Nest Audio Vs. Home Max: How Google's New $99 Speaker Compares - Screen Rant

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When Google announced its newest Nest Audio smart speaker, it presented it as a better than Google Home solution, making various comparisons about the sound quality and volume. What wasn't mentioned was how it performed relative to the Google Home Max, which is the company's higher priced smart speaker. It's a good time to re-examine the Home Max and check just how well Nest Audio compares.

Google announced the Home Max in 2017. The largest and most expensive of its smart speakers, it features two 4.5-inch woofers and two three-quarter-inch tweeters, priced at $399. While that was the launch price, it has since dropped down to the less startling $299 price. This is a heavy device weighing about twelve pounds and measuring roughly 13 x 7 x 6 inches. That density is to be expected given the powerful speakers contained inside. The Home Max is not just about volume, though. Google introduced a system called Smart Sound that uses built-in microphones to listen to itself and intelligently adjust the equalization of the sound to match the speaker’s surroundings. This is similar to the method Apple uses with its HomePod, the most comparable product.

With the recently announced Nest Audio, Google places the emphasis on music, just as it did with its Home Max speaker in 2017. The new speaker is said to have 50-percent stronger bass than the original Google Home. The company's other smart speakers place the focus on making Google Assistant readily available throughout the home, but aren't attempting to replace a sound system that is used for music in the same way. It can sync and pair with a second Nest Audio to create a stereo sound, regardless of placement. Nest Audio is about a fifth of the physical volume of the Home Max measuring roughly 7 x 5 x 3 inches and weighing two and a half pounds. It contains a 3-inch woofer and a three-quarter-inch tweeter. Given the number and size of the woofers in each model, one Google Home Max is roughly equivalent to three Nest Audio speakers.

Three Nest Audio Versus One Google Home Max

This leads to the inevitable question of comparing three Nest Audio speakers to one Google Home Max speaker and that may be a good option. It would allow more flexibility and the ability to start one or two Nest Audio speakers and add more as the need arises. Since the Nest Audio is far more portable than the Home Max, one could rearrange at a moment's notice, creating more stereo separation for music or placing for best interaction with the Google Assistant at other times. This would be impossible with Home Max.

Of course, Google Home Max still has the advantage of size. A physically larger enclosure and larger woofers allow more bass resonance and volume. That can vary between manufacturers, but since both are Google devices, one would expect the larger system to deliver richer low frequency sound. Also, Nest Audio doesn't have the Smart Sound feature that Home Max does. For most shoppers the newer, more portable and lower cost Nest Audio will be a better smart speaker solution and one that can be expanded as needed. For audio purists, or those that want the thump of a strong bass, Home Max is clearly the better Google smart speaker choice.

Next: Nest Hub Vs. Nest Hub Max: Best Google Smart Display for the Home

Source: Google

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Alan Truly (119 Articles Published)

Alan is a Tech Writer living in Nova Scotia, Canada. A tech-enthusiast since his youth, Alan stays current on what is new and what is next. With over 30 years experience with computer, video and photo equipment, you can expect useful tips and insights in his writing. Alan has a degree in programming, many years focused on design, editing and animation. The last few years managing logistics and e-commerce operations for a mobile accessories company took much of his time. Alan is a true jack of all digital trades in this ever changing computer-enriched world. To stay flexible in thinking and in body, he practices yoga, light cardio and eats a whole food diet, based on minimally processed plants.