The best smart speakers of 2020 are some of the most multifunctional devices you can own. Here’s why: they help us operate our smart home devices, play music, and come with voice assistants ready to answer our most mundane, obvious, or confusing questions. These AI virtual assistants that you control with your voice, including Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant, have already seized many homes. This is because they can do a lot: play music, tell you about the weather, read the news and operate your smart home appliances hands-free, these are just a few of the many things they can help you with.
But it seems that many of us underutilize our smart speakers and choose to access voice assistants via our smartphones. That’s why you need to choose the right smart speaker for you to get the most out of these smart gadgets.
Best Smart Speakers
If you need help finding your next virtual assistant, take a look at our guide below. We’ve selected the best smart speakers for different styles, budgets, and smart home ecosystems. This makes choosing the right model for you a piece of cake.
1. Sonos One
The best-sounding smart speaker on the market
Sonos One (Gen 2) - Voice Controlled Smart Speaker with Amazon Alexa...
- Sonos One - The powerful smart speaker with voice control built in
- Brilliant sound - Get rich, room-filling sound with Sonos One, and control it with your voice, the Sonos app, Apple AirPlay2, and more.
- Sonos One - The powerful smart speaker with voice control built in
- Brilliant sound - Get rich, room-filling sound with Sonos One, and control it with your voice, the Sonos app, Apple AirPlay2, and more.
- Voice control - Amazon Alexa is built right in so you can play music, check news, set alarms, get your questions answered, and more, completely hands free.
- For every room - The compact design fits just about any space. Put it on your kitchen countertop or tuck it away on your office bookshelf. It's humidity resistant so you can even put it in the bathroom.
- Stereo sound with two - Pair two Sonos Ones together in the same room for stereo separation and more detailed sound. Use a pair as rear home theater surrounds with Playbar, Playbase, or Beam.
- Build your system - Connect wirelessly to other Sonos speakers to enjoy brilliant sound in any or every room.
Sonos’ debut speaker Alexa is a sleek, characterful, and great-sounding device that brings together the best of both ecosystems. On the one hand, you have the ever-improving Alexa, on the other hand, you have Sonos with its own multi-room smarts and often unparalleled sound performance. There is also a new feature in the mix that promises to change the game: AirPlay 2. Allows the Sonos One to talk to Siri and form a multi-room pairing with the Apple HomePod.
It now also supports Google Assistant, making it the most versatile speaker on the list. If you feel a little bound by the Sonos One, be sure to check out its portable cousin, the Sonos Move; this ingenious speaker comes with all the smarts of the One and is at the top of our list of the best smart speakers of 2020.
2. Amazon Echo Studio
An Echo smart speaker truly fit for audiophiles
Echo Studio - High-fidelity smart speaker with 3D audio and Alexa
- Immersive sound – 5 speakers produce powerful bass, dynamic midrange, and crisp highs. Dolby Atmos technology adds space, clarity, and depth.
- Ready to help - Ask Alexa to play music, read the news, and answer questions.
- Immersive sound – 5 speakers produce powerful bass, dynamic midrange, and crisp highs. Dolby Atmos technology adds space, clarity, and depth.
- Ready to help - Ask Alexa to play music, read the news, and answer questions.
- Voice control your music - Stream songs from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, Tidal, and more. With Amazon Music HD, listen to 50 million songs in the highest quality audio formats available, HD, UltraHD and 3D.
- Adapts to any room - Automatically senses the acoustics of your space, fine-tuning playback for optimal sound.
- Built-in smart home hub - Ask Alexa to control Zigbee-compatible devices.
- Keep your family in sync - Use your Alexa devices like an intercom and talk to any room in the house with Drop In and Announcements.
- Designed to protect your privacy - Built with multiple layers of privacy controls, including a microphone off button that electronically disconnects the mics.
Considerably larger than any previous Echo, the Studio succeeds in shading both the Sonos One and the Apple Home Pod (listed below). In addition to boasting 330W of power and upgraded internals suitable for CD-quality and hi-res audio (both now available through Amazon’s latest incarnation of its streaming service, Amazon Music HD), the Echo Studio also promises to deliver 3D audio through tracks encoded in Sony’s 360 Reality Audio and Dolby Atmos.
Producing immersive, directional audio will always be difficult, but it is even more challenging to do it from a single speaker source. Still, it is an open, airy presentation that fits well with the 3D environment. The speaker sits in the jaws of a high sound image, with good detailing of the percussion and high frequencies. Although we’re not entirely convinced about the way it handles bass – and we wouldn’t exactly call it audiophile quality – for the money, the Echo Studio does a lot for it. Overall, this is one of the best smart speakers right now.
3. Amazon Echo Show 5
A fantastic addition to the Alexa family
Echo Show 5 -- Smart display with Alexa – stay connected with...
- Alexa can show you more – Compact 5.5” smart display ready to help manage your day, entertain at a glance, and connect you to friends and family.
- Made to fit your life – Cook along to step-by-step recipes. Easily update to-do lists and calendars. Glance at weather and traffic on your way out.
- Alexa can show you more – Compact 5.5” smart display ready to help manage your day, entertain at a glance, and connect you to friends and family.
- Made to fit your life – Cook along to step-by-step recipes. Easily update to-do lists and calendars. Glance at weather and traffic on your way out.
- Big entertainment – Ask Alexa to show you movie trailers, TV shows, movies, or the news. Or listen to radio stations, podcasts, and audiobooks.
- Control your smart home – Voice control compatible devices or manage them on the easy-to-use display. Ask Alexa to show you security cameras, control lights, and adjust thermostats.
- Connect with video calling and messaging – Call friends and family who have the Alexa app, an Echo device with a screen, or Skype. Make announcements to other devices in your home.
- Make it yours – Choose the clock face that fits your style best. Use your favorite photos on the home screen. Create morning routines to start your day.
- Designed to protect your privacy - Turn off the microphone and camera with one press of a button. Slide the built-in shutter to cover the camera.
The best smart speakers have displays to convey visual information: Everything from song lyrics to weather forecasts, shopping lists, videos, surveillance cameras, and more. Amazon’s latest smart speaker, the Echo Show 5, offers the perfect balance of screen size and price, with a 5.5-inch display and a price tag of just $90. If that’s too high for your budget, the display less Echo Dot (3rd Gen) costs just $50, but it’s often sold for a lot less money. Overall, this is one of the best smart speakers right now.
4. Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Gen)
Best entry-level smart speaker
Echo Dot (3rd Gen) - Smart speaker with Alexa - Sandstone
- Meet Echo Dot - Our most popular smart speaker with a fabric design. It is our most compact smart speaker that fits perfectly into small spaces.
- Improved speaker quality - Better speaker quality than Echo Dot Gen 2 for richer and louder sound. Pair with a second Echo Dot for stereo sound.
- Meet Echo Dot - Our most popular smart speaker with a fabric design. It is our most compact smart speaker that fits perfectly into small spaces.
- Improved speaker quality - Better speaker quality than Echo Dot Gen 2 for richer and louder sound. Pair with a second Echo Dot for stereo sound.
- Voice control your music - Stream songs from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, Sirius XM, and others.
- Ready to help - Ask Alexa to play music, answer questions, read the news, check the weather, set alarms, control compatible smart home devices, and more.
- Voice control your smart home - Turn on lights, adjust thermostats, lock doors, and more with compatible connected devices. Create routines to start and end your day.
- Connect with others - Call almost anyone hands-free. Instantly drop in on other rooms in your home or make an announcement to every room with a compatible Echo device.
- Alexa has skills - With tens of thousands of skills and counting, Alexa is always getting smarter and adding new skills like tracking fitness, playing games, and more.
- Designed to protect your privacy - Built with multiple layers of privacy protections and controls, including a microphone off button that electronically disconnects the microphones.
If you use a smart speaker mainly to operate your smart home appliances, and you don’t care much about audio performance, grab the third-generation Echo Dot. Amazon has significantly improved the audio performance of this speaker, so it’s now the best-sounding smart speaker for the money. You can pair two for stereo, and you can add an Echo Sub to improve its low-frequency characteristics. The Echo Dot with Clock Variety features a simple and extremely convenient LED display, but it costs more. Overall, this is one of the best smart speakers right now.
5. Ultimate Ears Megablast
A fun and energetic portable speaker with a nicely controlled performance.
Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST Portable Waterproof Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Speaker with Hands-Free Voice...
- Ultimate Sound: Our most powerful speaker with 360° intensely rich sound, stunning clarity, and heart-pounding bass. With up to 12 hours of battery, it brings your music to life wherever you take it
- With Amazon Alexa hands-free voice control: Just ask Alexa to blast tunes from Spotify (as of May 2018), Amazon Music, iHeart Radio or TuneIn, change tracks, discover new restaurants - or try any of Alexa's skills
- Ultimate Sound: Our most powerful speaker with 360° intensely rich sound, stunning clarity, and heart-pounding bass. With up to 12 hours of battery, it brings your music to life wherever you take it
- With Amazon Alexa hands-free voice control: Just ask Alexa to blast tunes from Spotify (as of May 2018), Amazon Music, iHeart Radio or TuneIn, change tracks, discover new restaurants - or try any of Alexa's skills
- Waterproof and virtually indestructible: Never worry about going easy on it, your music will always be on point. The speaker is IP67 rated and can be immersed in water up to 1 m for 30 minutes
- Smarter over time: Update your speaker with the Ultimate Ears app as new features become available. Dual-band Wi-Fi supports 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4 and 5 GHz) networks
- Compatibility - Requires a Wi-Fi router with 802.11 a,b,g, or n for first time setup. Audio Playback supported for Bluetooth devices with advanced audio distribution profile (A2DP)
The Megablast is the loudest and smartest loudspeaker from Ultimate Ears to date. With Amazon’s built-in Alexa Voice Assistant, it can answer your questions as well as play all your favorite songs. More importantly, the Megablast joins the brand’s portfolio of five-star Bluetooth speakers, which are simply fun to use and listen to. Megablast looks and sounds great, and it’s an absolute treat. Overall, this is one of the best smart speakers right now.
6. Audio Pro Addon C5A
A class-leading smart speaker with Alexa support
Audio Pro Addon C5A Alexa Built in Voice Controlled Compact High Fidelity...
- MULTI-USE SPEAKERS: Multiroom sound and multi-person usage. Group & play. Play all together, or not. You choose!
- BUILT-IN ALEXA: Alexa Voice Control & far-field microphone. With Addon C5A you can control the music with your voice only. On all of your speakers!
- MULTI-USE SPEAKERS: Multiroom sound and multi-person usage. Group & play. Play all together, or not. You choose!
- BUILT-IN ALEXA: Alexa Voice Control & far-field microphone. With Addon C5A you can control the music with your voice only. On all of your speakers!
- POWERFUL AMPLIFIERS: Enhanced Digital Class D, 2x8W + 25W.
- FITS ANYWHERE: Small in Stature, Big in Sound: Fits in any space, fills any room with surprisingly rich and powerful sound. Item Dimensions HxWxD: 130 x 250 x 150 mm.
- WIRELESS OR CABLED TECHNOLOGY: Choose your connectivity preference! WiFi, Bluetooth V4.0, & Aux 3.5mm Inputs, it’s up to you!
The Audio Pro Addon C5A is virtually identical to the Addon C5, which was our wireless speaker product of the year in 2017. So adding Alexa voice control to an award-winning speaker is, frankly, the icing on the cake. Available at the price of an Addon C5 plus the cost of an Amazon Echo product bolt-on, it brings the whole package into a neat, easy-to-install box. And with that same award-winning sound, it’s the ideal combination for those who want an excellent Alexa wireless speaker that can be expanded into a fully-fledged multiroom system. Overall, this is one of the best smart speakers right now.
7. LG WK7
A solid start for LG’s venture into smart speakers
The LG WK7 is LG’s first foray into the intelligent speaker market and the first product to be launched as part of the new partnership with UK audio specialist Meridian. There’s nothing special about the design, but it looks smart enough and the top features touch-sensitive controls for volume and playback. There is also a Google Assistant button and a function button that allows you to switch between wi-fi and Bluetooth.
There are no other connections – no analog input or 3.5mm connection – but a smart speaker like this doesn’t really need one, especially if there’s also Chromecast built-in and Android Things support. And it sounds pretty good by the standards of smart speakers, not least thanks to its hi-res audio support. There’s sometimes a little too much bass and the music doesn’t sound as good musically as on the HomePod, but there’s an impressive scale, clean and clear vocals, and a lot of punch on the drums and bass. The LG WK7 is one of the best smart speakers, especially now that it has a healthy discount.
8. Sonos Beam
Best smart speaker soundbar for TV
Sonos Beam - Smart TV Sound Bar with Amazon Alexa Built-in -...
- Beam - The smart, compact soundbar for TV, music, and more.
- High definition sound - Experience rich, detailed sound for your TV that fills the entire room.
- TV, music and more - Play music, TV, movies, podcasts, radio, audiobooks and video games.
- Beam - The smart, compact soundbar for TV, music, and more.
- High definition sound - Experience rich, detailed sound for your TV that fills the entire room.
- TV, music and more - Play music, TV, movies, podcasts, radio, audiobooks and video games.
- Easy control - Control Beam with your voice, remote, the Sonos app, and more.
- Voice control - Amazon Alexa is built right in so you can play music, check news, set alarms, and more, completely hands free.
- Compact size - At just 25.6 inches, Beam won't hang off furniture or block the TV.
- Simple setup - Go from unboxing to listening in minutes with just two cords and automatic remote detection.
- Build your system - Add Sonos One SLs for surround sound or Sonos Sub for added bass. Connect to other Sonos speakers to enjoy brilliant sound in any or every room.
Even the best TVs tend to have poor sound quality due to their small built-in speakers, making the soundbars an attractive option for many. However, many soundbars tend to be large and clumsy despite their overall simplicity. This is where the Sonos Beam comes in. As a compact and well-stylized beam, the optional bracket allows it to easily fit under the smallest TVs on a console or on the wall. Like any Sonos product, it has a very good sound quality for its size and can be part of a much larger multiroom audio system.
The Sonos app allows you to stream from virtually any music service in the world, and it also does an excellent job of managing your private music collection. Overall, this is one of the best smart speakers right now.
Originally posted 2020-10-06 02:47:30.
