Short answer: the Google Nest Mini 2nd Gen. It ranks #9 of 10 powered desktop speakers by sound quality at $109.95; the Denon Home 250 ranks #11 and costs $549, which makes this an easy call rather than a real tradeoff.
The case for the Denon Home 250: Two outward-angled tweeters plus two mid-bass drivers and a rear passive radiator give it true stereo separation from a single cabinet, each driven by its own Class D amp for a claimed combined 80 watts. 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.
The case for the Google Nest Mini 2nd Gen: Digital Trends’ review found it responds quickly, automatically raises music and response volume over background noise, and is built from recycled plastic. The tradeoff: Digital Trends’ main complaint was that maximum volume could be louder, and RTINGS’ independent review agrees, naming it their one real weakness.
Buy the Google Nest Mini 2nd Gen. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Denon Home 250 and costs less, so the other one has nothing left to offer.
If sound quality matters at all to you, skip the Google Nest Mini 2nd Gen. It ranks near the bottom of the 10 powered desktop speakers, so look higher up the list instead.
Want more options? Browse the full Powered Home rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Denon Home 250 | Google Nest Mini 2nd Gen | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $549 each | $109.95 each Discontinued |
| Ranked | #11 of 17 in Medium Size Powered Desktop Speakers | #9 of 10 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 (15W, DC jack) |
| Stereo | Yes | No |
| Weight | 8.2 lbs (3.7 kg) | 0.4 lbs (181 g) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (2.4/5GHz) | Yes |
| 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) | - |
| Drivers | 2x 19mm tweeters, 2x 102mm mid-bass drivers, 133mm passive radiator | 40mm driver |
| Discontinued | No | Yes |
| 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, 5.4 | Yes, 5.0 |
| Dimensions | 11.8" x 8.7" x 4.7" (300 x 220 x 120 mm) | 1.7" x 3.9" x 3.9" (42 x 98 x 98 mm) (H x W x D) |
| 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 |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More worthwhile head-to-heads for Denon Home 250:
- Apple HomePod 2nd Gen vs Denon Home 250
- Denon Home 250 vs JBL Authentics 200
- Denon Home 250 vs Google Home Max
- Denon Home 250 vs Sonos Era 100
- Amazon Echo Dot Max vs Denon Home 250
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
Denon Home 250: $549 each Amazon eBay
Pros: Two outward-angled tweeters plus two mid-bass drivers and a rear passive radiator give it true stereo separation from a single cabinet, each driven by its own Class D amp for a claimed combined 80 watts. Trusted Reviews called the sound confident and wide-ranging, with expansive, well-resolved detail and adequate low-end punch and substance. Amazon Alexa is built directly into the speaker via its own microphones, on top of AirPlay 2, Bluetooth and the HEOS multi-room app.
Cons: 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. Only network or USB-sourced audio gets full hi-res quality; MQA-powered Tidal Masters streamed through the HEOS app gets stepped down to 16-bit/44.1kHz.
Full Denon Home 250 review and specifications →
| AES Input | No |
|---|---|
| Amplifier Power | 80W (Class D, combined) |
| App | Yes (HEOS) |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Battery Life | No Battery |
| Bluetooth | Yes, 5.4 |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Coaxial Input | No |
| Dimensions | 11.8" x 8.7" x 4.7" (300 x 220 x 120 mm) |
| Discontinued | No |
| Drivers | 2x 19mm tweeters, 2x 102mm mid-bass drivers, 133mm passive radiator |
| EQ | No |
| HDMI Input | No |
| IP Rating | None |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, USB, 3.5mm aux |
| Optical Input | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (HEOS multi-room, stereo pair with a second Home 250) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | External AC adapter |
| RCA Input | No |
| Stereo | Yes |
| Streaming Services | HEOS app streaming (Spotify, Amazon Music, Tidal, Deezer, SoundCloud, TuneIn), AirPlay 2 |
| TRS Input | No |
| TWS | No |
| USB Input | Yes |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa |
| Weight | 8.2 lbs (3.7 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (2.4/5GHz) |
| XLR Input | No |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Denon Home 250 vs Google Home Max
- Denon Home 250 vs Sonos Era 100
- Denon Home 250 vs JBL Authentics 200
- Denon Home 250 vs Apple HomePod 2nd Gen
- Denon Home 250 vs Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen
- Denon Home 250 vs Amazon Echo Dot Max
- Denon Home 250 vs Amazon Echo Pop
- Denon Home 250 vs Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen
- See all 26 comparisons
Google Nest Mini 2nd Gen: $109.95 each Discontinued Amazon eBay
Pros: Digital Trends’ review found it responds quickly, automatically raises music and response volume over background noise, and is built from recycled plastic. Its 40mm driver is clearer through the midrange and treble than the larger-driver Amazon Echo Dot 3rd Gen it was tested against, though the Echo had more bass and outright volume. A physical microphone mute switch is on the side.
Cons: Digital Trends’ main complaint was that maximum volume could be louder, and RTINGS’ independent review agrees, naming it their one real weakness. There is no 3.5mm or other wired audio input of any kind. This model has been discontinued by Google in favor of the newer Google Home Speaker, so current retail listings run well above the original $49 launch price as remaining stock sells through resellers. Discontinued.
Full Google Nest Mini 2nd Gen review and specifications →
| AES Input | No |
|---|---|
| App | Yes (Google Home) |
| Aux Input | No |
| 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 | 1.7" x 3.9" x 3.9" (42 x 98 x 98 mm) (H x W x D) |
| Discontinued | Yes |
| Drivers | 40mm driver |
| 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 (15W, DC jack) |
| RCA Input | No |
| 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 / Gemini for Home |
| Weight | 0.4 lbs (181 g) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes |
| XLR Input | No |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Google Nest Mini 2nd Gen vs Amazon Echo Pop
- Google Nest Mini 2nd Gen vs Google Home Speaker
- Google Nest Mini 2nd Gen vs Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen
- Google Nest Mini 2nd Gen vs Apple HomePod Mini
- Google Nest Mini 2nd Gen vs Google Nest Audio
- Google Nest Mini 2nd Gen vs Denon Home 150
- Google Nest Mini 2nd Gen vs Amazon Echo Dot Max
- Google Nest Mini 2nd Gen vs Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen
- See all 26 comparisons