Admit it: you fall in love with Alexa. Whether it's playing music and setting timers, checking the weather and turning off smart lights with just your voice, there's something irresistible about Amazon Echo's proprietary voice recognition software. However, Alexa is changing. For years confined to answering dumb questions and weed-sounding horns made only by Amazon, Alexa is now on the rise. Along with a massively expanding set of Alexa skills comes a new motivation for sound quality. From the audio-focused Echo Studio to the latest iterations of the Echo and Echo Dot, Amazon is increasingly committed to giving users a better sound experience, something third-party brands from Bose to Sonos to Yamaha , they are obsessed with a few years. That's not to say there isn't an incredible range of Alexa-enabled speakers. Before you buy, ask yourself what you really want. An alarm clock? An office gadget? An intercom type video call device? Or a complete home theater system? All of these products and more are now under the control of Alexa as the smart speaker matures. So, without further ado, here are the best Alexa speakers, Echo speakers, and more for your smart home that you can buy today:
1. SonosOne
A spectacular Alexa smart speaker with a warm and accurate soundstage
Reasons to Buy + Fabulous Sound Quality + Hi-Res Audio Reasons to Avoid - Expensive setup takes some time Is this the best smart speaker? After years of powering your own multi-room home audio system, Sonos has produced the spectacular Sonos One, complete with touch controls, two Class-D digital amplifiers, a mid-bass speaker and tweeter, its soundstage is forceful, energetic and low. It's easy to set up, with a nifty Trueplay tuning process (which requires you to bring your phone across the room while it plays test sounds), while a new update has just added Hi-Res audio for mixing. It's so good as a standalone speaker that you can even buy it without Alexa. Read more: Sonos One review
2.Amazon EchoStudio
Alexa for audiophiles
Reasons to Buy + Immersive Dolby Atmos Sound + Easy Setup Reasons to Avoid -Large size doesn't fit full 3D audio Amazon's first high-end smart speaker for home theaters is its best-sounding Echo yet. One of the most powerful speakers you'll find for the money at 330W, buy two Amazon Echo Studio speakers and you can set them up in the Alexa app to create an immersive home theater. It's really impressive, but to get the most out of it, consider becoming an Amazon Music HD subscriber. Our only complaint is that its downmixing of stereo tracks to Dolby Atmos is inconsistent. Read more: Amazon Echo Studio review
3.Amazon Echo (2020)
A complete review of Amazon's flagship smart speaker
Reasons to buy + Futuristic look + Improved Adaptive Sound + Alexa responds faster Reasons to Avoid -Max volume level not loud enough The new Amazon Echo is a big step up from its predecessors, though it still doesn't have the best sound of all smart speakers Add to that the built-in Zigbee smart home hub and a new AZ1 neural edge processor that will cut the time it takes for Alexa to respond to commands, and you have the recipe for the best Echo design yet. Of course, while the hardware is brand new, it's still the same old Alexa under the hood. Alexa will still be able to answer your basic questions or make calls in your country of residence, as well as control any number of smart devices you have in your home. Read More: Amazon Echo Review (2020)
4. Amazon Echo Dot (2020)
A smart home gateway with improved audio quality
Reasons to Buy + Space Age Aesthetics + Easy Installation and Integration Reasons to Avoid - Shallow, Directional Sound - No Zigbee Hub Inside Amazon Echo Dot has always been the best choice for those unsure of home technology smart and want to make the first move. It allows Alexa to live inside her home and provides enough sound performance to fill a room. All of this for under $50 / £50 / AU$80 and it's easy to see why it's been one of the most popular smart speakers on the market for a long time. In some ways, the Amazon Echo Dot (2020) lives up to the legacy left by all previous Echo Dot devices: It's small, decently loud, and thanks to Alexa, it's pretty smart, too. Read more: Amazon Echo Dot (2020) review
5. Amazon Echo Dot with clock (2020)
We love the new watch-like Echo Dot.
Reasons to buy + Large design + Transparent clock Reasons to avoid - Low bass frequencies - No 360-degree audio Not much to get excited about, the latest iteration of the Echo Dot. In other words, unless your most frequently asked Alexa question is "What time is it?" Like its predecessor, the Echo Dot with Clock can double as a bedside alarm, though it comes with all the intelligence of Alexa on board, as well as the ability to control your smart home devices (via a separate built-in speaker compatible with Alexa). Zigbee). It's undergone a rather radical design overhaul from the previous Echo Dot with Clock, sporting a space-age spherical design available in gray and white color schemes. All the features of the previous Echo Dot with clock remain, including a 3.5mm AUX input port and Alexa's blue light ring, though it's now located on the bottom of the smart speaker instead of on the top. Read more: Amazon Echo Dot review with clock (2020)
6. Bose Home Speaker 500
With such great microphones, Alexa will never hear you bad again
Reasons to Buy + Responsive Microphones + Great Sound Quality Reasons to Avoid -Pricey-Hit and Missing Wi-Fi Setup If you're looking for the best-sounding smart speaker, stop the search. With the Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa built-in, the sleek anodized aluminum speaker 500 for the home has intelligence and room-filling sound. An array of eight microphones, designed for near-field and far-field listening, lets you talk to Alexa even when the music is loud. However, setting up the speaker on a Wi-Fi network with the Bose Music app is more difficult than it should be. Read more: Bose Home Speaker 500 review
7. Amazon Echo Spot
The prettiest Echo speaker yet is all about video chat
Reasons to Buy + Clear Video + Original Design Reasons to Avoid -Video is cropped to fit screen Unlike the Echo Show 5 for the title of 'best compact smart display', the mango-sized Echo Spot is the more affordable and the more beautiful of the two. With a 5,5-inch round screen the size of a smartphone, it looks cute and quirky and is designed to be used anywhere in the house. Ideal for intercom-style video conferencing at home and beyond, it crops big-screen video and zooms to fit faces on its circular screen, and its little speakerphone is surprisingly good. Read more: Amazon Echo Spot review
