Smart speakers are the new battleground for your home and wireless needs. Google, Samsung and Apple have captured our hands and eyes with our smartphones and tablets, but Amazon is winning the battle for our voice. Siri has been a weak product since its launch while Google is pushing its voice assistant hard with the Google Home and Google Assistant. Amazon owns over 70% of the smart speaker market share and its growth isn’t slowing down anytime soon. You’ve probably seen or heard an Amazon Alexa Echo, Dot, Tap or Show and realize how cool they can be. They can order a pizza, a ride from uber, turn on/off smart lights, turn up/down your temperature on your smart thermostat and a more with new skills being added every week. As of July the Alexa voice assistant has over 15,000 skills to help you get through your day. The one skill I use most, and one you’re most likely to use is Alexa’s ability to play music.
The one downside to all of the Echo devices is their lack of music quality. While the music playback is certainly good enough for most users, it still leaves much to be desired for people who love their music. For home audio, my goto smart device is the Echo Dot since it has a 3.5mm audio output that I connect to my amplifier in my home office. There’s no better combination of devices, but for wireless options I need more.
You may not have known this, but there are a slew of premium wireless speakers that are Amazon Alexa Certified. They come with all of the premium sound features as speakers first, smart speaker second type devices which means they’re for music lovers who want added convenience.
Here’s a list of 8 premium Amazon Alexa Certified wireless speakers.
UE Megaboom – $220-300 at Amazon, Best Buy and Ultimate Ears
Ultimate Ears offers some of the most popular wireless speakers on the market. Its Megaboom and Boom 2 gained Alexa support this summer. UE continuously updates its firmware on its wireless speakers to add value and functionality that no one else offers. It added the ability to pair to over 50 wireless speakers called Party Mode(Boom, Boom 2 and Megaboom) which no one else can match. Beyond that, the Megaboom is the largest wireless offering from UE which offers premium sound, looks and water-resistance. You can only go right with this speaker. It’s been out for over a year, but is still a leader among wireless speakers and rarely drops below $220.
JAM Symphony WiFi Speaker – $149.99 at Amazon, Best Buy and JAM
Music over WiFi is better than over Bluetooth. WiFi carries more bandwidth than Bluetooth which means you will hear more details from your music with speakers like the JAM Symphony. If you want whole home audio, simply add more Symphony speakers throughout your home and create groups with Amazon Alexa. The Symphony has exceptional stereo sound, dedicated tweeters, and immense bass. It’s perfect for large rooms, such as family rooms and great rooms. Sync up to 8 JAM WiFi speakers for an instant home sound solution — no wiring or installation required.
Invoxia Smart Portable Speaker – Starting at $99 at Amazon
Not only can you access all of Alexa’s smart abilities with the Triby, but you can also make VOIP calls without your smartphone too. The Triby is a great addition to the home, especially for those with young ones who need occasionally need access to a phone.
Omaker WoW – $79.99 at Amazon
Omaker might not be well-known to the non tech enthusiast, so if you haven’t heard of it we won’t blame you. We can tell you that it is one of the best-selling third-party accessory makers on Amazon with a wide range of products. The WoW is Omaker’s first attempt at a smart speaker and it’s certainly cheaper than the Echo and Tap. It has dual 4-watt drivers to make music sound great in any room of the home. It’s portable too so you can bring it with you when you move throughout the house.
COWIN DiDa – $89.99 at Amazon
With its dual 7.5-watt acoustic drivers and frequency response of 50Hz-20KHz, the COWIN DiDa can stream loud and crystal clear stereo sound. Room filling powerful sound, perfect for home, dorm room, kitchen, car and parties. The DiDa has a built-in battery so you can play your music for up to nine hours away from a wall outlet.
DOSS Assistant – $69.99 at Amazon
DOSS is one of the most popular third-party wireless speaker manufacturers on Amazon. It has 18 years of experience in the industry, and the speaker like the DOSS Touch wireless speaker is proof it is one of the best. DOSS recently released the Assistant with Amazon Alexa and it’s one of the cheapest options available today with a price tag of just $69.99. It’s one of the more powerful budget options with a 10W driver and 10W subwoofer. It has eight-hour playback capacity for when you want to move it throughout the home.
UE Boom 2 – Starting at $129.99 at Amazon, Best Buy and Ultimate Ears
If you want a speaker that’s a little more portable than the UE Megaboom, the Boom 2 is a solid alternative. It offers all of the same features as the Megaboom in a smaller package and smaller price tag. You can still connect over 50 of these speakers together, while having the ability to use Alexa whenever you need help.
Jam Voice – Starting at $39.99 at Jam and Amazon
If you want Alexa in the smallest form factor available, then you need the Jam Voice. Just tap the speaker to ask Alexa a question, like “What’s the weather?” or “How is my commute looking this morning?” With up to four hours of play time, the JAM Voice pairs with other speakers in the JAM Wi-Fi family for a whole-home sound solution. You can also control it using the free JAM app.
Can you please tell us about the Sharper Image Amazon Alexa and how it compares to the 8 speakers listed in this article?
Thank you!