Music is the only universal language, that is why most of us go about our daily lives constantly listening to music. Whether it's the background music you pick up on at the café, the 24 hour lo-fi hip hop loop you listen to while studying, or the adrenaline-fueled rock songs you blast while in the gym. Ever since the pandemic, many of these activities have been bound to our homes. So whether its working at home, studying at home, or exercising at home, it'd be nice to have a speaker playing the right tunes at the right times across the room.
But, what if your speakers can do more than that? What if your speakers can play you any song at your command? What if your speakers can tell you what time it is or what's the weather like just by asking? What if your speakers can help you turn on the TV or turn off the lights? Today, we'll look at the best smart speakers you can buy right now to have your own (singing) personal assistant.
[1] Google Nest Audio / Google Nest Mini
Link: Harvey Norman
We all probably use Google products on a daily basis. It's no surprise that besides being in our smartphones (Android) and our computers (Chrome), Google also wants to be in our homes and they've done exactly that with Google Nest Audio and Google Nest Mini (formerly known has Google Home and Google Home Mini).
Google Nest can play almost any song you can think off at your command because Google Assistant doesn't need to go any further than YouTube (also owned by Google) or Spotify to look for it. Also, because it's "Google", you can expect it to answer almost any questions that you have.
The Nest Mini is a welcomed upgrade from their very popular predecessor, the Google Home Mini, in terms of a larger speaker for fuller sounds, an extra mic to hear you better across the room, and a better machine learning chip to anticipate your frequently given commands.
You can get the Google Nest Mini for less than RM250, but the Nest Audio is slightly harder to find. If you really must have a larger speaker, you might want to consider the Google Nest Hub which acts as a hub and has a screen.
[2] Sonos One
Link: Harvey Norman
The Sonos brand might not be well known in our region, but it has been developing and producing quality wireless home audio products for quite some time, especially in the U.S. The smart speaker we'll be focusing on is the Sonos One Speaker. (Not to be confused with the Sonos One SL Speaker which doesn't have a microphone for voice commands)
The Sonos One seems simple enough - a typical boxed shape speaker with rich sounds. What makes it really smart is the integration of Amazon's Alexa so you can check the news and traffic or play and pause your songs just using your voice. The speaker can play music from a range of music streaming services including Amazon Music and Spotify.
If you have other Sonos speakers in the house, this will be a no-brainer as it can connect wirelessly to them to play music in any room or every room. The downside to having smart functionalities and quality audio is the price. The Sonos One speaker retails for RM1199, which might be a little over-the-top for some.
[3] Bose Home 300 Speaker
Link: Harvey Norman
Audiophiles who own quality headphones or have done research on quality headphones will have heard of Bose. The audio equipment manufacturer now delivers great sound to you in the form of a smart speaker.
The Bose Home 300 Speaker can be voice controlled not only because it has Amazon Alexa, but also Google Assistant, the two best voice assistants in the field so far. From here, you can stream audio from a variety of music sources or just connect it to your smartphones or tablets through Bluetooth.
Besides Bluetooth and an AUX jack, the speaker also has Apple AirPlay 2 connectivity for users of Apple products. The Bose Music app also allows for phone or tablet control. As an almost direct competitor to the Sonos One, the Bose Home 300 Speaker also retails for RM1199.
[4] Mi Smart Speaker
Link: Lazada
Our favorite brand to turn to when we want something of quality for a budget-friendly price. XiaoMi has given us quality smartphones, cordless vacuum cleaners, air purifiers, and power banks, all at affordable price ranges. This time, they've also given us a smart speaker.
The Mi Smart Speaker boasts a powerful, massive driver that delivers HiFi sound throughout your home. DTS Professional tuning ensures a distortion free audio experience. The 2 far-field mics will pick up your voice command from any corner of the room and can be disabled for privacy.
Aside from all that, it has Google Assistant built in so any song or information is only a "hey Google" away. The Mi Smart Speaker can be found in Mi retail stores or on their flagship Lazada store for only RM209!
[5] Amazon Echo / Amazon Echo Dot
The online shop of the world, Amazon, has ventured into many fields, from the world's most popular eBook reader - Amazon Kindle, to video streaming competitor Amazon Prime. While some products have failed badly (hello Fire Phone), their smart speakers - Amazon Echo and Echo Dot have achieved global success.
With the latest revision, Amazon Echo has a much more futuristic design aside from improved audio and a better processor. Alexa is their answer to the Google Assistant and Siri, and is capable of answering most basic questions and making calls.
Although you might be sacrificing a little on audio loudness and quality compared to other smart speakers, one clear advantage Amazon Echo has over the rest of the field would be their built-in Zigbee smart home hub, which makes it compatible with the most amount of third party smart devices out there.
The Amazon Echo goes for around RM570 while the Echo Dot goes for around RM240. Unfortunately, as far as we know, they don't come with Malaysian plugs so you might need an adapter.
Smart Speakers For Your Smart Home
So, there you are. 5 smart speakers that you can get in Malaysia so you can enjoy music at home regardless of what you're doing while making your life easier with voice commands. Keep in mind that this list is in no particular order, so make sure you decide what you need in your speakers before you get one that suits you!
Oh, also, here's a special 6th one just for you!
[SPECIAL] Apple HomePod / Apple HomePod Mini
We'll end the list with the most controversial one, with hardcore fans on one side and serious doubters on the other. The HomePod is a late entry from Apple into the smart speaker space, but there might just be a reason for that. Apple has taken its time to develop superb speakers to give a high-fidelity sound experience using seven separate speakers and one giant woofer. Using Apple's chipset, they are able to know where they are in a room (like in a corner) and tune their speakers to maximize audio quality through the entire room.
The mini version has lesser speakers but Apple did not compromise on sound quality even one bit. Both versions have stereo pair capabilities for that 3D audio experience and multiroom audio if you're able to afford one for each room. Apple has also introduced an intercom function which allows you to send voice messages to speakers located in other rooms. Aside from all that, it can also act as a smart home hub.
Of course, Apple's smart speakers would come with our favorite voice assistant - Siri. However, that also proves to be the downside to HomePods as Siri's capabilities and knowledge base is quite limited compare to her competitors. Not only that, basic smart functionalities like on-demand music playing is limited to the Apple ecosystem, so that means Apple Music and not Spotify.
Then comes the price. As with many Apple products, Apple has not been shy about setting a premium price for the HomePods. The full-sized version goes for USD 299 while the mini version sets you back USD 99 each. Do take note that this is still not officially sold in Malaysia, but come on, you can't make a smart speaker list without HomePods.
While you're here, why not check out these other smart devices you should have for your smart home?
Turn Your Home Into A Smart Home [Entry Level]
Turn Your House Into A SmartER Home [Intermediate Level]
