The Google Home Max is the best-sounding smart speaker on the market, but there are plenty of “dumb” powered speakers that sound better.

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  Excellent audio reproduction, Strong smart home chops, Powerful amplifiers

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  Not sonically superior to the more-expensive (and dumb) Sonos Play:5, Unnecessarily verbose responses to verbal commands, There are no...

Although too expensive for mass appeal, the Google Home Max is the best-sounding smart speaker yet.

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  The Google Home Max builds the convenience of Google Assistant into a plus-size speaker that can fill a room with excellent sound. The microphones respond well, even when you're blasting music.

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  The sound can be a little too revealing, and guitar lines in particular can sound a little too piercing for comfort. If you mainly want background music, you should spend half as much on the Sonos One.

The Google Home Max can do more than a traditional bookshelf speaker, and it sounds great.

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  Powerful sound with gobs of bass, Can pair with multiple devices, Assistant is as useful as ever, Supports many music streaming services

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  Expensive, Can't work as a wireless TV sound bar

The Google Home Max is the first smart speaker we've seen with serious audio performance.

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  Great sound. Works as a mono speaker, a stereo pair, or part of a whole home audio system. Attractive design.

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  Too much bass for audio purists. Could do with better lossless audio options.

Back when I reviewed the first Google Home , one of my key criticisms of the smart speaker was how lacklustre its sound quality is in comparison to most of Amazon’s Echo devices.

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  Great sound quality, Impressive bass, High-quality build

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  Expensive, Two Sonos One speakers sound better, Bulky and heavy

If you want a smart speaker with good sound quality, your options are limited. But the Google Home Max is impressive, even if the microphones have trouble picking up your voice when playing music at high volumes.

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  Sound quality, Design, Internal microphones self-correct depending on environment, Google Assistant keeps getting better

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  Microphones don't pick up voices well when music is at high volume, Price

If you're looking for a voice-activated speaker and want excellent sound quality, the Google Home Max is the best option on the market. It's expensive, but you get a lot for your money.

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  Excellent sound quality, Simple setup, All the features of the Google Assistant, Tasteful design, 3.5mm jack and Bluetooth support for additional audio devices

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  Expensive, especially for a stereo pair, Somewhat limited streaming service selection (but at least it has Spotify), Third-party support still trails Amazon's Alexa ecosystem

The Google Home Max is the best-sounding smart speaker you can purchase right now. It has all the same Assistant capabilities as the smaller members of the Home family, but the audio quality is fantastic. Tracks sound crisp, and the bass is powerful without being overbearing.

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  SetupHome Max setup only takes a few minutes, and you're ready to rock., AudioVery clear, loud playback with big bass and highs. Google's EQ is pleasing to my ears. The AUX port is a nice touch if you have other devices to plug in.

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  Touch controlsThe touch bar is a bit clunky., PriceAt $400, this seems like a Google vanity project.

Google Home Max is the most powerful Google Assistant-powered smart speaker with the loudest volume and deepest bass.

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  Max volume is loud AF , Does everything Google Home and Home Mini does , Sick bass

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  Google Assistant can't hear you well when speaker's set to highest volume , Finicky touch-sensitive control strip , Twice the size of HomePod

While the Google Home Max is probably too expensive for most, it's the most powerful smart speaker out there and it's definitely worth getting if you want Google Assistant in a speaker with some serious bump.

I have the original Home and am very impressed with the quality and especially the sound. When I purchased the MAX speaker I was skeptical because of the price. But once I heard it I was so blown away by the bass, and the clean highs, it is Amazing.

The Google Home Max is awesome! The clarity of sound, is impressive, and it has fit in nicely with my living room. I barely have the volume to 25% and it nicely fills the room with sound. It is also very good at picking up your voice, even from the other side of the house if necessary.

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  Great sound, fits in nicely with just about any decor. It sounds as great as it looks!

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  The cost is a bit higher than I would normally pay, but I had a few bonus rewards to use, and I've had my eye on this. So, cost is definitely a Con - but, you do get what you pay for.

This is an awesome speaker! It gets loud and sounds great. The sound is definitely pretty shaped, it really brings out the highs and amplifies the bass, but not so much as to be annoying or overpowering.

The sound isn't that good on this speaker. The sound at higher volumes is distorted as has overwhelming bass. However the google assistant is very useful. In my opinion, if you are on Android, this is a decent option but if with Apple, the HomePod is far superior in sound quality.

This speaker sounds great, definitely sounds like other high end speakers at similar price points. The smart functions work really well, with it picking up my voice even when music is playing loudly.

This is the best streaming speaker I've had bar none... Not even the Bose Sound Touch 30 . The clarity and base are fantastic, and my subjective feeling is that it gets better with time as the speaker "learns" the environment. Well with the purchase

I upgraded from a Google Home to a Google Home Max. The deep clear sound fills the room. Very easy to use. Google Assistant is a clear cut leader in this technology

Great sound, really big speaker. I love the speaker pad underneath. No complaints yet