TOP 5 smart speakers with voice control

Google introduced its first smart speaker back in 2016 and has been actively promoting smart home gadgets ever since.

The look of Google Home is minimalistic, but tasteful. Visually, the case is divided into two parts: on top is a plastic cylinder with a voice assistant power button and all the hardware, and at the bottom is a mesh cup, under which the speakers are hidden. In addition to the assistant call button, there is a small touch panel on top to control the volume and that's it.

By removing the usual on, off, pause, etc. buttons, Google seems to hint that it is better to command the speaker using voice. And it's really more convenient: to say, "OK Google, play music" is much faster than climbing into the smartphone player. The integration of Google Assistant with most popular music services (Youtube, Google Music, Spotify, TuneIn, Deezer, etc.) simplifies the process.

All integration with smart services takes place using the Google Home smartphone app. In the application, you can choose your favorite music service, tie up other "smart" devices, set an alarm, read the news, turn on your favorite playlist, find out the weather forecast and much more. In addition, at any time you can ask a Google assistant a question, ask him to joke or play a game with him. And the list of such opportunities is constantly growing, and the speaker itself is learning to understand more and more languages (Russian was added in 2018).

Now how it all sounds. Considering that the speaker is quite small, in terms of sound capabilities, it is able to surprise. As it turned out, two high-frequency and two passive radiators are hiding inside a small case at once. Therefore, the sound turns out to be quite clean, with a distinct bass and a good volume margin. Full-fledged acoustics, of course, will not overshoot, but it is not created for this. However, in tracks where there is so much bass, Google Home sometimes created an overload, which somewhat spoiled the initial impressions.

After Amazon allowed other speaker manufacturers to embed the Alexa virtual assistant into their own models, it was only a matter of time before Google would do the same with its Assistant. As soon as this happened, smart speakers from popular acoustic manufacturers poured into the market. One of the first was JBL with the Link line.

The junior model Link 20 is a compact hybrid of a conventional portable speaker ala JBL Charge 4 Price from 4 476 up to 6 050 ₴ and a smart home centre Google Home . It has a built-in battery that allows you to work up to 10 hours at medium volume, but there is no analogue audio input and a minimum of control buttons. Command with your voice. Plus, JBL Link 20 is not afraid of water (IPX7 rating) and can withstand diving to a metre depth for a period of 30 minutes. However, if you put it under the water in the sink, the assistant is unlikely to hear you because of the noise of the water.

As for the assistant, here we have a multifunctional Assistant from Google, who recently learned to understand Russian. The assistant can do a lot of things: manage smart devices (light bulbs, refrigerators, smart switches, etc.), broadcast music from Spotify and other streaming services, wake up on schedule, turn on your favorite TV series and even talk a little about life.

In terms of sound quality, Link is very close to the average Charge models — they play loudly, cleanly and aggressively. At the same time, there is no overabundance of bass, which is traditional for JBL. In general, for the "takeaway speakers" format, Link 20 sounds surprisingly nice. Plus, if you combine several speakers into a multiroom system, you can get a good set of home acoustics.

Sonos wireless speakers have long been popular due to their powerful sound, ease of use and reasonable pricing. Recently, the company's speakers have also become smarter, having acquired an Amazon Alexa voice assistant.

Externally, Sonos One copies the design of a miniature model Sonos Play 1 . It's bigger than Google Home, but compact enough to fit into small spaces. To control the main functions, there is a touch panel on the top panel of the speaker, and there are as many as 6 microphones around the perimeter of the case for all interaction with the smart assistant. Therefore, communication problems are unlikely to await you.

Amazon Alexa assistant does not understand Russian, but this is smoothed out by several factors. The first is that Sonos One is primarily focused on music, not smart home management, so it's not so difficult to remember the main list of commands like "Play Spotify" or "Stop Music". And the speaker itself is very easy to configure using a proprietary smartphone application and instantly integrates into the home network.

The second point is that in 2019, Sonos began a beta test of speakers with Google Assistant support and promises to add it to all models in the second half of 2019. Thus, it will be one of the few smart speakers with a pair of voice assistants to choose from.

Now about the sound, as this is the most interesting part. Sonos One is equipped with a pair of speakers (twitter + woofer), each with a separate amplifier. In general, the Sonos One is impressive, how good it sounds with such modest dimensions and such a size of speakers — it's just some kind of elvish magic. The basses here are much more powerful than you would expect from compact speakers, but the midrange frequencies stand out especially, incredibly clear and velvety. Plus, with the help of the Trueplay function in the mobile application, you can calibrate the speaker for the room — after spending a few minutes on it, you will hear a noticeably better sound. Overall, this is one of the best wireless speakers for your money.

An additional advantage is that in the Sonos catalog there is a whole set of multi—format speakers from which you can assemble a smart multiroom system for your own needs — scatter it around the rooms or vice versa connect it to a 2.0/2.1 system for listening to music or connecting to TV. If you already have smart wireless speakers with AirPlay 2 support, then they can be combined with Sonos One into one system, simultaneously transmitting sound from your smartphone to both.

Against the background of all this, we note only a strange decision to abandon Bluetooth, sometimes it can be a fast and convenient alternative to Wi-Fi.

Marshall is rapidly gaining a reputation for high-end home speakers, breaking away from the live music market and professional studio over the past few years.

In terms of design, wireless speakers from this brand are difficult to distinguish from each other. The company designs everything for classic Marshall guitar combos: a weighty box with a skin-like design, a large mesh that covers the speaker, and the famous company logo in the very centre. Only the set of volume and equalization switches on the control panel varies. Thanks to this, the company's speakers are not confused with anything else. And retro fans are always delighted.

Inside it is equipped with two broadband dynamic (2x15 W) emitters and a subwoofer (50 W) and plays loudly, powerfully, bassily, with excellent stereo effect and decent detail. However, the midrange frequencies seem to be somewhat drowned in the bass, which is quite strange for acoustics with such a close connection with rock music. In dance music, hip-hop and other genres with an emphasis on the lower frequencies, it sounds great. If you don't like the factory timbre, then you can adjust everything for yourself with the equalizer placed on the panel. In terms of sound quality, Stanmore II Voice looks like a full-fledged contender to replace a music centre or other set of home acoustics. Moreover, in addition to the wireless connection, there are inputs for a mini jack and RCA. But the price is also appropriate, almost $ 400.

Unlike Google speakers, the Stanmore II Voice has Amazon's Alexa voice assistant installed. Interestingly, thanks to the precise microphone, Alexa picks up the voice wherever you are in the room. Moreover, the speaker works so clearly that it picks up commands even through the music playing. She won't have to shout "Alexa, stop" three times to pause.

However, in our reality, Google Assistant now looks more preferable since it fully works with the Russian language and is not tied to Amazon services. Alexa does not know how to do this yet and it is not a fact that she will learn in the near future. According to unofficial information, support for the Russian language was originally planned to be added in 2018, but later the date was postponed "for later" since Amazon is not officially represented in post-Soviet countries.

The Bose Speaker 500 is a premium smart speaker that costs more than the popular Google Home and Sonos One combined. What is $500 being asked for? Thanks to the innovative Bose technology, this is not just a smart speaker, but a smart speaker for audiophiles.

There are two drivers installed in the case, designed specifically for the five hundredth model. They are directed in opposite directions, the sound is reflected from the surfaces in the room and the whole space is filled with music. At full volume, the device can easily sound a room of forty metres in size, it is enough for a small studio or for a large living room. The character of the sound is traditionally assertive, powerful, and warm for Bose, there is a lot of bass and a huge volume reserve.

The Bose Home Speaker 500 reads the modern design code of the company: a seamless elliptical shape and an anodized aluminium body that looks serious against the background of plastic counterparts and will calmly survive an accidental fall from the kitchen table. In the centre of the speaker there is a display with basic information about the track being played, volume and album cover.

An array of eight microphones is hidden around the perimeter of the speaker to control the Amazon Alexa voice assistant. Therefore, the Speaker 500 will hear the user even in a noisy environment. But the assistant does not understand Russian. Therefore, it is especially convenient that you can control the speaker not only using voice commands, but also using a mobile application or a touch panel on the end of the speaker. The latter is especially convenient, since sometimes it's more usual to just poke your fingers into the next track.

The Bose Music app is responsible for playing music. It works in several ways. The first is a classic multiroom over a home Wi-Fi network. You enter the data of your Spotify, Deezer, TuneIn accounts, then access the libraries of the services and then you can listen to your favorite tracks. The only frustrating thing is that the choice of music services is somewhat limited. But there is AirPlay 2 support for combining different speakers into a single system.

The second way is the usual Bluetooth. In this case, the speaker is instantly connected to the smartphone and launched literally in two clicks, however, the smartphone must be within a ten-metre radius from the speaker, and the display will not be able to show album covers. As an alternative to wireless connection, there is a good old minijack.