Reviews: Amazon Echo Dot with clock, Nest Audio, Sonos One and Bose Portable Smart Speaker

Keen to join the smart speaker revolution? We’ve reviewed four of the best devices currently available for your home.

Bose Portable Smart Speaker

No matter which room at home you walk into, you can talk to a voice assistant and immediately have your favourite song or radio station streamed to you. We’re asking our smart speakers to do more for us. Whether it is to check the weather forecast, order an Uber or find the best bakery nearby, a voice assistant is listening and ready to answer your question.

However, the majority of people who own a smart speaker use it primarily to listen to music, so the audio quality of even the standard assistant speakers has been improving. I’ve rounded up the best smart speakers for any room of the house.

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Amazon Echo Dot with Clock RRP $99

Amazon Echo Dot with Clock

Amazon has made improvements to the Echo Dot with Clock. The new design looks great and the digital clock puts this smart speaker comfortably on the bedside table. You can use Echo Dot with Clock to wake you each morning, trigger a routine that brings up the lights and opens the blinds, and starts to tell you the morning news.

This speaker isn’t going to start any dance parties but is great for streaming the morning radio while you get dressed. The visible clock saves you asking Alexa about the time. It can also be used to display a countdown timer. If the alarm does trigger in the morning but a sleep-in is required, you can still tap the top of the Echo Dot with Clock for an extended snooze.

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Nest Audio RRP $149

Nest Audio

The latest smart speaker from Google will sit happily on a book shelf or desk. The sleek material design gives a soft look which is deceiving for the quality of sound it can provide.

A Nest Audio works great as a bedroom speaker. It can answer all your questions through the Google Assistant, control the smart home accessories and play music. The Nest Audio uses an advanced equaliser to automatically adjust playback based on the content you’re playing. Whether it is listening to an audiobook or your favourite John Farnham song, the Nest Audio is ready to adapt. You can add a second Nest Audio to make a stereo pair which would work well in larger rooms.

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Sonos One RRP $299

Sonos One

If music is really your focus then you can buy a smart speaker from a company which specialise in good audio. Sonos has been making connected speakers before smart speakers existed. They have a large team of engineers who continue to support and improve the sound of speakers after they’re sold.

Through software updates, a Sonos speaker bought today will sound better in years to come, and that’s a crazy idea for a speaker. When it comes to being a smart speaker though, you’ll have options. Sonos lets you choose which voice assistant you want on your speaker; Google or Amazon Alexa. The Sonos One can be controlled through its own app but also works with Apple AirPlay2, Spotify Connect and more. One Sonos speaker usually becomes two and quickly spreads through the home so be aware of the “Sonos bug”.

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Bose Portable Smart Speaker RRP $499

Bose Portable Smart Speaker

With summer nearly upon us, you’ll want to enjoy music outdoors. Sonos sells the Move, and Bose offer the Portable Smart Speaker. Both work very similarly however the Bose comes at a cheaper price. Both will support the choice of the Google or Amazon voice assistant. The Bose option can work great as an in-home speaker but you can take it to the alfresco area, place it by the barbecue or on the lawn, with its convenient carry handle.

With a level of water and shock resistance you can feel comfortable keeping it by the pool Sound quality is exceptional and battery life will take you into the night. If you’re away from home, the Bose Portable Smart Speaker can be used in Bluetooth mode, so your music doesn’t stop.

Geoff Quattromani is a tech commentator across radio, print, online and television. Check out his podcast “Technology Uncorked” for new information each week.