The Google Home is a great entry-point into the smart speaker market, and it has already overtaken Amazon's Echo in terms of capabilities. Although it has some issues, the Google Home is a complete device that offers many great features.
Google Home (about $130), the original Google Home: This speaker is one of the most affordable in its price range. This smart speaker is a great alternative to the expensive Amazon Echo. It also has an unusual feature: you can stream audio from your smartphone via WiFi.
It also comes with a large song database, so it can play any song you find on services such as YouTube Music or Google Play Music. You can also stream audio from connected devices to your Google Home via Google Cast compatibility.
Sound Quality
It features a 2-inch driver and two 2-inch passive radiators. These provide stereo imaging and a punchy, crisp bass. It fills bedrooms and kitchens with sound, which is surprising for such a small speaker.
The speaker doesn't just have these features. There are also many other useful features. You can use the app in order to manage them. You can dim the microphone or make groups of devices to be controlled with a single voice command.
An audio equalizer allows you to adjust the bass or treble. This isn’t the most complex equalizer we’ve seen but it does a decent job at adjusting for different situations and rooms.
This is especially useful when controlling background music and ambient sound. It is ideal for podcasts and audiobooks as it can adjust spoken word content to a more natural level.
Sound Quality: This speaker is an improvement on the original Google Home and offers a better sound quality than other smart speakers. It has a balanced mid-range, and good low-end detail.
Sometimes, the higher-pitched voices and instruments can sound a bit dull. You won't hear the full impact of the high pitches unless you are listening at extremely loud volumes. Although it's not as smooth and consistent as other speakers', the treble doesn't sound too harsh.
The speaker's microphone picks up your voice well and you can adjust the bass or treble with the app. Ambient IQ adjusts the volume to match the surrounding environment.
Voice Recognition
It's not as accurate as Alexa or Google Assistant, but it does a fair job of understanding what you say. It can answer questions regarding weather, traffic, and sports. It can even read your calendar.