Google Nest Audio, Apple HomePod mini, or Amazon Echo

For the first time, the big three tech companies have new smart speakers available for $ 99: Google Nest Audio, Apple HomePod mini, and Amazon Echo (4th gen). All three promise room-filling sound, as well as the convenience of a smart assistant.

But when they all cost the same, how do you choose between them? Let’s take a deeper look.

What’s under the hood?

Google Nest Audio uses a 75mm woofer and Amazon Echo uses a 76mm woofer for the main punch of the sound. Echo uses two front tweeters for higher tones, while Nest Audio uses only one. Apple’s HomePod mini uses a large controller and passive radiators in a truly unique configuration to deliver full 360-degree sound.

For all three speakers, it’s not so much about how big your speakers are or how many of them they have, but what they can do with them. To that end, they all have built-in computational algorithms to suit whatever room they are in.

Google takes this a little further and will automatically adjust the way it responds to you in loud or soft environments. It’s a subtle touch that I really appreciate. It also automatically adjusts the equalizer based on what you’re listening to. So your morning news report doesn’t carry over to the heavy bass from last night’s dance party.

How do they look?

Both Apple and Amazon have opted for spherical shapes for their latest speakers.

However, Apple’s HomePod mini is about half the size and looks a bit more premium, with a more open mesh that Apple says is “transparent” to sound waves. At the top of the HomePod mini is a full-color display that serves as a Siri listening indicator with touch-sensitive volume controls.

The Echo has a fairly standard “speaker fabric” look and raised volume, mute, and wake buttons. Looks good … for an Amazon device. It’s definitely an improvement over the hockey puck or cylinder of previous years. However, between the two, Apple seems the most premium device.

Google Nest Audio is betting on a more “rounded rectangle” design that has no visible controls. However, each corner is touch-sensitive and you can activate the speaker with a tap on the top.

When it comes to color, Apple offers only black or white options, while Google has a variety of muted, decor-friendly colors. Amazon is the only manufacturer to offer a visual touch with a limited edition RED (PRODUCT) version to complement its black, white and blue options.

How do they sound?

I commissioned each speaker to play Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” (not simultaneously, because I’m not crazy) to test its dynamic range.

The Apple HomePod mini performed admirably, delivering each note with crystal clarity. I couldn’t quite reach the volume on the other two speakers, but it was still more than enough to make me wince at the highest levels. Even with the speaker all the way up, there was no distortion. Its 360 design gave it an edge here, with clear sound reaching every corner of the room.

Google Nest Audio produced a fuller sound, exploring the low notes of the piano and the trill of the clarinet more clearly. Nest Audio’s design stacks the woofer and tweeter (just like a traditional speaker) and ultimately does a better job of giving you dynamic range. Integrated tuning software tailors the output to properly fill your room, no matter if it is a bedroom or a living room with high ceilings.

Somewhat surprising, given its size compared to the other two, the Amazon Echo fell a bit flat in Gershwin’s test. Sure, it gave me a lot of volume for the more punchy parts of the piece, but the quieter moments were so low they were almost lost. The sound quality isn’t bad at all, but listening to the fourth-gen Echo after the Nest Audio and HomePod mini, it’s clear who has the top audio engineers.

If you’re lucky enough to own two fourth-generation HomePod minis, Nest Audios, or Echoes, the three speakers can be paired with one another to create a stereo duo.

Who is smarter?

You probably already have a favorite in this category. If you have an Android phone or use Nest smart products (like the thermostat or camera), then the Google Assistant will be familiar to you, and it will be the most helpful in uniting your smart ecosystem. If you’re using iPhones, the HomePod mini offers deep iOS integration and lets you do things like stream music from your phone to the speaker with one touch and send intercom messages to everyone in your home group.

For all three devices, you will be able to control other smart devices if you have added them to the manufacturer’s respective smart hub app (Google Home, Home, and Amazon Alexa, respectively).

Personally, I find the Google Assistant to be good for general informational queries. Whereas Apple’s Siri tends to get easily confused on general topic questions and is most useful when doing things in the Apple ecosystem. Then there’s Amazon Alexa, which stands out for giving you Prime music and helping you buy things, but has a tendency to turn every request into a sales pitch (when asked about the weather, Alexa eventually tried to get me to buy holiday gifts). .

That said, when I asked the three speakers “When will the Bucs play tomorrow?” Only Alexa was able to correctly determine on the first try that I was talking about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and let me know that they are playing on Monday Night Football. Siri thought he was talking about the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team and Google didn’t know what he was talking about (they were both able to answer correctly when I asked the more specific question “When are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers playing again?”).

So what happened? Is Alexa Suddenly Smarter Than Google or Apple? That is one possibility. But most likely I have a FireTV and use the Prime Video app on two other TVs in my house. I have seen Thursday Night Football in all three. Matching my viewing habits to my location (because of course Amazon knows where I live), it’s not a huge computational leap to figure out what team and sport I’m talking about. Amazon may not be smarter, but it knows how to leverage the data it collects about you to Appear smartest. And anyone who programs algorithms can tell you that it is not how smart your bot does, but the amount of data feeding it that makes it successful.

So who wins?

If you’re an Apple household, the Apple HomePod mini is a phenomenally good speaker that offers useful features only available if you have other iOS and macOS devices. It’s a refined package that puts out a truly amazing amount of sound. It’s designed to be a home hub for Apple, recognizing up to six different users so that everyone gets responses from Siri based on their individual profile.

Google Nest Audio is a great speaker. Final point. It’s also powered by the world’s best search engine, so if you’re the type who likes to sprinkle your smart speaker with questions, interacting with Nest Audio will be much more satisfying. If you’re an Android home too, use other Nest products (like the Nest Thermostat), or even use your Google account to keep track of your calendar, you’ll find plenty of reasons to like the Nest Audio.

If you’re a Prime member and you don’t have an Alexa-enabled speaker of some kind, you’re missing out. There are a lot of free music, apps and games available. The last category has exploded in quality recently. In fact, the Paizo Starfinder app is one of my favorite digital games of the year and it’s only available on Alexa. The Echo is the only device of the three that can act as a smart hub on its own. If you use Zigbee devices in your home, the 4th generation Echo can connect to them and allow you to control them with your voice. You can even hear the sound of smoke alarms or broken glass and alert you with the Guard feature.

All three speakers offer a great value for $ 99. If you’re looking for the best sound quality, I think Google Nest Audio outperforms the other two. Do you want more entertainment options? Then you should try the Amazon Echo. If you’re immersed in the Apple ecosystem and you’ve just signed up for a new Apple One subscription, then the HomePod mini makes more sense.

If I had to pick just one, I’d pick the HomePod mini. It fits perfectly into any décor and offers impressive sound for its size. And since mine is an Apple home, it provides useful features that I just can’t get with Google or Amazon.

With that being said, you can’t go wrong with any of the three and with Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday just around the corner, you can bet there will be deals on all of them (well, maybe not the HomePod mini, Apple may be stingy when it comes to sales).