Two of the most reliable speakers for smart home control are the Amazon and Nest Audio. The smart speakers that were released in October 2020 make significant improvements over their predecessors that make them still worth the money. Which one is better? We have the knowledge to help you make a decision.
Let's look at the speaker side of the two devices first. If you only want a cheap way to speak to a smart assistant, you can buy an echo dot or nest mini.
The last Google Home speaker made 50 percent stronger bass than the 2.95-inch and 0.75-inch Nest Audio speakers, according to the search engine. Amazon claims that the 3rd-gen model of the Amazon Echo was better for audio than the 4th-gen model.
What are the real-world uses of these specifications? Its sound was called good but not amazing by our reviewer. The low-end is clean and inviting, the vocals come through beautifully, and there's no sibilance at the high-end, he said. He felt it had a flat sound profile and needed adjustments for proper bass in certain genres.
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Our reviewer was very impressed with the audio quality of the Amazon echo. It has a nice thump on the low end, but the middle and high end still sound good to me. He said it was an excellent alternative at half the price. You can make adjustments as necessary.
If you want to create a better overall sound, you can use both Nest Audio and Amazon's speakers. The "sweet spot" in the room is what the Nest Audio "really excelled" in, thanks to its "waveguides". If you find a discounted speaker, you may want to grab two.
If the speaker hears loud noises nearby, Ambient IQ, which adjusts the sound if the speaker hears something else, can be used. There is more convenience in using neat software tools than there is in giving Nest Audio the best sound here.
It's unsurprising that the two smart speakers have the same features because they have similar features.
You can use dual-band wi-fi or the latest technology to connect to your speaker. Each has mic-off buttons and bright lights to indicate when the speaker is listening or responding to you.
Unlike the Nest Audio's tall pill shape, the Echo is designed to send sound straight forward. The Echo's ball shape is more striking to us than the Nest Audio's colorful finishes, but neither of them is very attractive to look at.
Our main complaint with the Echo is its buttons, which our reviewer said "don't always perform the action that they should" unless you apply an extra bit of force. Our reviewer was a huge fan of how well the controls worked in comparison to the physical buttons on the audio device.
| Google Nest Audio | Amazon Echo (4th Gen) | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 4.89 inches x 3.07 inches x 6.89 inches, 2.65 pounds | 5.7 inches x 5.7 inches x 5.2 inches, 2.14 pounds |
| Colors | Chalk, Charcoal, Sage, Sand, Sky | Charcoal, Glacier White, Twilight Blue |
| Processor | Quad Core A53 1.8 GHz with TeraOPS ML hardware engine | AZ1 Neural Edge |
| Speakers | 75mm (2.95 inch) woofer, 19mm (0.75 inch) tweeter | 76.2mm (3.0 inch) woofer, dual front-firing 20.3mm (0.8 inch) tweeters |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11b/g/n/ac (2.4 GHz / 5 GHz) | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 / 5 GHz) |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Built-in Chromecast | Yes | No |
| 3.5mm line in-out | No | Yes |
| Voice commands | Alexa: Skills, Voice Profiles | Google Assistant: Control smart home tech, Voice Match, Family Bell |
| Smart home tech | Zigbee smart home hub; Amazon Sidewalk Bridge | Nest Security compatibility |
| LED indicators | Four circular lights on front | Ring around the base |
| Buy 2 for stereo sound? | Yes | Yes |
| Use as a TV speaker? | No | Yes |
The 3.5mm line in/out port allows you to link your second Echo to the first via the plug instead of the wireless method, or to listen to music via headphones.
Software and compatibility make the difference. The Echo can be used as a TV speaker if it'spaired with certain TVs. There's a wide range of compatible devices that can be controlled with a simple voice command, but not through the use of an internet-enabled device like the Amazon Fire TV. It's the same for these devices.
The new Matter standard will allow the two ecosystems to control the same smart home devices. It has been delayed several times and we don't know when it will arrive, so make sure your smart devices work with your speaker of choice.
Both Amazon and Google say their new devices are faster. You get 2x faster speech processing and lower memory usage compared to before, and it's still the fastest you'll get. You get one TeraOPS of processing power with Nest Audio so you can handle your own requests.
Our reviewer said that this is the most responsive Google Assistant has ever been on a speaker, but that you may be annoyed by the lack of exclusive features. The reviewer hadn't tested previous Amazon speakers and couldn't compare the speed, but he was happy with the features, especially with the voice assistant.
You will be happy with the corresponding speaker if you prefer a specific assistant. It makes sense to stick with the system and voice phrases you already use if you've previously purchased tech to go with one speaker platform.
The price and features of the two audio companies are similar. They give you access to their respective smart assistant and all the expected smart home features, but don't have any unique tools you won't get on a cheaper mini-speaker, or that you would get on a smart display.
In our rankings of the best smart speakers, we place the Echo (4th Gen) one spot above the Nest Audio due to the slightly richer sound and strong bass of theEcho, while the Nest works best as a stereo pair. The audio-quality gap isn't so big that regular owners of the assistant won't stick with it.
We think the smart speaker you choose will make a great addition to your home.
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