Smart speakers provide you with an opportunity to utilize your voice for controlling many of the dull parts of your day. Moreover, it is quite practical and useful among all the gadgets. In order to make things easier for you, TechTrends narrowed down a list of the best smart speakers in 2022 so that you can choose wisely based on your needs and budget.
Not only can you listen to your favorite music with these smart speakers, but you can also use it to set timers, make a shopping list, have intercom in your house or even ask question about the news and sports. In addition, these speakers help in controlling other smart home devices without the need to use your smartphone. When picking the best smart speakers in 2022, remember that those speakers made by brand behind voice assistants, such as Apple for Siri, Amazon for Alexa, Google for Google Assistant, will just work with their own virtual helper that needs to be installed. However, for those looking for many digital assistants, check out other brands such as Bose or Sonos. There are a lot of speakers available in the market you can choose from. TechTrends put together a list of the best smart speakers to buy in 2022, which are more than just looks and sound.
Best Smart Speakers in 2022
Having one of the best smart speakers of 2022 does not just mean you will get a speaker. Since they have voice assistant, they can help you with many tasks, including checking the news and weather and controlling smart home device. Some are even able to change the TV channel. If you have just started the journey to smart home, then we strongly recommend beginning with a smart speaker. However, decide what assistant you want – Alexa, Siri, Amazon, Google, or others – before making a decision. Noe let’s get to the list of the best smart speakers in 2022 without further ado.
- Sonos One: The best-sounding smart speaker on the market
- Amazon Echo Dot (2020): The best budget smart speaker
- Apple HomePod mini: The best smart speaker for Siri
- Google Nest Audio: The best smart speaker for Google Assistant
- Amazon Echo (2020): The best smart speaker for Alexa
- Amazon Echo Studio: The best smart speaker for home cinema set-ups
- Bose Smart Speaker 500: The best smart speaker for audiophiles
- Denon Home 150: The best for powerful bass in a small space
1. Sonos One
Specifications:
- Voice assistant: Alexa or Google Assistant
- Dimensions: 36 x 4.69 x 4.69 inch / 16.15 x 11.97 x 11.97 cm
- Speaker: 2 x class-D digital amplifiers, 1 x mid-woofer, 1 x tweeter
- Physical controls: Volume up/down, previous/next track, play/pause, microphone mute
- Power: Mains
One of the best smart speakers in 2022 and the top one on our list is Sonos One, offering a great balance between features and sound quality. However, it might be more expensive than you had in mind, but the sound and mic array are impressive. It was quite responsive and understood commands perfectly even from a distance. What’s more, it is well-designed, has lots of features and sounds great. Moreover, it is sociable, meaning it works with either Alexa or Google Assistant and it also supports AirPlay 2.
In other words, this smart speaker is capable of talking to Siri and being part of a multi-room system with the Apple HomePod Mini or Apple HomePod. If you are interested in having the Sonos sound but portability is important to you, then we suggest the Sonos Move and the Sonos Roam.
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2. Amazon Echo Dot (2020)
Specifications:
- Voice assistant: Alexa
- Dimensions: 9 x 3.9 x 3.5 inch / 10 x 10 x 8.9cm
- Speaker: 1 x 1.6 inch speaker
- Physical controls: Volume up/down, play/pause, microphone mute
- Power: Mains
Opting for Amazon Echo Dot is strongly advised to those who are not certain about smart home tech and are at the beginning of their journey to a smart home. It allows Alexa to live in your house and has a great sound quality perfect for filling a room. Moreover, it often sells for a lower price on a discount, making it a popular option among the best smart speakers in 2022. This model is as aesthetic as its bigger brother, the Amazon Echo 2020, and it looks stylish, which is a big change from the previous Echo Dot design. Moreover, setting it up is quite easy just like the use.
However, since it is small, it does not showcase the depth and punch compared with the larger siblings. In addition, there is no Zigbee hub. Therefore, if you need more power for listening to music, you might want to consider the other options on the list, but this is a great way to add Alexa to your house.
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3. Apple HomePod mini
Specifications:
- Voice assistant: Siri
- Dimensions: 3 x 3.9 x 3.9 inch / 8.43 x 9.79 x 9.79 cm
- Speaker: Full-range driver and dual passive radiators for deep bass and crisp high frequencies
- Physical controls: Volume up/down, previous/next track, play/pause, summon Siri
- Power: Mains
Due to the fact that Apple did not continue with the amazing and original, but expensive HomePods, this mini one is the only Apple smart speaker available at the moment or for now, since rumor has it that a larger version is about to come out. Although the size of these speakers is small, they have a powerful punch. Therefore, if you are a fan of Apple products, ecosystem, and services, like Apple Music, you will find this speaker very impressive and well-priced.
However, keep in mind that Siri might not be as good as Alexa and Google Assistant and sometimes has bugs. In addition, accent seems to be a problem with Siri. If you do not have Apple Music, then your options might be limited. The HomePod mini will not play anything from Spotify when asked and that option is enabled with the use of AirPlay, and needs your smartphone rather than asking the assistant to play it. In addition, not many smart home devices support Siri as opposed to Alexa and Google Assistant. Therefore, the main reason we recommend this speaker is the audio performance. With such a small size, this speaker is excellent. This is definitely one of the best smart speakers in 2022 you can buy.
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4. Google Nest Audio
Specifications:
- Voice assistant: Google Assistant
- Dimensions: 9 x 4.9 x 3.1 inch / 17.5 x 12.4 x 7.8 cm
- Speaker: 1 x 75mm woofer, 1 x1 9mm tweeter
- Physical controls: Volume up/down, play/pause, microphone mute
- Power: Mains
Some might be looking for a smart speaker that has Google Assistant built-in and we suggest the Google Nest Audio to them as it is one of the best smart speakers in 2022. It is currently the best Google-manufactured smart speaker on the market. Although the Google Home Max speaker was great, Google discontinued making them. This speaker is good with commands and is easy to use. Not only does it respond quickly to commands, but it is clear and loud. In addition, the subtle design goes well with any home décor and it is an intelligent smart home hub. The smart bit in the Google Nest Audio is quite smart but the speaker might be a little disappointing as the quality of sound doesn’t live up to the expectations. Pop music that is uncomplicated sounds fine with this speaker but when it comes to other genres, it does not have the detail that one might hope for.
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5. Amazon Echo (2020)
Specifications:
- Voice assistant: Alexa
- Dimensions: 5 x 5 x 4.7 inch / 14.4 x 14.4 x 13.3 cm
- Speaker: 1 x 3 inch woofer, 2 x 0.8 inch tweeter
- Physical controls: Volume up/down, play/pause, microphone mute
- Power: Mains
The Amazon Echo is one of the best smart speakers in 2022 and an improved version of the company’s flagship smart speaker. The quality has become better, the shape is new, there is a built-in Zigbee smart home hub as well as a new AZ1 neural edge processor that decreases the amount of time Alexa takes to answer to a command. Therefore, this is a huge advancement for Amazon’s smart speaker. However, it has its flaws; for example, the sound could have been a little louder, particularly in comparison with bigger rivals including the Apple HomePod and Google Home Max.
However, this brand does offer an Echo with a louder sound, the Echo Studio, which is named right after this one on the list. Amazon has its own way of doing things; therefore, you cannot use Google Cast for sending audio from your phone like is the case with a Google Nest Audio device. Moreover, you cannot add it to an Apple HomeKit network despite many HomeKit devices being compatible with Alexa.
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6. Amazon Echo Studio
Specifications:
- Voice assistant: Alexa
- Dimensions: 9 x 6.9 x 8.1 inch / 17.5 x 17.5 x 20.6 cm
- Speaker: 1 x 1 inch tweeter, 3 x 2-inch mid-range speakers, 1 x 5.25-inch woofer
- Physical controls: Volume up/down, play/pause, microphone mute
- Power: Mains
Amazon released its first high-end smart speaker and it became the best-sounding Echo, according to many reviews and users. The Amazon Echo Studio has is among the most powerful speakers available with this price tag. If you purchase two of these speakers, you can have an immersive home cinema system by setting up the Alexa app. Not only is it a powerful speaker, but it also doubles as a Zigbee hub. However, you have to get a subscription to be able to use all the features it has to offer. Some might even find its large size unsuitable. It is still a very affordable option though compared with some of its rivals. Therefore, it is named as one of the greatest smart speakers in 2022.
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7. Bose Smart Speaker 500
Specifications:
- Voice assistant: Alexa or Google Assistant
- Dimensions: 67 x 6.7 x 4.3 inch / 20.3 x 17 x 10.9 cm
- Speaker: Not provided
- Physical controls: Volume up/down, previous/next track, play/pause, microphone mute
- Power: Mains
Are you on the lookout for the best-sounding smart speaker? We recommend the Bose Smart Speaker 500 as one of the best smart speakers in 2022. It supports Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa and the design is also attractive. It is built in a way that it responds to commands very well whether you are near or far. Alexa or Google Assistant even respond well when music is playing loudly and the option of present buttons offering easy access to any playlist, radio stations or album is impressive. However, some might find setting up the speaker with Wi-Fi more complicated than it expected. Moreover, the price tag is hefty among the rivals on the market. Despite those, it is still among the top smart speakers in 2022 you can buy.
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8. Denon Home 150
Specifications:
- Voice assistant: Alexa, Google Assistant
- Dimensions: 2 x 7 x 6.2 inches
- Speaker: 2-way
- Physical controls: Volume Up, Volume Down, Play/Pause, 3 Quick Selects (Presets)
- Power: Mains
One of the most capable and best smart speakers in 2022 is Denon Home 150 that might appear boring but actually has a lot of features and listening options in a compact design. This is great for those looking for a speaker that fits their tight space. In addition, if you use the HEOS app, you can get connected to Spotify, TuneIn Radio, Amazon Music, Deezer, Napster, Soundcloud, Tidal and other services. The app is also able to adjust to your collection. Although the app might look simplistic, it has the necessary things and its aesthetic make accessing features easier, such as EQ settings and tools for customization. However, it might not be the best-sounding among the best smart speakers in 2022 but in order to get a high quality, you can pick Bose Smart Speaker 500.
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