You’ve heard of a smart phone and a portable speaker, but what the heck is a smart speaker, you ask? A smart speaker is essentially a little web-connected boom box that comes with an interactive virtual assistant, such as Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri. This technology is amazing because you can ask it questions—ask it to make reservations, ask it to make google searches, or just ask it to turn on some jams—and it will oblige. The downside is that with so many options available, it’s difficult to know which one to choose!
To make it easy for you, I have curated some smart speaker recommendations based on multiple variables; like virtual assistant types, sound quality, and portability.Â
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Best Value Speaker
Amazon Echo Dot 4
With the Echo Dot (4th Generation), Amazon has created an affordable smart speaker that delivers the perfect combination of sound quality and features.
This new speaker provides a much fuller sound than all the previous generations of echo dot. Also, it’s included support for the built-in amazon digital assistant Alexa has greatly improved: the responses are quick, clear, and provide seamless compatibility with first and third-party apps for smart home control.Â
Overall, the purpose of the Echo Dot is to be a personal companion for listening to music and podcasts, something it does like a champ. But, if you are looking for a speaker that can bring more functionality, the Amazon Echo Dot 4 Clock is a good choice.Â
Echo Dot 4 Clock comes with everything the regular Dot does, plus an LED display that can function as a timer, display the current temperature, time, and much more. The information on the display is easy to read thanks to its light sensor, which automatically adjusts the display’s brightness based on available light in the room.
Best Sounding Speaker
Bose SoundLink Revolve
Bose SoundLink Revolve is a great home speaker for those who value a plethora of features and incredible sound. The speaker itself has a cylindrical aluminum body that looks and feels premium, because it is!
The battery can last up to 12-hours on a single charge, giving it great portability. Voice prompts allow you to easily take calls, and the multi-function button on the speaker provides easy access to Siri or Google Now on your phone.
Overall, the Bose SoundLink Revolve has everything you would want from an high-quality wireless speaker. There is plenty of bass with natural separation, giving whatever you’re listening to incredible depth and presence. If you’ve never owned a Bose speaker, this is a must-buy!
Most Versatile Speaker
Sonos One
The Sonos One smart speaker provides superb sound quality. It uses Class-D amplifiers for continuous sound without any distortions or dropouts. Despite its compact size, the Sonos One fills the room and offers voice-control features using either Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa.
Users can manage their music libraries and playlists using the Sonos app and connect multiple speakers to cover more area. There is also an option to stream audio from hundreds of streaming services, like Spotify and Google Music.
Overall, the Sonos One is a great all-around smart speaker that provides value for money and has all the best features to get the most out of your music.
Best Feature-Rich Speaker
Amazon Echo Show 10Â
Amazon Echo Show 10 is a great smart speaker, whether you use it for visual information, an alarm clock, or as a smart home hub. The 10.1″ HD smart display will show you everything you need — weather information, websites, videos, and more!
Echo Show 10 strikes a perfect balance between tablet and smart speaker. The screen can easily tilt and twist to suit the usage scenarios. Also, Amazon’s virtual assistant Alexa is available anytime to help you play your favorite shows, music, and podcasts from all your favorite streaming services.
At a price of about $250, Echo Show is not the cheapest smart speaker in the lineup, but it is one of the best smart device for smart home control!
