7 of the best smart speakers
October 8, 2020
Invest in a great quality smart speaker for your home that suits your budget.
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Image: Sonos
Christmas is fast approaching, and with the festive season this year even more focussed on entertaining at home, it may be the perfect time to upgrade your sound system.
Consider investing in a stylish smart speaker that suits your style and budget. We’ve made an edit consisting of seven of the best.
Bose portable home smart speaker, £289, Amazon
Image: Bose portable home smart speaker
Within Wi-Fi range, control this Bose portable speaker with your voice and use it as an Amazon Alexa speaker or Google Assistant speaker to play integrated music services like Amazon Music, Spotify and Pandora. It’s super easy to carry with its sleek portable handle and is unlikely to intrude on any interiors scheme. It has a battery life of up to 12 hours and a water-resistant IPX4 rating – for enduring accidental splashes or spillages.
Buy the Bose portable home smart speaker from Amazon.
Ruark R3, £629, John Lewis & Partners
Image: Ruark R3
The elegant Ruark R3 speaker is an all-in-one sound system that empowers the listener with a choice of Wi-Fi and Blutetooth streaming, internet and digital radio. It also features a CD player if you’d rather use your speaker in an old-fashioned way! Available in soft grey and walnut, this smart device will add sound and style to your home.
Buy the Ruark R3 speaker from John Lewis & Partners.
Yahama MusicCast 20 speaker, £179, Argos
Image: Yamaha Music Cast 20 speaker
The MusicCast 20 wireless speaker can be used as a standalone speaker, paired, or acting as surround speakers with a compatible MusicCast AV receiver or sound bar. Its smart elements include syncing your playlists from your phone, touch and voice control as well as linking up with Alexa or Google Assistant to hear your home come alive.
Buy the Yamaha MusicCast 20 speaker from Argos.
Sonos Move speaker, £399, Amazon
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~ Karen Walker, Editor, Good Homes
Image: Sonos Move speaker
Amp up the bass with the Sonos Move speaker. Perfect for loud music lovers or the life and souls of the party, this speaker lets you experience surprisingly deep bass, a wide soundscape and automatic Trueplay tuning that perfectly balances the sound for where you are what you’re listening to. Alexa built-in devices lets you connect to Alexa to play music, control your smart home and even find out the weather!
Buy the Sonos Move speaker from Amazon.
Beosound balance speaker, £1,750, Bang & Olufsen
Image: Bang & Olufsen Beosound speaker
Designed to be positioned up against the wall on a shelf or side table, the Beosound Balance by Sonos delivers carefully controlled beams of sound for a clear acoustic experience from the front and rich sound enhancement at the back. The result is an impressively big acoustic experience that will fill your entire home. You can easily enjoy music at home just with your voice, you can play your favorite music, control volume and find information about the song that you are listening to, hands-free.
Buy the Sonos Move speaker from Amazon.
Echo studio, £189.99, Amazon
Image: Echo Studio speaker
For an affordable option that still offers great sound quality, the Echo Studio speaker retails for just £189.99 but still offers smart functions that makes it versatile and suited to any home. It is also designed to protect your privacy with built-in multiple layers of privacy protection and control, including a Microphone Off button that electronically disconnects the microphones.
Buy the Echo Studio from Amazon.
Google Home smart speaker, £59.99, Argos
Image: Google Home smart speaker
Simplify your everyday life with the Google Home, a voice-activated speaker powered by the Google Assistant. Use voice commands to enjoy music, get answers from Google and manage everyday tasks. It’s a pretty small device so it can easily be moved around and makes for the perfect desk companion.
Buy the Google Home smart speaker from Argos.
Do you have a smart speaker that you love? Let us know! Tweet us @goodhomesmag or post a comment on our Facebook page.
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A message from the editor:
Let us help you create the home of your dreams! Get ideas & inspiration from Good Homes every month, delivered direct to your door. Visit goodhomesmagazine.com/newsletter to sign up for the weekly Good Homes newsletter. Meet the Good Homes team at Ideal Home Show and be inspired by our on-trend roomsets.
~ Karen Walker, Editor, Good Homes