Which Smart Speaker Provides the Best Audio Quality?

Despite being audio-focused, Google Assistant, Amazon Echo, and Apple smart speakers are rarely discussed in terms of their actual audio quality. Which one should you get if you want the highest audio quality? The bulk of smart speakers are more concerned with their virtual assistants and affordability than audio quality, however, there are a few that do. They don't necessarily sound horrible, but some do better than others. We'll examine both varieties of smart speakers. There are many popular little, inexpensive smart speakers, but there are also smart speakers that emphasize the "speaker" component of the phrase more. Which smart speaker sounds the best, if money were no object?

Google Home Studio

Amazon's Echo Studio is the company's attempt to create a smart speaker that truly has outstanding audio, and it mostly succeeds. A 25mm tweeter, 5.25-inch bass driver, and five 5 centimeter speakers are located on the top, sides, and each side. [caption id="attachment_64439" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Image credit: Michael Brown / IDG[/caption] The end result is a loud, detailed sound that fills the entire room. The Echo Studio is a much better option if you have Amazon Music Unlimited. You can benefit from Amazon's collection of songs that are supported by the Echo Studio and are available in Dolby Atmos Music.

How about Google and Apple?

High-end HomePods were once offered by Apple, but they were discontinued in 2021. Google's premium smart speaker is the Nest Hub Max, which has a display. The far more cheap Nest Audio is the brand's best speaker-only alternative. Below are both the HomePod Mini and Nest Audio. [caption id="attachment_64440" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Image credit: apple[/caption] Smart Speaker "Mini" with the Best Sound. Google and Amazon are the market leaders in the "small" segment of smart speakers. By size, the Apple HomePod Mini also falls into this group, although it costs more. You might, however, get what you paid for.

Apple HomePod Mini 

The HomePod Mini has great sound quality, which is why audiophiles adore it. It has a unique full-range driver architecture that radiates sound in all directions. Passive radiators help give the sound depth, and the driver is suspended to lessen distortion. [caption id="attachment_64441" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Image credit: pocket-lint[/caption] The Mini model of the HomePod has the same environmental optimizations as the larger device. Great sound is produced in a very small compact. The main drawback is that you can only use Siri, which is less feature-rich than Alexa or Google Assistant.

Amazon Alexa

It makes sense that not everyone would be open to using Siri to improve audio quality. The Echo 4th Gen is your best option for a little speaker if you're part of the Amazon ecosystem. Although it is a little larger than the Echo Dot, the audio quality is better. [caption id="attachment_64444" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Image credit: canva[/caption] A 76mm woofer and two 20mm front-firing tweeters, the same size as those found within the more costly Echo Plus, are housed inside the orb. Dolby Stereo is supported by the speaker, and Amazon, like Apple, offers an "adaptive sound" feature that aims to optimize sound for the space.

Infrared Nest Audio

The Nest Audio is the obvious pick for sound quality for Google fans. The Nest Mini is the only other non-display choice you have. The Nest Audio is frequently on sale and has a similar price to the HomePod Mini. A 75mm woofer and a 19mm tweeter are included in the Nest Audio. According to Google, the Nest Audio is 50% louder and 75% louder than its forerunner. Users claim that it struggles to deliver immersive, room-filling sound. [caption id="attachment_64446" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Image credit: digit[/caption] It's not necessary for a smart speaker to sound poor. It's likely that you'll be streaming podcasts and music, so make sure you pick one that will please your ears. If sound quality isn't as vital to you as it is to others, there are many more excellent smart speakers to pick from.