A good smart speaker is actually indispensable in any Smart Home. You don’t just listen to music, but the device also serves as a virtual assistant. Ideal to control other devices in your home.
When buying a good smart speaker you have to pay attention to several factors. First and foremost is of course the sound quality, but it should also be able to connect well with other devices in your smart home. Moreover, it is nice if your speaker fits into your interior. Fortunately, you have a huge choice.
The best speakers for a smart home
Smart speakers come in countless shapes, sizes and price ranges. It is therefore not surprising that you have lost your overview. WANT has listed the best smart speakers of the moment for you. All devices are from reputable brands and worth a try. They are also easy to use in a Smart Home.
1. Sonos One
Like most Sonos speakers, the Sonos One offers good quality at an attractive price. The One stands out in this category because it is compact and lightweight. The speaker weighs no more than 2 kilograms, but it is certainly not a lightweight. The small device contains two Class-D digital amplifiers, a tweeter and a mid-woofer for extra clear sound. You can easily connect the speaker to other devices in your Smart Home. This is because the speaker has a good microphone, which allows it to detect sound from far away. The only downside to the speaker is that it cannot stream TV audio, with the exception of Apple TV and AirPlay 2.
The Sonos One (Image: Sonos)
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2. Amazon Echo (4th generation)
The Amazon Echo is round and has forward-facing speakers. This combination provides a richer tone that you can place at just the right angle. The components are largely made from recycled materials and the speaker is quite sustainable in energy consumption. The sound of the Echo is not as complex as with the Sonos One, but still fine for enjoying good music. In addition, the speaker comes with a line-out 3.5 mm cable and Bluetooth connectivity. This allows you to pair the Echo with other speakers in your Smart Home in multiple ways. The coolest thing about this speaker is that it features motion detection. So you can set the Echo to automatically turn off when you walk out of the room.
Will Amazon’s Echo be the first device with Matter connectivity? (Image: Amazon)
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3. Google Nest Audio
Google’s latest smart speaker is understated, but with surprisingly good audio quality. In fact, the sound is so good that insiders are calling the device one of Google’s best speakers. The Nest Audio is an improvement over the classic Google Home Speaker in every way. It can play music up to 75 percent louder and features a 50 percent deeper bass boost. You also have many more color and design options. As with the Echo, many of the components are made from recycled materials. You can easily connect other devices in your Smart Home in the Google Home app or through an external hub.
Nest Audio (Image: Google)
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4. Sonos Move: versatility in your smart home
This speaker from Sonos exceeds the expectations of many. It brings the great sound quality that the manufacturer is known for, along with super-duper multi-assistant features. In fact, the Move works just as well with the Google Assistant as it does with Alexa, and can handle apple’s AirPlay 2 support on wifi. So it’s ideal if you use devices from products from different manufacturers in your Smart Home. Perhaps the most interesting thing about this speaker is that it is one of the first Sonos speakers that can stream via Bluetooth. The portable speaker is also durable. It also comes with an IP56 rating. This means that it can withstand a fair amount of outdoor moisture, including rain and snow.
Click/tap for larger (Image: Dominick Vietor / WANT)
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5. Amazon Echo Dot (4th generation)
We don’t need to talk about the sound of the Amazon Echo line anymore. But what makes the Echo Dot extra useful is its design. Amazon brought a new design to the Echo Dot line with this speaker. This speaker is the first device with an integrated display. It may look simple, but this little tweak makes it much more useful than its predecessors. The LED display doesn’t allow you to read reams of text, but what it does display can help you tremendously. In addition to the time, the display shows the weather, for example, and timers that you have asked Alexa to set. A simple addition, which is indispensable for any Smart Home!
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