Hey music lovers! Are you seriously considering getting a smart speaker for your home’s ecosystem? If yes, we’ve got you. This is an article on the best smart speakers available in the market. We have looked into numerous products and shortlisted the most effective ones with exceptional characteristics for you.
These days smart speakers have become an integral part of smart homes. They are incorporated with advanced features to make our life easier. Especially, the voice assistants that are designed to simplify our daily routine. Let’s know more about these Tiny Smart Ones through this article.
8 Best Smart Speakers Reviews
1. Echo Studio Smart Speaker
About the Product
Experience the best-sounding echo like never before with the smart Echo Studio speaker. The Echo Studio is the only smart speaker with Dolby Atoms that take the music beyond the restrictions of mono and stereo. Dolby Atoms collaborated with Amazon to deliver an immersive, three-dimensional soundscape, engulfing you in studio-quality audio from every angle.
Talking about the design, built-in materials, and features, Echo Studio is designed with 5 built-in speakers, Alexa, and microphones for performing various functions. Moreover, it is incorporated with spatial audio processing technology to deliver optimal sound quality.
Specifications
| Brand | Amazon |
| Compatibility | Android & iOS |
| Network connectivity | Wifi & Bluetooth |
| Alexa calling | Yes |
| Technology | Spatial audio processing technology, Dolby Atoms technology, Room-adoption technology, Multi-room music |
What are the Distinct Features?
- Cutting Edge Technologies: Echo Studio is incorporated with modern technologies like Spatial audio processing technology, Dolby Atoms, and room adoption technology that can sense the spaciousness, adapt to your room, and fill your room with an outstanding sound stage.
- Built-in Smart Hub: Echo Studio supports every work with Alexa devices across multiple protocols including Zigbee and Matter. Alexa does everything for you with a single tap: set alarms, control connected smart home devices, check the weather, play music, control lights, and many more with your voice.
- Stream your Favorite Audio Content: Access your favorite music, podcasts, and audiobooks from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, audible, and many more.
- Safeguard your Privacy: Echo Studio is built with multiple layers of privacy protection. It contains a microphone off button that disconnects the microphones electrically, allowing you to regulate your voice recordings.
Further, you can connect Echo Studio wirelessly to Fire TV-compatible devices to turn your home into a theater. Multi-room music feature allows you to pair multiple devices and play music across various Echo devices.
2. Echo Dot Smart Speaker
About the Product
Echo Dot fifth-generation smart speakers work similarly to Echo Studio and almost have identical features. This generation is pretty new and comes with an LED display that shows time, weather, song titles, and more. Additionally, it has an in-built Alexa and a clock. You can now, pause a song, end a call, and even snooze alarms with a simple touch.
Specifications
| Brand | Amazon |
| Compatibility | Android & iOS |
| Network connectivity | Wifi & Bluetooth |
| Alexa calling | Yes |
| Technology | Spatial audio processing technology, Multi-room music, wake word technology |
What are the Distinct Features?
- Pair Multiple Devices Simultaneously: Echo Dot smart speaker uses multi-room connectivity technology to pair one Echo Dot with another compatible Echo device, Fire TV, and Eero WiFi router across different rooms to fill your house with realistic music.
- Alexa Manages and Controls Everything for you: Alexa makes your life easier. It helps you throughout the day with weather and news updates, hands-free timers and reminders, answers to your questions, and can even tell you jokes. Simply ask Alexa to play music, podcasts, and audiobooks to enjoy a dynamic audio experience across your house.
- Create Routines with your Motion: Echo Dot with built-in motion and temperature sensors, lets you control your smart home when you’re at home or away. Create routines to automatically turn on/off lights (or) play music at a scheduled time (or) when you walk into a room.
- Low Power Mode: Certain user configurations do not support Low Power Mode. But this device will enter Low Power Mode to conserve energy when it is not in use.
Moreover, this smart speaker features improved speaker quality, delivering clearer vocals and deeper bass for a rich vibrant sound. Its setup is pretty simple, flexible to use, and protects your sensitive data from malicious activities. The plastic materials used in this device can be recycled including the device, cable, fabric, and adaptor.
3. Sonos Smart Speaker
About the Product
Sonos One Generation 2 is a smart speaker with in-built voice control. This powerful smart speaker comes with a compact design that looks great and fits easily anywhere such as a tabletop, kitchen countertop (or) bookshelf.
Specifications
| Brand | Sonos |
| Compatibility | Android & iOS |
| Network connectivity | Wifi |
| Battery | 1 lithium-ion battery |
| Mounting type | Bookshelf |
| Voice assistant | Google & Alexa |
What are the Distinct Features?
- Enjoy Access to all the Live Stations: Thanks to Sonos radio, now listen to thousands of live stations, news, sports, latest updates, music, and many more for free.
- Experience Wonderful Sound that Fills Your Room: Sonos One perfectly adapts to your ecosystem regardless of size with Trueplay tuning and fills it with superior sound and richer bass.
- Hands-Free Communication: Alexa and Google Assistant are always on hand to assist you. You can easily attend your phone calls, set alarms, listen to music & live stations, control & manage your home smart devices, and many more with your voice.
- Easy Pairing: You can pair any two Sonos Ones together wirelessly in the same room (or) another room for stereo separation effortlessly for more detailed and clear sound.
Therefore, you can install it by following a few simple steps. Just plug it into the power cable, go along the instructions, and tap it to enjoy your favorite playlist, podcasts, audiobooks, and so on.
4. Echo Smart Speaker
About the Product
Eco Dot third generation is the most popular Echo with advanced speakers and design. It is a voice-controlled speaker with Alexa that easily drops with any other Echo device. Control everything, ask for music, news, the latest updates, and many more with your voice.
Specifications
| Brand | Amazon |
| Compatibility | Android & iOS |
| Network connectivity | Wifi & Bluetooth |
| Voice assistant | Alexa |
| Privacy control | Yes |
What are the Distinct Features?
- Alexa is There to Assist you Throughout the Day: Synchronize your house with Alexa and go beyond setting alarms, answering phone calls, switching on lights, listening to music, calendar events, news, sports updates, etc. You may make announcements in your home, such as reminding children about dinner and bedtime, and so on.
- Fill Your Home with a High-Quality and Deeper Sound: Access Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, and others and fill your whole home with music. Also listen to Audible, podcasts, radio stations, movies, and entertainment.
- Protect Your Home Privacy: Echo Dot and Alexa are equipped with multilayer privacy protection. They are also provided a microphone off button that disconnected the device microphone, controls your voice recordings, and access them whenever you want.
Amazon Echo series have similar features, they are compatible with all devices, is easy to set up, and offer great sound quality that is intense, clean, and clear. This generation series has all the advanced features of Alexa. Just make your home smart and regulate everything with your voice.
5. JBL Smart Speaker
About the Product
JBL Flip 4 is a portable Bluetooth speaker that delivers powerful stereo audio. It is the most recent edition of the award-winning Flip series, with a noise and echo-canceling loudspeaker for crystal clear conference conversations. Moreover, JBL Connect+ technology can wirelessly connect more than 100 JBL Connect+ equipped speakers to improve the listening experience.
Specifications
| Brand | JBL |
| Compatibility | Android & iOS |
| Network connectivity | Bluetooth |
| Speaker type | Outdoor |
| Waterproof technology | IPX7 |
| Battery | One lithium metal battery |
| Playtime | 12 hours |
| Bluetooth version | 4.2 |
What are the Distinct Features?
- Enjoy Wireless Bluetooth Streaming Continuously: Easily connect up to two smartphones (or) tablets wirelessly to the speaker and take turns playing amazing stereo sound uninterruptedly for up to 12 hours.
- Water-Resistant: JBL speaker is completely water-proof and comes with an IPX7 rating. Now, you need not worry about rain, water spills (or) any other liquids. It works well even if it’s completely immersed underwater.
- Noise-Canceling Technology: Flip 4 speakers uses advanced noise canceling and echo canceling technology to eliminate all external ambient noises to support crystal-clear calls and high-quality audio.
- Build with High-Quality Materials: This speaker is constructed of water-resistant fabric and has a tough rubber enclosure to protect it throughout your outdoor trips. Further, it is durable and acts as your companion during all the weather.
Additionally, now you can hear, feel, and see the bass with dual external passive radiators. And access Siri and Google Assistant with a simple tap.
6. Sonos One SL Smart Speaker
About the Product
Sonos One SL is a smart speaker with an in-built microphone and works similarly to Sono One (Gen 2). Simply set it up and control all including paired devices, volume, music, calls, etc with the Sonons app, Apple Airplay 2, and more. Plus, it is compatible with all devices including Android and iOS.
Specifications
| Brand | Sono |
| Compatibility | Android & iOS |
| Network connectivity | WiFi |
| Mount type | Bookshelf |
| Battery | One lithium-ion battery |
| Microphone | Built-in |
What are the Distinct Features?
- Has a Compact Design: Sonos One SL can fit in any corner of your house, whether on your tabletop (or) bookshelf (or) kitchen countertop (or) bathroom because of its simple, unique, and robust design.
- Paired Effortlessly: Sonos One SL can be paired easily with another Sonos device for stereo separation with more detailed and clean audio.
- Humidity Resistant: You can enjoy music even while bathing. One SL can be housed in your bathroom as well as it comes with humidity resistance. This technology makes the device work efficiently even in damp and fog conditions.
- Plug, Tap, and Play: You just have to plug in the speaker into the power cable and set it up. That’s it now you can tap it and play anything such as music, podcasts, access Siri (or) Google, and many more.
Experience brilliant sound with TruePlay tunning that adapts to your home and get a theater experience with outstanding audio. And it also comes with all the advanced controls to adjust volume, stream endless music, radio stations, etc.
7. Bose Smart Speaker
About the Product
Bose Home Speaker 500 supplies the sound you want to keep your family entertained all day, all night, and even longer. This speaker is housed with in-built Alexa and Google Assistant for hands-free communication. And even synchronizing, controlling, and managing have become easy with the Bose Music app.
Specifications
| Brand | Bose |
| Compatibility | Android & iOS |
| Network connectivity | WiFi and Bluetooth |
| Speaker type | Multimedia |
| Battery | One lithium-ion battery |
| Display screen | Color LCD |
| Voice control | Built-in Alexa |
What are the Distinct Features?
- Connect your Home Devices Effortlessly: Connect your device to this home speaker via Bluetooth, your home Wi-Fi network, Apple AirPlay 2 (or) Spotify Connect to play your favorite music and more. Just control your speaker with your voice (or) Bose Music app (or) 6 one-touch presets on the device.
- Get All the Services with your Voice: Thanks to Alexa and Google Assistant, they do everything like handling your phone calls, playing songs, setting alarms, informing notifications, and so on with your voice.
- Bose SimpleSync Technology: SimpleSync connects your Bose Home Speaker 500 to other Bose devices for the sound that follows you around the house. And even the noise-canceling microphone system that comes within the speaker searches for your speech in all directions.
- Fill your Space with Optimal Sound Quality: Usually, Bose smart speakers work wonderfully with other Bose family products for delivering a multi-room listening experience. Hence, it fills your ecosystem with a crisp and clean sound to immerse your soul in the world of music.
And ending up, these speakers are awesome to keep you entertained with brilliant stereo sound throughout the day at your home. Coming to its LCD it shows everything like time, weather details, notifications, the title of the song being played, etc.
8. XLeader Smart Speaker
About the Product
When it comes to the XLeader brand is a top-rated company that is committed to developing high-end audio devices that allow users to stimulate emotions through music. Talking about Sound Angel A8 is the top small Bluetooth speaker which offers distortion-free and crystal-clear sound to all those music enthusiasts.
Specifications
| Brand | XLeader |
| Compatibility | Android & iOS |
| Network connectivity | Bluetooth |
| Speaker type | Soundbar |
| Battery | One lithium polymer battery |
| Bluetooth technology | 5.0 |
| Voice control | Built-in Alexa |
| Playtime | 12-15 hours |
What are the Distinct Features?
- Crystal Sound with Louder and More Bass: Angel A8’s driver and proprietary bass radiator produce louder, clearer sound with more powerful bass. Likewise, the 3D digital audio processor boosts the bass while improving the clarity of the mids and highs.
- Top Bluetooth Technology: This speaker uses the most advanced 5.0 technology for a more stable and reliable connection and can be paired with all Bluetooth devices, including iPhones, Android phones, tablets, etc within 66ft.
- Enjoy Long Playtime with Less Charge Time: Just charge your device for hardly 1-2 hours a day and listen to your favorite music, podcasts, etc for a long time up to 12-15 hours at 50% volume continuously.
- Keep your Mood Refreshed Anytime & Anywhere: Say hi to Alexa and grab all the services. You can listen to music, news, sports updates, attend phone calls, and many more even in your bathroom, bedroom, living room, etc.
- Handle Everything with a Simple Touch: A8 encompasses Smart Touch Screen technology and the Echo Dot design. Switching tunes, controlling the volume, and answering calls are all simple just with a tap.
A8 is one of the most popular speakers due to its unique and distinctive looks, amazing sound, and classy materials and craft. It is completely portable and has a built-in microphone for hands-free calls. Auto shutdown, waterproof case, and power saving are the most promising features of this device.
Buying Guide for Choosing Smart Speakers
Consider the following features before buying speakers. Here we go:
1. Sound Quality
Everyone craves clean, clear, and high-quality sound from their musical devices. That’s why, look for a speaker that produces high-quality music with accurate, clear, balanced sound, and powerful bass. This provides an immersive listening experience while listening to music, podcasts (or) other audio content.
2. Compatibility
Ensure that the speaker you choose must be compatible with your home devices including phone, laptop, computer, tablet, smart TV, and other smart devices.
3. Voice Assistant
Most speakers come with in-built voice assistants like Alexa (or) Google Assistant. Make sure that the voice assistant of your speaker is compatible with your existing smart home devices. You can enjoy hassle-free services like hands-free calling, playing music, getting updates, and so on from your voice assistant through voice commands.
4. Connectivity
Speakers often have WiFi connectivity and Bluetooth connectivity. Some are equipped with both connectivity technologies. Opting among them is entirely your choice. Both it is always advisable to pick a speaker with both technologies for convenience and easy connectivity. Coming to Bluetooth technology prefer the one with 4.0 (or) 5.0 to establish a stable and secure connection.
5. Design and Build Quality
These days many devices are coming with unique designs that can easily fit either on your tabletop (or) bookshelf. So, go for the ones that can easily fit anywhere without occupying extra space and fits perfectly in your home. Moreover, the quality of the materials does matter, go for materials that are durable, waterproof, humid-resistant, etc.
6. Noise-Canceling Technology
Noise-canceling technology has made its promising mark in all music accessories including sound bars, headphones, and speakers as well. This technology blocks out all ambient sound efficiently. So, pick a speaker that has noise-canceling technology to support clean and clear conversations.
7. Price
Always look for a smart speaker that provides good value for its price and offers the features you need within your budget.
Finally, you can make a smart choice while purchasing a speaker by keeping all these factors in your mind. Likewise, also look for the features like portability, battery life, playtime, security, and privacy.
Best Smart Speakers – FAQs
Ans: A smart speaker is a speaker that is meant to integrate with your smart home ecosystem and give voice assistant functionality. A smart speaker, unlike a standard speaker, can be connected to the internet and provide a variety of features such as playing music and managing smart home devices.
Ans: Smart speakers are often Wi-Fi-enabled speakers that include built-in voice assistants such as Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri. These smart speakers can be controlled by voice from a distance, and some can also be used to control other smart home devices such as thermostats and lightbulbs.
Ans: Amazon’s Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple’s Siri are the popular voice assistants. Every voice assistant comes with their advantages. However, selecting among them ultimately depends on your personal preferences and the existing smart home ecosystem. Alexa is known for its spectrum of skills and compatibility with third-party devices whereas Google Assistant is praised for its natural language processing, and of course, Siri is popular among Apple users.
Ans: No, it is not required to have them. Smart speakers can be used as stand-alone devices to play music, make reminders, and provide information without connecting to other smart home devices.
Ans: As mentioned in the article consider factors such as sound quality, voice assistant, compatibility, connectivity technology, built quality, etc. Additionally, consider the price, charging time, playtime, and most advanced features like room-adoption technology, multi-room music, and so on.
Ans: Go along with these simple tricks.
*Clean the speaker with a clean and dry cloth to remove the dust.
*Avoid spraying any liquids (or) chemicals directly on the speaker while cleaning.
*Keep the speaker away from direct sunlight (or) heat sources.
*Provide ample ventilation around the speaker to keep it cool when it’s in use.
Ans: Here are a few tips you can follow.
*Make sure that your smart speaker has a physical mute button to turn off the microphone when not in use.
*Secure your WiFi network and set strong passwords for unauthorized access.
*Check the privacy settings regularly.
*Have an eye on the data on the smart speaker’s app.
*Enable two-factor authentication.
Final Thoughts
Here we come to an end. We hope you benefited a lot from this article. And we wish this article will assist you in selecting the best smart speaker for your home environment, features, and budget as well. Grab one to simplify your life and fill your home, room, and world with immersive quality music.
