Best all-round smart speaker
Bose Portable Smart Speaker £299
While Amazon and Google compete at the affordable end of the voice control market, Bose has catered for all users. At just 19cm tall, this grown-up design is portable (12-hour battery), rain-proof, boasts 360-degree sound and can stream music using Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, so you can use Spotify Connect, AirPlay2, Amazon Music etc. It also has both Alexa and Google Assistant built in. You can set up the speaker through the Bose Music App, where you also get to choose your voice assistant.
The microphones picked up my voice easily, even when the music was loud, and I was pleasantly surprised by its recognition of artist names. Admittedly, a request for Max Bruch gave me Max Bygraves, but I found that anglicising my pronunciation helped. Neither Google or Alexa does a great job finding specific recordings, but that isn’t a criticism of the speaker, which boasts a warm, accomplished and likeable sound. bose.co.uk
Best smart speaker for sound quality
Amazon Echo (4th generation) £89
I’m genuinely impressed by the sound this 13-by-14cm cloth-covered ball produces. The 76mm woofer and twin 20mm tweeters, despite the obvious size restrictions, manage to be impactful, organised and enjoyable. Sadly, Alexa still struggles with classical pronunciations but as a genuinely useful smart home assistant and cheap multi-room audio system, it’s impressive, especially given the number of compatible devices now available. amazon.co.uk
Best smart speaker with smart features
With the vast knowledge of Google’s search engines to call upon, Google Assistant is currently the most efficient and reliable voice service. This understated cloth-covered speaker houses a 19mm tweeter and 75mm woofer and sounds good in a small room – although the Echo is more refined. Google’s ability to understand classical composers is marginally better, although it still isn’t perfect. google.co.uk
- Which are the best music streaming services for classical music lovers?
- The best soundbars for listening to classical music
- What is high-resolution audio and what are the best high-res players on the market?
- How to choose the best radio for your budget
- DAB vs DAB+: What's the difference between DAB and DAB+?
