Amazon, Apple, Sonos, Google: Which Smart Speaker is Best?
Are you ready to embrace the new savvy home assistants or do you value privacy over convenience?
By breaking down the style, sound and smarts of the newest smart assistants, we answer the biggest question: is the digitised life worth the investment?
Photo: Amazon
1. Alexa Echo Dot & Echo Plus
Amazon has made leaps and bounds into voice-activated devices, an area well outside their core business of online retail. Amazon’s Alexa line is targeting practical features over audio quality, which makes them the best choice for the less tech-savvy.
Design: Sitting proudly like a thick coaster, the Echo Dot is not the most attractive unit (though it’s the best-looking of any device we tested) but what it lacks in style it makes up for in practicality. The buttons are clear and easy to press, and the swirling lights that tell you it’s listening are a classy touch. The easily identified buttons are also ideal for a quick way to summon or silence the Echo devices.
Audio: When you’re in the kitchen, you don’t need high-fidelity audio, so the volume and clarity of the Echo Dot are more than adequate. The always-on microphones can be creepy, but the upside is that Alexa is ready to find you a recipe or tell you the weather as soon as you mention her name.
The much louder and taller Echo Plus model has a limited frequency range and distorts at higher volumes, but it is certainly enough to replace that crackly old clock radio in your bedroom.
A bonus is the ability to control Philips Hue LED lights, which are available at hardware stores and many supermarkets.
Smarts: The Echo Dot took longer to set up than any of the others we tested. It took multiple trips to the app and another email to Amazon before we were able to convince the Dot that our location was not in Westlake, Ohio. While it lacks the plug-and-go functionality of the HomePod, this little winner can order you an Uber, control lights, thermostats and more. As my children found, the novelty of asking “Alexa, give me an inspiring quote,” or “Alexa, tell me an Aussie animal fact”, is fun but wears off within a few days.
To Amazon’s credit, a regular email they send users titled, ‘What’s new with Alexa’, gives this investment some longevity as you learn new tricks each week.
1. Alexa Echo Dot & Echo Plus
Amazon has made leaps and bounds into voice-activated devices, an area well outside their core business of online retail. Amazon’s Alexa line is targeting practical features over audio quality, which makes them the best choice for the less tech-savvy.
Design: Sitting proudly like a thick coaster, the Echo Dot is not the most attractive unit (though it’s the best-looking of any device we tested) but what it lacks in style it makes up for in practicality. The buttons are clear and easy to press, and the swirling lights that tell you it’s listening are a classy touch. The easily identified buttons are also ideal for a quick way to summon or silence the Echo devices.
Audio: When you’re in the kitchen, you don’t need high-fidelity audio, so the volume and clarity of the Echo Dot are more than adequate. The always-on microphones can be creepy, but the upside is that Alexa is ready to find you a recipe or tell you the weather as soon as you mention her name.
The much louder and taller Echo Plus model has a limited frequency range and distorts at higher volumes, but it is certainly enough to replace that crackly old clock radio in your bedroom.
A bonus is the ability to control Philips Hue LED lights, which are available at hardware stores and many supermarkets.
Smarts: The Echo Dot took longer to set up than any of the others we tested. It took multiple trips to the app and another email to Amazon before we were able to convince the Dot that our location was not in Westlake, Ohio. While it lacks the plug-and-go functionality of the HomePod, this little winner can order you an Uber, control lights, thermostats and more. As my children found, the novelty of asking “Alexa, give me an inspiring quote,” or “Alexa, tell me an Aussie animal fact”, is fun but wears off within a few days.
To Amazon’s credit, a regular email they send users titled, ‘What’s new with Alexa’, gives this investment some longevity as you learn new tricks each week.
Photo: Apple
2. HomePod
Apple was last to the party, but takes first place for audio clarity and spatial awareness. This means that no matter where you are in the room, the speaker adapts, while separating out a singer’s voice and the individual instruments within any song. Mind, blown. Of course, it also works seamlessly with other Apple devices.
Design: Most voice-activated speakers come in some form of cylinder, and the Apple cylinder is the softest design available. That said, it is difficult to pick up. The mesh surrounding the unit is strong, but the feeling that you might rip it is hard to shake.
Audio: If room-filling sound is what you want, HomePod is top of the pops. This unit conforms to the Apple tradition of playing only music streamed from Apple’s own platform, which can be your own saved music in iTunes or music streamed in a paid subscription to Apple Music. HomePod doesn’t have the ability to stream the same music in different rooms, but later this year Apple is adding the ability to pair a second speaker, which will make this a viable TV audio option.
Smarts: The HomePod is less about cute tricks and more about quality tunes. The voice inside – Siri – is not up to scratch in some areas, so you can’t expect it to read a recipe aloud, check your calendar, make phone calls or act as a bluetooth speaker. But you can still add reminders, send text messages and add comments to notes. If you’re too time-poor to sit around listening to the radio, just ask for the news and you’ll get a minute of handy headlines. New smart features are likely to be rolled out in future.
2. HomePod
Apple was last to the party, but takes first place for audio clarity and spatial awareness. This means that no matter where you are in the room, the speaker adapts, while separating out a singer’s voice and the individual instruments within any song. Mind, blown. Of course, it also works seamlessly with other Apple devices.
Design: Most voice-activated speakers come in some form of cylinder, and the Apple cylinder is the softest design available. That said, it is difficult to pick up. The mesh surrounding the unit is strong, but the feeling that you might rip it is hard to shake.
Audio: If room-filling sound is what you want, HomePod is top of the pops. This unit conforms to the Apple tradition of playing only music streamed from Apple’s own platform, which can be your own saved music in iTunes or music streamed in a paid subscription to Apple Music. HomePod doesn’t have the ability to stream the same music in different rooms, but later this year Apple is adding the ability to pair a second speaker, which will make this a viable TV audio option.
Smarts: The HomePod is less about cute tricks and more about quality tunes. The voice inside – Siri – is not up to scratch in some areas, so you can’t expect it to read a recipe aloud, check your calendar, make phone calls or act as a bluetooth speaker. But you can still add reminders, send text messages and add comments to notes. If you’re too time-poor to sit around listening to the radio, just ask for the news and you’ll get a minute of handy headlines. New smart features are likely to be rolled out in future.
Photo: Sonos
3. Sonos One and Playbase
Sonos has been the market leader in wifi-connected speakers for some time. Think of them as the rollerblades of the smart-speaker market, with many new imposters giving them a run for their money. Impressively, Sonos stands up against the competitors despite lacking their own smart assistant.
The Sonos One – the brand’s flagship speaker – is a neat 16 centimetres tall, with a solid feel and minimalist design. The Playbase is a 71-centimetre-wide unit made to sit under your TV (shown in white in the first photo above). It’s a large, heavy slab of technology that is all about quality audio but cleverly, it looks nothing like a speaker.
Design: A few years ago, these slabs were the next big thing as everyone was buying their first flat-screen panel televisions and sitting them on a slimline entertainment unit. However, due to their increasing sizes and the dangers of them tipping over, the popular move is to mount your television on a wall, making it harder to conceal your slab.
Audio: The Sonos will stream music from a variety of music services, including Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play and others. The Sonos One was a breeze to set up and has delivered clear bass, and highly defined mid-range and treble that are as good as any other cylinder on offer. You’ll notice elements of songs you’ve never heard before. It’ll give you the tingles!
Getting the same party started on the Playbase takes some time. As the Playbase emits laser noises, you are instructed to wander around the room waving your smartphone while its microphone collects data. After ten minutes of setup, the Playbase delivers incredible sound tailored to its position in your room. The reverberating subwoofer effects are a standout and rival the HomePod for sofa-shaking bass. One relief is that at least there are not many cables; one for power, one for your TV. That’s it.
Smarts: Sonos speakers are not yet able to take voice commands, though it is ‘future ready’, which means you should be able to use your Alexa device to control your Sonos devices from autumn 2018. Sonos has mastered the simple wifi setup, and its app is a market leader allowing you to choose different music for each room in your home, something we found highly enjoyable.
5 smart-home ideas worth adopting
3. Sonos One and Playbase
Sonos has been the market leader in wifi-connected speakers for some time. Think of them as the rollerblades of the smart-speaker market, with many new imposters giving them a run for their money. Impressively, Sonos stands up against the competitors despite lacking their own smart assistant.
The Sonos One – the brand’s flagship speaker – is a neat 16 centimetres tall, with a solid feel and minimalist design. The Playbase is a 71-centimetre-wide unit made to sit under your TV (shown in white in the first photo above). It’s a large, heavy slab of technology that is all about quality audio but cleverly, it looks nothing like a speaker.
Design: A few years ago, these slabs were the next big thing as everyone was buying their first flat-screen panel televisions and sitting them on a slimline entertainment unit. However, due to their increasing sizes and the dangers of them tipping over, the popular move is to mount your television on a wall, making it harder to conceal your slab.
Audio: The Sonos will stream music from a variety of music services, including Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play and others. The Sonos One was a breeze to set up and has delivered clear bass, and highly defined mid-range and treble that are as good as any other cylinder on offer. You’ll notice elements of songs you’ve never heard before. It’ll give you the tingles!
Getting the same party started on the Playbase takes some time. As the Playbase emits laser noises, you are instructed to wander around the room waving your smartphone while its microphone collects data. After ten minutes of setup, the Playbase delivers incredible sound tailored to its position in your room. The reverberating subwoofer effects are a standout and rival the HomePod for sofa-shaking bass. One relief is that at least there are not many cables; one for power, one for your TV. That’s it.
Smarts: Sonos speakers are not yet able to take voice commands, though it is ‘future ready’, which means you should be able to use your Alexa device to control your Sonos devices from autumn 2018. Sonos has mastered the simple wifi setup, and its app is a market leader allowing you to choose different music for each room in your home, something we found highly enjoyable.
5 smart-home ideas worth adopting
Photo: Google
4. Google Home Mini
Being the grand wizard of search gives Google a good head start, and the Mini proves that, nailing everything from reminders to search queries and public-transport planning. The Mini also works with countless partners and products, from music to lights.
Design: The curved puck of the Home Mini is a great little shape that will sit happily on any surface in your home. There are buttons on either side to control the volume and to summon the device. Google’s larger Home devices are all styled similarly.
Audio: The advent of tube-shaped bluetooth speakers has shown that manufacturers can get much more sound out of a smaller size than ever before. What’s lost in this trade-off is depth of sound, but if you’re relying on the Mini for traffic and weather updates, you won’t mind the strain it shows under volume. The forthcoming Google Home Max claims to bring powerful bass and can be paired for a stereo experience.
Smarts: So good! Google is synonymous with search, and so it has a head start on any general-knowledge queries you throw at it when you summon it with “OK, Google”. The Home Mini had the best voice recognition of any we tested, but still occasionally confused words in hilarious ways. There are secret games you can play when you are home alone, or even in a group, and you can have recipes read out one instruction at a time.
Verdict
If you are already comfortable with trading personal information for convenience, the addition of a smart speaker is not stretching the friendship. Pick your price point and the device that will connect best with your other tech; your smartphone, music service or TV. Speaking aloud to a small speaker on your bench certainly takes some getting used to, so if you’re ready to embrace the future, smart speakers can certainly enhance your day. Plus, they might even reduce some household clutter in the process.
TELL US
Do you have a voice-activated speaker at home? Tell us what you like and don’t like about it in the Comments below, and join the conversation.
4. Google Home Mini
Being the grand wizard of search gives Google a good head start, and the Mini proves that, nailing everything from reminders to search queries and public-transport planning. The Mini also works with countless partners and products, from music to lights.
Design: The curved puck of the Home Mini is a great little shape that will sit happily on any surface in your home. There are buttons on either side to control the volume and to summon the device. Google’s larger Home devices are all styled similarly.
Audio: The advent of tube-shaped bluetooth speakers has shown that manufacturers can get much more sound out of a smaller size than ever before. What’s lost in this trade-off is depth of sound, but if you’re relying on the Mini for traffic and weather updates, you won’t mind the strain it shows under volume. The forthcoming Google Home Max claims to bring powerful bass and can be paired for a stereo experience.
Smarts: So good! Google is synonymous with search, and so it has a head start on any general-knowledge queries you throw at it when you summon it with “OK, Google”. The Home Mini had the best voice recognition of any we tested, but still occasionally confused words in hilarious ways. There are secret games you can play when you are home alone, or even in a group, and you can have recipes read out one instruction at a time.
Verdict
If you are already comfortable with trading personal information for convenience, the addition of a smart speaker is not stretching the friendship. Pick your price point and the device that will connect best with your other tech; your smartphone, music service or TV. Speaking aloud to a small speaker on your bench certainly takes some getting used to, so if you’re ready to embrace the future, smart speakers can certainly enhance your day. Plus, they might even reduce some household clutter in the process.
TELL US
Do you have a voice-activated speaker at home? Tell us what you like and don’t like about it in the Comments below, and join the conversation.
What you need to know about voice-activated speakers
The latest smart speakers are here to organise your life and replace your poky stereo – as long as you don’t mind yelling across the room at an inanimate cylinder.
But can they change our lives in the way they all promise?
With an open mind, we wanted to know if they could save us enough time to justify the privacy concerns. Can a voice-activated assistant set appointments and reminders, create a shopping list and read us a recipe as we cook? Can it stream music, on cue, so that we never need buy enormous ghastly speakers again. And what do you get for paying more? In some cases, a lot more…
We tested the top four speakers on the market to see which one has the right balance of design, audio and smarts.