However, these two smart speakers are miles apart in their pricing. While the Nest Audio falls in the affordable segment, the Sonos One Gen 2 is slightly on the expensive scale. Hence, this brings us to an important question. Is the Sonos One Gen 2 better than the Google Nest Audio? Or, is it the other way around? Well, that’s what we will find in this post as we compare the Google Nest Audio against the Sonos One Gen 2. Since it will be a long post, let’s jump straight in, shall we?
Specs That Matter
Design & Size
The Sonos One has a pretty plain design when it comes to the design. It has a squarish design which gives it a boxy look. However, at 6.3-inches, it tends to stand out from the rest. Interestingly, all the buttons are touch-sensitive. And yes, there’s a dedicated button to mute the mic if you do not want the speaker to listen to you always. That said, at 4.08lbs, the Sonos One Gen 2 is heavy. The best part of this speaker is that it bundles an Ethernet port to work with a wired connection. This is useful for those days when the Wi-Fi is acting up. As opposed to the plain looks of the Sonos speaker, the Nest Audio speaker packs a modern look. The rounded edge and the fabric cover give it a soft look. But let not the look confuse you, for it’s pretty tall and heavy. Unlike the Sonos speaker, the Nest Audio speaker doesn’t bundle any visible buttons. There’s a small switch at the back to mute the mic, and that’s about it. And guess what? Like any Google speaker, the front lights up as soon as you say a command. Both speakers need a continuous power line to function.
Smart Features
The voice integrations work as advertised and are quick to respond to commands. However, the Sonos One struggles to pick voice commands in extremely noisy environments. Also, the Alexa integration is slightly better than Google. On top of that, it also supports AirPlay 2, which is a big plus for iPhone users. The main hero of the Google Nest Audio is the TeraOPS machine learning chip under the hood. This chip is responsible for hastening the learning process as per the commands you give. The folks at Sounds Guys observed a significant increase in response time on their tests. Interestingly, the Google speaker also supports all major streaming services like Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Music, Deezer, TuneIn, and Podcast Addict.
Connectivity
The Sonos One Gen 2 pairs with Playbar, Beam, and the Playbase easily. So if you’re planning for a smooth multi-room playback, you should certainly consider that fact. However, it doesn’t support Bluetooth. You won’t be able to play and stream songs from your phone directly over Bluetooth. As opposed to that, the Google speaker comes with Bluetooth. On top of that, you can pair a secondary speaker with a stereo effect. The only nibble is that it doesn’t have an Ethernet port. On the upside, you can cast your music right from your phone, all thanks to the built-in Chromecast feature. And being an in-house product, the Nest Audio picks up commands quickly and accurately, even with music playing in the background.
Audio Performance
No amount of smart features can make up for poor sound output. Thankfully, both the Sonos One Gen 2 and the Google Nest Audio deliver quality audio. The Sonos One can get pretty loud for its size. It easily fills the void during parties and get-togethers with ease. The overall audio quality is decent. It lacks a little in the low-bass department. At the same time, the Google Nest Audio belts out loud and punchy audio, and it doubles up as a great background speaker. Google advertises the Nest Audio to be 75% louder than the older Google Home. It isn’t a speaker designed for serious listening, but it gets the work done. You can listen to podcasts or play your favorite playlists. Interestingly, you can also receive calls on Google Duo. Woah, right?
Which One Should You Buy
One of the main advantages of the Sonos speaker is that it supports both Assistant and Alexa and gives you the choice of picking one. The overall audio delivery is not bad either. It’s a good option if you are looking for an audiophile audio system with some smartness thrown in. Plus, the ability to connect to other Sonos speakers is the cherry on top. However, the Nest Audio makes better sense if you are already on the Google Home ecosystem. It’s an all-rounder and can play any audio. This is, of course, considering that you are not looking for a serious sound system. At the same time, it costs far less than the Sonos One Gen 2 speaker. The Nest Audio is a good pick if you are looking to save on money.
