Short answer: the Google Nest Audio. It ranks #5 of 10 powered desktop speakers by sound quality at $99.99; the Denon Home 350 ranks #6 and costs $749, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
The case for the Denon Home 350: RTINGS measured it getting pretty loud with lossless streaming support from platforms like Roon, Tidal and Spotify, and found its Alexa voice assistant support outstanding, with hands-free far-field mics built directly into the speaker. The tradeoff: RTINGS measured a slightly boomy sound profile out of the box and disappointing directivity, so the sound changes noticeably off to the side of the cabinet, plus compression artifacts as it nears max volume.
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 Google Nest Audio. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Denon Home 350 and costs less, which settles it without a real tradeoff to make.
Want more options? Browse the full Powered Home rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Denon Home 350 | Google Nest Audio | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $749 each | $99.99 each Discontinued |
| Ranked | #6 of 6 in Large Size Powered Desktop Speakers | #5 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 350) | Yes (Wi-Fi multi-room, Chromecast built-in) |
| Power Input | External AC adapter | External AC adapter (30W, 24V, DC jack) |
| Stereo | Yes | No |
| Weight | 14.8 lbs (6.7 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 (far-field) | Yes (3 far-field mics, hardware mute switch) |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Treble sliders) | Yes (Bass/Treble, via Google Home app) |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| TWS | No | Yes (Wi-Fi stereo pairing via Google Home app) |
| Drivers | 2x 0.75-inch tweeters, 2x 2-inch midrange drivers, 2x 6.5-inch woofers | 75mm woofer, 19mm tweeter |
| 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 | 15" x 9.1" x 7.1" (380 x 230 x 180 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, Tidal, Amazon Music, Deezer, SoundCloud, TuneIn), AirPlay 2, Roon | 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 worthwhile head-to-heads for Google Nest Audio:
- Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen vs Google Nest Audio
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- Denon Home 150 vs Google Nest Audio
- Apple HomePod Mini vs Google Nest Audio
- Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen vs Google Nest Audio
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 350: $749 each Amazon eBay
Pros: RTINGS measured it getting pretty loud with lossless streaming support from platforms like Roon, Tidal and Spotify, and found its Alexa voice assistant support outstanding, with hands-free far-field mics built directly into the speaker. Two 0.75-inch tweeters, two 2-inch midrange drivers and two 6.5-inch woofers are each driven by their own Class D amp, six in total, and the companion app adds bass and treble sliders for room-to-room tuning.
Cons: RTINGS measured a slightly boomy sound profile out of the box and disappointing directivity, so the sound changes noticeably off to the side of the cabinet, plus compression artifacts as it nears max volume. Bluetooth latency measured extremely high on both iOS and Android, making it a poor match for watching video over Bluetooth, and there’s no battery, so it’s an indoor, mains-powered speaker only.
Full Denon Home 350 review and specifications →
| AES Input | No |
|---|---|
| App | Yes (HEOS) |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Battery Life | No Battery |
| Bluetooth | Yes, 5.4 |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (far-field) |
| Coaxial Input | No |
| Dimensions | 15" x 9.1" x 7.1" (380 x 230 x 180 mm) |
| Discontinued | No |
| Drivers | 2x 0.75-inch tweeters, 2x 2-inch midrange drivers, 2x 6.5-inch woofers |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Treble sliders) |
| 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 350) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | External AC adapter |
| RCA Input | No |
| Stereo | Yes |
| Streaming Services | HEOS app streaming (Spotify, Tidal, Amazon Music, Deezer, SoundCloud, TuneIn), AirPlay 2, Roon |
| TRS Input | No |
| TWS | No |
| USB Input | Yes |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa |
| Weight | 14.8 lbs (6.7 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (2.4/5GHz) |
| XLR Input | No |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
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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 Apple HomePod Mini
- Google Nest Audio vs Denon Home 150
- Google Nest Audio vs Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen
- Google Nest Audio vs Amazon Echo Dot Max
- Google Nest Audio vs Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen
- Google Nest Audio vs Google Home Speaker
- Google Nest Audio vs Google Nest Mini 2nd Gen
- Google Nest Audio vs Amazon Echo Pop
- See all 26 comparisons