The Echo Show 8 is one of the devices planned to be acquired First visit Alexa+Amazon’s new voice assistant, will be launched later this spring. However, upcoming arrivals will result in privacy features that will cause your voice recordings to be stored locally before this release. As of March 28, 2025, all voice commands will Automatically send to Amazon and processed in the cloud.
Connect to Alexa.
★ Cheaper, similar echo performance: this Second Generation Echo Show 8 ($130) If you’re on new features like smart home hubs or space audio, it’s a little cheaper and still a good choice if you don’t have the heart in your heart.
The best mini speakers
If you are not in music, Amazon Echo Points (5th Generation) and Google’s Nest Mini ((7/10, wired recommendation) will give you most of the privileges of having smart speakers that you can use to make your existing speakers smarter. The sounds are very similar between models and they have almost the same footprint, so you can say that one single ecosystem based is better than the other. Therefore, we prefer Google’s ecosystem over Amazon’s.
Like any other smart speaker, you can ask it weather, answer random questions, and play white noise during bedtime to help you fall asleep. If you need an alarm clock or shower jam, squeezing it on the bedside table or even the bathroom counter is a good size.
Connect to Google Assistant.
★Clock options: We initially liked it Echo Dot with Clock ($60) Just because it can tell the time, it’s thanks to the LED clock added to the front. But Amazon has no stock most of the time, and many other retailers have it half the time, and Amazon tells us they don’t plan to restock. Amazon can announce a new generation soon, and if that happens, we will update this guide. conventional Echo Point (5th Generation) ($50) Still in stock, no clock.
The best portable speakers
Pint-sized Sonos Roaming (9/10, cable recommendation) has become our favorite Smart portable speakers. Wired reviewer Parker Hall took it to road trips, outdoor weddings, and his bike basket. The easy-to-use Sonos ecosystem works with Google Assistant and Alexa, and the speaker’s Bluetooth is out of Wi-Fi. It even includes wireless charging, which makes it an ideal speaker to put down at home between outdoor travel.
You’ll get 10 hours of listening to charge at medium volume, and this thing is rough. The IP67 rating means it can survive 3 feet of water for 30 minutes. Hall isn’t easy on speakers, and his audit department is still strong. If you want to increase your distance game, buy one of them and store it in a stainless steel cup. Have a drink along the way.
Connect to Google Assistant or Alexa.
★One option: Second generation BeoSound A1 by Bang & Olufsen ($250) Added Alexa voice assistant to the mix. This is the beautiful, great and durable mono speakers we have in us The best Bluetooth speakers Listed for a while, with Alexa dragging, it’s a great portable option for fans of Amazon Voice Assistant.
The best Dolby Atmospheric speakers
This docking speaker from Sonos (9/10, cable recommendation) is the best way to listen to a space track – Audio is mixed with more than two channels to cast anywhere in 3D space. (Everything offers both Apple Music and Amazon Prime Music.) It can perform audio throughout the room, and even with A Sonos Soundbar Working around the Dolby Atmosphere in a home theater.
Even if you don’t listen to audio mixed in space, the speakers still sound great. It has huge, confident bass and details, and can adjust your room using the built-in microphone on iOS or speakers. It’s much harder to be in the location than the ERA 100 above and it’s almost twice as expensive, but it’s still worth considering if you have more space or a modern home with a more open floor plan.
