Table of Content
- Google Home Max review
- Supported Audio Formats
- Google's Pixel and Nest smart home devices are back at Black Friday prices
- A big speaker that nails the small touches
- Google Home Max Speaker Watts / PyleHome - PDWT6 - Home and Office - Home Speakers - Sound : In theory would this combine to …
- Who should get the Google Home Max?
- Does the Google Home Max spy on you?
As all Google commands work, you need to start with, “Okay, Google” and then say, “connect to Bluetooth”. The Nest Audio supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth streaming but lacks a 3.5mm input and ethernet port. Ambient IQ works well when streaming podcasts and listening for Google Assistant responses. Running water triggers Nest Audio to increase volume levels when streaming podcasts.

With a volume sub-score of 132, the Google Home Max comes very close to our top-ranking speaker in this category. It performed remarkably well in every use case we put it through, from bedtime to partying, to relaxing at home, friendly gatherings, in the kitchen, the bathroom, and even outdoors. But there’s still room for improvement, especially in the high-ends, where instruments such as hi-hat cymbals lack precision, and at soft volumes , where punch is slightly lacking.
Google Home Max review
The main reason to get the HomePod mini is if you already own an Apple device and want something silly simple to set up and use. The Sonos One has an advanced microphone system that effectively picks up your speaking voice even if there’s some background din. While the Sonos One doesn’t have an official IP rating, it is humidity resistant so you can bring it into the bathroom during a shower without issue. Typically treble notes are hard for single-body speakers to reproduce well, but that's why the dedicated tweeter is important. To connect with a PC or Mac proceed the way you would any other Bluetooth device. Conversely, you can also try pairing by utilizing voice commands.

That said, browsing is basically impossible because you’re interfacing with your TV through voice. You have to know what you want to watch, and then tell the Google Home Max to cast it. Cleverly, the speaker’s touch controls adapt to the orientation that you’ve selected. Sitting horizontally, moving your finger left to right increases the volume.
Supported Audio Formats
If you’re looking for a party speaker, you’ll have to invest in the Google Home Max instead. The Google Nest Audio has a mute switch on the back that physically disconnects the microphone when you don’t want it listening for the hot word. If you’re not fond of automatic EQs, you can always adjust the speaker’s sound signature from the Google Home app. Google provides users with a basic equalizer, and I do mean basic. You can adjust the bass and treble to be “less” and “more.” Yes, that’s all you get.
The bass response, moderately affected by a lack of low-end extension and a few resonances, remains fairly good overall. DXOMARK timbre tests measure how well a speaker reproduces sound across the audible tonal range and takes into account bass, midrange, treble, tonal balance, and volume dependency. The Google Home speakers light up to show when they’re listening, but sometimes they might be triggered on accidentally by something that sounds similar to the hotword. Using the Home Max requires your voice to call up the tunes, or you can do things strictly on your iPhone, Android device or tablet by tapping the Cast button in your favorite streaming app. The sound fills the room, especially if you have other Google Cast-enabled speakers to help out. But even by itself, it’s plenty strong enough to bring the party – even if it’s not capable of 360-degree sound like the Apple HomePod.
Google's Pixel and Nest smart home devices are back at Black Friday prices
But if it’s sitting upright, it flips the motion so that moving your finger down toward the surface will quiet it. The Google Home Max is the first smart speaker we've seen with serious audio performance. If you're looking for a voice-activated speaker and want excellent sound quality, the Google Home Max is the best option on the market. If you want great audio and don't want to mess around with more complicated speaker setups, the Home Max is a solid option. You can program the HomePod mini to recognize up to six people’s voices which is useful for those who live with multiple roommates or family members.
Most of the controls come from your voice, commanding Siri, but you can also tap the touchpad for basic playback and volume controls. The Sonos One is a pricier speaker at $219 USD and with that you get a sleeker design, ethernet port, and more comprehensive app. With the Sonos app, you can equalize the sound to a minimal degree, create a multi-room system, use it as your go-to media player, and more. You take and receive calls to and from mobile phones, tablets, and more directly through Google Duo—so long as you’ve set up Duo calling. You can call non-Duo affiliated numbers, though emergency calls can’t be made from the Nest Audio speaker.
A big speaker that nails the small touches
Dynamics are impressively well preserved at soft and quiet volumes. Despite the promised “clear stereo sound in the entire room,” the sound stage could be much wider. It is actually only when standing close to the speaker that a listener can perceive a stereo dimension.
Around back you’ll get the power supply input, a 3.5mm input, and a physical mute switch. The mute switch doesn’t stop music playback, it just turns off the microphone so it isn’t always listening for the hotword. Speaking of which, I found that the microphones on the Google Home Max aren’t too good at picking up my voice when music was playing around 75% or above. I found myself borderline yelling “Okay Google” and sometimes, even then I would just have to walk over to it and physically lower the volume. Once you’ve got it connected to your router then all that you need to do to connect to it is press the cast icon that pops up in the app you’re using.
You should know that WiFi is mandatory as there is no ethernet input if you want to connect it directly to a modem. The Home Max is a great sounding, fully integrated smart speaker if volume and audio quality are your priority. It’s too expensive, too big, and too loud to fit in most rooms, so it’s best suited for a living room or larger space.
When it comes to setting up a home audio system, it usually requires some confusion and a bunch of cables. That’s been slowly getting better , but that’s not an issue at all with the Google Home Max. Setting it up is as easy as plugging it in and opening up the Google Home app. It’s very similar to how easy Sonos makes setting up with their app. The Google Home app walks you through step-by-step how to connect the speaker to your wireless router and get it ready for streaming.
Take a listen below as I speak from different distances and rub my hands together to create background noise. From your phone, you can also connect the way you would any other Bluetooth audio device. If you have multiple Nest speakers or Nest displays in your home, you can broadcast to certain ones or to the entire house. This is great when your kids are in their bedrooms, and you want to let them know dinner’s ready without yelling at the top of your lungs. Sit back, relax, and nestle in with Google’s latest smart speaker. The Google Home Max is a beefcake of a speaker, with an enclosure measuring 13.2 inches wide, 7.4 inches high, and 6.0 inches deep.

If you're just looking for an Alexa alternative, maybe consider one of the cheaper Home speakers. Google Assistant is tough to beat and the hardware mostly stands on its own. It’s not the most stellar piece of audio equipment at its price point, but Google’s engineered something that works right out of the box.
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