Short answer: the Denon Home 350. It ranks #9 of 10 powered desktop speakers by sound quality (rated 3.6/5) at $749 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.
The case for the Denon Home 350: A large Wi-Fi smart speaker that plays loud, with lossless streaming, built in Alexa that hears you well, and app tone controls. 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 catch: 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.
Why pick the Google Nest Audio: An affordable Google Assistant speaker with Chromecast casting and respectable bass from one small box. It supports AAC Bluetooth, which the Denon Home 350 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 350. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the Google Nest Audio is discontinued, so it is only available used.
Want more options? Browse the full Powered Home rankings.
A large Wi-Fi smart speaker that plays loud, with lossless streaming, built in Alexa that hears you well, and app tone controls.
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 350 | Google Nest Audio | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $749.00 each | $99.99 each Discontinued |
| Ranked | #9 of 10 in Large 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 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 |
| 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 | 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 | - | 1.71 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | - | 4.06 |
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