Rating of the best smart speakers for 2024

Just a few years ago, the Amazon Echo became the pioneer in the world of smart speakers. But progress does not stand still, and now a whole army of devices equipped with artificial intelligence and a built-in microphone is engaged in a dialogue with their owners and establishes contact with household residents in the form of technology and electronics. Which of the modern smart devices of this category may be of interest to a potential consumer in 2024, we will consider in this article.

Criterias of choice

A smart speaker is not only a device for playing sound, but also a source of information controlling a smart home, an assistant in organizing leisure and work.

When choosing such a device by a domestic buyer, the following are important points:

• the ability of the voice assistant to understand the Russian-speaking user and maintain communication with him;
• functionality of the unit for solving everyday tasks, work moments and leisure activities;
• support of certain services on the territory of Russia;
• the sound quality of the speakers when playing music;
• design features of the product, its ergonomics.

Taking into account the specified criteria, the following list of current models is proposed.

Best smart speakers

Yandex.Station

The domestic product has become the optimal solution for the Russian consumer, primarily due to the presence of a well-trained voice assistant Alice, who can easily recognize Russian speech. It is thanks to him that you can find the necessary information and get answers to simple questions (find out the situation on car routes, familiarize yourself with the latest news or weather forecast, etc.). It is also important that the functionality of the device is constantly updated due to regular updates.

There is the possibility of connecting to a TV, implemented via HDMI, and viewing video content supplied by the services of KinoPoisk, Yandex.Music, Amediatek. However, you will not be able to connect the speaker as a media player.

The device works with gadgets for iOS and Android, implements connection to bluetooth and control of smart devices. However, the sound quality is not the strong point of this model.

The average cost of a product is about 10,000 rubles.

• presence of a Russian-speaking assistant;
• an extensive library of musical compositions and films;
• the model is able to take into account the marks of consumers and correct the existing shortcomings;
• constantly improving functionality, systematic updates;
• reasonable price.

• mediocre sound quality.

LG Xboom Al ThinQ WK7Y

Another model that functions in symbiosis with Yandex. Thanks to such cooperation, the future owners will receive an assistant in the person of Alice, which is an indisputable advantage for the Russian user, because the application perfectly operates with Russian speech and services available in the Russian Federation. Through Alice it will not be difficult to find your favorite music or tips.She sets a timer, tells an anecdote, plays with words. It can activate other devices, being an integral part of a smart home. According to the reviews of real users, the response of the column is almost one hundred percent. The device is able to recognize the address of the owner in a noisy room, identifying it among extraneous voices.

The device works with electronic devices on iOS and Android, implements a bluetooth connection.
The sound of the speaker is not ideal, but, in general, decent, claims can only be related to low frequencies. Another drawback: the speakers are not placed in a circle like cylindrical models from other manufacturers. In connection with this point, the owner of the device must carefully consider which side to put the product against the wall, and which side to put the product against the wall, and which one - to the general space of the room.

Average price: approximately 10,000 rubles.

• adapted for a Russian-speaking user;
• functionality similar to Yandex.Station (but with less rare updates);
• integration with the smart home system;
• the optimal combination of functional indicators and cost.

• unidirectional speaker action;
• there may be problems with wi-fi, in connection with which it is important to choose the "right" router;
• when connected via bluetooth to a TV, control via voice commands is not possible.

Harman Kardon Invoke Microsoft Cortana

When creating the device, the quality of sound reproduction was put at the forefront: the product owns three 13 mm tweeters and the same number of 45 mm woofers. A smart device with a frequency of up to 60 kHz, it provides excellent sound level in spacious rooms.

Cortana not only performs everyday tasks with high quality (answers standard questions, signals about planned tasks and planned meetings, creates shopping lists), but also gets along well with a smart home, interfaces with both Android and iOS smartphones and computer equipment from Microsoft ... In addition, it can be used to make free calls to landline and mobile phone devices via the Skype application. It should be noted that this integration is only available for users in Canada, the United States and Mexico. For a wider audience, the traditional version of making calls via Skype is available.

The size of the price list for a product on average corresponds to 12,800 rubles.

• balanced high-quality sound at the output;
• the ability to establish contact with smartphones and personal computers.

• restrictions on the use of Skype.

Amazon Echo Dot 3nd Gen

The third generation of Amazon's line of smart speakers has accumulated all the achievements of its predecessors. The model has all the powers of a ruler of a smart home: a smart assistant regulates the life of household technical equipment and electrical appliances, and can turn on / off the lighting in the living space. The unit supports Philips, Samsung, Ring systems and a number of others. For a Western user, a smart home is extremely relevant, in contrast to the realities of Russian reality, however, there is a demand for this kind of product among the domestic consumer.

The voice assistant in the form of Alexa is instantly activated the moment his name is announced. He can tell about news, traffic jams, weather conditions, and also remind of an important event for the owner, act as an alarm clock. Overseas owners of the gadget will be able to use it to call a taxi or order in online stores: unfortunately, access to such services in Russia is impossible.

As entertainment, the column offers playback of music tracks, videos from Amazon Video, YouTube.

For a Russian user, a gadget that has many advantages has a significant disadvantage - Alexa does not know and does not understand Russian. In addition, the impossibility of using most of the services makes the foreign leader impractical for the Russian reality.

The average price is 5,500 rubles.

• compact size, ergonomics;
• the presence of a store with teams for work, leisure and study;
• the ability to connect to third-party audio systems;
• the ability to connect both via bluetooth and wires.

• The main drawback of the device for a consumer from Russia is that the use of the device's capabilities is possible by half due to the lack of access to many services and the lack of command of the Russian language by the voice assistant.

Apple HomePod

For Apple fans, this is a great offer, because the gadget works exclusively with iOS devices.

The representative of the "apple" brand, which recently appeared on the market of smart speakers, has become a significant competitor to the leading manufacturers of such products. The Siri assistant, who contacts the sites Fox News, BBC, CNN, The Washington Post, found application in the device. Communication with the specified voice application is possible in English. From the point of view of using a voice assistant, the Russian consumer will face restrictions: it is impossible to send messages in Russian, most of the services do not function (for example, it is impossible to get information about traffic jams, weather, etc.).

The solution to the machine control dilemma can be an alternative method. Through the touch panel or HomeKit software, the speaker will be able to adjust lighting, temperature, Apple-certified devices.

The appeal of the HomePod is its inherent sound quality, delivered by a subwoofer and seven tweeters. The device is able to distribute sound in a space based on its location in the room in order to provide the best sound.

Price - 23,700 rubles.

• is a constituent element of a smart home;
• surround stereo sound;
• the ability to search for musical compositions by individual words;
• the presence of a translator (Russian - not available in options).

• restrictions related to operation in the Russian Federation;
• considerable cost, given the limitations present.

Google home

The column will take part in the creation of a smart home based on the Google ecosystem.

Despite its compact dimensions, the gadget realizes high-quality sound.

Control is mainly carried out by voice through Google Assistant. Russian speech for the assistant is still unknown, but in the future it is planned to introduce support for the Russian language, especially since active developments are underway in this direction. There is also the possibility of touch control using a panel on the upper surface of the structure, although its functionality is not extensive enough. There is also a key to turn off the microphone.

The price tag for the product is from 8,000 rubles.

• work with both iOS and Android;
• functionality;
• original design, compact dimensions.

• Russian language support is in test mode;
• there is no bluetooth.

Sonos one

A speaker with clear treble and powerful bass will grab the attention of those consumers who value quality music reproduction. Its feature is the support of fifty music-oriented applications, and many of them operate on the territory of the Russian Federation. These are numerous online radio stations, the notorious Amazon Music, Apple Music, Sirius XM.

Amazon Alexa acts as an assistant. It will help you create a playlist, start a track, search for podcasts of interest. Also, it is not difficult for her to integrate into the smart home system.
Support for Google Assistant is expected soon, as well as Apple Airplay 2.

Among the features of the unit: listening to music is realized only with the help of Wi-Fi, there is no support for bluetooth protocols.

The price for a product is on average 14,500 rubles.

• excellent sounding vocals in various ranges;
• the ability to combine several columns into a single system;
• the ability of the microphone to differentiate the voice in a noisy room, as well as pick it up at a considerable distance.

• no bluetooth connection.

Xiaomi Mi Ai Mini Speaker

The Chinese brand Xiaomi, which positions its devices as high-quality and budget, offers the attention of a potential consumer a financially affordable smart speaker. However, the inexpensive price does not mean that the gadget cannot compete with its fellows in the workshop. Using the device, you can listen to music while interacting with other smart home objects. Through his participation, curtains and air conditioning are regulated, TV and kettle are controlled. Thanks to the presence of artificial intelligence, the owner will find out the time, news, weather, and will select music in accordance with individual taste preferences. If necessary, the unit will turn on the alarm.

The operation of the device is possible with an application that can be downloaded to a smartphone easily, especially since you do not need to pay for it. The use of such a program is as simple as possible - the main functions appear on the display, namely commands: music, settings, smart home. It is enough to click on the desired window once to solve the problems facing the user. Even a beginner can master the wisdom of management. An interesting option is the ability of the column to tell fairy tales, but at the moment only in Chinese, which is the drawback of the state employee.

The average price is 1 900 rubles.

• financial availability for a wide range of buyers;
• ease of management;
• decent functionality.

• lack of compatibility with Russian services.

Summarizing

In the rating presented in this article, the most relevant representatives of smart speakers from leading manufacturers of this kind of gadgets settled. Each model has undeniable advantages and may be of interest to a potential buyer.

So, LG Xboom Al ThinQ WK7Y and Yandex.Station attract attention by the presence of Russian-speaking Alice on board, which, in combination with the price list available to the domestic consumer, will be appreciated by him.

The updated modification of the world famous bestseller Amazon Echo Dot 3nd Gen is compact, stylish, functional, but, unfortunately, the Russian user cannot appreciate all the advantages of the new model due to the presence of a language barrier and restrictions associated with access to services.

Apple fans will like the not cheap, but comfortable to use Apple HomePod, which also has decent sound quality.

The functionality of Google Home is not bad, especially since it is expected to adapt to operation in the conditions of Russian realities.

Harman Kardon Invoke Microsoft Cortana and Sonos One are optimal solutions for those who hate poor sound reproduction.

The best deal for shoppers with limited finances would be the Xiaomi Mi Ai Mini Speaker, which has decent functionality combined with a budget price tag.