Choosing the Right Alexa Bluetooth Speaker: 5 Options
With homes becoming smarter and easier to live in, Alexa is one product that ranks high for convenience. It’s like having a virtual assistant that can help answer your questions, play your music, give you updates, and more with a single voice command.
Alexa is a smart speaker from Amazon that greatly reduces the amount of work you have to put in when it comes to playing music or audiobooks, setting reminders and alarms, and providing traffic and weather updates. Learn more by reading this article about Alexa’s features.
Alexa’s features can better your home via a good Alexa Bluetooth speaker system. It will provide quality sound, act as your voice assistant, and connect to other smart home devices. In this article, we talk about the 5 best options when it comes to buying an Alexa Bluetooth Speaker.
Table of Contents
- Bose Home Speaker 500
- Bose Home Speaker 300
- 4th Gen All-new Echo
- Bose Portable Smart Speaker
- Sonos Two Room Move Speakers
- Buyer’s Guide
- FAQs
- Final Word
1. Bose Home Speaker 500
With both Alexa and Google Assistant built-in on this smart device, the Bose Home Speaker 500 can give you wall-to-wall stereo sound from a single speaker. The presence of both virtual assistants in a single device also offers convenient, completely hands-free control.
There is an inbuilt microphone on the device. This microphone is noise-rejecting by design, which means that it will not pick up stray noises inside the house. It listens in every direction for your voice, making it easier to give commands.
Besides using voice commands, there are other ways to control this wireless speaker. You can use the Bose Music app for this smart home speaker as well, and there are 1-touch presets on top of the speaker that can easily be used to change your settings.
When it comes to connectivity, Alexa’s features in this Bluetooth speaker let you connect to it via Bluetooth, your Wifi network, Apple Airplay, or Spotify. This means that you can get amazing sound from compatible devices on these powerful speakers without any hassle.
If you have other Bose products in your home, this speaker is compatible with the Bose Smart Family as well. This lets you set up speakers in multiple rooms and pair a new device for a solid sound experience.
Specifications
- Brand: Bose
- Color: Black
- Item dimensions: 4.31 x 6.68 x 8.01 inches
- Item weight: 4.65 pounds
Pros
- The device comes with an inbuilt microphone that not only lets you give voice commands to Alexa but also lets you make and answer calls directly.
- You can get a completely hands-free experience with these speakers, as the mic is listening to you from all directions and comes with noise-rejecting technology.
- Besides voice commands, you can also use the Bose Music app on this Alexa device to change your settings and controls.
Cons
- You will have to be connected to the internet at all times to be able to use the speaker. It cannot be used as a standalone speaker offline.
- You cannot use services like the YouTube Music app on the Bose Music app.
2. Bose Home Speaker 300
With 350-degree sound and a decent speaker for bass, the Bose Home Speaker 300 is a compact speaker with excellent sound.
Alexa and Google Assistant are built into this speaker for hands-free voice control, which means that you can use the speaker as a voice assistant without touching any buttons or your phone.
The speaker comes with Wifi connectivity and integrated music streaming with Bluetooth, Apple Airplay 2, or Spotify Connect.
Controlling the settings on this speaker is quite easy as well, as you can use your voice, the Bose Music App, or the 6 one-touch presets on top of the speaker with easy access to the settings.
Making calls to other people with Bose Smart Products, Amazon Echo Products, and anyone in your contact list is easy, hands-free, and free of cost with this device as well. The compatibility with Bose Smart family lets you connect this speaker to other devices and modern soundbars.
Specifications
- Brand: Bose
- Color: Silver
- Item dimensions: 6.3 x 5.5 x 4 inches
- Item weight: 2.09 pounds
Pros
- Controlling the settings and different modes on this speaker is extremely easy with the help of the Bose Music App.
- The presence of Amazon Alexa on the speakers gives you access to Amazon Music and helps you have a hands-free experience when it comes to your commands and day-to-day activities.
- If you have a Bose soundbar or other similar speakers at home, you can set up your music experience in different rooms of the house.
Cons
- The speaker is quite small, which means that it will not give you the same volume and quality of sound as other options on this list.
- Setting up the speaker along with the pairing process for the first time can be a time-consuming and frustrating task.
3. 4th Gen All-New Echo
With an innovative spherical design that gives you 360 degrees of great sound quality, the All-new Echo is a proprietary Alexa-powered speaker from Amazon. It comes with an upward-firing woofer for heavy bass and dual tweeters for rich, detailed sound.
The sound quality on this Echo device is optimized to automatically adapt to any room it’s placed in. You can also use it as voice control for controlling not only your music and other audio devices, but also for smart homes.
With Alexa, you get many options. This device can play music, answer your questions, relay news updates, share the weather forecast, set timers and alarms, control compatible smart home devices, and much more.
This means that you get a completely hands-free experience with this device. Furthermore, smart homes include devices like lights, locks, and sensors, which can all be connected to the Echo.
The Echo also comes with a music option that allows you to calibrate multiple devices, set them up in different rooms, and play synchronized music throughout the house.
For families, this can also be used as a convenient PA system. You can announce to the whole house that dinner is ready!
Specifications
- Brand: Amazon
- Color: Charcoal
- Item dimensions: 5.7 x 5.7 x 5.2 inches
- Item weight: 970 grams
Pros
- The upward-facing woofer and dual tweeters on the speaker ensure that you get a rich audio quality with proper highs and lows and no distortion.
- The Amazon Echo is also constructed in a way to look beautiful in your home, and the spherical design comes with a light ring on the bottom that lends to the overall aesthetic of the speaker.
- Setting up compatible devices is quite simple, and you can just pair them up by saying “Alexa, discover my devices” and the speaker will do it for you.
Cons
- The speaker is quite small, and you might have to buy multiple units if you want to have a multi-room, surround sound experience.
- The attachment cord that comes with this device is white, no matter which color you order the device in. This might be a problem for some people who want the device to blend into the room.
4. Bose Portable Smart Speaker
This speaker from Bose is a versatile device that not only acts like an Alexa-powered speaker that can help you get access to music streaming services like Apple Music, but it also serves as a standalone, portable Bluetooth speaker that you can take with you on car rides or camping trips for a high-quality audio experience.
Portability is a strong aspect of this speaker, as it comes with a handle that you can easily use to carry it around. The speaker weighs just over 2 pounds, which means that transporting it will not be an issue.
The battery life on the speaker is great as well, boasting up to 12 hours of music playback on a full charge. Besides this, the construction of the speaker is quite durable and comes with a water-resistant IPX4 rating as well.
Both Alexa and Google Assistant are available on the speaker. This lets you make calls, set reminders and alarms, and check up on the news and weather by just using your voice commands.
Since this product is part of the Bose family, you can easily connect it to other Bose Smart Devices in the house, giving you a more complete experience.
Specifications
- Brand: Bose
- Color: Black
- Item dimensions: 4.09 x 4.69 x 7.56 inches
- Item weight: 2.34 pounds
Pros
- This device doubles up as both a portable speaker and as a smart assistant when it’s connected to a wi-fi network. As long as you’re connected to the internet, you can get all the benefits of Alexa and Google Assistant.
- The speaker has a loud sound and can be a part of a multi-room system if you have other Bose devices in the house.
- The rugged design and IPX4 rating of the speaker make it durable and resistant to water and other damage.
Cons
- The speaker does have a charging cradle that it can sit on at home to be connected at all times, but that has to be purchased separately.
- There are not too many third-party music options. For example, you cannot connect to your YouTube Music account.
5. Sonos Two Room Move Speakers
This set of speakers from Sonos come in a dual design and have Alexa built into their software. The speakers are quite durable and are battery-powered, which makes them portable as well if you want to take them outdoors.
Controlling the speakers is also an easy task, as they have multiple input options. You can control them via the Sonos app, Bluetooth, Airplay 2, and your voice.
When you’re connected to the wi-fi and you’re online, all your systems will be connected. When you’re offline, you can use your Bluetooth to use them as standalone speakers for your music.
The batteries included in the speakers are quite long-lasting as well, and you can get up to 11 hours of playback time on a single full charge. The speakers have a deep and powerful sound that can be enjoyed both indoors or outdoors.
If you want to keep connected at all times, there is an included charging base that comes with the package. The speakers are also compatible with USB-C chargers, so you can use your phone or laptop charger with them as well.
Specifications
- Brand: Sonos
- Color: White
- Item dimensions: 4.96 x 6.29 x 9.44 inches
- Item weight: 20.4 pounds
Pros
- These speakers come in a set of two, making it easier for you to set up your surround sound and giving you a louder, richer audio experience.
- The speakers can be charged easily with a charging base that is included in the package, or with the help of a USB-C cable.
- The speakers have a long, 11-hour battery life and can be used both as portable speakers as well as digital assistants when you’re connected to the internet.
Cons
- Since the products come in a set of two, you will have to charge them separately for the best possible audio experience.
- If you’re looking for something on a budget, these might not be the best option for you as they’re quite expensive.
Buyer’s Guide
Knowing the specifications, pros, and cons of each of the options mentioned in this list is all well and good, but you need a proper buyer’s guide to know which Alexa Bluetooth speaker will be the best option for you based on your requirements.
For this reason, we have put together a comprehensive guide based on the top characteristics of these speakers to make your decision easier.
Volume
If the quality of sound is your top priority, you need something that can provide loud, rich sounds reliably. We recommend the Sonos Two Room Move Speakers or the Bose Portable Smart Speaker.
Small and Useful
If you need a digital assistant for the house that does not take a lot of space and still gets all the work done, you can check out the Bose Home Speaker 300 or the 4th Gen All-new Echo.
Great for Families
If you have a large family with kids and you need something that can act as a digital assistant and pair up with other devices for a multi-room, surround sound experience, go with the Bose Home Speaker 500.
FAQs
Question: What is Alexa?
Answer: Alexa is a virtual assistant that takes the help of Artificial Intelligence technology, which means that you can “talk” to it. It also comes with a lot of interesting features that make it a popular choice in many smart homes.
Question: What can Alexa do?
Answer: In a smart home, Alexa can control all aspects of the house, including the lighting, temperature, locks, and sensors present in the house.
Even if you do not have a smart home and want to use Alexa as a standalone device, you can give it hands-free commands that let you play music, set alarms, announce reminders, give news and weather updates, make calls, and purchase items for you.
Question: How do I use Alexa?
Answer: Alexa is listening to you all the time, but it only sends data to the Cloud when the wake word is detected. Say “Hey Alexa,” and the smart device will listen to your words, process them, and give you a response based on what you said.
Final Thoughts on Buying an Alexa Bluetooth Speaker
As time passes by and the gadgets around you grow smarter, a completely hands-free experience is a must. You can easily set up your house so that lights, locks, sensors, alarms, and music can be controlled with the help of a digital assistant.
Alexa Bluetooth speakers are the first step in making your home smarter. These speakers give you excellent sound quality and are extremely easy to use and set up. They can improve your quality of life in subtle yet effective ways.
This article talks about the 5 best options for Alexa Bluetooth speakers available today. If you’re interested in similar topics about speakers and sound quality, please feel free to check out our other articles as well!