When I was younger, I had a music player that could handle hold multiple CDs at once, which also had speakers that could be moved around the room. There were only two speakers with this system, and they weren't that great, but for a teenager that wanted to simulate something like surround sound, the fact they could be moved around was pretty great.
Over the years I stopped relying on speakers so much. I played music from my TV, which I've never really equipped with any expensive speaker accessories so the sound hasn't been fantastic, or I've played music from my computer. I'm always listening to music, but spending money for additional speakers has never been anything I've gone out of my way to do.
I did pick up a Google Home when it launched, which I thought was cool enough. I eventually handed it over to my mom, who, for the record, loves it and uses it every day. I picked up a HomePod when that launched and I've been happy with the sound quality. I've tried other options, like the Amazon Echo, but I haven't picked up a speaker from Sonos yet, even though it's been recommended to me several times.
I have only ever had one smart speaker in use at any given time, despite the fact many of these are designed to offer support for multiple devices in a house.
The HomePod doesn't support that feature right now, but it will. And obviously the Google Home family does now, along with Amazon's lineup of smart speakers. And the Sonos-branded offerings are all meant to bring a full, rich audio listening experience with speakers spread out through your house.
With price points ranging quite a bit, and functionality getting better in these smart speakers, I couldn't help but wonder if I should start investing in more options. Not necessarily more HomePods --unless a cheaper variant does indeed launch this year-- but maybe go with more Google Home units, or even jump right into the Sonos ecosystem (since the major music streaming platforms work with the speakers). But then I wonder how often I'd use multiple options, and can't help but think it wouldn't be worth the money.
So, I wanted to reach out to all of you and get your feedback on the idea. Are you someone who has picked up quite a few different speakers, whether they are smart or not, and outfitted your house with them? Do you have multiple options from the same company (like Google or Sonos or Amazon), or do you mix-and-match? Or are you like me and only use one smart speaker and call it good? Let me know!
Do you have multiple smart speakers in your home? originally posted at http://phonedog.com
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