The Sonos One and Google Nest Audio are two of the best smart speakers of 2023. Both can produce immersive sound, respond to a variety of voice commands, and easily sync with the rest of your smart home. But with the Sonos One costing more than $200 and the Google Nest Audio only being $100, you might be wondering if the Sonos One is really worth your money – or if you’re better off saving $100 and yourself should opt for the cheaper Google product.
Before you pick up either smart speaker, take a closer look at the Sonos One and Google Nest Audio here.
Prices and Availability
As mentioned above, the Sonos One costs $219 but is often on sale for under $200. It is available in either black or white. Meanwhile, the Google Nest Audio costs $100 and rarely sees a big discount. Colors available include Chalk, Charcoal, Sage, Sand, and Sky. Thanks to its lower price and wide range of colors, the Google Nest Audio is the clear winner of this round.
Winner: Google Nest Audio
design
The Sonos One doesn’t do anything too fancy with its design, as it’s mostly just a rounded rectangle with a few touch controls. Most of the body is filled with small perforations, the top houses all the controls (including a way to mute the mic, adjust the volume, or change tracks), and the rear houses the cable connection and sync button. It’s a good looking device, and it’s minimal enough to fit most home decor.
Wrapped in colorful fabric, the Google Nest Audio is much more attention-grabbing than the Sonos One. Its shape is a bit more abstract, although most people would describe it as a sleek, rounded rectangle. It’s a good looking product for the most part, although the lack of physical buttons means you don’t have quite as much control as you do with the Sonos One.
With the Sonos One offering more functionality on the device and the Google Nest Audio sporting a bolder design, this round is a tie.
Winner: Tie
Loudspeakers and Sound John Velasco / Digital Trends
When it comes to audio quality, the Sonos One is the clear winner. Specs include dual digital Class-D amplifiers, a tweeter, mid-range driver, far-field microphone array, and EQ adjustable via the Sonos app. It also benefits from Trueplay – a feature that allows it to tailor its performance to your room’s acoustics.
The Google Nest Audio is no slouch (thanks to a 75mm woofer, 19mm tweeter and three far-field mics), but it just can’t keep up with the Sonos One. Considering the Sonos costs twice as much, that’s to be expected.
Both products sound great, but anyone with a discerning ear will appreciate the Sonos One.
Winner: Sonos One
Smart home connectivity
The Sonos One supports both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, while the Nest Audio only supports Google Assistant. However, it’s important to note that Nest Audio is now a Matter-enabled device, meaning it plays well with devices from other ecosystems that also support Matter. This is a list that continues to grow each month – although it’s still not the game-changer expected later this year.
Right now, Sonos One has the edge thanks to native support for Amazon and Google ecosystems.
Winner: Sonos One
Which ones should you buy?
As is so often the case with top-class products from well-known manufacturers, you can hardly go wrong with either product. If you’re on a budget and don’t mind using the Google Assistant, we’d highly recommend sticking with the cheaper Google Nest Audio. It sounds great, supports Matter, and comes in a variety of colors.
On the other hand, anyone wanting premium audio in their home should consider the Sonos One first. It’s also a great option for smart homes with other Amazon products, as native Alexa support is a huge benefit. As long as the price doesn’t put you off, the Sonos One is an excellent option for most buyers.
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