What are the best-connected speakers in 2024?

Are you looking for the best-connected speaker to install in your home? Google Nest, Amazon Echo, Apple HomePod... There is a choice. We help you see more clearly with smart speakers and personal assistants.

The top 3 best-connected speakers in 2024

Have you decided to install one or more connected speakers in your home? Three major players are providing

a voice assistant, and speakers integrating them. These are Google with its Nest (Google Assistant), Amazon with its Echo (Alexa), and Apple with its HomePod (Siri). What are the best connected speakers available today?

Added to these three giants are third-party brands like Bose or Sonos, which offer compatible speakers. In addition to their very decent sound quality, these speakers are above all the ideal control stations for home automation. Perfect, for example, to talk to your connected light bulbs! To choose your connected speaker, you will need to take into account the sound quality, but above all, the voice assistant you want.

Here you will find a short overview of the best connected speakers with assistants to guide you in your choice.

The best-connected speaker: Sonos Era 300

The Sonos Era 300 arrives with great ambitions for the connected speaker market. In terms of design, it takes on the characteristics of the manufacturer while being a fairly imposing product. A thought to take into account when installing this connected speaker.

The Sonos application is especially important because it allows the connection between the speaker and the home network. You are supported every step of the way. It allows you to manage acoustic calibration and even connect it to other products. The ecosystem is compatible with all music streaming services. In terms of voice assistants, the Sonos Era 300 works with Alexa and Sonos Voice Control.

Above all, the audio quality is one of the best on the market today. If the Sonos Era 300's speakers go in all directions, optimal listening is done perfectly facing the speaker to benefit from Dolby Atmos. The sound signature is very precise, close to the hi-fi standard. It delivers a linear sound, giving a very pleasant impression and, above all, balance in all circumstances. Finally, the speaker is capable of offering enveloping Dolby Atmos sound without much effort.

The installation of this speaker should rather be done in a main room with space around it to make the most of the sound. In terms of price positioning, the speaker starts at 499 euros, which is not cheap. Compared to more traditional connected speakers, the Sonos stands out as being the best sonically.

If you are looking for a cheaper, but also effective alternative, the Sonos Era 100 is a good solution. It offers good audio performance while being credible for the connected component. Above all, this one is priced at 279 euros, a slightly more reasonable price than its big sister.

The ultimate Google speaker: Google Nest Audio

The Google Nest Audio-connected speaker replaces the Google Home. This new reference from Google was announced during the American giant's conference at the end of September 2020. Brand new design, more imposing build, improved sound experience... The Nest Audio fulfills all its promises and has no trouble dethroning its predecessor.

What first catches the eye is this style which is completely different from the standard Google Home. Here, the corners are more rounded, and the speaker has an all-honeycomb fabric design. The Nest Audio is also a bit more massive and taller, but much shallower than its predecessor. It will blend in much better with your room.

The audio quality of the Google Nest Audio goes upscale thanks to the presence of a woofer and a tweeter, coupled with sound that is broadcast 360° in the room. The speaker also has Ambient IQ technology, which allows you to better calibrate the sound so that it adapts perfectly to the room in which it is located. Its three long-range microphones will therefore make it possible to capture ambient noise to modulate the sound that will come out of the speaker, especially if you use Google Assistant.

Add to that deeper bass (without shaking the walls, that said) and more immersive and natural sounds thanks to onboard software, and you will have a speaker that focuses on a tenfold sound experience.

Google Speaker obliges; the brand's voice assistant is also there with all its ultra-practical features daily.

Have it set reminders; ask it what the weather will be like or what route you should take. The speaker will support you in a host of tasks and will be able to recognize your voice thanks to Voice Match technology. From Nest Audio, you can also control connected home automation devices in your home or take calls with Google Duo. And if you want to connect several speakers to make them communicate with each other (and make them sound in unison), the multiroom system will give you the possibility.

The small Google format: Google Nest Mini

Like Amazon, Google offers its small-format assistant. On this last point, it is the Nest Mini, which is our preference due to its pebble shape, which is a little more compact than the globe of the Echo Dot. There's nothing to complain about about the design itself, it's simple and clean. A notch on the back even allows it to be fixed to the wall with a simple screw.

The controls are tactile and easy to find thanks to LEDs placed under the fabric. In terms of connectivity, it's the minimum service: WiFi, and that's it! No jack output or Bluetooth like on the Echo Dot.

The sound quality pleasantly surprises me with its clarity and power. We will avoid pushing it to the maximum, but it is quite effective for communicating effectively with the assistant. In terms of functions, nothing original: we find Google Home.

Available for under 60 euros, the Nest Mini is a good gateway to the connected home.

Apple's best-connected speaker: Apple HomePod 2

Apple has decided to release a second generation of the HomePod in 2023. The HomePod 2 is therefore a new speaker from the Apple brand. It thus takes up many elements of its predecessor, including the significantly similar design. The new version is, however, 200 grams lighter. The power cable is now removable (but still not USB-C).

The new HomePod stands out on a few things, but if there is one successful point, it is the sound quality. The speaker gains clarity, and the spatialization is very successful. With its small integrated subwoofer and its crown of tweeters, Apple's speaker broadcasts balanced sound everywhere around it. In addition, if you have two 2nd generation HomePods, you can use them instead of a soundbar with your TV, and the result is stunning (but expensive!).

Regarding its use, if you have an iPhone, you will be happy. It's simple, no need to invest in this model if you use an Android smartphone. The HomePod also suffers from a big lack of compatibility: only Apple Music and Deezer can be used as compatible voice services.

If the quality is there, Apple has however brought a few new features for a new speaker and has not lowered the price. It's worth seeing if you're a die-hard Apple fan and want to enjoy the best possible sound quality.

The connected speaker to speak to Siri: Apple HomePod Mini

Released a few years ago, the HomePod won us over with its sound quality, despite its high price. After putting aside the large format model, Apple decided to make a turnaround and finally produce a second generation of HomePod. The HomePod mini is still there, at a more affordable price.

Very small and round, the HomePod mini features a fabric covering and an impeccable finish. Note that if the power cable is still not detachable, it plugs into a 20 W USB-C adapter. It is offered in several colors in addition to the traditional white and black, namely yellow, orange, and blue.

As always with Apple, installation is extremely simple, but you will need to have an iOS device to take full advantage of the speaker. Despite its small size, the HomePod mini is powerful, with 360° sound reproduction. The sound quality is generally good, with automatic calibration feedback. It is also possible to pair two speakers for a very correct stereo rendering. The lack of power, however, makes this option less interesting than with the classic HomePod.

For home automation, we have Siri and HomeKit. Note that it is the first device from the brand to support the Thread home automation protocol. The latter aims to eventually replace ZigBee and has the advantage of creating a “mesh” network with each compatible device for improved range.

Among the weaknesses of the HomePod mini, we once again note the inability to send content via Bluetooth especially Siri, which is still not up to par with its competitors. Despite everything, it stands out as an attractive option if you are firmly established in the Apple ecosystem.

The best speaker Amazon: Amazon Echo Studio (2020)

Like Google with its Home Max, Amazon also offers a “full power” version of its speaker, the Echo Studio. It delivers sound via 5 speakers for enveloping sound, to the point of supporting Dolby Atmos. This is particularly supposed to offer it “cinema” sound possibilities, but in practice, it remains a little tight for this use.

Like Apple's HomePod, it calibrates itself when it starts up to offer the best sound reproduction, depending on the configuration of the room in which it is placed. In terms of audio quality, it does better than its rival Google.

With its entry ticket at 199 euros, the Echo Studio is therefore excellent value for money for those who want a large connected speaker. It will soon also be available in white.

Alexa in a small format: Amazon Echo Dot (2022)

This miniature version of the Echo has the same design, except for its size. On this Echo Dot, we therefore find a round device covered in fabric whose small format (10 cm high) is very versatile. The previous version (flat pebble shape) was easier to hide, but the round version will have better sound dispersion. For this 5th version, vintage 2022, Amazon has also improved the quality of the speakers.

At the top, we find a few buttons (volume, Alexa, mute, etc.), while at the back, we find the proprietary power supply and a jack output for connecting another unconnected speaker. On the wireless side, we are entitled to Wi-Fi, but also to Bluetooth, so we can send audio directly from our phone.

The sound reproduction is good, and Amazon is making efforts generation after generation to improve this. Given the small size of the speaker, it's enough to ask Alexa questions or listen to the radio, but we clearly won't use it to listen to music all evening. There is nothing to say about the microphones; they are effective in all circumstances.

In terms of software functions, not much to say, we find the entire Alexa palette. The whole thing is therefore a good little assistant, which will be perfect to serve as a control point for the rest of your devices.

The choice of independence: Sonos One

For those who do not know which assistant to turn to, we advise you to turn to third-party solutions. Among these, we particularly like the Sonos One. This small speaker is indeed compatible with Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri via AirPlay 2. Only one assistant can be used at a time, but changing them only takes a few moments.

On the positive side, the result turns out to be very clean, despite the small size of the machine. We discovered a nice power reserve and efficient automatic calibration. The sound produced is in mono, but you can add a second to enjoy stereo. On the connectivity side, we have the choice between WiFi and Ethernet. Bluetooth is absent for subscribers. The Sonos One stands out as a very good choice if you do not want to commit to a particular ecosystem.

Be careful when buying it not to confuse it with its little sister, the Sonos One SL, which does not have a microphone.

Personal assistants for connected speakers

What is an assistant for, and what is the point of a connected speaker?

Several personal assistants have arrived in France: Google Assistant, Alexa, Cortana, and Siri. They are simply artificial intelligence that can respond to your oral and written requests. And as their names suggest, they aim to make your daily life easier by transforming themselves into intermediaries between all your connected objects. Asking for the weather, and various information, listening to the radio or music, and, of course, controlling connected objects in the home are among the most common uses.

If you have a Chromecast at home, for example, you can even ask Google Assistant to launch Netflix on your television by voice. Currently, it is the latter personal assistant who is calling the shots, although its French version is less sophisticated than the English one. The leadership was challenged by the arrival of part of the Amazon Echo range in France.

Google Assistant, Alexa, or Siri—which connected speaker should I choose?

There are many voice assistants on the market. Riding on the trend, many brands have tried to offer their solution, such as Samsung with Bixby or Microsoft with Cortana, without forgetting the multiple assistants available only in certain regions, in China in particular. In practice, three of them stand out in France: Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and finally Apple Siri.

They offer broadly the same functionalities mentioned just above, but not all are equal. To put it simply, here are their respective advantages:

• Google Assistant is the most powerful voice assistant today. It understands queries better and returns more relevant results most of the time. There is Google behind it.

• Alexa is quite efficient, but above all, it has the advantage of being closely linked to Amazon, which allows it to buy directly on the platform. Alexa, thanks to her "skills," can also access a whole series of services that cannot be found elsewhere.

• Finally, there remains Siri, which Apple users know well. Let's be clear, it is below the others in terms of functionality, but it logically benefits from perfect integration with the rest of the Apple ecosystem. This makes it particularly suitable if you plan to build your home automation installation around HomeKit.