The 6 Best Alexa Speakers - Spring 2021 Reviews

The best speaker for Alexa that we've tested is the Sonos Move. This versatile Bluetooth model has Alexa and Google Assistant built-in, which require a Wi-Fi connection to be used. It has no trouble understanding you when you're far away, and it still understands you decently well if you're in a noisy environment.

Out-of-the-box, it has a balanced sound profile, especially in the mid-range, so vocals and lead instruments are reproduced accurately. Its companion app also has a room correction feature and bass and treble sliders, letting you tweak the sound profile to your liking. This speaker is very well-built and even comes with an IP56 rating for dust and water resistance, though we don't currently test for this. Its battery lasts over ten hours on a single charge, which should be enough for most long listening sessions.

However, its Bluetooth latency is high with iOS and Android devices, so it may not be suitable for watching videos. That said, some apps compensate for latency differently, so your real-world experience may vary. Overall, its balanced sound profile and built-in Alexa support make it a solid choice.

The best home speaker for Alexa that we've tested is the Bose Home Speaker 500. This wired option has Alexa and Google Assistant built-in, and it has no trouble understanding you even if you're far away or in a noisy room. It also has a mic mute button, as well as a display screen that shows the time and information about the music you're listening to.

It has a fairly balanced sound profile out-of-the-box, with a balanced mid-range that makes vocals and lead instruments sound clear in the mix. However, its treble range is underemphasized, so the higher frequencies of these same instruments may sound a bit dull or veiled. Thankfully, its companion app has bass and treble adjustments that let you tweak the sound profile to your liking. It can also get quite loud, though there's some compression present at max volume.

Unfortunately, it's not well-suited for outdoor use, since it needs to be plugged into a power source for it to be used. Also, it struggles to produce a thumpy, rumbling low-bass, which may disappoint fans of bass-heavy music genres. That said, it's a suitable choice if you want a home speaker with outstanding Alexa support.

The best portable speaker for Alexa that we've tested is the Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST. This small and lightweight model has Alexa built-in, and it can hear you clearly even if you're far away, though it doesn't understand you quite as easily in a noisy environment. There's also a mic mute feature if you want it to stop listening to you.

It has an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance, though we don't currently test for this. Out-of-the-box, it has a fairly neutral sound profile, making it suitable for listening to a variety of audio content. Like many small speakers, it struggles to produce a thumpy low-bass, but its companion app has a graphic EQ as well as preset EQ settings, which lets you customize the sound profile to your liking. Thanks to its 360-degree design, its soundstage is perceived as open and spacious, and it can even play stereo content without downmixing it into mono.

However, its battery only lasts around eight hours, which may not be enough for long listening sessions. Also, while its companion app has a Party Mode feature that lets you link multiple speakers to amplify your audio, there's no Multi-Room feature for linking multiple speakers across separate rooms. That said, if you're looking for a portable speaker with Alexa built-in, it's a solid choice.

The Amazon Echo Gen 4 is the best budget speaker for Alexa that we've tested. It's a wired model that has Alexa built-in, which you can use over Wi-Fi and activate with your voice. It understands you easily, even if you're far away or in a noisy environment, and there's even a mic mute button if you want it to stop listening.

Its sound profile is somewhat boomy out-of-the-box, and also a bit dark. However, it has a well-balanced mid-range that makes vocals and lead instruments sound clear and present in the mix. Using the Amazon Alexa app, you can adjust the bass and treble to your liking and pair multiple speakers to amplify your audio at a party or play music across multiple rooms. Its Bluetooth latency with iOS and Android devices is low enough to make it suitable for watching videos, although some apps compensate for latency differently.

Unfortunately, it doesn't get very loud, and there's quite a bit of compression present when you use it at max volume, so it may not be suitable for playing music in large or crowded rooms. Also, like many small speakers, it struggles to produce low-bass. However, if you're looking for a home speaker with Alexa built-in, it offers a solid performance at a more affordable price point.