This has been a good year for innovation when it comes to smart speakers, not least in the area of form factor. Amazon gave its line a spherical refresh with the cylindrical Echo and hockey puck-shaped Echo Dot, followed by Apple adopting a similar approach with its latest HomePod. Google, however, is going a more conservative route with the Nest Audio. Gone is the vase-like first generation in favour of a rectangular design with soft edges. Yes, it looks more like a speaker than the preceding design but that also makes it less obtrusive.
It’s also a bit easier to find a suitable place for the Nest Audio than its competitors. Personally, I think the rounded design of Amazon and Apple’s efforts wasteful. I like having the Nest Audio standing straight against the wall of my kitchen or front room knowing there isn’t any wasted space behind it. Measuring 17.5×12.4cm, its smaller than the speakers on my Sony mini system and at 7.8cm deep it’s positively waif-like. It weighs a modest 1.2kg, which is saying a lot for the amount of tech packed into it.
As well as a 75mm woofer and 19mm tweeter, we have touch sensitive volume controls on the top corners, a quad-core A53 1.8GHz processor, Wi-Fi connectivity and three far field microphones to make sure your voice commands are captured and actioned accurately. All of this is in the service of an Android implementation preloaded with Spotify, Deezer, TuneIn, Philips Hue controls, and Google calendar. Side mention to the Nest Audio’s green credentials – it’s made from 70% recycled materials. Privacy sceptics will also appreciate the microphone on/off switch on the back of the unit. It comes in two colours, ‘chalk’ and ‘charcoal’.
Set-up was relatively simple over the Google Home app for Android and iOS. I found it took some patience to connect. It wasn’t quite as troublesome as the newest Chromecast but the experience wasn’t seamless.
When it came to voice control we found it to be a case of ‘ask and you shall receive’ at most volumes. The unit has four lights that switch on when the unit is in use, a handy visual cue that might not be as eye-catching as the Echo’s iconic blue ring, but subtlety is the watchword with the Nest Audio. This is a device that wants to be heard not seen. Out of the box we were able to listen to music from Spotify without creating an account, got the local news and weather, and asked it to set a calendar reminder. The ‘smart’ part of this smart speaker did exactly as advertised, so how about the ‘speaker’?
The success of smart speakers has been their ability to balance functionality with sound quality, and the Nest Audio impresses here as well. Our tests with pop, rock and jazz channels on Spotify revealed a warm, balanced sound with strong bass and not a hint of tinniness at the top end. Similarly, newscasts from TuneIn easily bested my FM reception and was on a par with DAB. If you really want to splurge you can even link multiple devices to create either a stereo system in one room or a multi-room audio experience via the Google Home app. A Sonos-like effect for only a fraction of the price certainly has appeal.
Which brings us to the final point on price. Smart speakers are generally affordable enough so you can be drawn into wide ecosystems and data gathering efforts. Yes, there is the microphone control switch but at less than €100, the Nest Audio is another example of getting the basics right as a way to ensure customer loyalty to the rest of the brand ecosystem.
What can be said about the Nest Audio? The price is right. The sound is great. The caveats are the same.
Price: €98.36
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