Best Smart Speakers in the UK

The Marshall Acton II is that cool kid that hangs more with loudspeakers than with smart speakers. The reason probably has to do with the fact that this is as much the former as it is the latter, especially considering the company behind it. Still, this device has not just the brawn but also the brain to match the smart crowd and even outclass that crowd at times.

Now, before that, this unit might be commanding a small footprint, but its output is large. Between the two 15-watt Class D amps behind the tweeters and one 30-watt Class D amp powering the sub, this device produces punchy, mighty audio, keeping the sound balanced yet detailed.

Atop the unit, easily accessible, you will find volume, bass, and treble dials. Using these dials, you can fine-tune and customise the sound, matching different needs and preferences. Setting these analogue controls aside though, the product also lets you use the Marshall Voice app, with its easily digestible UI, straightforward controls, accessible tools, and intuitive resources.

The Bose HS300 plays music and follows commands with matching efficiency. At first glance, this futuristic-looking device does not necessarily appear like something that will let you enjoy awesome-sounding music yet this is precisely what this device is offering. With its 360-degree setup, the speaker produces room-rocking bass, but we are not quite going there yet.

No, first come the looks. Stretching 6.3 x 5.6 x 4.0 inches (HWD) and measuring 2.1 pounds weight-wise, this compact device can easily make a portable claim, except that it comes without an internal battery, meaning that the device remains portable as long as it is moving towards a location with an AC socket.

On the front, the speaker introduces a thin little LED strip, displaying its status. Above that, the device hosts touch-sensitive controls, including volume, play, pause, the usual suspects.

Apart from the usual suspects, flanking these buttons are the Action button, summoning the voice assistant (the product works with both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant), the mic/mute button, the AUX button that lets you switch to the wired, 3.5-mm input, and the Bluetooth button, controlling the BT module. With the last one, you can switch to Bluetooth streaming.

Amazon was one of the first to create a smart assistant for the home with their Alexa service, and this service from the very beginning has included its own Echo line of speakers. Since that first introduction, Amazon has been able to improve their Alexa service to become one of the most trusted and best known smart assistants in the world. However, we aren't reviewing the Alexa service; we are reviewing the Amazon Echo Studio Voice Assistant Smart Speaker as the device that people directly interface with, and needless to say, those who like using the Alexa service will find this voice activated smart assistant speaker to be more than capable of giving you what you want from it.

To start with, this speaker sounds quite nice wherever you put it, with crystal clear audio that won't leave any mistakes as to what is being played from it. This is helped a great deal by its Automatic room adaptation technology, which can analyse the acoustics in whichever room it is placed in and automatically adjust its sound filters to give you the best quality audio reproduction and playback. This means you won't have to worry about the room acoustics having a negative effect on the speaker, something which many people have struggled with when it comes to various smart assistant speakers.

Amazon's Alexa voice assistant service is certainly one of the most popular services available, so it should come as no surprise that there are quite a few different assistant speaker setups available for it. Although Amazon does provide their own Echo speakers, sometimes people would like some additional capabilities that Amazon's own speakers don't provide. The Sonos One (Gen 2) Voice Assistant Smart Speaker is one of those speakers made for working with Alexa that helps give users a great choice.

First of all, anyone who opts for this speaker won't be missing out on sound quality. The Sonos One includes a powerful driver that gives you excellent sound quality with a high dynamic range, making it a great choice for all kinds of audio playback. Of course, some people may not find just one speaker to fit their needs, which is where this model really shows its strength. You can purchase additional Sonos One speakers and have them linked together to provide extremely powerful audio from whichever room or rooms they are located in, ensuring that you won't miss out on this excellent speaker's capabilities from any part of your home. Even if you just opt for one speaker, though, you certainly won't be disappointed with its sound quality and capabilities.

The 3rd generation Amazon Echo basically mirrors Echo Plus except that the ZigBee hub has been removed and the device has been made more affordable. Nevertheless, despite the affordable price, this speaker offers respectable sound. In fact, the model's acoustically identical to its more expensive relative, packing the same 3-inch sub, 0.8-inch tweeter, all without forgetting the Dolby Audio unit.

Considering its size, the unit can produce considerable bass, not quite shaking the walls, no, but the unit might rattle loose objects sitting on the same table. Most bass-heavy tracks will sound deep and thumpy, even though not quite reaching into sub frequencies. The drums might start flirting with distortion when the volume is cranked all the way up but, generally speaking, the sound will remain stable and full.

From the balance angle, the device does a laudable job separating lows from mids and highs. The acoustic plucks will usually sound resonance-rich, with some strong high-frequency string texture, while the bass will be coming at you punchy and forceful.

Nevertheless, this Amazon Echo iteration makes sure that the vocals have enough presence, staying in the centre and occasionally inviting the bass and drums to take centre stage but without compromising the vocals.