Short answer: the Denon Home 250. It ranks #13 of 29 powered desktop speakers by sound quality (rated 3.7/5) at $549 and is still sold new; the Google Nest Audio ranks #9 (rated 3.3/5) and is discontinued, so it is only an option used. The Google Nest Audio’s replacement, the Google Home Speaker, is rated 3.0/5 at $99.99.
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 Google Nest Audio lacks. It plays in stereo from a single unit, unlike the Google Nest Audio. 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 Nest Audio does well: An affordable Google Assistant speaker with Chromecast casting and respectable bass from one small box. It supports AAC Bluetooth, which the Denon Home 250 lacks. It has an adjustable EQ, which the Denon Home 250 lacks. Watch for: Each unit is mono; a genuine left-right stereo pair means buying two and pairing them over Wi-Fi.
Buy the Denon Home 250. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the Google Nest Audio is discontinued, so it is only available used.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Powered Home rankings.
A Wi-Fi smart speaker with stereo sound from one cabinet, built in Alexa, AirPlay 2 and HEOS multiroom.
An affordable Google Assistant speaker with Chromecast casting and respectable bass from one small box.
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 Nest Audio | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $549.00 each | $99.99 each Discontinued |
| Ranked | #13 of 29 in Medium Size Powered Desktop Speakers | #9 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 | External AC adapter (30W, 24V, DC jack) |
| Stereo | Yes | No |
| Weight | 8.2 lbs (3.7 kg) | 2.6 lbs (1.2 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (2.4/5GHz) | Yes (802.11 b/g/n/ac, 2.4GHz/5GHz) |
| App | Yes (HEOS) | Yes (Google Home) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC, AAC |
| 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 | Yes (Wi-Fi stereo pairing via Google Home app) |
| Amplifier Power | 80W (Class D, combined) | 30W (2x Class D) |
| Drivers | 2x 19mm tweeters, 2x 102mm mid-bass drivers, 133mm passive radiator | 75mm woofer, 19mm tweeter |
| 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 | 5.0 |
| Dimensions | 11.8” x 8.7” x 4.7” (300 x 220 x 120 mm) | 6.9” x 4.9” x 3.1” (175 x 124 x 78 mm) (H x W x D) |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa | Google Assistant |
| Streaming Services | HEOS app streaming (Spotify, Amazon Music, Tidal, Deezer, SoundCloud, TuneIn), AirPlay 2 | Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect |
| 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 | - | 1.71 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | - | 4.06 |
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