Best Alexa speakers 2023: music, voice control and more

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The best Alexa speakers allow you to listen to podcasts and audiobooks, and you can pick up where you left off at any time. They’re also a great way to get some assistance around the house.

The possibilities don’t stop there, though. For example, if you have Alexa-compatible devices at home, such as a video doorbell, smart light bulb, or smart alarm, you can use your voice to control those devices rather than using separate apps. As a result, you can easily create a smart home network where all your fittings and fixtures work in harmony from one central location. That’s what we all dream about, isn’t it?

You can also find our guide to the best smart speakers from all smart assistants if you don’t want to limit your options to just Alexa. So how do you choose the best Alexa speaker for your home? Here are some of our favorites. We’ve included Alexa speakers from Amazon as well as third-party options like Bang & Olufsen.

The best Alexa speakers in 2023

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We spend hours testing and comparing the latest products, bringing only our edit of the very best to you. Find out more about how we review.

Best Alexa speaker overall

(Image credit: Sonos)

1. Sonos Roam

Best Alexa speaker overall

Specifications

Dimensions: H6.1 x W2.3 x D2.4in

Weight: 0.93lbs

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

+

Solid battery life with a portable and waterproof design

+

High-quality audio

+

Also includes Google Assistant

+

Trueplay tuning

+

Easily connects to other Sonos products

Reasons to avoid

–

Wi-Fi is required for stereo pairing

–

Expensive

With its small size, rugged construction, and sleek design, Sonos’ Roam portable smart speaker is perfect for any home. It supports Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, and can be set up with the Sonos or Google Home apps. It is a smaller version of the Move portable speaker, and fits easily into a handbag or backpack.

The Roam comes with quite a few customization options, as well as TruePlay tuning, which adapts the sound to the environment in which the speaker is located. With the minimalist design and Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, the portable speaker is easy to grip and store in a pocket. It is also weatherproof, dustproof, and resistant to rain, dust, and other outdoor elements.

Livingetc rating: 5 out of 5 stars | read our full Sonos Roam review

Best Echo speaker

(Image credit: Amazon)

2. Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) with Clock

Best Echo speaker

Specifications

Dimensions: 3.9 x 3.9 x 3.5in

Weight: 0.75lbs

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

+

Audio quality is improved over previous versions

+

Temperature sensor

+

Reasonable price

Reasons to avoid

–

Although the audio has been boosted, it is still not as impressive as other speakers

Amazon Echo Dot with Clock (5th Gen) is a great-sounding, character-rich smart speaker that won’t break the bank and works flawlessly at the same time. In addition to controlling smart appliances, listening to music, reading the time, and a host of other tasks, onboard Alexa is impressively fast at answering queries, and the responses are often right on target.

The funky LED strip around the speaker base and the cyber-chic LED clock display were particularly impressive. The voice commands can also be heard from a distance, and other voices are available in the app. 

The Action button is accompanied by a volume up, volume down, and microphone mute button, though voice commands work so well that you rarely need them. Echo Dot with Clock’s audio quality compares favorably with other affordable smart speakers, but it’s not as good as more expensive ones.

Livingetc rating: 5 out of 5 stars | read our full Echo Dot with Clock (5th Gen) review

Best portable Alexa speaker

(Image credit: Bang & Olufsen)

3. Bang & Olufsen Beoplay A1 (2nd Gen)

Best portable Alexa speaker

Specifications

Dimensions : 1. 8 x 5.2 x 5.2in

Weight : 1.2lbs

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

+

Lightweight and great for on the go

+

Good sound quality

+

Beautiful, well-built design

+

True360 sound

Reasons to avoid

–

Patchy Alexa integration

–

Pricey

In addition to its gorgeous pearly casing and leather strap, the Bang & Olufsen A1 (2nd Gen) works well as an additional speaker or for people who want solid audio when listening to music, podcasts, or making calls. In short, the A1 is a beautiful speaker that can be moved around easily.

Using the B&O and Alexa apps, setting up the Beoplay A1 is easy, but getting the speaker to listen to commands without first opening the app was very difficult. Still, with Bluetooth 5.1 and three microphones, the Beoplay A1 is an Alexa speaker that plays nicely with other smart speakers around the home.

There are five colors to choose from: black, grey mist, green, gold, pink, ‘sport’, and a limited edition Berluti version.

Livingetc rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars | read our full Bang & Olufsen A1 (2nd Gen) review

Best Alexa speaker for keen chefs

(Image credit: Amazon)

4. Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen)

Best Alexa speaker for keen chefs

Specifications

Dimensions: H9 x W6.7 x D5.6in

Weight: 5.6lbs

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

+

10.1″ HD display that moves with you

+

Suitable for use as a security camera

+

Screen movement motor is quiet

Reasons to avoid

–

Expensive

–

Quite large and bulky

This Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd generation) is one of our favorite Alexa speakers to have around because of its inbuilt connection to cooking sites and suggestions or hands-free recipe walk-throughs. You can also watch Prime Video, Netflix, or Hulu on the screen, and use the touch controls to navigate playlists or TV shows using the smart speaker.

The Echo Show 10 has a silent motor that responds to your movements. Alexa works with recipe sites such as Food Network and Tasty, as well as Amazon Fresh and Domino’s to deliver food. Using the recipe function made our lives so much easier. However, cooking and music cannot be used at the same time, so we often had to choose between them.

Livingetc rating: 4 out of 5 stars | read our full Amazon Echo Show 10 review

Best high-end Alexa speaker

(Image credit: Bowers & Wilkins)

5. Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin

Best high-end Alexa speaker

Specifications

Dimensions: h21.8 x W6.5 x D8.1in

Weight: 10.4lbs

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

+

Beautiful design with a unique, striking appearance

+

Deep, bass-heavy sound

Reasons to avoid

–

Expensive

–

Customization options are limited

–

Finding a good place for it in the house is difficult

With its built-in Alexa, the Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin is an excellent smart speaker that will make a great addition to your home. While Amazon, Google, and Apple maintain relatively safe in the designs for their smart speakers, it’s nice to see a brand take aesthetics more seriously. This Alexa speaker looks distinctive and adds a modern twist to your home audio.

The Zeppelin has a unique design, but its size can be problematic. Although we tested it on our TV stand, we were unable to use both devices at the same time. Still, in spite of having a limited number of physical controls and settings, the speaker is easy to use and set up.

Despite its excellent performance, the Zeppelin will likely frustrate those who have limited space or wish to use analog controls to guide their tech.

Livingetc rating: 4 out of 5 stars | read our full Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin review

Best Echo speaker for audio

(Image credit: Amazon)

6. Amazon Echo Studio

Best Echo speaker for audio

Specifications

Dimensions: H8. 1 x D6.9in

Weight: 7.7lbs

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

+

Comparatively good sound quality to other Amazon speakers

+

Spatial audio processing and Dolby Atmos

+

Several good options for connectivity

Reasons to avoid

–

Sound can become overbearing

–

Rather large and bulky

In terms of audio quality, the Amazon Echo Studio is an upgrade from the Amazon Echo smart speakers, although its powerful bass can sound overpowering, and its size and design may make fitting it into interior design difficult for some buyers.

Still, if you want to adjust the sound quality to the acoustics in your room, we recommend put it on a coffee table, kitchen island, or deep shelf in an alcove that’s spacious. Although it looks and sounds like a Sonos speaker, the Echo Studio takes up quite a bit of space. 

It does take a while to configure the Alexa smart assistant’s different features, even though the Amazon Echo Studio is easy to set up overall. As well as being powerful and clear, its audio output makes different instruments stand out in songs. With its 3D spatial audio, it creates a sound that fills any room. The speaker comes with both wired and optical inputs for music to be played from any compatible source.

Livingetc rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars | read our full Echo Studio review

(Image credit: Future)

What is the best Alexa speaker?

There are a number of Alexa speakers to choose from, each with its own unique features, including design, sound quality, and useful features. Our top pick is the Sonos Roam, which works with Google Assistant as well, but the Echo Dot with Clock is our top-rated Amazon-branded Alexa speaker.

The Echo Show 10 is a great example of a multi-purpose smart speaker with a display, and the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay A1 or Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin will look great in any home.

About this guide

This list was compiled based on our own experience and independent reviews. For all of our guides, we also use Livingetc’s breadth of knowledge, looking at the specs and design elements of the most popular models across a range of price points. We will update this guide regularly as new releases and industry changes occur, as well as when we test and judge the best Alexa speakers in person.

If you would like to learn more about our testing process, visit our dedicated page. 

Smart Home Editor

With her lifelong passion for gadgets, Caroline lends her expertise to everything from reviews to news to buying guides at Livingetc, where she specializes in all things smart home. She and contributors tested some of the best smart speakers in this guide. Devices are selected based on how well they integrate with our everyday lives, how attractive they look, and whether they are worth the price.

Today’s best Alexa speaker deals

Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) with Clock

£64.99

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Amazon Echo Show 10

£259.99

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Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin

See all prices

Amazon Echo Studio

£219. 99

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5 Best Amazon Echo of 2023

Written by Sarah Kovac, Rachel Murphy, and Nick Woodard

Updated July 6, 2023

No two Amazon Echo smart speakers are the same—each one has its own unique range of capabilities. We examined each speaker in the line for its unique characteristics, sound quality, and responsiveness to help you decide which one is best for your home.

In doing so, the Echo (4th gen)
(available at Amazon for $99.99)

sits at the top of our rankings of best Amazon Echo devices. This smart speaker has the most universal appeal and would be perfect in any room of the house. But there are multiple models available, each with something notable to offer.

Credit:
Reviewed / Sarah Kovac

The indicator light turns blue when Alexa is listening.

Best Overall

Amazon Echo (4th Gen)

The fourth-gen Echo smart speaker is our pick for the best value. The modern smart speaker takes on a minimal aesthetic as a fabric-covered orb, offering up sleek looks for your smart home. It offers rich sound for a small speaker and acts as a Zigbee and Matter hub for certain smart home devices. Alexa is responsive and quick. It also has a built-in temperature sensor to help deploy home automation like controlling a smart thermostat.

The sound on the 4th-gen Echo is certainly respectable for a speaker that’s not much larger than a baseball, and it can be used solo, as a stereo pair, or for multi-room music.

Overall, this tiny smart speaker packs a big punch for smart homes, with built-in sensors, support for Zigbee and Matter, and quick voice assistant responses. It comes in several colors and you can frequently find it on sale via Amazon.

Read our full review of the Amazon Echo (4th gen)

---

Other Amazon Echo Speakers We Tested

Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen)

The 5th-generation Amazon Echo Dot received a significant boost when it comes to sound. It produces more bass, and displays more proficiency in reproducing tracks that lean heavily into those lower frequencies than the previous generation. To be clear, the Dot won’t rattle windows or shake picture frames off their hooks. But for a speaker that weighs less than 11 ounces, the Dot does a surprisingly good job of bringing the bass.

The new Echo Dot now doubles as a Wi-Fi extender for eero Mesh Wi-Fi systems, and is now reportedly capable of adding up to 1,000 square feet of coverage to your network and handling speeds of up to 100 Mbps. For eero owners, the Dot represents a useful, 2-for-1 gadget that can set timers and tell you the right way to pronounce “biopic” while providing a handy boost to your network.

Aside from the extender skills, the Dot’s new accelerometer offers up new tap gesture controls. Simply tap the top of the speaker to pause or play music, snooze alarms, or even end communications through the Dot.

Unfortunately, not all of the Dot’s new features hit the mark. The speaker’s new ambient temperature sensor, while intriguing, measured about 9°F to 10°F colder than the real temperature of the space. Still, that’s a rather minor issue compared to the rest of the lineup of solid, noteworthy features packed into Amazon’s latest Alexa-enabled smart speaker. Add in the bump in bass and audio quality overall, and the fifth generation Echo Dot has plenty of perks to once again be one of the most valuable smart speakers around.

The fifth-gen Echo Dot also comes in additional models like the Echo Dot with Clock and the Echo Dot Kids Edition.

Read our full review of the Echo Dot (5th gen)

Amazon Echo Studio

If you’re looking for the best sound quality in the Echo lineup, the Echo Studio is absolutely the best pick. It’s also a great choice for smart homes because, like the 4th-gen Echo, it has a built-in Zigbee hub.

This speaker is considerably larger than other Echo speakers, but the additional size allows for deeper bass, better clarity, and immersive sound. The Studio is also unique in this space as it is designed to deliver 3D sound, thanks to its Dolby Atmos compatibility. It even features an upward-firing driver that bounces sound off your ceiling to better immerse you in the audio.

Usually, we think of surround sound in reference to movies. But there is a burgeoning movement in music to use 3D-audio technology like that in the Echo Studio to deliver sound that seems to come from everywhere–even above you. At present it’s limited to a small list of artists and streaming services, such as Amazon Music Unlimited and Tidal, but it’s becoming more widespread.

Regardless of whether or not you use this speaker to play 3D music, the sound it delivers will be satisfying, and impressively full for a speaker of its size.

Cons

• Large

Amazon Echo Pop

The Amazon Echo Pop is the smallest and most affordable Echo smart speaker yet. It supports Matter-enabled devices and works as an eero Wi-Fi extender. The Echo Pop delivers decent sound quality for a speaker that isn’t much larger than my morning cup of espresso. The audio is crisp, clear, and just fine for listening to in the background.

However, when the volume is all the way up, the Echo Pop struggles a bit with that clear crisp audio, and it sounds a bit tinny, especially on heavy rock songs, but for small spaces like dorm rooms, this is a great pick.

It does not have an audio jack on the back like the Echo Dot does—it only has one port for power meant for use with the included 15W power cord. It comes in fun colors like Lavender and Midnight, as well as standard Echo device colors Charcoal and Glacier White.

The Echo Pop isn’t the smart home powerhouse that the Echo Dot is. The Pop’s lack of motion and temperature sensors is one of the biggest differences between the two features.

For less than $40, the bright and cheerful Echo Pop offers quick and easy access to Alexa in one compact size, making it a great smart speaker for small spaces.

Read our full review of the Amazon Echo Pop

Amazon Echo Dot Kids (5th Gen)

The Echo Dot Kids (5th gen) sounds just like the Echo Dot (5th gen) in terms of quality. While the two smart speakers also share other similarities, like temperature sensors and acting as an eero Wi-Fi extender, the kids version has some noticeable differences that make it a great choice for little ones. First, the design is kid-forward, with adorable options for a Dragon or Owl.

It also comes with one year of Amazon Kids+, which is a digital subscription service by Amazon intended for children ages three to 12. This grants access to Audible books, games, and educational Alexa skills.

With this smart speaker, Alexa gives kid-appropriate responses and also filters explicit song lyrics. Parents can manage the Kids Echo Dot smart speaker in the dashboard of the Alexa app for iOS and Android. It is also possible to pause the speaker, set daily time limits, and manage contacts. Parents can also add content purchased on Amazon directly to the Echo Dot Kids (5th gen) speaker like books.

One downside to the speaker is that we could not set volume limitations on the speaker. Despite its small size, the speaker does get fairly loud, so this would be a nice feature to have.

Like other Echo speakers, there is a mic mute button on the top of the speaker to protect your child’s privacy. The base of the speaker also illuminates in red when the mic mute button is enabled, offering a visual clue that the speaker is not listening.

Of note, this Echo speaker comes with a two-year warranty that includes a free replacement if it breaks.

How We Tested

The Testers

Hi there, I’m Rachel Murphy, Reviewed’s home editor, and I’ve been covering smart home for several years now. My work in this article is built upon the original work and testing of Sarah Kovac, Reviewed’s accessibility editor.

The Tests

Because every Echo speaker has its own strengths and features, our testing couldn’t be standardized across each device. Instead, we used each Echo for several weeks before deciding which one is best for which use cases.

Echo Speakers and Privacy

Privacy might seem like a thing of the past. Everywhere you go, there’s some computer watching or listening. But, in your own home, you can do a few things to protect yourself, even from naturally invasive smart home devices.

You can stop your Echo speaker from listening for (and possibly mishearing) your wake word by turning off your mic via the mute button on the top of the device. Or, turn on audible alerts within Settings in the Alexa app to know when your Echo is listening beyond just the indicator light.

You can opt-out of having your voice recordings included in Amazon’s review process by going to Settings > Alexa Privacy > Manage Your Alexa Data, then toggling off the setting that says Use Voice Recordings to Improve Amazon Services.

In these privacy settings, you can also delete Alexa voice recordings, which are accessible to anyone you share the app with. You can even set up auto-deletion every three or 18 months.

What’s The Difference Between Alexa and Echo?

Alexa is Amazon’s voice assistant. It can respond to voice commands, and it performs a wide variety of functions to help you throughout your day. Alexa can help you manage smart home devices like lights and thermostats. It can also take notes and give you calendar reminders, make purchases online, and more.

In order to use Alexa, you need Alexa-enabled devices or the Alexa app on a compatible smartphone or tablet. There are a host of smart appliances that have Alexa built in, but you can also pick up Echo devices to bring Alexa into your home. That includes smart speakers featured here, and the Amazon Echo Show, which can make video calls and stream movies and TV.

Alexa is the main way you control Echo products. You can use it to also display photos across devices, pull up streaming content, play music in a multi-room audio setup, and more.

More Articles You Might Enjoy

• The Best Smart Speakers
• The Best Smart Garage Door Openers
• You can create a smart home with these appliances—but should you?
• 8 ways to protect your privacy from Alexa

Meet the testers

Sarah Kovac

Editor, Accessibility

@thesarahkovac

Sarah Kovac is an award-winning author and accessibility editor for Reviewed. Previously, she worked with a multitude of outlets such as Wirecutter, TIME, PCMag, Prevention, The Atlantic, Reviews.com, CNN, GOOD, Upworthy, Mom.me, and SheKnows.

See all of Sarah Kovac’s reviews

Rachel Murphy

Editor, Home

@rachel_murphy

Rachel Murphy is Reviewed’s home editor. She holds a journalism degree from the University of Central Florida. Prior to joining the team, she worked as a freelance writer for publications like Insider and Mashable, and as an associate editorial producer for Good Morning America. Aside from smart home tech, her interests include food, travel, parenting, and home renovation. You can usually find her sipping on coffee at any time of the day.

See all of Rachel Murphy’s reviews

Nick Woodard

Contributor

@nwoodard25

Nick Woodard is a tech journalist specializing in all things related to home theater and A/V. His background includes a solid foundation as a sports writer for multiple daily newspapers, and he enjoys hiking and mountain biking in his spare time.

See all of Nick Woodard’s reviews

Checking our work.

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best alexa speakers 2020: amazon smart speakers for every budget

Here comes Pingtwitter’s guide to the best Alexa speakers on the market today, in which we completely demystify the potentially tricky process of choosing the right Alexa speaker for your home.

Whether you’re looking for the best-sounding Alexa speaker, the smartest Alexa speaker, or even an Alexa speaker you can take with you anywhere, we’ve selected our favorites; these are some of the best Alexa speakers (and indeed the best smart speakers) you can buy.

But why use Alexa at all? Well, let’s start with the very basics: Alexa speakers give you access to, yes, Alexa. Amazon’s robo-assistant can answer questions, set timers, start smart home routines, help you make lists, play music and podcasts, just to name a few. You can easily expand Alexa with new skills, it’s packed with little Easter eggs, and (if you stick with Amazon-made speakers) you can also chat with it from room to room.

Let’s not forget the real killer app for Alexa speakers: wireless speakers. These are often really very good wireless speakers capable of filling a room with beautiful music – the involvement of companies like Sonos and Bose should give you some idea of ​​what they can do. Some even have tricks you rarely find anywhere else; The 3D sound and Atmos capabilities of the Echo Studio, for example, make it a pretty unique little device.

• Find the current best Amazon Echo deals
• and the best Amazon Echo Show deals

How to choose an Alexa speaker

There are three key factors to consider when choosing the best Alexa speaker for you: money, room size, and features. We bet you won’t need too much help choosing a speaker for its price. If you know your budget, you will know what to go for. The Echo Dot is a bargain even at the full £50/$50 and it’s usually under £30/$30 and you can go up from there.

Dot is also great for smaller rooms as it is a smaller speaker and the clock version is perfect for placing next to the bed. It’s not that a larger Echo (or a third-party speaker) isn’t suited to tighter spaces – although placing the Studio in a pantry might be overkill, depending on how loud you like your tunes.

Then there are possibilities. Amazon’s own branded kit doesn’t tend to stray too far from the single-speaker plug-in form factor, though its smart screens deserve a mention and could be more useful in the long run, even if you’re only looking for a speaker. . It’s third-party Alexa speakers that offer more – whether you want an Alexa soundbar, a portable Alexa speaker, or a fully waterproof sample that happily even works in the shower, we’ve selected some of our favorites below.

However, we should note that the Alexa you get will not always be the full Alexa. The full experience can only be found on devices in Amazon’s own Echo line – you won’t be able to use drop-ins, announcements, or calls on third-party devices, although everything else should work just fine.

If you want to learn more about Alexa, we have a guide to Alexa and Google Assistant so you can appreciate two of the biggest smart assistants. We also have a guide to get Alexa skills that you can add to your Alexa device to make it work, we have our guide to Alexa easter eggs and tips to help you have more fun with it, and if something goes wrong, we have a guide to Troubleshooting Alexa.

Best Alexa Speakers: The Echo Family

If you choose Alexa, choosing an Amazon device might be the best choice for you. Amazon has a long list of Alexa-enabled devices, including oddities like the Echo Auto, things more for Alexa features than speaker features (Echo Flex and Echo Input to name two), and Amazon’s smart screen Echo Showline, which will reproduce the sound in decent quality. It’s not for this list: here are the best Echo speakers you can buy.

Best Amazon Echo speaker

(Image credit: Amazon)

1. Amazon Echo (4th generation)

The main Echo that does everything

Reasons to buy

+ Smart hub functionality + Cool new design + Great set Microphones

Reasons to Avoid

-Long in TeethThe 0002 Amazon Echo (4th gen) has finally pushed the 2nd gen Echo Plus back to the top of the Echo range and is perfect for just about any room. Amazon has upped the audio specs dramatically, with an array of fuzzy front sound speakers doing some great things with music and podcasts. Yes, it’s been beaten by the higher-end Alexa speakers, but it sounds better than it has a right to.

We expect the spherical design to be polarized, but there’s no denying that the fourth generation Echo is a well thought out kit with a selection of fabric coverings that allow it to blend in with most décor.

Previously, the big difference between the Echo and the Echo Plus was the Smart Hub Plus; Here, with the Plus now dead and buried, this hub turns into a standard Echo without causing a jump in price. This means it’s not just a quality speaker, it’s a solid foundation for the rest of your smart home with a Zigbee hub that can (if you use compatible hardware like Philips Hue bulbs) completely replace the individual control hubs for these products.

Best Echo Speaker

(Image credit: Amazon)

2. Amazon Echo Dot (4th gen)

Expand Alexa settings or just try

Reasons to buy

+ Tiny form factor + Cheap, like a microchip + Very responsive

Reasons to avoid

-Standard sound TODAY’S BEST DEALS $29.99 See at Amazon $29.99 See at Kohl’s $29.99 See at Best Buy

Amazon Echo Dot even in this 4th generation outfit is not the best speaker . Don’t get us wrong, it does a surprisingly good job of filling a kitchen or bedroom with acceptable sound, and its single speaker has been upgraded in recent years. But this is not an audiophile device. Instead, it’s an almost cheap way to move Alexa (and with it home chatting) into the next room. It’s small, simple, hears what you’re saying perfectly, and is just as responsive as the rest.

Echo Dot has many different disguises. There is a standard version with custom fabric; there’s a kid’s version that increases the price a bit in exchange for animal-print facings and a kid-friendly version of Alexa if you’re in a region where it’s sold; and there’s a clock version that, well, hides the clock behind a cloth, making it perfect for your bedside table.

Whether you’re expanding your existing Alexa line or just want to take the plunge to see if you like it, the Echo Dot is a great choice. Just keep an eye out for the sale because the trend with previous versions was that they were more often than not half the price they were not.

Best high-end echo speaker

(Image credit: Amazon)

3. Amazon Echo Studio

Amazon Big Boy is a really hefty speaker

Reasons to buy

+ High-Resolution Audio Capabilities + Atmos Compatible + Loud , live sound

Reasons to Avoid

– Too Expensive to Use Alexa TODAY’S BEST DEALS $159. 99 View at Bed Bath & Beyond $199View at BHPhoto$199.99 View on Amazon

Amazon is obviously very happy with the powerful Amazon Studio. He filled in five separate speakers, pointing them back and forth; he gave them 330 watts of power and self-calibration capabilities. The result is a smart, bass-boosted speaker that audiophiles will, if not love, at least hate.

Sound Studio is massive, heavily leaning towards low frequencies, with updated drivers and smart features that make it capable of high-resolution audio. It has 330 watts of power, including a speaker that provides support for the (currently very limited) Dolby Atmos Music library on Amazon Music HD, as well as Sony 360 Reality Audio.

The Echo Studio is by far Amazon’s most versatile smart speaker, offering the ability to play Atmos movies when connected in stereo to a Fire Stick 4K and technically looking like a good option for surround back. For all its features, the Studio also comes with a hefty price tag.

It’s too much if all you want is Alexa and others can handle movie sound and audio playback better. But you won’t find full Alexa on a speaker more bombastic than this one, and it also has a built-in Zigbee hub.

Best Alexa Speakers: Third Party

Hopefully by now we’ve established that Amazon’s own offerings are a great choice. In third-party speakers, Alexa often comes as a bonus—a clever little extra icing on the cake that would be delicious without it. But there are some cases where you might be looking for Alexa: those rooms where only one speaker makes sense, those times when you want to take Alexa somewhere other than the anchor point, and so on. And this is the advantage of third-party speakers: they are an additional Alexa. And here’s the best you can get.

Best Alexa soundbar

(Image credit: Sonos)

4. Sonos Arc

Superior soundbar with built-in Alexa

Reasons to buy

+ 11 speaker Atmos sound system + Great sound for movies or music + Support multi-room

Reasons to avoid

-One HDMI input TODAY BEST DEALS$799Pre-order at Sonos$799 per view on World Wide Stereo for $799 per view on Crutchfield

You can get a feel for its single HDMI input, though (see what we thought in our full Sonos Arc review) The Sonos Arc is an otherwise very flexible and feature-packed soundbar that complements Alexa’s built-in Google Assistant option if you lean on the other side of the smart speaker spectrum.

The

Sonos Arc sounds predictably fantastic, with 11 individually amplified speakers that fire the sound up and down; Atmos support is present and correct, but its resilience extends to other sources as well. If you’re not adding an extra dimension to your movies, Arc is the perfect music hub for getting the most out of Alexa’s audio streaming capabilities. All in all, this is one of the best soundbars on sale.

It’s as multi-room-friendly as you’d expect from a Sonos speaker, and can be expanded by installing (say) a pair of Sonos One SLs that act as wireless rear speakers, or Sonos with the descriptively named Sub for a slightly larger perch. It’s an expensive way to upgrade, and the Arc isn’t cheap, but you’ll get great Alexa sound whether you upgrade it or not.

If you like the idea of ​​an Alexa soundbar but it’s too cool (or big – only for 55″ TVs and up), Sonos has you covered anyway. The Sonos Beam is a great, smaller soundbar, and it’s half the price of the Arc. Here’s our full Sonos Beam review.

Alexa’s Best Portable Speaker

(Image credit: Bose)

5. Bose Portable Home Speaker

Carry high-quality Alexa sounds wherever you go

Reasons to buy

+ Long-life battery + Nice sound + Bluetooth compatible

Reasons to Avoid

– Quite Expensive TODAY’S BEST DEALS $349 View at Amazon $349 View at Lenovo USARecommended Retailer: 349US dollars. View at HP (USA)

The bucket handle is a not-so-subtle hint that Bose wants you to carry it wherever you go, and you probably want to do it as directed. This is a great speaker with a warm sound and typical Bose EQ experience making the most of its 360-degree design. Even if you don’t take it out of the house, setting up a portable home speaker in the middle of a room is easy enough when there are no wires to worry about.

On a good day, the batteries will last for 12 hours. Like rival Sonos, you can set it up to use either Alexa or Google Assistant, depending on your preference, making audio streaming a breeze. Obviously, you need to be in range of Wi-Fi for the smart features to work, but it’s just as valuable as a Bluetooth speaker.

Alexa Best Waterproof Speaker

(Image credit: Ultimate Ears)

6. Ultimate Ears Megablast

Boom! The extremely powerful Alexa speaker, which can be thrown into the pool

reasons to buy

+ exciting sound and design + almost everything is protected + ideal for the party

reasons to avoid

-it is possible, slightly daring transactions today 249.99 $ see at Amazon Low Stock $562.99 See at Amazon $749.97 See at Amazon

If you want it loud, you can’t beat the UE Megablast. Its sonic balance is, as its name suggests, aggressive, with party power packed into its tight cylindrical construction. It’s about as far from a reference speaker as you can get, but if you like lively and energetic stuff, this is the one for you.

It is dustproof, waterproof, and also IP67 waterproof, which means it can be completely submerged in water for up to half an hour. The latter will either be very useful, or rarely useful at all; we guess you could take the Megablast into the shower with you if you really need a dose of music to sing along with.

And yes, this portable speaker includes a full range of 3rd party Alexa support, not quite the full Alexa experience, but sufficient for such a device.

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Google Home vs Amazon Echo: Who has the best speaker for music?

For those of us who don’t have dedicated stereos at home, small speakers are better. you can receive via a Bluetooth connection or Chromecast Audio (which isn’t great, but that’s a story for another time).

Connected Home speakers such as the Amazon Echo and Google Home seek to improve the sound quality of home audio while offering a host of other technologies. For the most part, they do a great job of replacing your regular $100 Bluetooth speaker, but if your goal is to get the best sound possible for your space, there will be some distinct differences between these systems.

Here’s everything you need to know about choosing between Amazon Echo and Google Home, assuming all you need is a decent speaker to play music.

Amazon Echo

While most speakers were designed to be placed somewhere and pointed in the direction you want to hear the sound, the Amazon Echo was designed to carry sound in all directions. The speaker grille on this cylinder is fully rotatable because the speakers in this system are actually pointing down at the surface it rests on. You can install this speaker anywhere and make sure the sound is the same everywhere, but since the speaker needs to be connected to a power source, you can place it near a wall.

Amazon claims that the Echo includes a 2.5″ woofer for low frequencies and a 2″ tweeter for higher notes, and when combined, they deliver great sound. In the real world, this means the Echo is great for spoken-word podcasts (and Alexa, obviously), as well as most instrumental music. You won’t feel deep bass from this speaker even if you’re close, but for a speaker of this size, the location of the woofer/tweeter means the Echo can get very loud before the sound is distorted. This is great for large spaces, but less useful for a regular bedroom or kitchen.

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Google Home

The Home and Echo may appear to be the same design with a round speaker grille, but in fact the Google speaker is designed to be hidden against a wall or in a corner. If you lift the Home from the bottom of the case, you’ll see what looks like three speakers, with a Micro-USB port on the back for diagnostics. Bottom line, Google Home support sounds different, but if you pin that to a shelf or a corner table, it won’t matter to you.

According to Google, Home includes a 2-inch driver with a pair of 2-inch passive radiators for crisp highs and rich bass. In the real world, this means the speaker can produce solid mids and a bit more bass than you’d expect. Google Home isn’t the clearest podcast ever, but the music from these speakers has healthy volume if you keep the volume below 75%. Trying to turn the Google Home up to 11 will quickly introduce distortion, making this speaker less than ideal for large spaces, but better than average in most other spaces.

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Which is better?

There are a few things to keep in mind when choosing “best” in this situation. The Amazon Echo is capable of sounding much louder than the Google Home without distortion, and handles spoken language and most instrumental music better. As a single speaker, it’s quite capable, but the speaker placement makes everything sound farther away (insert echo joke here). Google Home will fill the room with music that sounds like it’s coming from a more expensive speaker, but if you’re trying to fill a large space with music or are into podcasts, this isn’t the best experience.

Every problem with the design of these two loudspeakers has a manufacturer’s solution. Amazon understands that not all speaker tastes are the same, which is why the Echo Dot can connect to any speaker. Google Home is built on the Google Cast platform, which means you can connect multiple Google Home or Chromecast audio speakers together and create a whole-home stereo system that you control with your phone.

Either solution would be a functional workaround for whatever your personal needs are, but if we look at the capabilities of a single speaker, it’s clear that the Google Home is the best speaker for music and the Amazon Echo is the best speaker for everything else.

Get More Echoes

Amazon Echo

• Amazon Echo vs. Dot vs. Show vs. Plus: Which Should You Buy?
• Echo Link vs Echo Link Amp: Which to Buy?
• Best Alexa Compatible Smart Home Devices for Amazon Echo
• How to play Sonos on a budget with Alexa Multi-Room Audio

• From $24.99 at Amazon

Main

• Google Home review
• Google Home Mini: Everything you need to know!
• Review Google Home Max
• These services work with Google Home
• Google Home vs. Amazon Echo
• Join our Google Home forums!

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