For the rating, I selected the 7 best smart speakers with functionality and packaging that are relevant for 2020. Each of them can tell you about the weather, play your favorite track and help control your smart home. But there are also significant differences: sound quality, mobility (some speakers can be taken for a picnic, others will only work near an outlet), a voice assistant (Alice, Ciri or Google Assistant) and, of course, the cost, which varies from 4,500 to 25,000 rubles ... Next, I will describe each column in detail, list its advantages and disadvantages, and tell who may need it and why.
ELARI SmartBeat
The SmartBeat model from the Russian-Chinese brand ELARI is the first smart speaker with official support from Yandex Alice. The column performs basic functions: plays music, integrates into a smart home and performs simple tasks. Synchronization with a smartphone takes about 30 seconds - a standard indicator for such devices. Thanks to its small dimensions, the speaker easily fits in a jacket pocket and provides musical accompaniment on a long trip. The 3200 mAh battery lasts for 5 hours of battery life. There are 5 mechanical buttons for control: on / off, volume control and Alice activation.
Benefits:
- affordable price tag (4500 rubles);
- compactness;
- understandable to a Russian person Alice;
- the possibility of autonomous work.
Disadvantages:
- mediocre assembly (backlash, loosely fitted joints, you can see the speaker through the casing);
- you cannot connect several Wi-Fi points, synchronization is repeated every time;
- lacks low frequencies (speaker 5 W);
- aux input only;
- unstable base.
At first, when Yandex Alice's support was an exclusive feature of ELARI SmartBeat, the manufacturer asked for this model for 6000 rubles, but as the market saturated, dropped the price to 4500 rubles, which is already more acceptable. However, this is an extremely mediocre speaker, not suitable for playing music and unable to output sound to external media. ELARI SmartBeat is suitable only for the most unpretentious users who plan to use it only as an alarm clock or weather informant.
Mail.ru Group
In design and dimensions, the Mail.ru gadget resembles Yandex Station - the same large black column with a round color indicator, the same button for mute the microphone. At the same time, the case of the Mail.ru column is more streamlined; visually, it fully corresponds to its name - "capsule". After a long press on the touch panel, the user is greeted by the branded voice assistant "Marusya". With its help, you can find out the weather, the cinema schedule, listen to a fairy tale, study the multiplication table, and if you stroke the column on the control panel, it will begin to purr soothingly, like an affectionate cat. True, the sound is slightly smallish, and even threatening. The main feature of Marusya is its advanced integration with the Vkontakte social network. The column can make calls to a subscriber from the list of friends, as well as include music from the playlist. A two-channel system is responsible for reproduction - two speakers for reproducing low and high frequencies with a total power of 30 watts.Control is carried out using the touch panel: one tap - start / pause, rotation - volume control, swipe to the side - switching tracks. Integration into the "smart home" of Redmond and Rostelecom is also provided. You will have to pay 8000 rubles for the opportunity to chat with Marusya.
Benefits:
- 6-month free subscription to Vkontakte music;
- streamlined design;
- good sound;
- the ability to stream music from any application via Bluetooth.
Disadvantages:
- long response time, despite a high-speed connection;
- no sound of activation and deactivation;
- no support for proprietary Mail.ru services;
- you cannot add common Smart Home protocols.
Mail.ru capsule is the company's first and not the most successful attempt to compete with Yandex products. Mail.ru relied on design and interaction with their social network, but released the device "raw": the branded voice assistant turned out to be noticeably stupider than its counterpart, and it is simply impossible to connect to the most popular smart home Xiaomi. But the Mail.ru capsule will delight young children with numerous optional services and clearly reproduce any track from a smartphone, for which it should be given its due. Whether such controversial advantages are worth 8 thousand rubles, it is up to each user to decide independently.
Google home
The compact, modern design allows the stationary Google speaker to blend in with any décor. The skirt with a protective grill can be easily removed, revealing 2 full-range speakers with a diameter of 51 mm - an excellent solution for a body with dimensions 96x143x96 mm. Google Home can be distinguished from other speakers by the original beveled end, which houses the touch control, implemented by analogy with the Mail.ru capsule: rotation - volume control, short press - turn on and pause, long press - activate the voice assistant. Also on the body there is an additional mechanical button for turning on the microphone. Google Assistant responds to the callsign "Hey Google" and, in response to the corresponding English-language request, can tell you about the weather, wake up at a specified time, remind you of an important matter or find the music you want. You can play tracks from Spotify, Youtube and Google Play, as well as broadcast via Google Cast, for example, from a smart TV. Another useful option is the synchronization of the speaker with home acoustics through the Google Home application of the same name (for this you need to create a group of devices in the application). You will have to pay up to 11,000 rubles for an English-language column.
Benefits:
- 6 months of free YoutubeRed subscription;
- sleek design;
- high-quality assembly and expensive materials;
- excellent sound quality for its size;
- high AI of the voice assistant (ability to understand the context of the conversation).
Disadvantages:
- no mini-jack;
- you can not output music from external media via Bluetooth;
- English-speaking voice assistant;
- does not support personalization (different accounts) and does not recognize voices;
- works only from the network;
- you need a plug adapter;
- you cannot configure news sources and radio waves (American by default);
- cannot be taken with you to a picnic.
Google Home is a high-quality speaker with intelligence tailored to the United States. Without basic English, you will not be able to cope with this gadget in principle, just as you will not be able to customize it to the needs of a resident of Russia in any way. English-speaking music lovers can get the best sound even for less money (Harman / Kardon Citation One), and those who want a multifunctional Russian-speaking speaker pay 2 thousand extra and take Yandex Station.
Prestigio Smartmate
On board the smart speaker Prestigio Smartmate, we are greeted by Alice with an additional set of functions "beacon for children". After the appropriate command, she will be happy to answer children's questions, read a story or check the multiplication table. The rest of the functionality is standard - music on demand, an alarm clock, a timer, a reminder, etc. 4 microphones directed in different directions ensure a high hearing radius even in a noisy room. Like the Mail.ru capsule, the Prestigio speaker can output sound from a smartphone via Bluetooth.One of the main advantages of the device is its autonomy. Thanks to two 2200 mAh batteries, the speaker works up to 9 hours without recharging. The indicator light will indicate the need to connect the power supply. Stationary control is implemented on the basis of 4 mechanical buttons for volume control, microphone activation and voice assistant. The set comes with a smart Perenio Red Atom remote control to control TV and air conditioning with IR ports. Issue price - 6000 rubles.
Benefits:
- maximum autonomy;
- fast connection;
- you can connect external speakers via aux;
- 3 months of free subscription to Yandex Music;
- equipment control panel included;
- fast synchronization with a smartphone (26 seconds).
Disadvantages:
- low output power (6 W);
- weak Wi-Fi receiver - freezes often occur at a short distance from the router;
- if you leave the column to charge overnight, the alarm will not work in the morning.
Prestigio Smartmate is a compact and functional speaker with good autonomy, balanced and loud sound, and is also 2 thousand cheaper than a bulky "capsule" with Marusya. This is a great choice in the budget price segment, and the best option for picnic music. At the same time, due to the miniature size of the device, it is not necessary to count on some kind of music lover's delights. Prestigio Smartmate does not squeak and does not cause rejection at high volume, but it certainly does not provide a wide palette of midrange and expressive bass. Lovers of high-quality sound should turn their attention to the Harman / Kardon Citation One or Apple HomePod.
Harman / Kardon Citation One
Nominally, the Kardon Citation One is the same smart speaker as other representatives of the TOP, in reality it is more of a high-quality acoustics with additional smart functions. Behind the fabric-covered protective panel, two speakers with a total power of 40 watts await us. Typically, two Kardon Citation One speakers can be synchronized for paired operation. There is even a special “Duo” set, consisting of two speakers. The central button on the control panel activates the Google Assistant voice assistant, which you can communicate with in English. The easiest way to use the Kardon Citation One is to stream music over Bluetooth. For this, there is a separate button on the body. It also provides audio streaming via Google Cast or Air Play. The cost of one speaker is 9000 rubles.
Benefits:
- high quality sound;
- the ability to choose a set with two speakers;
- expensive materials;
- deep bass when playing classics.
Disadvantages:
- does not support Russian;
- no equalizer for sound adjustment;
- overdriven lows when playing hard rock;
- works only from the network.
The Harman / Kardon Citation One can completely replace your home speaker, especially when paired. On the other hand, for the cost of two speakers, you can buy a much more powerful system without smart features. Basic English users will benefit from the Kardon Citation One, but should not rely on Alice-like functionality.
Apple HomePod
The stationary "apple" column is made in the form of a cylinder, sheathed with a fabric mesh on the sides, and covered with a touch panel on top. The control principles are standard - the same as on Google Home, although the light animation of the voice assistant (in this case, it is the English-speaking Apple Siri) is made much richer and more interesting - just hold your finger on the lid for one second to be sure of this. The main achievement of Apple engineers is technical equipment. Inside this small speaker (142x172x142) there are 7 speakers and one subwoofer. Once launched, HomePod scans the room with six microphones and adjusts the sound based on the shielding properties of surrounding objects. Apple will delight the discerning listener with powerful, soft bass and harmonious sound at any volume. Music streaming from Apple Music (by subscription) is provided.In the presence of automatic muting during a call, reading and sending iMessage messages (after identifying the owner's voice) and other Apple chips designed to ensure user comfort. The cost corresponds to the brand - 25,000 rubles.
Benefits:
- monolithic design and beautiful Siri animation;
- adjusting the sound to the acoustics of the room;
- deep bass and a wide palette of mids;
- smart home control Apple home kit.
Disadvantages:
- RUB 25,000 - twice as expensive as Yandex Station;
- English-speaking shell;
- no connectors (none, for nothing);
- you cannot take with you on the road;
- you can set up the speaker only with an iPhone or iPad, HomePod is not friendly with Android;
- you cannot transfer music over the air, despite the presence of Bluetooth.
Apple HomePod is suitable for Apple users who prefer exclusively foreign music. If the visual design of Siri is performed at the highest level, then its artificial intelligence leaves much to be desired: despite the fact that Siri has long been speaking Russian in Apple smartphones, in HomePod it still remains purely English. It will not work to ask to play the track of Tsoi or the Picnic group - only through the phone. For the average user, such inconveniences, especially in combination with the price tag, will become critical. But such difficulties will not stop true fans of the apple brand: Apple is about quality and status that must be met.
Yandex.Station
Size matters for listening to music and watching movies, and Yandex.Station is a clear confirmation of this idea. Under the removable casing of this pedestal measuring 141x231x141 mm, there are 2 tweeters, 2 passive ones and one subwoofer. Therefore, the sound quality of this speaker is much higher than that of compact competitors. The main element of the stationary control is the volume wheel with LED indicator, by which it is easy to determine the current state of the device. Behind the grill under the wheel there are 6 microphones that pick up sounds within a radius of 10 meters, and at the top there is a separate button for "paranoid", when pressed, the microphones are turned off. The second button is designed to turn on Alice with her standard functionality: answers to simple questions, fairy tales, anecdotes, music search, news, weather, etc. TV set. The cost is just 13,000 rubles.
Benefits:
- moderate price tag;
- loud and bass sound;
- good build quality and materials;
- detachable power cord and HDMI cable included;
- support for more than 50 smart home systems;
- work with Android and IOS;
- annual subscription to Yandex +, 3 months - to Media Library, and 2 months - IVY.
Disadvantages:
- large dimensions;
- you need to connect to a 220 V network;
- cannot be personalized - does not distinguish between users.
Yandex.Station is a column with an excellent combination of price and quality. In terms of sound, it is comparable to HomePod (the bass is a little harder, and the range of averages is quite narrow), but on board there is an unpretentious Alice with all her Russian-speaking advantages and connection to any "smart homes", and all this pleasure costs half the price of an apple analogue. Yandex.Station is the best choice for anyone looking for a stationary speaker with wide functionality and good sound. Lovers of listening to music on the road and outdoors should pay attention to Prestigio Smartmate.
