The Google Nest Audio is a premium smart speaker that's larger than the Google Nest Mini. It has a sleek, stylish design available in a multitude of colors to match your home decor, and a wired design so you can plug it directly into an outlet for round-the-clock use. With built-in Google Assistant, it's designed for hands-free use, meaning you can control its features right from the comfort of your couch. You can even stream from other compatible devices over Google Chromecast, which is a nice touch.
Our Verdict
The Google Nest Audio is acceptable for music. Right out of the box, it has a fairly even sound overall, though it doesn't reproduce much low-bass, so bass-heavy music lacks thump and rumble. Its balanced mid-range ensures that voices and lead instruments sound clear. The uneven, slightly recessed treble can make higher-frequency details sound a little dull, but you can customize the bass and treble output to suit your needs. It's best suited for smaller rooms and won't fill larger or more open spaces.
- Bass and treble adjustments.
- Some compression at max volume.
The Google Nest Audio is middling for videos and movies, though it isn't designed for this use. It's Bluetooth- and Wi-Fi-compatible, so you can stream audio from your phone while you watch videos on your device. Unfortunately, there are latency issues, so the audio you hear can be out of sync with the video you see on screen. Some apps compensate for this differently, but lip-sync issues take away from the more immersive feel.
- Bass and treble adjustments.
- Some compression at max volume.
- High latency.
The Google Nest Audio is passable for podcasts. Thanks to its balanced mid-range, dialogue sounds clear and accurate from the jump. While the uneven, slightly recessed treble adds a dull quality to the mix, you can always use its bass and treble adjustments to achieve a different sound. It's best suited for near-field listening or small rooms, and you may have trouble following along in larger spaces.
- Bass and treble adjustments.
- Bluetooth and Wi-Fi compatible.
- Some compression at max volume.
- Needs to be plugged into an AC outlet.
The Google Nest Audio is great for voice assistants. With built-in Google Assistant support, you can control it using only your voice. Whether you're on the couch or further away from the device, it doesn't have any trouble hearing your commands. It can have trouble understanding you in noisier environments like parties, though. You can also mute the microphone if you don't want the device to listen to you, which is a nice touch.
- Excellent far-field performance.
- Microphone mute feature.
- Some compression at max volume.
The Google Nest Audio isn't designed for outdoor use and requires a power outlet to operate.
Changelog
- Updated Aug 28, 2026: This review has been updated to Test Bench 1.0.1. This includes the Test Bench 1.0 updates to all of our Sound tests: Frequency Response Accuracy, Raw Frequency Response, Directivity, and Loudness, as well as the revised Low-Frequency Extension calculation and related DRC updates introduced in Test Bench 1.0.1. There have also been text changes throughout the review, including to the usages and product comparisons, where applicable, to match these results. You can read more about these changes in our Test Bench 1.0 changelog and Test Bench 1.0.1 changelog.
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Updated Aug 27, 2026:
We've mentioned the Google Home Speaker in the Directivity box.
- Updated Aug 11, 2026: This review has been updated to Test Bench 1.0, which includes new results for all of our Sound tests: Frequency Response Accuracy, Raw Frequency Response, Directivity, and Loudness. There have also been text changes made throughout the review, including to the usages and product comparisons, to match these results. You can read more about these changes in our changelog.
- Updated Feb 28, 2023: Added a market comparison for the Apple HomePod (2nd generation) to the Frequency Response Accuracy box.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
This speaker comes in several different color variants, including 'Chalk', 'Charcoal', 'Sky', 'Sage', and 'Sand'. We tested the 'Chalk' variant, but we expect the others to perform similarly.
If you come across another version of this speaker, let us know in the comments, and we'll update our review.
Popular Speaker Comparisons
The Google Nest Audio smart speaker has built-in Google Assistant capabilities. It has excellent far-field performance, and you can easily mute its microphone when you don't want the speaker to hear you. Unfortunately, it doesn't get very loud and isn't suitable for outdoor use. Like the Google Nest Mini and the discontinued Google Home Max, it's compatible with the incredible Google Home app, so you can adjust its bass and treble levels and pair it with other Google speakers.
See also our recommendations for the best smart speakers, the best home speakers, and the best Google speakers.
The Google Home Speaker is better for most use cases than the Google Nest Audio. While Google has rolled out Gemini support for older speakers, like the Nest Audio, the Home Speaker features deeper Gemini integration and a built-in mic that can more easily understand your voice commands. The Home Speaker is smaller and more compact too, with better directivity to ensure audio reproduction is consistent across different listening angles. That said, the Google Nest Audio has a more balanced default frequency response, with more treble-range presence, and it can get slightly louder at max volume.
The Amazon Echo Gen 4 and the Google Nest Audio perform very similarly, but the Amazon speaker is a better choice for voice assistants. The Amazon speaker does a better job of understanding your voice in noisy environments and has lower latency on iOS and Android devices over Bluetooth. However, the Google speaker supports Google Chromecast, unlike the Amazon model.
The Google Nest Audio and the Google Nest Mini (2nd Gen) are very similar speakers with great voice assistant performances thanks to their built-in Google Assistant capabilities. However, the Nest Audio is better for music and watching videos. It also has lower latency over a Chromecast connection.
Depending on your listening habits, you may prefer either the Google Nest Audio or the Apple HomePod (2nd generation). Both smart speakers offer great voice assistant support through their respective assistants, though Apple's Siri performs slightly better in noisier environments. The Apple speaker doesn't have bass and treble adjustments like the Google speaker, so you can't customize its sound.
Test Results
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