Short answer: the Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen. It ranks #2 of 15 powered desktop speakers by sound quality, rated 3.8/5, at $219.99; the Denon Home 250 ranks #13, rated 3.7/5, and costs $549, so there is little reason to consider the other one.
What the Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen does well: A great sounding Amazon smart speaker, with wide sound from one box, Dolby Atmos and a built in smart home hub. It has an adjustable EQ, which the Denon Home 250 lacks. The catch: SoundGuys still marked it down on Value (4.0 of 10) given the $219.99 list price, and it is explicitly not true left-right stereo from one cabinet, so a stereo pair is needed for real width in a larger room.
What the Denon Home 250 does well: A Wi-Fi smart speaker with stereo sound from one cabinet, built in Alexa, AirPlay 2 and HEOS multiroom. It keeps a wired aux input, which the Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen lacks. It plays in stereo from a single unit, unlike the Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen. Watch for: Trusted Reviews’ own complaints are a slightly disjointed hand-over between the bass and midrange, and a safety-first treble response that avoids sounding harsh at the cost of outright detail.
Buy the Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Denon Home 250 and costs less, so only choose the other one for a particular feature it does better.
Still deciding? The full Powered Home rankings cover every ranked option.
A great sounding Amazon smart speaker, with wide sound from one box, Dolby Atmos and a built in smart home hub.
A Wi-Fi smart speaker with stereo sound from one cabinet, built in Alexa, AirPlay 2 and HEOS multiroom.
Prices on this page were last checked November 5, 2026 at 10:30 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen | Denon Home 250 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $219.99 each | $549.00 each |
| Ranked | #2 of 15 in Small Size Powered Desktop Speakers | #13 of 29 in Medium Size Powered Desktop Speakers |
| Aux Input | No | Yes |
| Battery Life | No Battery | No Battery |
| IP Rating | None | None |
| Party Mode | Yes (Wi-Fi multi-room, Alexa Home Theater) | Yes (HEOS multi-room, stereo pair with a second Home 250) |
| Power Input | External AC adapter | External AC adapter |
| Stereo | No | Yes |
| Weight | 3.6 lbs (1.632 kg) | 8.2 lbs (3.7 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (Wi-Fi 6E) | Yes (2.4/5GHz) |
| App | Yes (Alexa) | Yes (HEOS) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (mic mute button, far-field) | Yes |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Mid/Treble + Dolby Virtualizer, via Alexa app) | No |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| TWS | Yes (Wi-Fi stereo pairing via Alexa app) | No |
| Drivers | 3.75in high-excursion woofer, 3x 2.25in full-range drivers (L/R/up) | 2x 19mm tweeters, 2x 102mm mid-bass drivers, 133mm passive radiator |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, USB, 3.5mm aux |
| XLR Input | No | No |
| RCA Input | No | No |
| TRS Input | No | No |
| Optical Input | No | No |
| Coaxial Input | No | No |
| USB Input | No | Yes |
| HDMI Input | No | No |
| AES Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 5.4 |
| Dimensions | 6.1” x 5.6” x 5.8” (155 x 142 x 147 mm) | 11.8” x 8.7” x 4.7” (300 x 220 x 120 mm) |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa / Alexa+ | Amazon Alexa |
| Streaming Services | Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, SiriusXM | HEOS app streaming (Spotify, Amazon Music, Tidal, Deezer, SoundCloud, TuneIn), AirPlay 2 |
| Amplifier Power | - | 80W (Class D, combined) |
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