pm

    <p>Cortana is soo far behind now that I am really having difficulty seeing the use case. </p>

    • webdev511

      Premium Member
      20 September, 2018 - 3:48 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#325786"><em>In reply to kshsystems: </em></a></blockquote><p>Cortana in stand alone home devices? I don't disagree. Cortana as an enterprise assistant. It's way better than most people will know. I've said too much.</p>

    • VancouverNinja

      Premium Member
      21 September, 2018 - 1:06 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#325786">In reply to kshsystems:</a></em></blockquote><p>You must only use Google services then. Our entire executive team now gets daily reports from Cortana. Since it has both Cortana and Alexa everyone now believes Cortana is the way to move forward. Skype on Alexa screens was a strategically brilliant move for Microsoft – strengthens Skype and puts Google Assistant in the cold. We will most likely see Skype come to Siri too when it makes sense. This is why Microsoft is the only play in business – they are device and platform agnostic. </p><p><br></p><p>As for it being to far behind – not even close. We are at the Model T level of products right now. Virtually all of these devices will be garbage in few years and consumers will switch easily as it is Voice AI. Not hard to do at all. </p>

  • VancouverNinja

    Premium Member
    20 September, 2018 - 1:46 pm

    <p>Looking forward to MSs new Cortana devices. I would expect for them to announce them during the October 2nd announcements.</p><p><br></p><p>Our whole executive team has set up Cortana now on their systems and we all are receiving daily reminders/updates from it. Since Cortana has delivered us a true use case senario that exceeds turning lights on and off or playing music; we all feel it is the best Voice AI at the moment. And like I have said, having a gateway to Alexa via Cortana makes it a way better solution than the rest. A bit choked I missed buying more Invokes for $50. Crazy value for a bluetooth speaker w/a dual voice AI capability for the price. </p>

    • roastedwookie

      21 September, 2018 - 3:06 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#325835">In reply to VancouverNinja:</a></em></blockquote><p>keep waiting fanboy..what OEM is gonna be that stupid to launch yet another product that has JUNK MS tech inside, that noone will buy? Go back to your koolaid doze…</p>

      • VancouverNinja

        Premium Member
        21 September, 2018 - 12:47 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#326304">In reply to roastedwookie:</a></em></blockquote><p>No waiting necessary. It currently does what no other assistant can do and it actually does things that are not a gimmick. </p><p><br></p><p>You are fooling yourself if you think anything is settled in Voice assistants yet – way too early at this point. Have fun being obnoxious though ;-)</p>

  • ponsaelius

    20 September, 2018 - 3:41 pm

    <p>It's a good price. It's never been on sale outside the USA – rather like the Zune player. </p>

  • YouWereWarned

    20 September, 2018 - 6:23 pm

    <p>Bought 3 @$99 a year ago (nobody paid $199, ever) for my home and for elderly parents (who have manageable Cortana requests like "what day/time is it?"). My wife ripped it out after a few months complaining the "that lady" keeps talking for no reason. And parents likewise unplugged the things after an initial honeymoon where the ability to command "play Frank Sinatra songs" was briefly entertaining. "Add butter to shopping list" was not compelling. Nor is "hey Cortana, tell Alexa to do the thing YOU should be able to do".</p><p>EVERYONE I speak with believes these devices are recording everything heard, despite all of my pleading to the contrary. THAT is a non-trivial issue for anyone not trusting of the Overlords, and that is most people.</p>

  • Bats

    20 September, 2018 - 7:53 pm

    <p>A 67% discount after….not even a full year? This was an utter failure. I remember posting last year, on this website, where at Best Buy, no one bought the Invoke….NO ONE. There was 3 piles of speakers. One the Amazon Echo, the other was Google Home (mini), and further down the aisle was the Invoke. I remember, there was tall stack of Invokes, whereas the stack of Home minis and Echo dots were alot smaller. I posted it here.</p><p><br></p><p>I am sure there are alot of reasons why this thing failed. For one thing, what exactly can it do? Cortana is DUMB. I one time asked Cortana information about Raygar Targarian (GoT) and Cortana kept showing me Raymour and Flanagan, the furniture store. Second, the thing is ugly and clearly does not fit the decor of most homes. Who wants to put that thing in their home?</p><p><br></p><p>I'm sure Harman Kardon will release a new Invoke, but……….it will feature the two heavyweights, Alexa and The Google Assistant. I don't think they'll make one with Cortana anymore. Maybe I am wrong with that, but remeber when Paul and Brad went to CES? They found out, no one wants a Cortana device. NO ONE. </p><p><br></p><p>I'll just wait til the Invoke is priced $20. Then I'll strike. I won't even take it out of the box, I'll just add it to my collection next to the TRS-80 Color Computer, Black Motorola Star Tac (VIP Series) phone, and Atari.</p>

  • SenorGravy

    20 September, 2018 - 11:00 pm

    <p>I bought one for $88 a few months ago. I gotta be honest-this product sucks. Cortana is half baked at best and frustrating as hell to use, and has a LONNNG way to catching Alexa or Google assistant. If I know Microsoft (and all my discontinued MSFT consumer products laying dormant in my drawer says I do), this product will die a very quiet, uninteresting death. At least it has excellent speakers and can be a very effective Bluetooth speaker. It also has terrific build quality.</p>

    • VancouverNinja

      Premium Member
      21 September, 2018 - 1:00 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#326230">In reply to SenorGravy:</a></em></blockquote><p>Yup you must right, Microsoft has 6,000 devs working on Cortana based AI for no purpose at all. </p>

      • prjman

        21 September, 2018 - 3:40 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#326551"><em>In reply to VancouverNinja:</em></a><em> Can they put a few of them on package tracking, or flight tracking, because those two common things are pretty important.</em></blockquote><p><br></p>

        • VancouverNinja

          Premium Member
          21 September, 2018 - 4:26 pm

          <blockquote><em><a href="#326620">In reply to prjman:</a></em></blockquote><p>I know that the package tracking has stopped for the moment. I primarily order from online shops that automatically text me updates so I have never needed to use this feature. Not sure why this would be a key feature but if it is for people I doubt it will be permanently gone.</p><p><br></p><p>I have never needed the flight tracking myself either but I just tried one on my PC and Cortana seems to be on it just fine.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

      • SenorGravy

        21 September, 2018 - 9:44 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#326551"><em>In reply to VancouverNinja:</em></a><em> If there are 6,000 devs working on Cortana, then Microsoft should be even more concerned. Cortana is trailing this race badly.</em></blockquote><p><br></p>

  • bbold

    21 September, 2018 - 2:25 am

    <p>All gone now… That's what I call a fire sale!</p>

    • VancouverNinja

      Premium Member
      21 September, 2018 - 12:58 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#326283">In reply to bbold:</a></em></blockquote><p>We are just over a week away from their new product announcements. It should be good. If they release the speaker with the cameras and screen it will be pretty interesting to see how it works. All of the current dots and little speakers and speakers with Voice AIs are going to end up in land fills. The idea is ambient services and these items are like TRS-80's. The Invoke was a good way to get into a device that will ultimately be completely outdated in a few years from now.</p><p><br></p><p>Since people are talking to an "assistant" switching at a drop of a hat will not be an issue to anyone.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

  • roastedwookie

    21 September, 2018 - 3:04 am

    <p>:))) expected. As a speaker is very good, but as a smart speaker is JUNK because of MS's crap Cortana</p>

Windows Intelligence In Your Inbox

Sign up for our new free newsletter to get three time-saving tips each Friday

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Thurrott © 2024 Thurrott LLC