We can all do with more music and, thankfully, tech manufacturers couldn’t be more eager to sell you a speaker, whether it’s a multi-room setup from Sonos, a wireless Bluetooth option from Bose or JBL, or a smart speaker, like the HomePod, Google Home, or Alexa-powered Amazon Echo. Not all of them are good or reasonably priced, but we’ve cut through the overcrowded speaker market and offered a critique to the most popular speakers.
Featured stories
7
Verge Score
JBL is the first to make Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant coexist on the same speaker, and it works quite well. But the price you pay for that convenience feels a little uneven.
6
Verge Score
It’s 2023. If Ultimate Ears is going to charge this much, there needs to be more to its speaker than just Bluetooth.
9
Verge Score
With stereo sound, twice the battery life, and line-in playback, the Move 2 improves upon the original at every turn — unless you need Google Assistant.
7
Verge Score
When you find a good spatial audio song, Sonos’ new speaker can blow your mind and sounds like nothing else. But it trails the Sonos Five at stereo playback and suffers from the wildly inconsistent state of Atmos mixes.
8
Verge Score
The more affordable Era speaker improves upon the Sonos One by nearly every measure and will likely find the same success and popularity among Sonos customers.
7
Verge Score
The $2,400 Dione is a luxury buy for people who don’t want to deal with surrounds or a subwoofer
7
Verge Score
The Ray offers fantastic voice clarity and crisp sound, but this optical-only soundbar isn’t without frustrations
7.5
Verge Score
Better looks, easier bulbs, still niche
8
Verge Score
The latest Symfonisk collaboration is another attempt to camouflage tech in the home
8
Verge Score
The tiny, lightweight speaker has a ton of functionality, but don’t expect sound quality miracles
7.5
Verge Score
It’s a very Sony product, in ways both good and bad
7.5
Verge Score
Apple’s newest smart speaker is way more affordable but still chasing Amazon and Google
7.5
Verge Score
Google’s latest smart speaker has good sound and an attractive price
8
Verge Score
Amazon’s latest Echo speaker splits the difference between a high-end smart speaker and an entry-level model
8.5
Verge Score
A $59 clock that also comes with a pretty good speaker
8
Verge Score
Sonos’ first portable speaker is more comfortable at home than on the go
8
Verge Score
The Symfonisk lamp and bookshelf speakers actually sound good, too