Hi folks, our much loved Tivoli FM radio that’s lived in the kitchen for many years is on its last legs.
Christmas is coming and I’m looking for some advise on a Smart Speaker.
I’m looking around reading all the reviews and marketing blurb, it all looks straightforward, but what’s best with so many to choose from.
Suggestions from anyone with experience will be most welcome.
I’m looking for a basic but good sounding, simple & easy to use in a small box or ball that’s suited to a kitchen.
Yes I know small will not be great bass, but I do want balanced & well presented music & voice.
I’m not that concerned about the pro’s & con’s of Siri or Alexa or whatever others voice assistance , it just needs to work reliably.
A 3.5mm stereo jack to plug in an iPod would be good.
My first smart speaker was a Google Home speaker, and it’s still working after 5 years in my kitchen. More recently I bought its successor, a Google Nest, for another room, and that works quite well and has better sound. (They also appear to be on sale in various locations in the U.S.)
Google also has Nest Hubs with a screen. A friend just purchased one on my recommendation, and she will connect it to the cameras she has set up. But the audio is barely adequate for music. A big step back from Tivoli.
No 3.5 input but Bluetooth. That may not help with an old iPod, though. However, you can access Spotify, YouTube Music, and several other music services, Also Google still allows uploads of music (now 100,000 tracks) to YouTube music. These would then be accessible (albeit in a lossy format) by the Google Nest speaker.
I have the Muso QB in my kitchen but I would look at Ruark as an alternative - I am very pleased with the Ruark R1 I have in the bedroom although this is just DAB and Bluetooth. SQ should be good on this: the Ruark R2 MK4 DAB/FM/Internet Radio with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth - £479 at John Lewis.
Whilst not a true Smart Speaker we use a Ruark R1S (can be found for £299 or less) in the kitchen. Sound surprisingly good for its size. It is smaller than our Qb which is in the dining room.
Some features below but read about it on the Ruark website for more detail.
USB C port for MP3 playback and phone charging
Line input
Bluetooth 5
Spotify Connect, Deezer and Amazon Music (Unfortunately not linked to Qobuz or Tidal streaming services)
SmartRadio with Internet/DAB/DAB+/FM tuners (We use Internet radio a fair bit eg Radio Paradise, all the usual UK stations etc etc)
We have an Amazon Echo Pop in the kitchen, but our kitchen is small. Also an Echo Dot in our largish living room.
They both just work, and personally I think they sound fine for radio 4 or 2 especially as they are used for background stuff. Not sure how they are at playing from a NAS or owt like that, but for the price, they are good.
Not quiet what you asked, but a thought anyway - You could keep an eBay eye out for a new old stock of the same model that you have - assuming you really liked it. Could save some money towards another upgrade perhaps.
Hi GM, yes that’s been thought about.
But “We” have expressed a need to modernise, the Tivoli doesn’t get radio and news from far and wide, or specific music tracks or whole albums and it doesn’t get what we need with a voice command.
I would go for an Alexa… the latest full size incarnations are quite good… and double up for ‘Alexa will it rain today?’ before you hang the laundry out to dry… it’s what we have succumbed to… and though it is hard to admit it… it is rather good for radio… and spontaneous dances of Monster Mash when family preparing the spuds in the kitchen…