Best smart speaker with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa
The market is now flooded with smart speaker, that is, from all those speakers that also host a voice assistant. But which is the best? Which one suits your needs and budget? In this guide we try to give you some practical indications to guide you in this new world.
Smart speaker: what is it?
- smart speaker, or smart speakers, they are special types of speakers that connect to our home WiFi network. Inside them it is present a virtual assistant which, thanks to the microphones with which it is equipped, is able to perceive our voice, analyze it and respond accordingly with phrases or actions. Among the most common actions we find music playback (radio, Spotify, etc.), the activation of home automation routines (turning lights on and off, thermostat adjustment and the like) or the creation of timers and reminders.
They arrived in Italian homes a little less than two years ago. But perhaps not everyone knows that the first smart speakers date back to 2014, when Amazon launched its first Echo Dot model featuring an Alexa virtual assistant. It took over a year and a half for its most famous competitor to appear: Google Home.
The goodness of a smart speaker lies in three main factors:
- la audio playback quality
- la microphone capacity to recognize our voice even in the presence of background noises
- la presence of pluses, like an integrated monitor or the Zigbee hub.
THEHub zigbee is a mini control unit that allows you to directly control some home automation devices, such as smart bulbs, without the need to spend additional money by purchasing proprietary hubs of the various manufacturers.
Stop!
Before moving on to choosing your smart speaker, it is good to have a clear idea of the type of ecosystem you want to create in your home. In this regard, I recommend that you first read our article that helps you choose the best voice assistant.
Once you have decided your winner, you will have extra help to guide you in choosing the speaker.
Best smart speaker: the entry level
All low-end smart speakers of small size and low cost belong to this category. The audio quality is undoubtedly acceptable, they do their job very well but are limited to small and low-noise environments.
Google Home Mini / Nest Mini
The little one from Google. Don't get confused by this double name. They are actually pretty much the same, but Big G decided a few months ago to change the name of its line of smart speakers from Google Home a Nest (after having acquired the homonymous company).
With an elegant design, it easily adapts to any living environment. It is not equipped with physical buttons (except the mute one) to adjust its main functions, you just need to touch its surface to raise or lower the volume. On the upper part we find small LEDs that signal its activation. The audio quality is modest, although it has improved since the first version. It is available in Italy in three colors: light gray, anthracite gray and coral.
If you have chosen the Google ecosystem, it cannot be missing in your homes. Its ideal location is in a secondary room, such as a bathroom or bedroom.
Currently available at €59 at the official Google store, it is often on offer for less than € 30 in the most popular electronics stores.
Amazon Echo Dot
The counterpart of the Amazon house is the small one Echo Dot. Do not be fooled by the size, because despite appearances it hides amazing audio power. Of course, we do not cry for a miracle, but it performs better than many of the competition (even non-smart ones). The solidity is already felt when it is in our hands, from the weight and from the workmanship.
It features four physical buttons: two for volume, one to mute the voice assistant, one to activate it manually. It also has 4 microphones to receive our commands: almost always efficient, they struggle a bit in the presence of very loud background noises or when music is playing at high volume. It has a ring that lights up when asked, an iconic feature of all Amazon Echo devices.
It is available in 4 colors: black / anthracite, black / gray, white / gray, white / mauve, at the price of 59.90€ list. But you often find it on offer at the super price of 34.99 €, great for what it offers. A version with LED clock on the side is also available, ideal for those who want to place it on their bedside table or desk and always have the time under control. If you've chosen the Alexa ecosystem, that's the one for you (in a back room).
Discount
Echo Dot (3rd generation) - Smart speaker with ...
- Introducing Echo Dot - Our best-selling smart speaker, with a fabric cover, which fits ...
- Control Music with Your Voice - Stream songs from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, TuneIn and more ...
- Richer, more powerful sound - Pair with another Echo Dot (3rd generation) for powerful stereo sound. To fill...
Echo Dot (3rd generation) - Smart speaker with ...
- Our best-selling smart speaker - Now available with an LED display that shows the time, temperature ...
- Perfect on the nightstand - Ask Alexa to set an alarm and tap the top of the device to ...
- Control Music with Your Voice - Stream songs from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, TuneIn and more ...
Best smart speaker: the mid-range
We go up a grade, finding an improvement from the audio point of view, which however will not satisfy sound enthusiasts.
Google Home
The most powerful version you can buy in Italy, but not the most powerful of all. With its original shape, it adapts perfectly to any decor. We note a clear improvement compared to the little brother mini, both in receiving commands and in sound quality. The bass is more present and higher volumes are reached without hearing the speakers croaking.
More suitable for spacious environments, it manages to do its job very well. It too, in addition to the physical button to change it, has a touch part at the top with which to adjust the volume or stop it. Small LEDs placed in a circle let us know when it is active.
He too can be found in the official Google store, which can be purchased at 99 €, and he too can be found at lower prices in large electronics chains.
Amazon Echo
We take 3 or 4 Echo Dots, put them on each other and we get a Amazon echo. This model, with an elongated and cylindrical shape, has a modern and unobtrusive design. The audio part consists of a 76,2 mm woofer and 20 mm tweeter, with Dolby system that allows a 360 ° sound. The audio quality has undergone, compared to the echo dot, a notable improvement, and it is possible to connect other speakers via bluetooth or via AUX cable, using the appropriate 3,5mm jack output. The microphones for speech recognition go from 4 to 6, they are a long range and allow the speaker to hear us better from a distance even with music playing at high volume. We currently find it at a price of € 74.99 instead of € 99.99, and it is worth them all.
Be careful not to confuse the current model, 3rd generation, with the previous 2nd generation, with lower audio quality and different design.
You can find an example here. As you can see, the aesthetic differences are different so it should be really easy to tell them apart.
Amazon Echo (3rd generation) - Smart speaker ...
- Introducing Echo - Echo (3rd generation) is equipped with new premium quality speakers with Dolby processor that ...
- Enjoy great sound quality - Personalize your listening by adjusting your equalizer settings or combine ...
- Control Music with Voice - Ask Alexa to search for a song, artist or album on Amazon Music, Apple ...
Amazon Echo (3rd generation) - Smart speaker ...
- Introducing Echo - Echo (3rd generation) is equipped with new premium quality speakers with Dolby processor that ...
- Enjoy great sound quality - Personalize your listening by adjusting your equalizer settings or combine ...
- Control Music with Voice - Ask Alexa to search for a song, artist or album on Amazon Music, Apple ...
Amazon Echo Plus
Do you remember when I was talking about loudspeakers with a plus? Well this is one of those I was referring to, even the name itself says so! Echo Plus is practically identical to the model we just talked about, Amazon Echo, but inside it has an additional HUB Zigbee. This hub, a sort of control unit, allows you to control some smart accessories (such as light bulbs) without having to buy proprietary hubs as well.
I'll give you an example: Ikea Tradfri smart bulbs, in order to work, need the Ikea HUB to be connected to your home network. Philips Hue bulbs also need the Philips HUB in order to be controlled by Google or Alexa by voice. If you want to use both types of smart bulbs, you should buy both HUBs. Alternatively, by purchasing Echo Plus, just buy the bulbs: he will take care of the generic HUB.
All this translates into a price increase, let's move on to 149.90 €, which could however be money saved in the future. Purchase this variant of the Amazon Echo if you already have in mind the smart accessories that you will buy in the future.
Best smart speaker: top sound
Now no more excuses: the audio quality has really improved here. If you are looking for a smart speaker that allows you to listen to great music with high sound quality and that you can hear under any circumstances, they are for you.
Sonos ONE
You will tell me, what a speaker is doing with it Sonos in this guide? The answer is simple: Google does not currently have a smart speaker in Italy to be included in this range. In the US there would be Google Home Max, but it is likely that it will never arrive here. To replace it, therefore, we will use this excellent Sonos speaker, which can be used with both Google Voice Assistant and Amazon Alexa (but not at the same time).
This smart speaker has a full-bodied, powerful, round sound. Through its application it is possible to map the room and the area in which it is placed. Consequently the audio will be adapted to provide the best possible reproduction. It features 4 touch keys: play / pause, volume up and down, and microphone mute. The receiving microphones are really performing and do not fail in 90% of cases. It can be connected to a twin device to create a stereo effect within the room.
We have rightly gone up in price: this smart speaker is, subject to offers, at €229
Sonos One Generation 2 Smart Speaker Wi-Fi Speaker ...
- Be amazed by the rich and immersive audio of a second generation smart speaker with voice control ...
- Voice control with alexa, airplay and google assistant
- Available in elegant black or white versions, with a smooth matte finish and a durable metal grille for a look ...
Sonos One Generation 2 Smart Speaker Wi-Fi Speaker ...
- Be amazed by the rich and immersive audio of a second generation smart speaker with voice control ...
- Voice control with Amazon Alexa, AirPlay and Google Assistant
- Available in elegant black or white versions, with a smooth matte finish and a durable metal grille for a look ...
Amazon Echo Studio
We told you about it in our review. The best Amazon home smart speaker. What makes Echo Studio particularly interesting is the presence of two technologies: Sony's 360 Reality Audio and 3D Dolby Atmos. What is the plus of these standards? With 3D audio, the position in which you place the speaker is practically irrelevant, the result will be the same throughout the house. Plus, with the right songs, you'll have the feeling of being there right on stage, live of the action next to your favorite singer or group, with an enveloping and immersive audio.
But music is not the only vocation of this smart speaker. It is also equipped with HUB Zigbee, and can be connected to one Fire TV Stick to create a simple and functional Hi-Fi system that will allow you to fully enjoy movies, videos and TV series.
With the classic 4 buttons and 7 microphones, we find it at a price of 199 € in its unique anthracite color.
Echo Studio - Smart speaker with Hi-Fi sound and ...
- Room-filling sound - Five speakers deliver powerful bass, dynamic mids and crisp highs. Technology...
- Ready to help - Ask Alexa to play music, read you the latest news or answer a question.
- Control Music with Your Voice - Stream songs from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, Deezer and more ...
Best smart speaker to watch
The latest arrivals in the world of smart speakers also have a fundamental and evident feature: the presence of one LCD screen. No longer just music, but also videos and visual touch commands to control our home and see some photos. Thanks to these models, in fact, we will be able to play videos via YouTube, Prime Video (Echo devices only), see our favorite photo albums (Google devices only) or random photos of paintings and landscapes. It is possible to make video calls through services such as Skype (Amazon) or Google Duo. Furthermore we will be able to view the commands of our home automation as we find them in the smartphone app, so as to make certain actions more immediate for the other guests of the house.
Google Nest HUB
With its 7-inch display, it is perhaps the most powerful sounding Google device. It allows you to exploit the full potential of a chromecast directly on its screen: you can therefore use platforms such as Infinity, Now TV and Netflix without turning on the TV.
You can make video calls via Google Duo, but it does not have a front camera: you can therefore see the interlocutor, who, however, will not be able to see you. To have this functionality you should choose the 10-inch model, Nest Hub Max, larger and more powerful but NOT present in Italy. The only way to get it would be to have it sent to you by some friend / relative or to buy it during a trip.
With €129 you take home, from the official Google website, this little gem available in light gray or anthracite gray.
Amazon Echo Show
10-inch screen, speaker that uses two 2-inch neodymium drivers, a passive radiator and technology Dolby: these are the strengths of Amazon's flagship model. In addition, the 5 megapixel video camera allows us to make video calls (this time reciprocal) with any other Echo Show device or to Skype accounts on a PC or smartphone. Another little gem: like Echo Plus and Echo Studio, it is equipped with HUB Zigbee. In short, a truly complete 360 ° device. On it you will be able to reproduce video recipes from Giallo Zafferano or your favorite TV series and movies from Prime Video. For YouTube there is no special skill, but Echo Show will use the integrated Firefox browser, a bit like if you were using it from a PC.
This model costs a lot, €229, but it will be like having an Echo Plus fused to a tablet, so the price is justified. In periods of offers (Prime Day or Black Friday for example) it is also found around € 190, in the two colors white and anthracite. It will be perfect for your living room / kitchen.
Echo Show (2nd Generation) - Always stay in touch with ...
- High quality speakers for clear sound, brilliant 10 ”HD screen, design with fabric insert and ...
- Always connected thanks to video calls - Make a video call to the Alexa App, Skype or another Echo device ...
- Alexa can show you the weather forecast, calendar appointments, your to-do list, your ...
Echo Show (2nd Generation) - Always stay in touch with ...
- High quality speakers for clear sound, brilliant 10 ”HD screen, design with fabric insert and ...
- Always connected thanks to video calls - Make a video call to the Alexa App, Skype or another Echo device ...
- Alexa can show you the weather forecast, calendar appointments, your to-do list, your ...
Amazon Echo Show 5/8
Two smaller models are also available, respectively with the 5 and 8 inch screen. In addition to the obviously decreased audio quality, the smaller screen sizes also make them less suitable for "room" use e more suitable for use as a desk or bedside table (as an alarm clock). In fact, you need to be really close, as if they were smartphones, to be able to enjoy the information that their screens provide us. In any case, the price is really affordable and they could perfectly match some types of use. 
Echo Show 5 (1st generation, 2019 model) | Screen...
- Compact and smart 5,5 ”screen, with Alexa always ready to help.
- Make a voice call or video call with friends and family who own a compatible Echo device or ...
- Manage calendars, create a to-do list, check the weather and traffic situation and follow a recipe ...
Echo Show 8 (1st generation, 2019 model) | Screen...
- Alexa can show you many things - Thanks to the 8 ”HD screen and stereo sound, Alexa can help you manage ...
- Stay in Touch with Video Calls and Messages - Call friends and family who own an Echo device equipped with ...
- All the Entertainment You Want - Ask Alexa to show you a movie, TV series, or news bulletin and listen ...
We draw conclusions
The choice is wide, it is true, but not all of them adapt to our needs. If you are not yet equipped with a smart speaker but you want to understand if you really need them and what they can be useful for you at home, I suggest you start with one of the smaller models and cheap, so you can save some money in case your relationship doesn't work out.
Later, you can switch to a more performing model such as Echo Plus o Sonos One to be placed in the main room of your home, and thus transfer the baby purchased previously in the bedroom / bathroom / study.
If you are a music lover and care about audio quality then you can't not buy Echo Studio or Sonos One.
v If, on the other hand, you want to entertain you also visually during your household chores or you want a companion during a quick meal, you can opt for the devices equipped with video.
