Short answer: the Denon Home 250 if sound quality matters most, the Google Home Speaker if price matters most. The Denon Home 250 ranks #13 of 29 powered desktop speakers, rated 3.7/5, at $549. The Google Home Speaker ranks #13, rated 3.0/5, at $99.99, $449.01 cheaper.
Why pick the Denon Home 250: 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 Google Home Speaker lacks. It plays in stereo from a single unit, unlike the Google Home Speaker. The tradeoff: 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.
What the Google Home Speaker does well: A compact Gemini smart speaker that doubles as a smart home hub with a Thread border router and Matter support. It has an adjustable EQ, which the Denon Home 250 lacks. The tradeoff: This is Google’s current speaker, and reviewers agree it is a downgrade in sound from the discontinued Google Nest Audio it replaces: SoundGuys measured its acoustic hardware directly against the Google Nest Audio and found a single 58mm full-range driver against the Google Nest Audio’s 75mm woofer plus dedicated 19mm tweeter, calling it ‘half the audio hardware for the same sticker price.’
Buy the Denon Home 250 when sound quality outweighs the price for you, and the Google Home Speaker when the price outweighs sound quality instead.
Want more options? Browse the full Powered Home rankings.
A Wi-Fi smart speaker with stereo sound from one cabinet, built in Alexa, AirPlay 2 and HEOS multiroom.
A compact Gemini smart speaker that doubles as a smart home hub with a Thread border router and Matter support.
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
| Denon Home 250 | Google Home Speaker | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $549.00 each | $99.99 each |
| Ranked | #13 of 29 in Medium Size Powered Desktop Speakers | #13 of 15 in Small Size Powered Desktop Speakers |
| Aux Input | Yes | No |
| Battery Life | No Battery | No Battery |
| IP Rating | None | None |
| Party Mode | Yes (HEOS multi-room, stereo pair with a second Home 250) | Yes (Wi-Fi multi-room, Chromecast built-in) |
| Power Input | External AC adapter | USB-C (30W adapter, power only, no USB Audio) |
| Stereo | Yes | No |
| Weight | 8.2 lbs (3.7 kg) | 0.9 lbs (396 g) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (2.4/5GHz) | Yes (Wi-Fi 6, dual-band) |
| App | Yes (HEOS) | Yes (Google Home) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes | Yes (3 far-field mics, hardware mute switch) |
| EQ | No | Yes (Bass/Treble, via Google Home app) |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| TWS | No | No (two units pair only through a Google TV Streamer, not with each other directly) |
| Amplifier Power | 80W (Class D, combined) | - |
| Drivers | 2x 19mm tweeters, 2x 102mm mid-bass drivers, 133mm passive radiator | 58mm full-range driver |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, USB, 3.5mm aux | 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 | Yes | No |
| HDMI Input | No | No |
| AES Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 | 5.4 |
| Dimensions | 11.8” x 8.7” x 4.7” (300 x 220 x 120 mm) | 3.4” x 4.2” x 4.2” (86.6 x 107 x 107 mm) (H x diameter) |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa | Google Assistant / Gemini for Home |
| Streaming Services | HEOS app streaming (Spotify, Amazon Music, Tidal, Deezer, SoundCloud, TuneIn), AirPlay 2 | Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect |
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