Short answer: the Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen for better sound quality, the Google Nest Audio for the lower price. The Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen ranks #2 of 8 powered desktop speakers at $219.99. The Google Nest Audio ranks #4 at $99.99, $120 cheaper.
The case for the Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen: SoundGuys called it the best-sounding Amazon speaker they have tested, scoring it 7.8 of 10. The tradeoff: 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.
The case for the Google Nest Audio: Google Assistant is built in at no extra cost, and Chromecast lets you cast from almost any music app over Wi-Fi rather than only Bluetooth. The tradeoff: Each unit is mono; a genuine left-right stereo pair means buying two and pairing them over Wi-Fi.
Buy the Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen if sound quality is the priority over the price, or the Google Nest Audio if the price is the priority over sound quality.
Still deciding? The full Powered Home rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen | Google Nest Audio | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $219.99 each | $99.99 each Discontinued |
| Ranked | #2 of 8 in Small Size Powered Desktop Speakers | #4 of 8 in Small Size Powered Desktop Speakers |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Battery Life | No Battery | No Battery |
| IP Rating | None | None |
| Party Mode | Yes (Wi-Fi multi-room, Alexa Home Theater) | Yes (Wi-Fi multi-room, Chromecast built-in) |
| Power Input | External AC adapter | External AC adapter (30W, 24V, DC jack) |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Weight | 3.6 lbs (1.632 kg) | 2.6 lbs (1.2 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (Wi-Fi 6E) | Yes (802.11 b/g/n/ac, 2.4GHz/5GHz) |
| App | Yes (Alexa) | Yes (Google Home) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC, AAC |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (mic mute button, far-field) | Yes (3 far-field mics, hardware mute switch) |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Mid/Treble + Dolby Virtualizer, via Alexa app) | Yes (Bass/Treble, via Google Home app) |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| TWS | Yes (Wi-Fi stereo pairing via Alexa app) | Yes (Wi-Fi stereo pairing via Google Home app) |
| Drivers | 3.75in high-excursion woofer, 3x 2.25in full-range drivers (L/R/up) | 75mm woofer, 19mm tweeter |
| Discontinued | No | Yes |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Chromecast |
| XLR Input | No | No |
| RCA Input | No | No |
| TRS Input | No | No |
| Optical Input | No | No |
| Coaxial Input | No | No |
| USB Input | No | No |
| HDMI Input | No | No |
| AES Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth | Yes, 5.3 | Yes, 5.0 |
| Dimensions | 6.1" x 5.6" x 5.8" (155 x 142 x 147 mm) | 6.9" x 4.9" x 3.1" (175 x 124 x 78 mm) (H x W x D) |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa / Alexa+ | Google Assistant |
| Streaming Services | Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, SiriusXM | Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect |
| Amplifier Power | - | 30W (2x Class D) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | - | 60.4Hz (measured, Audio Science Review via spinorama.org) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | - | 44.3Hz (derived, log-interpolated between ASR's spinorama -9dB/-12dB points) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | - | 0.97 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | - | 3.32 |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More top alternatives to Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen:
- Amazon Echo Dot Max vs Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen
- Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen vs Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen
- Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen vs Google Home Speaker
- Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen vs Google Nest Mini 2nd Gen
- Amazon Echo Pop vs Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen
Prices on this page were last checked September 22, 2026 at 5:11 AM 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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The Two Speakers In Full
Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen: $219.99 each Amazon eBay
Pros: SoundGuys called it the best-sounding Amazon speaker they have tested, scoring it 7.8 of 10. A 3.75-inch high-excursion woofer and three 2.25-inch full-range drivers fire left, right and upward, giving a real sense of width and instrument separation from a single enclosure, with vocals sitting forward and clean cymbals even at moderate volume. It supports Dolby Atmos and spatial audio on compatible content, stays distortion-free up to about 70% volume, and includes a built-in Zigbee, Matter and Thread smart home hub plus a 3-band EQ with a Dolby Virtualizer toggle.
Cons: 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. There are no wired audio inputs of any kind and no battery, so it must stay plugged in, and Bluetooth is limited to the SBC codec. Voice recognition wasn’t perfectly reliable in testing, occasionally playing the wrong track for a specific artist-title request.
Full Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen review and specifications →
| AES Input | No |
|---|---|
| App | Yes (Alexa) |
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | No Battery |
| Bluetooth | Yes, 5.3 |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (mic mute button, far-field) |
| Coaxial Input | No |
| Dimensions | 6.1" x 5.6" x 5.8" (155 x 142 x 147 mm) |
| Discontinued | No |
| Drivers | 3.75in high-excursion woofer, 3x 2.25in full-range drivers (L/R/up) |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Mid/Treble + Dolby Virtualizer, via Alexa app) |
| HDMI Input | No |
| IP Rating | None |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
| Optical Input | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (Wi-Fi multi-room, Alexa Home Theater) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | External AC adapter |
| RCA Input | No |
| Stereo | No |
| Streaming Services | Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, SiriusXM |
| TRS Input | No |
| TWS | Yes (Wi-Fi stereo pairing via Alexa app) |
| USB Input | No |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa / Alexa+ |
| Weight | 3.6 lbs (1.632 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (Wi-Fi 6E) |
| XLR Input | No |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen vs Amazon Echo Dot Max
- Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen vs Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen
- Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen vs Google Home Speaker
- Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen vs Google Nest Mini 2nd Gen
- Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen vs Amazon Echo Pop
- Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen vs B&O Beosound 2
- Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen vs Google Home Max
- Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen vs JBL Authentics 200
- See all 9 comparisons
Google Nest Audio: $99.99 each Discontinued Amazon eBay
Pros: Google Assistant is built in at no extra cost, and Chromecast lets you cast from almost any music app over Wi-Fi rather than only Bluetooth. Audio Science Review’s Klippel measurements put bass at 50Hz at -6dB and 60.4Hz at -3dB, respectable output for a single 75mm woofer at this price, and the predicted in-room response is unusually smooth for a compact single-box speaker. The Google Home app includes a two-band bass and treble EQ. Measured bass extension of 60.4Hz (-3dB).
Cons: Each unit is mono; a genuine left-right stereo pair means buying two and pairing them over Wi-Fi. On-axis measurements show more unevenness than a dedicated monitor, an average deviation of 0.569dB against roughly a tenth of that on the most neutral speakers measured this way. There is no 3.5mm or other analog input at all, no battery, and no IP rating, so it needs a stable Wi-Fi connection and a permanent outlet to work at its best. Discontinued.
Full Google Nest Audio review and specifications →
| AES Input | No |
|---|---|
| Amplifier Power | 30W (2x Class D) |
| App | Yes (Google Home) |
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 44.3Hz (derived, log-interpolated between ASR's spinorama -9dB/-12dB points) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 60.4Hz (measured, Audio Science Review via spinorama.org) |
| Battery Life | No Battery |
| Bluetooth | Yes, 5.0 |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (3 far-field mics, hardware mute switch) |
| Coaxial Input | No |
| Dimensions | 6.9" x 4.9" x 3.1" (175 x 124 x 78 mm) (H x W x D) |
| Discontinued | Yes |
| Drivers | 75mm woofer, 19mm tweeter |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Treble, via Google Home app) |
| HDMI Input | No |
| IP Rating | None |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Chromecast |
| Optical Input | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (Wi-Fi multi-room, Chromecast built-in) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | External AC adapter (30W, 24V, DC jack) |
| RCA Input | No |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 0.97 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 3.32 |
| Stereo | No |
| Streaming Services | Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect |
| TRS Input | No |
| TWS | Yes (Wi-Fi stereo pairing via Google Home app) |
| USB Input | No |
| Voice Assistants | Google Assistant |
| Weight | 2.6 lbs (1.2 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (802.11 b/g/n/ac, 2.4GHz/5GHz) |
| XLR Input | No |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Google Nest Audio vs Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen
- Google Nest Audio vs Amazon Echo Dot Max
- Google Nest Audio vs Google Home Speaker
- Google Nest Audio vs Google Nest Mini 2nd Gen
- Google Nest Audio vs Amazon Echo Pop
- Google Nest Audio vs B&O Beosound 2
- Google Nest Audio vs Google Home Max
- Google Nest Audio vs JBL Authentics 200
- See all 9 comparisons