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There are plenty of Alexa-based speakers out there, and that list is only growing, but they’re not all created equal, so we did the research to find the best Alexa speakers on the market.
We think the Sonos One offers the best cross-section of Alexa intelligence and excellent sound quality.
The Amazon Echo was a ground-breaking speaker. It was the first to introduce the world to the concept of a smart speaker, and although many were a little confused about the point of a smart speaker when the Echo first came out, the idea quickly caught on and created a whole new category.
Although the Amazon Echo is a very smart speaker, the fact is that it’s not always the best choice for those who want a smart speaker with excellent sound quality — even though it has improved markedly in the past few years.
Luckily, Amazon has partnered with dozens of companies over the past few years to put Alexa in third-party speakers. These days, there is a ton of choice when it comes to buying speakers with Amazon’s digital assistant built right in.
There are, of course, a number of things to keep in mind when buying a new smart speaker. For starters, you’ll want to consider the form-factor that you’re looking for. There are plenty of standard-sized smart speakers designed for desktop use, but there are also other speaker form-factors with Alexa onboard, like sound bars, for example. You’ll also want to think about whether or not you want a speaker that can be portable, and if you do, you’ll need to look into battery life.
We've done the research for you to find the best Alexa speakers you can buy from a variety of top brands. We'll continue to add more as Alexa makes her way onto other excellent speakers.
Here are the best Alexa speakers you can buy:
Read on in the slides below to check out our top picks.
The best Alexa speaker overall
Why you'll love it: The Sonos One is well-designed, super-smart, and sounds awesome — easily making it the best Alexa-enabled speaker that isn’t an Amazon Echo.
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: The Sonos One is the best smart speaker out there today. The device works with Alexa, to be sure, plus it’s getting Google Assistant support before the end of the year, and it works with Apple’s AirPlay 2 for the iPhone users out there. In other words, while you may buy the speaker for its Alexa support, you’ll be getting a ton of other smart features, too.
You can ask Alexa questions, have her play music, set reminders, buy items on Amazon, check your shipments, control your compatible smart home gadgets, and more on the Sonos One.
Smart features aside, the Sonos One is also an excellent-sounding speaker. It boasts plenty of volume without distorting, plus you’ll get plenty of bass response for a speaker this size and price, so if bass is important to you, this is the speaker to get. That doesn’t mean it does away with the high-end response, either. There’s plenty of clarity in the high end, helping things like cymbals shimmer, and vocals cut through a mix.
The reviews of the Sonos One are pretty great, too. Engadget scored it a 9/10, while TechRadar went a step further and gave it an impressive 9.5/10.
That doesn’t mean it’s perfect, though. Disadvantages of the speaker include the fact that Sonos has yet to push the Google Assistant update to the speaker, and that the app is a little buggy. The speaker is also a little more expensive than some of the other speakers on this list.
Pros: Great sound quality, tons of smart features, well-designed
Cons: A little expensive, buggy app
The best portable Alexa speaker
Why you'll love it: The UE Megablast sounds good and has a nice design, plus it’s one of the only portable speakers with Alexa.
If you’re looking for something a little more portable, then the UE Megablast speaker is the way to go. The speaker has consistently rated among the best portable speakers out there, and the fact that it boasts Alexa support is really the icing on the cake.
You can ask Alexa questions, have her play music, set reminders, buy items on Amazon, check your shipments, control your compatible smart home gadgets, and more on the UE Megablast.
There are a few things that make this such a great speaker. For starters, it’s got a nice design and comes in a range of different colors. On top of that, however, the speaker also sounds great, offering plenty of bass response and a nice, cutting sound to seriously deliver the music no matter where you are.
There’s also the fact that the speaker is well-built for portable use. For example, it offers a hefty 12 hours of battery life, plus it’s nice and water-resistant with a rating of IP67. That makes it great for taking to the beach without having to worry about it getting too wet.
There, of course, a few downsides to the speaker. For starters, while the Alexa integration is pretty good, it doesn’t work all that well when you’re not connected to Wi-Fi, and its Wi-Fi connection isn’t always the best. Still, despite the downsides, it’s gotten some pretty sweet reviews. Pocket-Lint and PCMag both scored it 4/5, which is pretty impressive.
Pros: Good battery life, nice sound quality, relatively durable
Cons: Some Wi-Fi issues, Alexa doesn’t work all that well when not on Wi-Fi
The best Alexa sound bar
Why you'll love it: The Sonos Beam boasts that awesome Sonos sound, an excellent design, and Alexa support.
If you want Alexa in the living room, you don’t necessarily have to be limited to an Echo-sized device. Instead, you could go for a sound bar, like the Sonos Beam, which offers Alexa support, excellent speakers, and more.
There are plenty of things that make the Sonos Beam a great buy. For starters, like the Sonos One, it supports Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s AirPlay 2, and is getting Google Assistant support later in the year. On top of that, it boasts that awesome Sonos sound-quality. There’s plenty of low-end and tons of clarity in the high-end, making for a nice, crisp sound.
Of course, nothing’s perfect, and there are some downsides to the device. For starters, the Sonos Beam is pretty pricey, coming in at $399 for the sound bar alone, or more if you want rear speakers or a subwoofer, too. Despite that, however, the device has been getting excellent reviews. TechRadar scored it a massive 4.5, while WhatHiFi stepped things up to a whopping 5/5.
Pros: Excellent sound-quality, nicely, designed, very smart
Cons: Expensive
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