Contents
Top 10 rating according to KP
1.Apple HomePod
This column was released back in 2017, but is not officially sold in Our Country. But it is not difficult to buy it – “serovoz” are actively selling HomePod. A smart speaker will fit perfectly into the Apple ecosystem, but with Android devices, Windows or just smart TVs, there are many limitations inherent in Cupertino technology. And if you have an iPhone, you use Apple TV and Music, then you can enjoy the “magic of Apple”. But with two important caveats – the Siri voice assistant on the HomePod does not understand the language, and the column requires an Internet connection via a Wi-Fi router that supports 802.11ac.
2. Amazon Echo Show 2nd Gen
A real multimedia combine and part-time flagship of the Amazon smart speaker line. There is a real 10-inch touch screen with a resolution of 1280 × 800 pixels, on which you can even watch YouTube. The voice assistant in the gadget is the same Alexa, which stubbornly does not work with the language. Good sound, sensitive microphones and two cameras are included. A good center for managing a smart home, but Amazon services that are not available in our country and the complete lack of Russification make us think about the rationality of choosing this device.
3. Amazon Echo Dot 3nd Gen
Already the third generation of smart speakers from the Amazon online store. As in the case of the device from Apple, the Echo Dot is not officially sold in Our Country, but the “serovozy” bring the device to our market. In general, Amazon releases a whole line where the Echo Dot occupies the niche of a compact device. Amazon Alexa acts as a virtual assistant here. Perhaps the main drawback of Alexa for our person is the lack of support for the language. However, if you know English at least schematically, then you will like the speaker and it is quite possible to control it with your voice. There is only one speaker in the compact speaker, but it produces a loud and clear sound. By the way, in the third generation, you can combine a pair of smart speakers into one stereo system.
4. Google home
One of the most advanced and functional smart speaker options in 2022. The success of Google gadgets lies in deep integration with the company’s services and the Android OS. By the way, a year ago, the “corporation of goodness” Russified its Google Assistant voice assistant. Together with the capabilities of the search engine, this provides huge advantages. True, you will have to Russify the column yourself (the instruction is available on the network), but even after that it will not be completely in . Google Home has support for the IFTTT web interface: it can be used to link smart devices into a single system, such as radio-controlled sockets and thermostats.
5. Sonos One
A smart speaker from the American manufacturer Sonos is not cheap and can compete with Apple products in this parameter. True, the column can be bought in Our Country with an official guarantee. The gadget uses a voice assistant from Amazon – Alexa. The main emphasis in Sonos One is on sound. There are two speakers – one high-frequency, the second – low-frequency. Two class D amplifiers are used, based on pulse-width modulation and giving deep bass. The Bluetooth protocol is not supported by the speaker, you will have to listen to music only via Wi-Fi.
6.Google Home Mini
A very compact version of Google’s smart speaker that still works with Google Assistant. The weight of 200g hints at portability, but there is no internal battery. But the power goes through a completely standard microUSB connector, which means that the gadget can be powered from a powerbank. In fact, the small speaker has the same functionality as the “big sister” – read the weather forecast and notifications from the calendar, answer questions, manage smart home systems, and more. We saved here on acoustics, so you shouldn’t expect much from Google Home Mini as from a musical device. But you can choose the color of the column – there are six of them.
7. Yandex.Station
The gadget from the search giant that made a lot of noise appeared in 2018 and, according to the authors’ idea, was supposed to take a serious share of the emerging smart speaker market. The past year made adjustments to these plans – the device turned out to be with nuances, and there were also questions about the software. In the asset column, you can write Alice’s proprietary voice assistant, which interacts well with a -speaking user; good sound for acoustics in this price category; sensitive microphones (protectionists may not like this); Deep integration with Yandex. There are also disadvantages – the speaker cannot output sound via HDMI; very weak work with the main video hosting of the world YouTube; sharpened to work with video services, for example, ivi; failures in work with many smart home systems. And yet, some users are faced with poor-quality assembly and marriage. For example, one of the buyers got a Station with two microphone mute buttons.
8. Elari SmartBeat
The product from the Chinese brand in Our Country was developed in partnership with Yandex. Therefore, it is not surprising that the voice assistant here is Alice, with all her pluses and minuses. Elari SmartBeat also has a “killer feature” – the presence of a built-in battery, which means real portability. True, there are two nuances if you are going to actively use the device outside the living room – the column charges rather slowly and is completely devoid of moisture protection. The device recognizes the language well, and the microphones are sensitive even to a quiet voice. In the SmartBeat passive, we record not the most outstanding sound quality, users complain about crackling, wheezing and distortion. For listening to music in high quality – not the best option.
9. Irbis A
An inexpensive option for a smart speaker that works with the Alice voice assistant from Yandex. The device was created with the participation of the search giant and its functionality in a truncated form resembles Yandex.Station. The sound in the device is quite simple, even against the background of Bluetooth speakers for less money. Irbis A may not hear you, especially if the speaker is somewhere above the sound source, the microphones here are not as sensitive as in the Station. But there is a 3,5 mm audio jack for wired connection. Of course, Irbis A is compatible with Android and iOS devices, as well as PCs. Unfortunately, such a compact speaker did not receive a built-in battery that could distinguish it from its competitors. However, the low price for an entrance ticket to the world of smart speakers redeems a lot.
10. JBL Link 300
An expensive solution from a well-known manufacturer of audio equipment. Works on the basis of the voice assistant Google Assistant. JBL changed itself if there was no good sound in the speaker – the woofers and tweeters deliver a considerable 50 watts of power. The speaker can be fully controlled from the Google Home app and has Chromecast built-in, allowing you to stream audio from your mobile device to equipment throughout your home. Or even turn on a synchronized TV. By the way, despite only two built-in microphones, the speaker recognizes voice commands well.
How to choose a smart speaker
A smart speaker is still an outlandish gadget that has only been tried by a mass buyer. Unlike familiar Bluetooth audio devices, a smart speaker can do a lot more than just play music. However, she also needs a constant connection to the Internet, and the presence of microphones causes some people to fear for privacy. If you are not a supporter of conspiracy theories, then decide what you need to consider when choosing the best smart speaker in 2022. So, in addition to playing music, the speaker can become a voice assistant, search for information on the Internet, remind you of business, wake up, read books, control a smart home and much more. Let’s figure out how to choose a smart speaker.
Price
While the market for smart speakers is not too wide. In Our Country, the official range of these gadgets is quite small. But even taking into account the “gray” sellers, it is impossible to buy a device at a price below 3-4 thousand rubles. This will be the simplest option, as it is also called a smart speaker. Up to 10 thousand rubles, you can choose a more advanced model, and from 15 thousand rubles prices start for flagship devices that have excellent sound, sensitive microphones and a number of other options.
Voice Assistant
There are three main voice assistants in the world now – Siri from Apple, Alexa from Amazon and Google Assistant from the most popular search engine in the world. And only the latter has support for the language. In Our Country, a solution from Yandex – Alice has become widespread. It is this voice assistant that works best with the language, but is significantly inferior in functionality to the solutions of the leading industry players. Why do you need a voice assistant at all? If you are asking this question, then you are most likely not interested in the best smart speakers of 2022. And if you are, then here are the results of a survey conducted by Adobe Analytics in the USA, where users were asked what they ask assistants. 70% answered that they asked to turn on the music, 64% – to find out the weather forecast, 53% – to ask a stupid question in order to confuse the device or get a funny answer from it. And only 31% of respondents use electronic voices to control smart home elements.
Sound
Still, the main function of the column is its sound. But with this parameter, not all models worked out. Expensive models offer sophisticated audio systems with low- and high-frequency speakers and a subwoofer. Some of the best smart speakers of 2022 have a combined sound output of over 50W. There are gadgets that can be combined into stereo pairs – buy two identical devices, for example, Amazon Echo Dot 3nd Gen, and you get stereo sound. But inexpensive devices, especially those of Chinese origin, give a completely dull sound, in which you can hear crackling and hissing. In short, good acoustics still cost a lot of money.
Interfaces
The basis of the smart speaker is the Internet. Therefore, all the best smart speakers 2022 have Wi-Fi support. It is also often used to connect to other electronics. Some models support Bluetooth, which allows you to connect directly for sound transmission. And only in some gadgets there is a good old 3,5 mm audio jack for outputting sound to external speakers. And in some places there is even HDMI.
Food
Most often, the buyer, thinking about how to choose a smart speaker, does not pay attention to the issue of its power supply. And in vain, because they have their own characteristics. A gadget that is powered only by 220 V will, roughly speaking, depend on charging and a compatible charger. The option with a USB power socket is more preferable, because such a column can be powered from the memory of a smartphone or a portable battery. Unfortunately, manufacturers almost ignore the built-in batteries in smart speakers, but if you look, you can find such models.