Short answer: the Sonos Era 100. It ranks #16 of 29 powered desktop speakers by sound quality, rated 3.6/5, at $217.99. The Google Home Speaker ranks #13, rated 3.0/5, at $99.99, $118 cheaper, not enough of a saving to outweigh the sound-quality gap.
The case for the Google Home Speaker: A compact Gemini smart speaker that doubles as a smart home hub with a Thread border router and Matter support. 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.’
The case for the Sonos Era 100: A compact Wi-Fi smart speaker with stereo from two angled tweeters, Trueplay room tuning, Alexa and Sonos multiroom. It plays in stereo from a single unit, unlike the Google Home Speaker. Watch for: RTINGS’ own two listed cons are not loud enough for larger rooms and very little low-bass thump, so genres like EDM and hip-hop lack rumble even with the tone adjustments.
Buy the Sonos Era 100. It is rated higher for sound quality, and saving $118 with the Google Home Speaker does not make up for the sound-quality gap.
Want more options? Browse the full Powered Home rankings.
A compact Gemini smart speaker that doubles as a smart home hub with a Thread border router and Matter support.
A compact Wi-Fi smart speaker with stereo from two angled tweeters, Trueplay room tuning, Alexa and Sonos multiroom.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Google Home Speaker | Sonos Era 100 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $99.99 each | $217.99 each |
| Ranked | #13 of 15 in Small Size Powered Desktop Speakers | #16 of 29 in Medium Size Powered Desktop Speakers |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Battery Life | No Battery | No Battery |
| IP Rating | None | None |
| Party Mode | Yes (Wi-Fi multi-room, Chromecast built-in) | Yes (Sonos multi-room, AirPlay 2) |
| Power Input | USB-C (30W adapter, power only, no USB Audio) | External AC adapter |
| Stereo | No | Yes |
| Weight | 0.9 lbs (396 g) | 4.5 lbs (2.02 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (Wi-Fi 6, dual-band) | Yes (Wi-Fi 6) |
| App | Yes (Google Home) | Yes (Sonos S2) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (3 far-field mics, hardware mute switch) | Yes (far-field, mic mute button) |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Treble, via Google Home app) | Yes (Bass/Treble + Trueplay room correction) |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| TWS | No (two units pair only through a Google TV Streamer, not with each other directly) | Yes (stereo pairing via Sonos app) |
| Drivers | 58mm full-range driver | 2x angled tweeters, 1x mid-woofer |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Chromecast | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB-C (line-in adapter sold separately) |
| XLR Input | No | No |
| RCA Input | No | No |
| TRS Input | No | No |
| Optical Input | No | No |
| Coaxial Input | No | No |
| USB Input | No | Yes (line-in adapter sold separately) |
| HDMI Input | No | No |
| AES Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 | 5.0 |
| Dimensions | 3.4” x 4.2” x 4.2” (86.6 x 107 x 107 mm) (H x diameter) | 7.2” x 4.7” x 5.1” (182.5 x 120 x 130.5 mm) |
| Voice Assistants | Google Assistant / Gemini for Home | Amazon Alexa |
| Streaming Services | Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect | Sonos app streaming (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and more), AirPlay 2 |
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