We didn't know what to expect when IKEA and Sonos released a bookshelf that could sing... but the results are actually quite impressive. The tricky bit is making sure you get a Google speaker that delivers good sound quality for your music as well as delivering on the voice assistant promise. The Google Home Mini is, basically, Google's spin on an Amazon Echo Dot. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Make sure your mobile device or tablet is connected to the same Wi-Fi or linked to the same account as your Chromecast, or speaker or display. ; At the top left, tap Add Set up device New device . Be respectful, keep it civil and stay on topic. There are also a series of coloured lights that illuminate when the device is active, and a mute button if you want to turn the two microphones off. Virtual assistant: Google Assistant | Wi-fi: Yes | Bluetooth 4.0: Yes | Inputs: No | Amplifier: 2 x 200W | Audio formats: MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV, FLAC | Dimensions: 116 x 34.7 x 34.7cm (hwd). Discuss: How to use third-party speakers with Google Home Hub, CNET's picks for the best Bluetooth speakers for 2019. All you have to … That's why if you take the plunge and buy one of the products recommended below, or on any other Best Buy page, you can be assured you're getting a What Hi-Fi? team has more than 100 years experience of reviewing, testing and writing about consumer electronics. Physically, the Move towers over the One. It is easy though -- once you know how. But if you simply want hands-free access to Google Assistant voice commands and some occasional background listening, perhaps for the kitchen or a kids room, then the Home Mini is a fine choice. There are no actual analog outputs on any of the Google Home devices, which is unfortunate. Pairing Google Home Device with Bluetooth Speaker Google Home supports third-party Bluetooth speakers on all of its devices. The Nest Audio is impressive for its price (8/10, WIRED Recommends). It still offers everything you'd expect from Sonos, with full multi-room streaming functionality and access to Google Assistant, but if you were expecting a battery-powered, Bluetooth version of the Sonos One, think again. So how do we come to our review verdicts? It would be a nice feature. 3. You can group them together for multi-room audio or use each one separately. To get your speaker and the Home Hub working together, make sure the speaker is turned on and in pairing mode. There's nothing special about the design but it looks smart enough and the top features touch-sensitive controls for volume and playback. This includes the Bose Home Speaker 500, Bose Soundbar 500 and 700, and an all-new, compact smart speaker coming later this summer, the Bose Home Speaker 300. we review hundreds of products every year – and that includes plenty of speakers. Now, you can pair any Home or Home Mini with a Bluetooth speaker for a better audio experience. Still, for the portable Sonos experience, look no further. You can either have your Bluetooth speaker take over audio duties from the Google Home speaker, or you can connect the Bluetooth speaker to an existing multiroom system with other Google Home speakers. is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. As well as Google's smart features, you will also find the latest Bluetooth 4.2 and AirPlay 2, and there's a battery life of up to 8 hours. Read the full review: Harman Kardon Citation 100, Virtual assistant: Google Assistant | Wi-fi: Yes | Bluetooth: Yes | Outputs: No | Dimensions (hwd): 14.3 x 9.6 x 9.6cm | Weight: 477g. For a speaker to link to a Google Home Hub, it must have Bluetooth. C. Scott Brown / @c_scottbrown You can now pair your Google Home hardware with compatible Bluetooth speakers you already own. You can only have one connected Bluetooth speaker or headphones to play music through at a time. Adding an external speaker is a quick and easy solution. Google Home is learning how to play nice with the other kids on the playground. Here’s how to link Google Home speakers to play as one unit. It’s a thumbs up as far as we’re concerned. You can tell the tiny Google Home Hub ($90 at Best Buy) to play music from a variety of sources, like YouTube, Google Play Music and Spotify, using voice commands. All products are tested in comparison with rival products in the same price category, and all review verdicts are agreed upon by the team as a whole rather than an individual reviewer, again helping to ensure consistency and avoid any personal preference. We’ve edited this post to clarify that Bluetooth speaker output is fully compatible with the existing speaker groups functionality in the Google Home app, but it does not directly enable multi-room audio. With this feature, it is possible to have a multiroom audio experience with a mixture of Google Home and non-Google Home … The most commonly used feature in Google Home is playing music. This Google Assistant speaker is a winner at this price, Virtual assistant: Google Assistant | Wi-Fi: Yes | Bluetooth: Yes | Outputs: N/A. If you don't mind that bassy over-exuberance, there's a lot to like. Only when we say “kids,” we mean Bluetooth speakers, and when we say “playground,” we mean your home. BA1 1UA. All Google Home devices (Google Home, Google Home Mini, Google Nest Mini, Google Home Max) can now connect to a Bluetooth speaker and send audio output to the Bluetooth speakers. Shares. A little too much bass is apparent at times and music doesn't sound quite as, well, musical, as on the HomePod, but there's impressive scale, clean and clear vocals, and plenty of punch to drums and bass. Linking Google's smart screen to a third-party speaker is a way to get the sound you crave with the simplicity of voice control. The Move goes where no Sonos speaker has gone before, Virtual assistant: Alexa, Google Assistant | Wi-fi: Yes | Bluetooth: Yes | Outputs: N/A | Dimensions (hwd): 24 x 16 x 12.6cm | Weight: 3kg. Google Home can now connect to any Bluetooth speaker. ; Tap the device you want to set up Next. To get started, turn on the Bluetooth speaker and stick it in pairing mode - probably via pressing and holding a dedicated button on the top or back of the device - and then follow these steps: 1. Google Home is more than just a speaker – it can act as a hub through which you can connect multiple speakers at the same time. Best Google Assistant Speaker Buying Guide: Welcome to What Hi-Fi? You can still say command ‘OK Google’ to have it perform tasks while the speaker is paired with your PC. The Google Home Hub's built-in speakers aren't that great. Sonically, while the Harman Kardon Citation 100 isn't exactly balanced, it is otherwise a tasteful-sounding smart speaker with enough scale to fill most rooms. Whether it’s the humble B2 Wireless Speaker , or a full-fledged pair of active Audioengine speakers such as the A5+ Wireless , Google Home is capable of transmitting your beloved music to your sonic system. The Symfonisk bookshelf speaker is the cheapest Sonos multi-room component on the market, half the price of a Sonos One and two-thirds that of the other IKEA speaker in the new range (the Sonos IKEA Symfonisk lamp speaker). Google Home can also be used as your primary speaker for your desktop PC or any laptop, tablet or smartphone. A Sonos x IKEA bookshelf speaker? From all of our reviews, we choose the best products to feature in our Best Buys. We delete comments that violate our policy, which we encourage you to read. And why can you trust them? Note: We’re using Android for in our examples here, but the process is the same on iOS. Find out how to get started today. Although only Google Home is used in the text, the guide also applies to Google Home Mini (including the 2nd Gen of Google Home Mini ) and Google Home Max. This new Google Home and Bluetooth speaker partnership can be used in two ways. I find whichever Home device I am closest to will be the one to respond. Google Home is looks a bit like a large white air freshener. Adding a Bluetooth speaker to your Google Home is simple. Google Assistant being built-in only sweetens the deal. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. © 2021 CNET, A RED VENTURES COMPANY. What Hi-Fi? You sure can have more than one Google Home. 2. It's cheap as chips, but you get what you pay for. You can control Spotify with your voice and of course get random questions answered at the drop of a hat. Tap the name of the speaker and you're ready to play music. Sonically it's weighty and full-bodied, and the Move can carry a tune as well as the next Sonos speaker, but it's big and expensive, which brings it up against some more capable speakers. Open the Google Home app. Since it's both a top-notch speaker and includes an aux output, you may be wondering if you can use your Google Home Max as a soundbar. So while it certainly has a battery, we're not sure how many people will be taking it on holiday or to the park. A Google Home Hub and a Bluetooth speaker. Visit our corporate site. The Google Home app makes it easy to pair up the speakers with any other Google-friendly smart devices you have too. A typically excellent Sonos smart speaker with Google voice control. It’s also fully integrated into the existing eco-system, and will link to any other Sonos kit you have. Here at What Hi-Fi? Bluetooth, multi-room and stereo pairing are all supported, too. Another Sonos speaker but this one is a little different. Then open the Google Home app and tap on the Google Home speaker you want to sync to your Bluetooth speaker. If you also have a Google Home speaker and have linked it to a third-party speaker before, you may get wildly confused (like I did) when trying this with a Hub. Fantastic Bluetooth speakers aren't hard to find, though. They both show up in the Home app. From there, the app will find your speaker and display its name on the screen. However, you cannot play the same music using Bluetooth on multiple Google Home devices. Cinema sound, with smarts The best way to connect a TV or computer to the Google Home speaker group you just created is with Bluetooth. It looks like your average smart speaker, but the Citation 100 produces bass by the bucket-load and can play extremely loud without strain. Google Home is the biggest competitor to Amazon’s Echo smart speakers. We have state-of-the-art testing facilities in London and Bath, where our team of expert reviewers do all our testing. Set up is simple and there are now plenty of compatible apps and devices, including Chromecast, though still not as many as on the Amazon Alexa platform. Undoubtedly one of the best Google Assistant speakers we've tested at this price. This Harman Kardon speaker has a pretty standard, minimalist design, and it keeps connections to a minimum, too, with no aux input. If you're still tempted for this rather than the Home Mini, we'd wait until you see a good deal. Here are CNET's picks for the best Bluetooth speakers for 2019. Virtual assistant: Google Assistant | Wi-fi: Yes | Bluetooth: No | Outputs: No | Dimensions (hwd): 4.2 x 9.8 x 9.9cm | Weight: 173g. Adoption of Google voice control and Chromecast is becoming more common, meaning you might want to go for Google Assistant when it comes to picking a smart speaker, especially if you're using other Google devices, from Pixel phones to Nest devices. Get hands-free help around the house from your own personal assistant on speakers with the Google Assistant built in. Google Home and Nest Audio speakers can make your phone ring when you’ve left it under a cushion or in the other room, even when it’s on silent. In terms of the sound quality, the JBL Link Portable presents a detailed, musical, spacious and cohesive listen. © It's a dinky device that comes with Google Assistant and can be used purely as a wireless speaker or as a smart hub, through which you can control other Google Home or Chromecast-enabled speakers around your house. Unfortunately, its mini speakers just don't sound that good. Virtual assistant: Alexa, Google Assistant | Wi-fi: Yes | Bluetooth: No | Outputs: N/A | Dimensions (hwd): 31 x 15 x 10cm | Weight: 3.12kg. Google’s Home, Home Mini, and Home Max speakers can now play music and other audio on the other Bluetooth speakers you might have around the house. Compared to the majority of portable Bluetooth speakers, and indeed anything Sonos currently offers, it is relatively tall (24cm) and heavy (3kg). Google may have been late to the smart speaker party but it's doing its level best to catch up. Please deactivate your ad blocker in order to see our subscription offer, 4. There aren't any audio ports on the back of the Hub. It's cheap as chips, but you get what you pay for. Once you pair and connect your Bluetooth speaker to a Google Nest or Home device, it will auto-connect unless the speaker gets disconnected or turned off. The Google Home Mini is, basically, Google's spin on an Amazon Echo Dot. There's a charging cradle and a standard USB-C port. There's a Google Assistant button, too, and a function button that allows you to switch between wi-fi and Bluetooth. Imagine your favorite song starts playing on the radio, and with one voice command, you blast it on all speakers in your house. The LG WK7 is one of the best Google speakers, especially now it has a healthy discount. Read the full review: Sonos IKEA Symfonisk bookshelf speaker, A solid start for LG’s venture into smart speakers with audio experts, Meridian, Virtual assistant: Google Assistant | Wi-fi: Yes | Bluetooth: Yes | Outputs: N/A | Dimensions (hwd): 21 x 13.5 x 13.5cm | Weight: 1.9kg. Now open your Google home app and your name of home is at the top of the screen, to change name, tap the arrow next to the home name and you can change it. The Harman Kardon Citation Towers are bold and playful. I have two! ; Open the Google Home app . Until now, that is. Control comes via the Google Home app and Google Assistant, and commands work well enough, though it seems slightly more prone to wi-fi drop-outs than rivals. The let down is the sound, which while OK for dialogue is underwhelming for music considering its size and price, and the much-improved performance of the new Echo devices. The Sonos Move is the first Sonos speaker to be portable and the first to offer Bluetooth streaming. Thanks to Google's class-leading Search and the latest Google Home app, there's no denying the best Google Assistant speakers deliver excellent results when trying to test general knowledge. Google Home’s speaker sounds pretty good, but the Home Mini is a little lacking. Google announced an overdue update for its smart speakers this week: You can finally connect your Google Home to another Bluetooth speaker with better sound quality. Together, Google Home and Bluetooth speakers make the perfect arrangement for amping up the music throughout your entire home. The Google Home Max has taken off as a smart home device, and people have been loving that it's a step up from many other smart home devices. This is … If you use the Google Nest Mini, Google Nest Hub Max or any of the best Google Home speakers (including the all-new Google Nest Audio,) you can communicate with any of … The Google Nest Audio costs $100 at Best Buy or $100 at Google 4. Alina Bradford/CNET You can tell the tiny Google Home Hub ($90 at Best Buy) to play music from a variety of sources, like YouTube, Google … They might not match up to the kind of traditional hi-fi system you could build for two grand, but then that was never the attention. Find your voice with our pick of the best Google Assistant speakers for your home. Either add multiple speakers through the Google Home app so that you can pick which one to play music on, or create a speaker group to play the same music across multiple speakers at once. If your TV can't connect with … Google Home's Bluetooth sharing feature casts shade on Sonos. This is now the best Google speaker on the market. Subtlety is their main issue – these stereo towers like to play loud, with a lot of energy – but if you're hoping to get a party started then they will most happily be of service. It’s a minimalist design, with a touch-sensitive circle on the top for adjusting volume and pausing/playing music. 's round-up of the best Google speakers you can buy in 2021. It is great for parties, though perhaps not so much for purists. Did you know that you can connect more than one Google Home speaker in your house? There's Spotify and Tidal integration, the ability to chat with Google Assistant (and Alexa), and the option to build a multi-room system around it using other Sonos speakers or AirPlay 2. This is the step 2 nd for your how to pair Bluetooth speaker with Google home. The What Hi-Fi? This portable wireless speaker is powered by Google Home and delivers great sound and performance on budget. Google Home and Bluetooth pairing. ; Tap the home you want to add the device to Next. 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See our subscription offer, 4 Assistant on speakers with Google Home devices, CNET 's for!