The Best Smart Speakers With Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri

If the sound is the number one quality you are looking for in a smart speaker, Sonos has you covered. Sonos has a reputation for sound, and the Sonos One is easily one of the best sounding smart speakers on the market.  

The Sonos One frequently tops the list for sound quality in smart speakers, giving room-filling sound with great lows, mids, and highs in either solo or paired setups. Some users are disappointed with the lack of Bluetooth, however as this is not a standard feature in smart speakers, you should look at the next entry if Bluetooth is a necessity in your speakers.  

The Sonos one features built-in Amazon Alexa, with compatibility with Google Assistant and AirPlay 2, synergizing well with all 3 of the major virtual assistants. However, the range of actions that these speakers can perform is limited: they cannot function as an intercom,  

Everything needs to be done through the app, which some find easy and straightforward and some find tedious and difficult.  

As a smart device, some users are not convinced of how smart these Sonos speakers really are. Multiple users reported difficulties with the speakers dropping connections, only to find setting them back up a hassle. Some users found set up incredibly difficult, yet others found set up easy. While the user experience seems to vary, one thing does not: everyone agrees this might just be the best-sounding smart speaker on the market.  

Alternate Version: Echo Dot (4th Generation) with Clock

Hey, Alexa! What is Amazon’s most popular smart speaker? The answer is the Echo Dot, which Amazon has updated and upgraded in its 4th Generation. This small orb has surprisingly impressive sound on top of Alexa built-in as your smart assistant. Listen to your tunes, set up timers or reminders, or shop online with this handy virtual helper. 

In its 4th Generation, Amazon switched the shape of the Echo Dot to spherical, giving the speaker a wider angle of sound diffusion, improving the sound quality and loudness of this device from the previous model. The dot still has a small footprint with its redesigned shape, so it can fit anywhere in the house you need music. 

Unfortunately, the Echo Dot’s has a few issues relating to its operation, and perhaps design philosophy. Amazon’s virtual assistants have a range of apps/skills that users can use, tailoring the experience to fit what you need. However, many useful apps or skills are unavailable in Canada, with no alternatives available. Skills can be programmed by third-party groups or users, but for most people who do not have a programming background, certain aspects of Amazon speakers are unavailable in Canada, and most non-US countries as well.  

Users like the Echo Dot for its improved sound quality.  However, users have voiced frustration with the AI, finding set up frustrating and the software sometimes buggy. While the Amazon Echo Dot is not without its major flaws, it is also worth noting that the Echo Dot is the cheapest smart speaker on this list, making it an inexpensive option if you are planning on utilizing smart speakers throughout the house or in a stereo set-up. For those in need of an alarm clock or wanting to improve on the Echo Dot’s utility can opt to get the version of the Amazon Echo Dot with a built-in clock display. 

For users looking for an Alexa smart speaker with powerful sound, they should check out the Echo Studio.  

Inside, there are 5 direction speakers, perfect for filling a room with loud, high-quality sound, with impressive bass. The Echo Studio analyzes the acoustic of the room it is playing in, subtly adjusting its settings to optimize the sound quality. The Echo Studio marks a collaboration between Amazon and Dolby, as this speaker incorporated Dolby Atmos technology, perfect for playing music mastered in 3D or Ultra HD. Or it would be if Amazon offered this service in Canada. Region-locked aspects of Amazon smart speakers are by far the biggest detriment for Canadians looking to go with Amazon for their smart speaker of choice.  

Just like the unavailability in Canada of certain apps/skills, the Amazon Echo Studio has many issues that are in line with all Amazon speakers. Alexa is a passable virtual assistant, but its language recognition is problematic, and its search engine is Bing for crying out loud. This means that Alexa might not understand a basic query or provide you sub-optimal results when it does. Many users have found Alexa unresponsive in the Echo Studio to boot.  

Users enjoy the Echo Studio for the sound and set-up, but users reported that they found that this speaker does not hold a candle to the sound quality Sonos speakers that are in this speaker’s price range. Some users are ecstatic with the quality of the Echo Studio, in terms of sound and as a virtual helper. We just wish all of the features Amazon has packed into this speaker (and their other speakers too) were available to Canadians.  

Coming in from the other side of the smart home war is Google with their Google Nest line of smart speakers and smart home hubs. Google Nest Audio is their new standard smart speaker, which features a taller design, better speakers and the ever-helpful Google Assistant.  

One of the biggest issues with the Google Home predecessor was the muffled sound quality, as it was designed to be a virtual assistant over a quality sound system. Google sought to remedy these complaints with Nest Audio, trying to get premium sound quality in bigger Google virtual assistants in a smaller footprint. Google more or less hit this mark, with much better sound quality including more defined bass and clear highs. In a paired set up, Nest Audio works brilliantly as a stereo speaker. With media EQ, Nest audio monitors and finely tunes the EQ and volume as you listen.  

In terms of virtual assistant, Google Assistant is by far the best virtual assistant currently on the market. It is much less specific and much more comprehensive in terms of understanding your requests and delivering upon them than the other virtual assistants offered. Setting up is intuitive and easy through the Google Home app. 

Overall, users were happy with the sound of these speakers. The main downside to this speaker is that you can only cast audio through certain apps, so a user who tried to get his audio from his Chromecast and Google TV was not able to set up audio. While this is limiting, if you do not mind playing music off of only Youtube, Spotify or other compatible streaming services, this will be no issue.  

Bose is renowned for quality speakers, offering top of the line sound quality. While it might not be the smartest speaker on the list, Bose’s Home Speaker 360 is a great option for a smart speaker if you are after solid sound quality.  

One thing we have gathered reading through hundreds and hundreds of comments on smart speakers is that many do not realize the limitations of these devices. While smart speakers include virtual assistants, many are designed to connect to other smart devices through the internet, not older technologies like Bluetooth. However, Bose’s Speaker 360 not only offers Bluetooth but an auxiliary port as well. No matter how you want to listen to music, the 360 fills rooms with 360-degree sound with strong bass.  

The Bose Home Speaker 360 includes both Alexa and Google Assistant virtual assistants out of the box, and features Apple Airplay 2 compatibility, meaning this speaker is compatible with the major smart home companies. However, the Bose Home Speaker is great for users who do not want to commit to a smart home ecosystem as well.  

Users find this Bose speaker great-sounding, however, there are a few minor issues users had. When paired with another Bose 360, the speakers will disconnect if they go in sleep mode, and the Bose 360 is incompatible with other Bose speakers.  

For those already in the Apple ecosystem, Apple’s HomePod mini is the smart speaker to beat. If you are not an Apple aficionado, skip it. This seems to be the consensus on the Apple HomePod mini, a powerful mini speaker that comes loaded with Siri.  

Sound-wise, the Apple Homepod mini surprisingly produces good results, with solid bass and robust sound despite its smaller size. The spherical construction produces 360-degree sound, filling a room independently or in a stereo set up with another HomePod – but just note that the HomePod mini can only create a stereo pair with another HomePod mini. Also, you will only be able to play non-Apple Music audio through your HomePod mini by AirPlay, so consider what types of gadgets you have at home.  

The Apple HomePod mini is great if your phone and other smart technology are already from Apple, due to the impressive brand synergy that Apple’s smart home framework Homekit enables. However, frustratingly, HomePod Mini does not work with TV audio, even if you have Apple TV. Yet, this newer tech is not entirely synergistic with apple products, as the Homepod mini does not work with HD Apple TV. While the strict xenophobia of Apple’s products is frustrating, it makes sense from a business perspective. However, if this is going to be your business model, at least make it so all your products will be compatible with each other.  

In terms of virtual assistant, Siri has come quite a way, but from user experiences, Siri is still behind its competitors in terms of usefulness as a smart assistant. Overall, users enjoy the sound quality and the compatibility this product has with other Apple products, and found set up generally easy. Like most Apple products, the Homepod Mini is intuitive and easy to learn how to use. However, many users have been frustrated with apple’s self-imposed limitations in the smart speaker, and for the price, most users will be better off with Google Nest Audio unless every device in their home has a logo of fruit on it.  

To call the Echo Show just a speaker is not doing the device justice: the Echo Show is a smart home hub that in addition to its screen, built-in camera and smart home controls, features premium speakers. An Echo Show is a great addition to a kitchen to help you cook, or as a central hub to control the smart technology within your home.  

The 10-inch screen is a much-needed improvement over the much smaller ones previously available. The screen quality is reportedly solid, which is important now that this device is finally Netflix-compatible. Users enjoy the screen of this device for video calling and keeping track of visual updates, but despite what you would expect, you cannot cast your screen from other devices to the Echo Show’s screen. As for the speakers, users are reportedly mixed, with some enjoying the quality, and others finding the sound boomy. We would not recommend the Echo Show if you are mainly looking for a speaker device, but for Smart hub, this is a strong choice.  

The browser of the Echo Show is hugely stripped down, which limits the range of things this device can accomplish – and you can only accomplish one at a time. While multitasking might not be necessary for some uses, like for video calling or controlling different aspects of your smart home, but you can forget to put on a timer while watching a recipe video. The virtual assistant, Alexa, is still spotty at times, with Alexa having difficulties picking up or understanding voice commands at times with this hub. 

Users find this device very handy for accomplishing basic virtual assistant tasks or video calling others. Many users used the Echo Show to connect with others, especially elderly people, throughout the pandemic, and have been impressed with the results. While Alexa can be improved upon, for Alexa-orientated houses, this is a strong offering as a smart home hub. However, if sound quality is important for you, this device will probably not be the audio solution in your home. 

If you are looking for a hub for your Google Assistant-based smart home, Google Nest Hub is the answer. While the Nest Hub has a built-in speaker, what makes the Google Nest Hub a great smart home hub is the bevy of other features it includes and the ease of the device’s operation. 

Like most hubs, the difference between this and other smart speakers is the presence of a screen, which can help users find recipes, monitor the weather, or look at special pictures when the device is in sleep mode. However, the Google Nest Hub does not have a camera built-in. You can still video call with another screen device – but you will not be able to send video, only receive it. You can cast certain other devices to this screen, which is certainly useful for sharing pictures and videos with others who may be visiting. The built-in speakers of the Nest Hub are decent, but if you are looking primarily for a speaker, you can get better sounding smart speakers for the same price.  

Using Google Nest Hub as a smart home hub is solid for the smooth performance of Google Assistant. However, users might be frustrated with the lack of customizable options available with this Google device.  

Users are big fans of how easy the Google Nest Hub is to use and setup. If your smart home is aided by a Google Assistant, this is a great smart home hub in the ecosystem. However, the speakers within this hub could be better.