Speakers have stopped being simple speakers to be much more. The implementation of voice assistants in the speakers makes them much more than a device to listen to music. Currently on the market we find a large number of smart speakers based on different voice assistants. Siri from Apple, Alexa from Amazon, Cortana from Microsoft, and Google Assistant are the most popular.
These devices can be ideal for kitchen lovers, since they can dictate a recipe step by step. Smart speakers can also play whatever music we want just by asking. Even with the appropriate accessories, we can control our home through voice commands to our virtual assistant.
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Table of Contents
What is a smart speaker
We could define a smart speaker as that audio device with which we can interact through voice commands. These devices need a wireless internet connection (WiFi) to function.
Currently the most popular voice assistants for smart speakers are:
- Crab: Virtual assistant exclusively developed by Apple. It uses natural language processing to answer questions, make recommendations, and take actions based on user demand.
- Alexa: The giant of the commerce in Internet Amazon saw in the virtual assistants a great business option. For this reason, he developed his own virtual assistant for his smart speakers. Amazon also allows other smart device manufacturers to use its virtual assistant,
- Google Assistant: Virtual assistant developed by Google based on artificial intelligence. It was initially developed for Android smartphones, but later it leapt to smart home devices. Using a development kit, this virtual assistant can be deployed on other smart devices.
- Cortana: A plug-in developed by Microsoft for its Windows 10 operating system. This tool is currently available for many platforms and smart devices. It has the ability, among others, to perform web searches, add reminders or a 'notebook' function that allows you to remember data such as location, contacts or other data of interest.
We can ask these speakers to inform us of current events or to tell us the weather conditions. It has the function of playing our favorite music list, controlling smart home devices in our house, such as lights, air conditioning or the like.
[irp posts=”80931″]Which should I choose
Currently on the market we can find smart speakers of different formats, sizes and prices. We can find smart speakers designed not to clash with the decoration. There are some that have different colored covers, which allows them to blend in more with the environment.
As with any other speaker, the design and size will have an impact on the sound quality. If we are going to listen to music, we want him to dictate recipes or we are going to listen to podcasts, perhaps a compact version is not the most suitable.
We must take into account that other devices we have at home. If we use Android terminals, the best thing will be a device based on Google Assistant. Those who use Apple smartphones or other devices of the brand, it is better to opt for devices with Siri. There are items like the Philips Hue lighting fixture that can work with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.
Recently some smart speakers have switched to an integrated screen. Amazon Echo Show and Echo Spot would be two examples. Logically by integrating a (touch) screen the price goes up a lot.
Best smart speakers
Sonos One
It's a version of the 'Play: 1' with Amazon's Alexa voice assistant integrated. We are talking about a good quality speaker to which a voice assistant has been added to expand the possibilities of the system. It has a design and sound quality much better than other solutions on the market, hence its high price.
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Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Generation)
The design and sound quality have been improved, all for a lower price than its predecessors. This new version has the ability to pair two of these units to have stereo sound. For an entry-level device, it is one of the best solutions available today.
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Amazon Echo Plus (2nd Generation)
The design has been improved a bit with respect to the first model, making it a little smaller. It also has an integrated hub to control ZigBee home technology. The sound quality is also very good and it has good bass that does not distort. It has support for Dolby Play 360 audio, which guarantees 360º sound in our home.
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EU Megablast
We move on to a high-end speaker that features Amazon's Alexa voice assistant. It is currently the only one that can surpass the Sonos One in sound quality. A very interesting feature is that it is waterproof, something that none of the other smart speakers offer.
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JBL Charge 4
One of the quintessential brands in speakers and sound equipment has also made the leap to smart speakers. Charge 4 is a compact and cylindrical speaker designed to be carried everywhere. It is based on Google Assistant and supports a wide variety of Google Home functions. It is IPX7 certified, making it splash resistant and has a 20 hour battery life.
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Netgear Orbi Voice
We move on to a device that is more than just a speaker with a digital assistant. It has the virtual assistant Alexa and also offers us the option of deploying a mesh WiFi network or acting as a Mesh repeater. It has high quality Harman Kardon speakers, which will offer us a high quality sound. For everything this speaker offers us, the price is really good.
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Apple HomePod
Apple device, which will greatly limit the compatibility with other systems. The design differs little from other smart speakers and the sound quality is not bad. Logically this voice assistant integrates Siri. The big problems is that it only works with Apple or HomeKit devices and the price, which is quite high.
Google Home
We could say that it is the design to be imitated by all speaker manufacturers, as well as its quality and price. It is the first version of Google's smart speaker, which has been somewhat displaced by the Google Home Max.
Google Home Mini
It was the first compact voice assistant to implement Google Assistant. Although the design has been noticeably minimized, the sound quality has been improved over the original Google Home. Currently this has been replaced by Nest Mini, which has the same design, with a lower price and with recycled materials.
Google Home Max
Smart speaker specially designed for those who want good sound quality and voice assistant. It seems like it's going to be more modest in sound quality than it actually ends up offering. Its big problem is the price, which is quite itchy to the pocket.
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Google Nest Mini
Evolution of the Google Home Mini, with a design and format quite similar to the previous model. Something interesting about this new model is that it has a slit that allows it to be hung on the wall.
According to Google, 35% recycled plastic has been used to manufacture this device and the mesh that covers it has been made from recycled plastic bottles. To improve the quality of voice pickup, a third microphone has been added.
