The Best Speakers

Your guide to this review today is by Cleaning expert Ben Murray
Published on
August 19th, 2019

Expert BioExpert Bio

Ben’s formal training and certifications in cleaning include the ASD (Advanced Structural Drying), AMRT (Applied Microbial Remediation Technician),
WRT (Water restoration technician), CCT (Carpet Cleaning technician), and bio hazard cleanup, as well as several other certifications from the IICRC. Ben has managed teams involved in cleaning projects around the United States. Ben’s passion for cleaning dates all the way back to keeping his rugby gear tidy while a young lad. Ben holds an undergraduate degree from Oxford, a Master’s degree from Oxford, and a mountain of hands on experience at the school of hard knocks.

The Cleaning Institute

Speakers today do much more than simply deliver great sound quality while playing music. However, if that’s all you want a speaker for, then there are definitely good options for you as well. Whether you use speakers for the indoors or outdoors, you want to be able to hear the sound clearly. If you like the idea of smart speakers, then it’s important for the speaker to hear your voice clearly as well.

With our 35 years of experience, we’ve evaluated just about everything possible that can be used in homes. We understand everyone has their own needs and preferences when it comes to speakers. The abundance of options can make it difficult for the average person to narrow them down, though. We used a few different testing categories to sort through the options and present you with our top three. The Echo (2nd Generation) earned our Top Pick, the Bose Companion 2 Series III earned our Honorable Mention selection and the Echo Dot (3rd Generation) is one we believe you should Also Consider.

Testing Categories

Labeling any given speaker as being the best can be very subjective. As a result, we made our testing categories as objective as possible so you can decide how important the features are to you.

Sound Quality: Most people can agree the quality of the sound coming from a speaker should be the top priority. We listened to the sound from every speaker and tested a variety of genres of music for a larger sample size.

Smart Features: Speakers with smart features scored highly in our evaluations as well. Some people may not be interested in smart capabilities, so we looked at them in basic terms and how the features could make anyone’s life more convenient.

Adjustability: Adjusting the sound is often an overlooked aspect of speakers. Some have remotes, some require you to turn a manual dial and others respond to voice commands. The easier it is to make the sound perfect, the higher it scored in our analysis.

Top Pick

Echo (2nd Generation)
- Smart speaker
with Alexa

The list of things this smart speaker can do might be longer than the list of things it can’t do. It covers all bases when it comes to smart speakers to put in the home, no matter your interests.

Price Check

Most notable upside: The sound quality and ease of use make the Echo our Top Pick. With seven built-in microphones, the Echo will hear you no matter where you’re at in your home. You can use it to turn on your lights, lock doors, adjust thermostats, play music, tell you the weather and much more simply by using voice commands.

Biggest downsides: As with any technology, there may be some glitches occasionally with this smart speaker. Most of them are minor, like not hearing your voice the first time or not understanding your command correctly.

Honorable Mention

Bose Companion
2 Series III Multimedia
Speakers

These speakers provide the ultimate sound quality for listening to music or playing games. When you consider the size, it’s hard to find better speakers than these for your home.

Price Check

Most notable upside: The Bose Companion 2 Series III speakers offer great sound quality with no interference and a very balanced sound. The knob makes it easy to adjust the volume as well. It has earned our Honorable Mention selection because of the quality, but it doesn’t have the features you will get with a smart speaker.

Biggest downsides: There’s no smart technology with these speakers, so you’ll need to consider that. Getting the perfect amount of bass can be a little tricky as well, but a little experimenting with it should get it just right for your preferences.

Also Consider

Echo Dot (3rd Gen) -
New and improved smart
speaker with Alexa

This smart speaker is small and sleek, but provides a powerful punch with sound quality. You can control nearly everything in your house that’s compatible with the ultimate smart home experience.

Price Check

Most notable upside: You’ll always find a way to make your life more convenient with the Echo Dot. Whether it’s turning on the television, locking your doors, arming your security system or simply turning on music, the Echo Dot is very responsive to your voice commands. It’s our choice for speakers you should Also Consider since the sound quality is a small step down from comparable models.

Biggest downsides: Sound quality is the main attribute that could leave you less than satisfied. But if you don’t mind lesser quality sound, then it’s a great bargain when you consider the price and features it offers

All Our Picks

Tips for Effective Speakers

The most effective speakers are the ones that fit your lifestyle. If you like to listen to music every day, then it may be a wise investment to buy a smart speaker that responds to voice commands. For people who only listen to music occasionally, a speaker without smart features could be sufficient. Regardless of your particular situation, the best speakers deliver great sound quality and the ability to easily adjust the sound to meet your needs.

A Note About Safety and Storage

Any speaker you decide to purchase should be stored away in a safe location after each use. Some of them may be water resistant, but it’s still possible for water to damage it. The main safety concern with speakers is to familiarize yourself with how loud they can get. You don’t want to accidentally turn the volume up too loud to the point where it hurts your ears. Good speakers enhance your entertainment experience as long as they are used properly.

The Best Speakers

Your guide to this review today is by Cleaning expert Ben Murray

The Cleaning Institute

Testing Categories

Echo (2nd Generation)
- Smart speaker
with Alexa

Bose Companion
2 Series III Multimedia
Speakers

Echo Dot (3rd Gen) -
New and improved smart
speaker with Alexa

All Our Picks

Echo (2nd Generation)
- Smart speaker
with Alexa

Bose Companion
2 Series III Multimedia
Speakers

Echo Dot (3rd Gen) -
New and improved smart
speaker with Alexa

Tips for Effective Speakers

A Note About Safety and Storage

Quick Links

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

The Best Speakers

Your guide to this review today is by Cleaning expert Ben Murray

The Cleaning Institute

Testing Categories

Echo (2nd Generation)- Smart speaker with Alexa

Bose Companion 2 Series III MultimediaSpeakers

Echo Dot (3rd Gen) -New and improved smartspeaker with Alexa

All Our Picks

Echo (2nd Generation)- Smart speaker with Alexa

Bose Companion 2 Series III MultimediaSpeakers

Echo Dot (3rd Gen) -New and improved smartspeaker with Alexa

Tips for Effective Speakers

A Note About Safety and Storage

Quick Links

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

Echo (2nd Generation)
- Smart speaker
with Alexa

Bose Companion
2 Series III Multimedia
Speakers

Echo Dot (3rd Gen) -
New and improved smart
speaker with Alexa

Echo (2nd Generation)
- Smart speaker
with Alexa

Bose Companion
2 Series III Multimedia
Speakers

Echo Dot (3rd Gen) -
New and improved smart
speaker with Alexa