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Smart speakers offer users more expansive interface options than the speakers of yesteryear.
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Many smart speakers nowadays are hands-free thanks to connectivity features.
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Some speakers even come equipped with screens for an audiovisual experience.
Speakers are becoming more and more versatile. Originally just an apparatus for listening to music, you can now use smart speakers to talk to people, check the news, get updates on traffic or just shuffle through your music library — hands-free.
Take a look at an overview of some of the speakers with the best technology that you might want to buy as a gift.
| Best Smart Speakers for Your Money | |||||
| Product | Sonos One | Amazon Echo (2nd Generation) | Google Home Max | JBL Link View | Amazon Echo Show (2nd Generation) |
| Price | |||||
| Physical Connections | None | 3.5 mm | 3.5 mm, USB-C | None | None |
| Bluetooth | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| WiFi | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Portable | No | No | No | No | No |
| Multiple Room Use | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Voice Control | Amazon Alexa | Amazon Alexa | Google Assistant | Google Assistant | Amazon Alexa |
| *Prices are subject to change. | |||||
Sonos One
The Sonos One’s Alexa capability allows you to control your music with just your voice. You can also use the speaker to help control your smart home — however, you cannot use Alexa voice calling. The speaker wirelessly connects to other speakers throughout your home and gives you multiroom capability to optimize your sound system. And if you don’t feel like raising your voice at a machine, the Sonos One can also be controlled via touch or an app.
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Amazon Echo (2nd Generation)
The Amazon Echo allows you to control your music using only your voice. You can also dictate features throughout your smart home, such as dimming the lights or lowering the temperature. Furthermore, the Amazon Echo can act as a hands-free speaker with its Drop In feature, allowing you to speak through another compatible Echo within your home. If you’ve ever had trouble wrangling the kids for dinner, the Amazon Echo might be for you.
Google Home Max
This Google smart speaker automatically adjusts its sound to fit the acoustics of whatever room or area it’s in, balancing out different levels for a clear listening experience. You can create a multiroom sound system by using other Google devices such as Google Home, Google Home Mini or another speaker with a Chromecast Audio plug-in.
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JBL Link View
This speaker comes equipped with an HD display monitor that actually lets you watch programs or view images as you play music. Whether it’s your favorite YouTube creator or a collage of your last family vacation photos, the JBL Link View allows for a useful audiovisual experience. This also enables video calls from friends or family.