Top 10 Best High-End Smart Speakers 2024

A SMART SPEAKER is a type of wireless speaker and voice command device with an integrated virtual assistant (artificial intelligence) that offers interactive actions and handsfree activation with the help of one "hot word" (or several "hot words"). Some smart speakers can also act as a smart device that utilizes Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and other wireless protocol standards to extend usage beyond audio playback, such as to control home automation devices. This can include, but is not be limited to, features such as compatibility across a number of services and platforms, peer-to-peer connection through mesh networking, intelligent personal assistants, and others. Each can have its own designated interface and features in-house, usually launched or controlled via application or home automation software. Some smart speakers also include a screen to show the user a visual response.

Smart Speaker News, Reviews & Resources

• 5th-gen Amazon Echo Dot with Clock is a great addition to any smart home - "There’s a reason Amazon’s Echo Dot speakers are so popular. Compact and easy on the eyes, these smart speakers are conducive to any room in the house and offer an affordable way to add smart home functionality for just $50 to $60. And it doesn’t hurt that Amazon was the first out of the gate with Alexa’s virtual assistant technology back in 2014."
• 5 mistakes everyone makes with Google Assistant - "What not to do with Google Assistant and what to do instead."
• 7 Can't-Miss Tips for Your New Amazon Echo (Or Other Alexa Device) - TIME Magazine.
• 8 Best Smart Speakers With Alexa, Google Assistant & Siri 2020 - "Chatty speakers from Google, Amazon, and others are popular. But which one is right for you?"
• 2024: MAJOR SMART SPEAKER BRANDS RANKED WORST TO BEST (ACCORDING TO CONSUMER REPORTS) - "Smart speakers often act as the centerpiece of a smart home setup since you can use voice commands to control almost any piece of smart home tech. They also have a variety of other uses, such as playing music, answering questions, and they even replace old-school alarm clocks."
• Alexa & Cortana will soon work with each other - engadget.
• Alexa can now play that song you heard but can’t remember the name of - engadget.
• Alexa can now sound excited or disappointed - "It can also sound like a real anchor while delivering news."
• Alexa finally gets a sound boost, thanks to Sonos one - Wired.
• Alexa has lost its voice as Amazon Web Services suffers widespread outage - The Verge.
• 'Alexa, I love you’: how lockdown made men lust after their Amazon Echo - "Most of us use a smart speaker to listen to music or set a timer - but lockdown has made 14% of men yearn for a decidedly more intimate relationship."
• Alexa tells 10-year-old child to touch penny to exposed plug socket - "Amazon's Alexa has been developed over the years to offer ever-improving access to information and knowledge. 'My 10 year old just asked Alexa on our Echo for a challenge and this is what she said,' Livdahl tweeted on Sunday. Livdahl shared an image of Alexa's response after her child asked the device for a challenge."
• Alexa vs. Siri vs. Google: Which Can Carry on a Conversation Best? - The New York Times.
• Alexa, We’re Still Trying to Figure Out What to Do With you - The New York Times.
• Amazon Echo Dot (4th gen) review: Alexa’s new small budget ball - "Smart speaker ditches puck shape but keeps solid sound and function with or without LED clock display."
• AMAZON ECHO (2020) REVIEW: MUSIC OF THE SPHERE - "Amazon’s latest Echo brings room tuning and impressive sound quality to the $100 price point."
• Amazon Echo (2020) review: Small in stature, mighty in sound - "This speaker punches above its weight."
• Amazon Echo Dot (2020) review: Well-rounded in every sense - "New design, but same ol' Dot on the inside."
• Amazon Echo Dot with clock review: time is on its side - "A $59 clock that also comes with a pretty good speaker."
• Amazon Echo expands to 28 more countries - The Verge.
• Amazon Echo Is Winning the Race to a Screenless Future - Wired.
• Amazon Echo review: most exciting new gadget in years - The Telegraph.
• Amazon Echo Show - Wikipedia.
• Echo Studio review: Amazon finally nailed the audio quality - "It’s pricier, but the sound quality is way better than the rest of the Echo lineup."
• Amazon has a fix for Alexa’s creepy laughs - The Verge.
• Amazon introduces free sound library for Alexa skill developers - The Verge.
• Amazon Is Making it Easier to Delete Your Alexa Recordings - TIME Magazine.
• Amazon owns my Echo, I’m just feeding it - The Verge.
• Amazon reportedly wants Alexa to be a real-time, universal translator - engadget.
• Amazon's Alexa tells 10-year-old child to touch penny to exposed plug socket - "Amazon's Alexa has been developed over the years to offer ever-improving access to information and knowledge. 'My 10 year old just asked Alexa on our Echo for a challenge and this is what she said,' Livdahl tweeted on Sunday. Livdahl shared an image of Alexa's response after her child asked the device for a challenge."
• Amazon's Echo Dot is a great way to bring Alexa to more rooms - engadget.
• AMAZON’S NEW ECHO SHOW 10 MOVES TO LOOK AT YOU - "The latest Alexa-powered smart display isn’t content with sitting still."
• Amazon’s new Echo Studio sounds like the future of smart speakers - "Finally, an Echo with high-end sound."
• Apple apologizes for Siri audio recordings, announces privacy changes going forward - "Apple will no longer keep Siri recordings by default."
• Apple HomePod mini review: An acceptable Echo alternative - "Apple's speaker ambitions are moving in the right direction."
• Apple HomePod review - "Great sound, but it's trapped in Apple's world."
• Apple HomePod Vs. Amazon Echo Vs. Google Home - "Which Smart Speaker Is Right For You?"
• Apple lets users opt out of having Siri conversations graded - "Software finally updated three months after practice revealed in Guardian report."
• Apple says HomePod & HomePod Mini will support lossless audio after future update - "The Apple TV 4K won’t be able to play Hi-Res Lossless at launch."
• Apple was a little behind on Siri privacy, now it’s way ahead - "The default opt-out is the right call."
• Apple's latest acquisition could help Siri understand what you're saying - "Voysis focused on AI that could respond to natural language requests."
• August smart lock users can now ask Google Assistant if their doors are closed - The Verge.
• Bang & Olufsen adds Google Assistant to its expensive Beosound speakers - The Verge.
• Bang & Olufsen's Beosound Balance is a $2,250 statement speaker - "For serious audiophiles only."
• BEST GOOGLE SPEAKERS, RANKED BY PRICE - Wired.
• best portable Bluetooth speaker - "The UE Wonderboom 2 is the best option for most people."
• best portable Bluetooth speakers of 2023 - CNN Underscord.
• BEST SMART DISPLAY TO BUY RIGHT NOW - "Smart displays for your kitchen, bedroom, or living room."
• best smart home sensors for Alexa - engadget.
• best smart speakers for 2023 - "There are options for every budget."
• best smart speakers of 2023 - "Smart speakers go beyond just playing music. They provide control over your other home devices, answer queries and connect you with friends and family - and the best ones should execute all those tasks equally well. We’ve been testing smart speakers for years, reviewing each new iteration as it hits the market, and we’ve whittled the long list of smart speakers down to the best four."
• best smart speakers you can buy 2023 - "There are options for every budget."
• Bluetooth bandwidth set to double, opening a path for video & lossless audio - "Bluetooth, the technology that powers the wireless data connections between billions of devices, is going to become even more capable, with big increases planned for the data bandwidth of Bluetooth LE."
• Bose challenges Sonos with new Alexa-powered smart speaker & soundbars - "One of them has a screen for showing you album art."
• Echo Dot with Clock (2022) review: a good time - "With better sound, faster responses, and more sensors, Amazon’s Echo Dot with Clock fifth-gen is more useful for your smart home and remains the best budget smart speaker you can buy."
• Engadget's Guide to Privacy - "Best practices for keeping your data (and your smart home) safe."
• FORGET THE ECHO. THE DOT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ALEXA DEVICE - Wired.
• Galaxy Home Mini is finally available, but most people can't get it - "You'll need to pre-order a Galaxy S20 in Korea if you want one."
• Google Assistant can now play Spotify podcasts on your Nest speakers - "Just choose Spotify as the default podcast provider in Assistant's settings."
• Google Assistant now gives you more control over connected devices - engadget.
• Google hints its smart speakers will be renamed 'Nest Home' (updated) - "Whether or not that's simpler is another matter."
• GOOGLE HOME MINI REVIEW: CHASING DOTS - The Verge.
• Google Home Mini review: Taking aim at the Echo Dot - engadget.
• Google Home Review - The Verge.
• Google Home speakers now double as house intercoms - engadget.
• Google Home will be cheaper than the Amazon Echo - "A smart speaker for Microsoft’s world."
• Google Home will take on Echo to be your at-home assistant - engadget.
• Google is finally fixing Bluetooth audio on Home speakers - "Users have had trouble maintaining connections for over a year."
• Google reveals its new Nest smart speaker - engadget.
• Google's Assistant will help 'sync' your smart home devices - "A handy little phrase for smart home enthusiasts."
• Google’s rolling out a Nest Wifi Pro update to fix slow internet speeds - "The company says only ‘a small number of users’ are experiencing reduced internet speeds with the new router. It’s rolling out a software update early next week to address it."
• Google’s smart speakers are finally smart enough to shut up - "Google Nest speakers and displays will soon refrain from telling you everything they’re doing for you when controlling smart home devices. But only in the room where it happens."
• Harman Kardon announces a $700 Google Assistant speaker - The Verge.
• HARMAN KARDON INVOKE REVIEW: CORTANA GETS A SPEAKER OF ITS OWN - "A smart speaker for Microsoft’s world."
• Here’s how Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri answer the question, ‘Do black lives matter?’ - "They can also answer ‘do all lives matter?’"
• HomePod - Wikipedia.
• HomePod now supports Lossless & Dolby Atmos, here’s a workaround for HomePod mini - "Apple released today HomePod 15.1 Software with the long-awaited Lossless and Dolby Atmos support. While both the HomePod and HomePod mini support Lossless, if you want to listen to Spatial Audio with the HomePod mini, there’s a hidden workaround ..."
• how do you tell who’s human online? - "Automated ‘voices’ that were supposed to do mundane tasks online also now spread hate speech and polarise opinion. Are they a boon or a threat?"
• How does the HomePod stack up against Sonos with Alexa? - The Verge.
• How to get Samuel L Jackson's voice on your Echo - "The first celebrity voice to come to Amazon's Alexa is now available, and he's instantly recognizable. Echo owners can now add actor Samuel L Jackson's voice to their devices."
• HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR AMAZON ECHO DOT - Wired.
• How to hear (and delete) every conversation your Google Home has recorded - The Verge.
• How to Make Your House a Smart Home - The New York Times.
• How to master your equalizer settings for the perfect sound - "EQ settings can now be found in everything from phones and wireless speakers to home theater soundbars and streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music, but often in the form of safe presets such as 'Rock,' 'Hip-Hop,' or 'Bass Booster.' Understanding how exactly an EQ works and using it properly will put the power of sound-sculpting at your fingertips and can get you closer to the sound you want from your gear. But it can be intimidating, so we’re here to help with our top-to-bottom guide to mastering your equalizer for the perfect sound."
• How to opt out of Amazon's bandwidth-sharing Sidewalk network - "Echo and Ring devices in the US are automatically enrolled in the program."
• How to Set Up & Get the Most From Your Echo Speaker - "What does an Amazon Echo do, exactly? Here's all the tips and tricks you need to get going."
• How to stop your smart home spying on you - "Everything in your smart home, from the lightbulbs to the thermostat, could be recording you or collecting data about you. What can you do to curb this intrusion?"
• How to use Alexa Cast - The Verge.
• HOW TO USE SIRI TO AUTOMATE EVERY STEP OF YOUR DAILY GRIND - Wired.
• How to use the Amazon Echo & Alexa - The Telegraph.
• IKEA's smart home system now supports scenes - "Long-awaited shortcut buttons appear to be coming soon, too."
• Invoke - Wikipedia.
• Keep Your A.I. Buzzwords Straight - "This guide will help you get a handle on the difference between 'machine learning' and 'deep learning.'
• Lossless compression - "Lossless compression is a class of data compression algorithms that allows the original data to be perfectly reconstructed from the compressed data. By contrast, lossy compression permits reconstruction only of an approximation of the original data, though usually with greatly improved compression rates (and therefore reduced media sizes)."
• 'Mind your own business, Alexa!' How to keep secrets from your voice assistant - "Call centre workers who check how helpful our voice assistants are say they hear private conversations and couples having sex. Here’s how to avoid sharing your private life."
• NEST WIFI FIRST LOOK: GOOGLE FINALLY COMBINED A SMART SPEAKER & A ROUTER - "It is the obvious thing."
• New HomePod coming soon? What Apple Intelligence means for the smart speaker’s future - "Apple currently sells two different HomePod models: the HomePod (2nd generation) and the HomePod mini. In comparing the two products, they both contain chips that seem unlikely to support Apple Intelligence—meaning, no new and improved Siri, and likely no ChatGPT integration."
• Now you can Chromecast your Arlo camera feeds with Google Assistant - The Verge.
• One week with Siri - engadget.
• SIRI, WHY HAVE YOU FALLEN BEHIND OTHER DIGITAL ASSISTANTS? - Wired.
• Siri’s Not Even the Best iPhone Assistant Anymore - Wired.
• Smart speaker - Wikipedia.
• Sonos Era 100 review: the new default smart speaker - "The more affordable Era speaker improves upon the Sonos One by nearly every measure and will likely find the same success and popularity among Sonos customers."
• Sonos launches its own streaming radio service - "Sonos Radio will now be the default service available for the company’s speakers."
• Sonos One review: The best-sounding smart speaker you can buy - engadget.
• Sonos One vs. Google Nest Audio: which is the best smart speaker? - "The Sonos One and Google Nest Audio are two of the best smart speakers of 2023. Both can pump out impressive sound, respond to a wide variety of voice commands, and easily sync up with the rest of your smart home. But with the Sonos One costing more than $200 and the Google Nest Audio clocking in at just $100, you might be wondering if the Sonos One is truly worth your money - or if you’d be better off saving $100 and opting for the cheaper Google product."
• Sonos Port review: flexibility for a price - "Make almost anything work with Sonos, but it’ll cost you."
• Sony’s Google Assistant Speaker Tries to Do Too Much - Wired.
• Sony's smart speaker gives Google Assistant a more capable home - engadget.
• Stanford Team Aims at Alexa & Siri With a Privacy-Minded Alternative - "A team of researchers wants to build an internet service that will be a Switzerland of sorts for a market dominated by a handful of companies."
• Stop Putting Your Amazon Echo in These 4 Spots - "These places are some of the worst spots to put your Alexa device. We'll give you some better options."
• Stop using Alexa & Google Assistant while working until you change these settings - "When people work form home, the line between their professional and personal lives doesn’t just blur, it often gets erased. That means personal privacy concerns become company security concerns. Thus, asking Alexa to make you an espresso while on a Zoom call seems innocent enough. But if the device captures sensitive, work-related information (and can easily be hacked), it could create a nightmare scenario for your company’s IT security team."
• The charge of the chatbots: how do you tell who’s human online? - "Automated ‘voices’ that were supposed to do mundane tasks online also now spread hate speech and polarise opinion. Are they a boon or a threat?"
• The New Chat Bots Could Change the World. Can You Trust Them? - "Siri, Google Search, online marketing and your child’s homework will never be the same. Then there’s the misinformation problem."
• TO REDESIGN ITS AMP, SONOS HAD TO THINK INSIDE THE BOX - Wired.
• To use Alexa, you have to trust Amazon - "You’re trading privacy for convenience - and the deal keeps getting worse."
• top 8 Echo products Amazon announced today - "Indoors and outdoors, Alexa is there."
• We’re still not getting voice assistants right - "We should be thinking bigger."
• WHAT AMAZON ECHO & GOOGLE HOME DO WITH YOUR VOICE DATA - Wired.
• Which Amazon Echo or Alexa Speaker Is Best? - Wired.
• WHICH SONOS SPEAKER SHOULD YOU BUY? - Wired.
• Why You Should Stop This ‘Dangerous’ Update To Your Amazon Account - "Cybersecurity experts are warning Amazon customers to beware a new account update being rolled out to the company’s smart devices installed in millions of homes. The plan is for those customers to share their home broadband with neighbors, to make their devices work more effectively and over longer distances. This new account setting will be on by default, impacting many Echo and Ring devices - you actually need to log into your account to switch it off."
• Would you take dating advice from your Amazon Echo? - The Verge.
• You Have a Week to Opt-Out of Amazon Sidewalk, Do It Now - "Users of Amazon Ring and Echo have only about a week to opt-out of the tech giant’s sketchy new IoT service, Sidewalk. The feature goes live on June 8th and promises to share an encrypted sliver of your home network with the networks of other nearby Amazon IoT device users as a way to 'improve services.' Unless you specifically tell it not to, Amazon will automatically enroll you in Sidewalk, which - it’s easy to imagine - could lead to some potentially unwanted privacy and security issues down the road."
• Your smart speaker could tell if you're experiencing cardiac arrest - "AI could listen for the telltale gasps and call for help."

Top 10 Best High-End Smart Speakers

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• Amazon Echo - (5th Generation). "Meet the all-new Echo Dot with clock - Our most popular smart speaker with Alexa. The sleek, compact design delivers crisp vocals and balanced bass for full sound. Ready to help - Ask Alexa to tell a joke, play music, answer questions, play the news, check the weather, set alarms, and more. Control your smart home - Use your voice to turn on lights, adjust thermostats, and lock doors with compatible devices."
• 5th-gen Amazon Echo Dot with Clock is a great addition to any smart home - "There’s a reason Amazon’s Echo Dot speakers are so popular. Compact and easy on the eyes, these smart speakers are conducive to any room in the house and offer an affordable way to add smart home functionality for just $50 to $60. And it doesn’t hurt that Amazon was the first out of the gate with Alexa’s virtual assistant technology back in 2014."
• Stop Putting Your Amazon Echo in These 4 Spots - "These places are some of the worst spots to put your Alexa device. We'll give you some better options."
• 
• Amazon Echo Dot - (4th Generation). "Meet the all-new Echo Dot - Our most popular smart speaker with Alexa. The sleek, compact design delivers crisp vocals and balanced bass for full sound. Voice control your entertainment - Stream songs from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, SiriusXM, and others. Play music, audiobooks, and podcasts throughout your home with multi-room music. Ready to help - Ask Alexa to tell a joke, play music, answer questions, play the news, check the weather, set alarms, and more. Control your smart home - Use your voice to turn on lights, adjust thermostats, and lock doors with compatible devices."
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• Amazon Echo Show - brings you everything you love about Alexa, and now she can show you things. Watch video flash briefings, Amazon Video content, see music lyrics, security cameras, photos, weather forecasts, to-do and shopping lists, browse and listen to Audible audiobooks, and more. All hands-free - just ask.
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• Amazon Echo Spot - connects to Alexa. Designed to fit anywhere in your home. Use 2nd generation far-field voice recognition to watch video flash briefings, see music lyrics, weather forecasts, to-do and shopping lists, browse and listen to Audible audiobooks, and more. All hands-free - just ask.
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• Amazon 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. Voice control your music - Stream songs from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, Tidal, and more. With Amazon Music HD, play 50 million songs in HD plus a growing library of music mastered in 3D.
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• Beosound Balance with the Google Assistant - "Wireless, smart home speaker." A wireless speaker with a dynamic acoustic performance designed to be positioned up against the wall on a shelf or side table in your home. Impressive sound compared to its size.
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• Google Home - "Always on call. Hands-free help from the Google Assistant." Google Home is a voice-activated home product that allows you and your family to get answers from Google, stream music, and manage everyday tasks.
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• Google Home Mini - "Hands-free help around the house." Mini is powered by the Google Assistant. So whenever you need help, it’s by your side.
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• Google Nest Mini - "Still mini. Even more mighty." Engineered for sound. Designed for your home.
• Google’s smart speakers are finally smart enough to shut up - "Google Nest speakers and displays will soon refrain from telling you everything they’re doing for you when controlling smart home devices. But only in the room where it happens."
• HARMAN / KARDON - since 1953. All models.
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• Harman Kardon Invoke - "Voice Activated Speaker with Cortana." Intelligent, voice-activated speaker with premium sound and digital assistance.
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• HomePod mini & HomePod - since 2018. "The speakers of the house." HomePod mini takes up almost no space yet delivers room-filling sound. HomePod is a breakthrough speaker with high-fidelity audio that adapts to its location. Both help you take care of everyday tasks with Siri, control your smart home, set up multiroom audio, and send Intercom messages to every room. HomePod and HomePod mini keep everything private and secure, and only listen for 'Hey Siri.'
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• HomePod (2nd generation) - since 2023. "HomePod delivers immersive high-fidelity sound, Spatial Audio, an intelligent assistant, and smart home control."
• HomePod will support Apple Music lossless through a software update - "The Apple TV 4K won’t be able to play Hi-Res Lossless at launch."
• New HomePod coming soon? What Apple Intelligence means for the smart speaker’s future - "Apple currently sells two different HomePod models: the HomePod (2nd generation) and the HomePod mini. In comparing the two products, they both contain chips that seem unlikely to support Apple Intelligence—meaning, no new and improved Siri, and likely no ChatGPT integration."
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• SONOS Beam - "The Smart Soundbar for Your TV." Bring room-filling sound to your movies, TV, and music, while enjoying the comfort of voice control from Amazon Alexa. Introducing Beam.
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• Sonos Era 100 - "Featuring next-gen acoustics and new levels of connectivity, Era 100 transforms any room with the finely tuned stereo sound and rich bass your music deserves."
• Sonos Era 100 review: the new default smart speaker - "The more affordable Era speaker improves upon the Sonos One by nearly every measure and will likely find the same success and popularity among Sonos customers."
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• SONOS One - "The smart speaker for music lovers." With Amazon Alexa built right in.