Smart Speakers: Your Gateway to a Connected Home (and Great Audio)
Thinking about dipping your toes into the smart home revolution? A smart speaker is the perfect starting point. Before you invest heavily in a fully automated home with advanced lighting and security systems, a smart speaker allows you to familiarize yourself with voice-assistant technology while enjoying a hands-free, voice-controlled experience for music, podcasts, news, and more.
This guide will walk you through our top smart speaker recommendations across various categories, followed by an in-depth buyer’s guide packed with essential information.
TechHive’s editors and writers have been rigorously testing smart speakers since the dawn of Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant. That’s over a decade of experience evaluating these devices and their accompanying mobile apps.
Michael Brown, a seasoned home audio expert, has been evaluating audio gear for just as long. Having built his own custom smart home back in 2007, he has tested nearly every smart speaker to hit the market since. James Barber brings over three decades of experience in music and technology as a music producer, A&R executive, entrepreneur, and reviewer of both audio gear and recorded music. Our collective experience encompasses basic smart speakers, audiophile-grade models, portable options, and smart displays with built-in audio. You can rely on TechHive to guide you towards the perfect smart speaker to meet your specific needs.
Our Top Smart Speaker Recommendations
Here are our top picks, categorized for your convenience:
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Best Value (Alexa): Amazon Echo Pop (2024)
Pros: Alexa ecosystem access, good value for price.
Cons: Not truly designed for music, despite album art display.
The Echo Pop is a standout in Amazon’s lineup, offering a compelling entry point to the Alexa ecosystem. While not a dedicated music device, its touchscreen can display useful information like the time, date, weather, and even album art. Its primary strength lies in its smart home capabilities, making it an ideal smart alarm clock and central hub for controlling other connected devices.
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Best Budget (Google): Google Nest Mini
Pros: Compact design, wide range of music service support.
Cons: N/A
The Google Nest Mini shines with its discreet, low-profile design, making it easily integrable into any space. It supports a comprehensive list of music streaming services, including YouTube Music, Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, iHeartRadio, Deezer, and SiriusXM. Android users who rely on Google Assistant on their phones will appreciate seamless integration and consistent voice commands.
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Best for Apple Users: Apple HomePod mini
Pros: Exceptional audio quality in a compact size, seamless HomeKit integration.
Cons: Higher price compared to competitors.
The Apple HomePod mini delivers impressive audio quality for its size, making it a worthwhile investment for Apple enthusiasts. It features native support for Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, and Deezer. AirPlay 2 compatibility enables streaming from Spotify, Tidal, or Qobuz from other Apple devices. Furthermore, it functions as a robust control hub for HomeKit-compatible smart home devices. We consider the larger HomePod (2nd Gen), while powerful, a less compelling value proposition at its current price point.
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Best Budget (Alexa, No Display): Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen)
Pros: Affordable, full Alexa functionality.
Cons: Lacks display features.
For those seeking a solid smart speaker at the most accessible price point, the Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) is an excellent choice. It offers the core Alexa experience without the added cost of a display. It is perfect for locations where a clock or temperature display isn’t necessary.
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Best High-End Audio: Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin
Pros: Stunning design, spectacular true stereo sound.
Cons: High price.
The Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin justifies its premium price tag with its visually striking design and exceptional audio performance. It supports AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, and offers access to high-resolution streams via the B&W app. Featuring Amazon Alexa integration, this is B&W’s first foray into the smart speaker realm.
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Best Compact Audio: Sonos Era 100
Pros: Spectacular audio, compact footprint, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity.
Cons: N/A
The Sonos Era 100 delivers outstanding audio in a small package. It features both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections and supports both Sonos Voice and Amazon Alexa. The Sonos mobile app provides seamless control. For a truly immersive stereo experience, consider purchasing a pair.
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Best Immersive Audio: Sonos Era 300
Pros: Dolby Atmos support, excellent smart speaker experience.
Cons: Requires Dolby Atmos-compatible streaming service.
The Sonos Era 300 takes audio immersion to the next level with Dolby Atmos support. It provides the same excellent smart speaker functionality as the Era 100 and delivers outstanding two-channel stereo sound when paired.
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Best Spatial Audio (Alexa): Amazon Echo Studio
Pros: Excellent spatial audio support, Zigbee smart home hub.
Cons: Immersive audio limited to Amazon Music HD.
The Amazon Echo Studio delivers impressive spatial audio for Amazon Music HD subscribers and can be paired with a second speaker for a stereo setup. As a bonus, it doubles as a Zigbee smart home hub.
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Best Portable Speaker: Sonos Move 2
Pros: True stereo audio, exceptional battery life.
Cons: Heavy and bulky.
The Sonos Move 2 provides true stereo audio and impressive battery life in a portable package. It supports simultaneous Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections. It’s a perfect choice for backyard listening or taking on vacations.
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Best Dual-Assistant Support: JBL Authentics 300
Pros: Retro design, dynamic sound, Alexa and Google Assistant support.
Cons: N/A
The JBL Authentics 300 stands out with its retro-inspired design and warm, musical sound. It supports both "Alexa" and "Hey Google" wake words, allowing for seamless interaction with either voice assistant.
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Best Truly Portable Speaker: Sonos Roam
Pros: Excellent audio in a compact size, smart speaker features.
Cons: More expensive than other portable speakers.
The Sonos Roam combines portability with the company’s renowned audio quality. Its smart speaker features justify the higher price point, making it ideal for users who rely on voice assistants in their daily routines.
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Best Smart Display (Alexa): Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen)
Pros: Screen and camera integration, excellent audio, Zigbee smart home hub.
Cons: Not the best in any individual category, but a solid all-around device.
The Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen) enhances the smart speaker experience with a screen and camera. Its 10.1-inch display tracks your movements during video calls, ensuring you’re always in frame.
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Best Smart Display (Google): Google Nest Hub Max
Pros: Robust sound, integrated Nest camera, excellent for YouTube users.
Cons: Smart home capabilities not as robust as Echo Show 10.
The Google Nest Hub Max is a strong contender in the smart display category, particularly for Android users. It offers surprisingly robust sound and integrates seamlessly with Nest thermostats and security cameras.
Understanding Digital Assistants and Smart Speaker Functionality
Digital assistants – including Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri – are primarily cloud-based software that interprets natural language voice commands to perform tasks and retrieve information. As smart speakers have evolved, some processing has moved to the chips inside the devices themselves.
While digital assistants are becoming increasingly sophisticated, they’re not yet perfect. They can occasionally become confused, leading to responses like, "Sorry, I don’t know that one." Fortunately, the algorithms powering these assistants learn over time, improving their accuracy and responsiveness.
Here’s a glimpse of what most smart speakers can do:
- Play music from various streaming services
- Set alarms and timers
- Answer questions and provide information
- Control smart home devices
Smart Home Integration: A Crucial Consideration
Smart home control via smart speaker comes with caveats. Wi-Fi-enabled smart home devices generally connect effortlessly. However, devices using Zigbee or Z-Wave protocols require a smart home hub, such as Samsung SmartThings. Amazon’s higher-priced Echo models offer an exception with an integrated Zigbee controller.
Some soundbars, such as the Sonos Beam (Gen 2), can also function as smart speakers, allowing you to select between Sonos’s own voice assistant, Amazon Alexa, or Google Assistant.
Choosing the Right Ecosystem: A Key Decision
Ideally, smart speakers and displays would be fully interoperable, allowing you to mix and match brands based on their strengths. Unfortunately, this is not currently the case. Once you commit to one platform, you’ll generally want to remain within that ecosystem.
There is one exception: the new JBL Authentics series, which supports both Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands.
However, compatibility issues can arise when integrating third-party services. Streaming YouTube Music to an Amazon Echo can be less seamless than expected, and vice versa. Google restricts YouTube access on Echo Show devices (although a workaround exists via the web browser). Apple’s HomePod speakers are predominantly tied to Apple Music. While workarounds may exist for Spotify and other services, such inconsistencies highlight the importance of careful consideration.
Audio Quality and Connectivity: What to Look For
We evaluate sound quality at moderate volumes in real-world home environments. We also assess whether distortion occurs at higher volumes. Key factors include clarity and natural instrument reproduction. For smaller speakers, we pay close attention to bass response.
Wireless speaker performance hinges on reliable connectivity. We test connection stability and range. We also verify Bluetooth and auxiliary input support.
We analyze the accompanying smartphone app. Does it allow users to customize the sound and adjust smart features? How well does the speaker process voice commands? This heavily depends on the capabilities of Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri.
By considering these factors, you can confidently select the perfect smart speaker to elevate your audio experience and streamline your smart home control.
