Rating of the TOP 7 best Smart speakers: what it is, how to choose, price, reviews

In the 21st century, there is no longer a music lover who would not have the opportunity to buy a speaker or a subwoofer. Time to take the next step into the future and get a smart speaker. Here we will tell you what is special about smart speakers, how to choose them. We also collected 7 of the best speaker models in one place, this will simplify your choice.

What are they?

A smart speaker is the same speaker, but with a simple operating system. Thanks to the OS, this device is able to independently perform a number of frequent tasks, and also supports voice control. The speakers have a pre-installed microphone that receives user commands. The number of possibilities directly depends on the model. Another column gives automatic answers to common questions from the directory.

Basic speaker functions

Budget models usually have an extremely limited set of features. More features contain relatively expensive models.

Common features include:

• Search for content on the web;
• Inclusion of various playlists;
• Management using smart home technology;
• Play video in the background.

How to make the right choice?

There are several key characteristics of speakers that you should pay attention to first of all:

• Extensive additional features. Here is an extremely large list of all known functions, but there are classic ones that you cannot do without. Highly desirable features: playback of Internet radio stations, voice control, voice assistant and classic organizer;
• Nutrition method. Most devices have a standard wired power supply, they can only work from a 220 V network. If you take a portable speaker, it must be powered by a capacious battery. Battery-powered models have an extremely small supply of energy, and their constant replacement will fly into a considerable amount;
• Sound quality and power. A key characteristic, because all devices have different sound characteristics. True, in order to determine the sound quality, you will have to focus on reviews or listen to music on a speaker in a store yourself;
• Moisture protection. Not a mandatory option, but it allows you not to be afraid of getting the speaker wet when listening to music in the rain. The flip side is that moisture protection often reduces the volume of acoustics, and can create a feeling of sound from a closed container. Another disadvantage of protection is the increase in the cost of speakers.

Rating of the 7 best smart speakers 2019

The ranking presents the best models as of 2019, but not all of them are new. There are very good solutions from 2018, which we also took into account in the review.

1. Amazon Echo

Versatile speakers with proprietary Amazon Alexa technology. This system can find almost any audio track, movie or other content on the network. Supports connection via common Wi-Fi and Bluetooth network interfaces. Comes with a remote control with a microphone. Supports control via phone and has an alarm clock, a reminder.

Characteristic	Meaning
Number of channels	2
Voice control	There is
Colors	Black

Pros:

• There is Amazon Alexa;
• Phone control support;
• Supplied with remote control;
• Organizer preinstalled.

Minuses:

• The main disadvantage is that it does not support the Russian language, we can only send commands in English.

“Great device with lots of features for the money. I have been using the column for a long time and I get extremely positive emotions. At first glance, an English assistant is a drawback, but for me this decision inspired me to learn a new language. Given the spread of English, it will still come in handy.”

Price: 13000-14000 rubles.

Amazon Echo

2. Apple Home Pod

Apple Corporation could not miss a large field of technology and released its smart speakers. Now they are available in 3 colors: black, gray and white. The well-known assistant Siri is responsible for processing voice commands. This is a fairly large column with a weight of 2.5 kg. Available wireless interfaces: Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

Characteristic	Meaning
Voice Assistant	Siri
Weight	2.5 kg
Colors	Black, gray and white

Pros:

• Sending commands via smartphone;
• The presence of Siri;
• Voice control;
• There is a multiroom system.

Minuses:

• Does not support Russian;
• Worth a lot of money.

“Any owner of apple technology will like this column, even if it costs a little more than analogues. Among the advantages: Siri, good sound, cool design. The only thing I didn’t like was the management in English.”

Price: 37000-39000 rubles.

Apple Home Pod

3. JBL Link 10

Another major acoustics manufacturer that has created a unique smart speaker. It has voice control and a pre-installed assistant from Google. Equipped with a battery with a capacity of 4000 mAh, this is enough for quite a long time. It has two speakers of 8 watts. The column is interesting for its small dimensions and minimum weight of 710 g. It also supports the multi-room system.

Characteristic	Meaning
Battery capacity	4000 mAh
general power	16 W
channels	one

Pros:

• Light model (0.71 kg);
• Pretty capacious 4000 mAh battery;
• Google Assistant with Russian language support;
• Waterproof IPX

No cons were found for the model.

“Small and loud speaker, very easy to transport, fits in almost any backpack. The ergonomic speaker is comfortable to wear and easy to hold. The Google Assistant does not yet have very advanced functionality, but there is still a sufficient set. I advise you to buy.»

Price: 13800-14600 rubles.

JBL Link 10

4. Yandex.Station

The domestic multimedia column is distinguished by full support for the Russian language. It is not inferior to smart speakers of famous brands. Handles voice commands with ease and in 3 months of use has always coped with the tasks. An excellent model for affordable money with an abundance of key features.

Characteristic	Meaning
View	Station
Housing material	Metal with textile
Colors	Black or white

Pros:

• There is a voice assistant Alice;
• Lightweight and durable aluminum body;
• Supports playback of streaming videos in FullHD;
• There is an HDMI port.

There are no cons.

“A very decent model without obvious jambs. It has a very good sound, only 5 of these speakers, and a party is provided throughout the two-story house. The sound is not perfect, but for its size and price it is quite acceptable. Work with streaming video is applicable only in the absence of Smart TV. A good toy for music lovers and geeks.»

Price: 9900-10300 rubles.

Yandex.Station

5. Google Home

Produces single-band audio. It connects to devices via Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi is used to connect to the network. It has a good volume, supports music playback in streaming format (radio, music from the Internet). There is also a good assistant, control via phone. Google has not forgotten to build in support for multi-room and other basic functions.

Characteristic	Meaning
channels	2
Number of lanes	one
Touch control support	There is

Pros:

• Built-in Google Assistant;
• Voice control;
• multiroom.

There are no cons.

“Google’s first-class assistant in the column is just a fairy tale for a music lover. I really liked the assembly, there are no squeaks and backlash. The body material feels strong and pleasant to the touch. Transmits a clear sound and even the bass is powerful. I really liked the presence of touch controls.

Price: 10900-11300 rubles.

Google Home

6. Amazon Echo Dot 2

Loud and small portable speaker. It is in demand in the market due to its low cost. The case is based on plastic «inlaid» with black cloth. It has most of the functions of previous models: voice control, a smartphone replaces the remote control, wideband sound, 2 channels.

Characteristic	Meaning
Type of	Portable
Power	20 W
Colors	Black

Pros:

• Sending commands via phone;
• Voice recognition;
• Wide range of output frequencies: from 80 Hz to 20 kHz.

Minuses:

• No voice assistant.

“When you first meet, you feel that the build quality is not very good. It has standard functionality and nothing more. There is no assistant here, and English voice control is useless. For such a column, a somewhat expensive price. ”

Price: 4600-5400 rubles.

Amazon Echo Dot 2

7. Xiaomi Mi AI Speaker

A special model with a simple but stylish design. Harmoniously combines a lot of functionality and voice assistant. The smart speaker is made of high quality plastic and covered with a white cloth. Under the textile cover there are 6 microphones and speakers with good low and high frequencies.

Characteristic	Meaning
Assistant	There is
Material	Plastic
Weight	0.64 kg

Pros:

• System with six microphones;
• Uniform distribution of sound in all directions;
• There is an assistant.

There are no cons.

“One of the best models from the combination of price and quality. There are a lot of functions and all the modern features, but you don’t need more. Despite the affordable price, the column is not inferior to more expensive analogues.

Price: 3700-3900 rubles.

Xiaomi Mi AI Speaker

Feature Comparison

A table with the characteristics of all models will help you put everything in its place and choose the best smart speaker model.

Model	Assistant	Number of lanes	Weight (kg)
Amazon Echo	+	2	—
Apple Home Pod	+	2	2.5
JBL Link 10	+	one	0.71
Yandex.Station	+	2	2.9
Google Home	+	one	—
Amazon Echo Dot 2	—	one	—
Xiaomi Mi AI Speaker	+	one	0.64

Most of us are used to buying equipment not by technical specifications, but by brand name. You may have noticed that all speakers in the ranking are from well-known manufacturers. That is why such an approach to buying is inappropriate. We taught you how to choose the right smart speakers and ranked with all the best speakers. Based on the listed materials, making the right choice is much easier.

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