We essay a number of wireless utterer every year that boast multi - room capabilities . but not every multi - room talker will necessarily suit you , so we make this inclination to help you find the in force multi - room verbalizer
And considering the vehemence on multi - way , we ’ve not sick an regalia of speakers at you just to satisfy a best inclination , different price tiers or a weird class for a multi - elbow room speaker . We ’ve gone for the best loudspeaker in each multi - elbow room system that we ’ve review , so whether you ’re someone who favours Apple , or is in the Amazon Echo organisation ( replication - organization ? ) , or perhaps even Sonos , we ’ve picked our the best rival for those and other multi - elbow room system .
And the criteria for these choices isn’tjustabout how they vocalize , though that forms the bulk of our assessment since who want a poor - sounding speaker unit ? We also take into consideration their feature set , how easy they are to use through their control apps , and which music streaming services they support .
If you ’re concerned in other types of wireless speakers , jibe out our pages forbest outdoor speaker , well smart speakersand ourbest Bluetooth speakers .
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Learn more about how we test wireless speakers
We play a lot of music , and we fiddle it trashy . We play it everywhere – in the house , in the garden , and even in the bath if a loudspeaker is waterproofed .
We do n’t just take heed to the loudspeaker system ; if there are special features then we ensure we fiddle with them until we ’re quenched . Recently , some Bluetooth speakers have start to get smart functionality with the integration of Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant , and as a result we ’ve started speaking to our verbalizer as well .
Of naturally , it always come back to the music . Speakers are try out by referee who have a love of medicine , a knowledge of reasoned quality , as well as a context of the marketplace . We ’ll take heed to wireless speaker system alongside similarly price rivals , so when we recommend a particular model , it ’s among the practiced you may bribe for the money .
Obviously , we know not everyone has the same taste in music , so we wo n’t only try out with the same utterly mastered album , but with a variety of music genre and file quality , from MP3 to Hi - Res FLAC .
Apple HomePod Mini
Pros
Cons
Amazon Echo Dot (4th Generation)
Sonos Era 100
Denon Home 150
Audio Pro C10 MkII
Trusted Score
You might think we ’d opt for theHomePod 2 , but for multi - room listening theHomePod miniis the best for iOS users . It ’s less expensive at £ 99 / $ 99 , which means you could add several to a house .
Like its large sib , the HomePod mini looks neat in any setting . Available in a range of colours , you may find a look that suits your tastes and décor . It ’s smaller than theEcho Dot 5th Genmodel and weighs 345 K , progress to it tripping and easier to store than the HomePod 2 .
You do need an iOS twist to coif it up , and it comes with a jailed cable , which our referee was not fond of as if it were to get damage , the whole social unit would need to be taken back for service .
Multiple update have add new features but the HomePod mini stay an iOS - centric gadget . Apple Musicoffers the unspoiled integration in full term of music serving with direct control from another gadget , peculiarly when playing medicine to multiple devices . With Spotify , it ’s restricted to one raceway at a time whereas with Apple Music you may roleplay different songs on unlike speakers . However , Apple has opened up third - party ascendency to the the likes of ofAmazon Musicand Pandora . We ’d care to see the likes of Spotify and Tidal make the cutting off too .
The reasoned output of the HomePod mini belies its size . It generates a gravid strait from its small inclosure , with good bass output and a balanced carrying out across the frequency range . There ’s not as much detail as there is on the HomePod 2 , but for a verbalizer of this sizing , this is a capable - sounding travail , at clip subtle and at other clock time capable to travail into a bass threatening track with flavour .
It can achieve a mellow volume , able to occupy any room but still maintain clarity , and if you get a stereo yoke the HomePod mini sounds even better . Consider you’re able to buy two mini speakers for less than aSonos Era 100and this utterer is one of the undecomposed bargain around – as long as you ’re an iOS user .
Compared to former propagation , theAmazon Echo ( 4th Generation)features an all newfangled design , style as a large formal , so while it ’s not as techy - looking as previoud models , we think It ’s a dear choice . It conform to in your home much better , and it comes in a broad choice of color which let in wood coal , glacier white and twilight blue .
The position light is now at the bottom of the speaker , so when the speaker unit receive a notification , the speaker does n’t distracting light a room up in the same mode as force . You still get the same set of tactile control on top , with a silent clit to stop Alexa from mind to what you ’re say .
In term of its auditory sensation , the Amazon Echo has two 0.8 - inch tweeters and a 3 - in woofer make the Echo ( fourth multiplication ) and for a speaker of its sizing , we found it vocalise pretty dear in our tests . The wakeless tone is a footmark up that we no longer long for a better audio system . Detail levels are better than before , and there ’s more plan of attack and bass with this theoretical account than there was with previos Echo talker . It ’s not the best - sounding Echo , that accolade would go to theEcho Studio , but for the money it ’s an pleasurable effort .
And of track there ’s multi - way documentation , allowing you to act euphony across multiple Echo equipment in a family . It only support Alexa multi - elbow room though , so if you were hope forAirPlay , the HomePod mini would be a more suitable selection .
Sonos has long been a major advocate of wireless , multi - elbow room speakers , and theSonos Era 100is one of itsbest speaker .
The Era 100 is a wirelesssmart speakerthat boasts hands - free ascendancy fromAmazon Alexaand Sonos ’ own Voice Control although it does not sustain Google Assistant . disregarding , we found the vox desegregation offered easy control , and if you do n’t like voice assistants listen all the time , you may become them off whole .
As for its audio , the One bring forth a very good auditory sensation . It ’s not as balanced across the frequency range as theSonos Onewas , lacking a little subtlety in the midrange . But it does offer bass and richer freshwater bass , a clear mid - range and a more defined treble carrying out . The soundstage is wide and spacious , specially from such a small building block as we found no issues with it filling the mid - sized room the speaker system is in .
There are multi - elbow room systems other than Alexa , Sonos , and Apple ; and Denon ’s HEOS is one such choice . We ’d pace theHome 150as one of the better buys within a HEOS band - up , partly because of its size of it and mainly because it ’s the cheapest Home speaker at £ 219 / $ 249 .
That price undercuts the Sonos Era 100 too , and the Home 150 carries similar features to its Sonos contender . There ’s built - in support forAmazon Alexavoice command ( there ’s alsoGoogle Assistantcompatibility ) , along withAirPlay 2(so you could add the Denon to an iOS multi - room solidification - up as well ) ; and via the HEOS app there is integration with music rain cats and dogs services such asAmazon Music , Tidal , Deezer , and Napster . Spotify Connectis also enabled , allowing for another means of creating a multi - room audio system .
The HEOS app is a kempt , efficient looking interface ; though we choose the modern sheen and fundamental interaction of the Sonos app which feels much skillful to practice . Hi - rhenium audiois supported via USB with 24 - bit/192kHz FLAC , WAV , ALAC , and DSD 2.8/5.6MHz supported .
The Home 150 can expect slightly on the anonymous side but that admit it to vanish into the surround it ’s in . We specially like the glass touch panel with propinquity controls , it add together some class and elegance to the speaker ’s aesthetics and usability .
The sound is rich and warm , but no less dynamic for it . voice are richly multiply , with mountain of weight and heave to the low relative frequency and a smart functioning with mellow frequencies . If you want a bigger , more powerful carrying out , there ’s always the option ofHome 250andHome 350units .
compare to theSonos geological era 100we find that the Denon vocalise the more musical of the two , with a more fluid and expressive in its midrange delivery . If you ’re study a speaker system that can be used for party , then the geological era 100 pack a bigger punch .
TheAudio Pro C10 MkIIbrings with it some notable smarts in the add-on bothApple AirPlay 2andGoogle Caststreaming to an already pack set when it comes to connectivity .
Alongside this , the verbalizer also has the power to work viaBluetooth , Audio Pro ’s own multi - way system , and also RCA - stimulus or a 3.5 millimetre jak that you could a plug a turntable into and blast your vinyl euphony to other machine-accessible speakers .
The Audio Pro app offers load of options , with access to good compass of cyclosis services ( Tidal , Qobuz , Amazon Music , Deezer ) and internet radio , as well as EQ presets . Connection to other speakers is simple whether it ’s pairing to another speaker in the Audio Pro app or grouping utterer together in Google Home or AirPlay .
In addition , the design has been tweaked to offer a fabric front panel that can be remove magnetically , so you have the choice of either look at this , or staring at the discover drivers . We found the C10 MkII to seem stylish in both modes . This is quite a giving speaker , so we ’d hint you make certain there ’s a decorous amount of blank space for it .
During testing , we found the sound recording to big and meaty with the low frequencies and pop the question a detailed and crisp top end . transition from loud to quiet are well handled , while its good sense of timing , and the energetic rate of flow of its delivery make the C10 MkII for a fun - sound speaker .
Multi - room refers to the act of group wireless audio systems together to represent / control euphony throughout a home . For example , Multi - way systems can allow for the same objet d’art of medicine to be dally on all connect system , or different music played on each private speaker .
Test Data
Full Specs
