The Echo Dot line primarily began as a dedicated voice assistant to call up information, schedule calls, check the weather, and other typical day-to-day stuff. But the original Dots weren’t particularly great speakers for music listening. That’s where the fourth-generation Echo Dot, with a clock display, comes in.

Best Overall

  • Seamless Alexa integration

  • Bright, LED clock

  • Decent front-firing sound

  • Still pretty small and a little quiet

  • Not as unassuming as older Dots

Best Bose

Bose Home Speaker 300

  • Excellent sound quality
  • Sleek design
  • Tons of connectivity options

The larger drivers give you a much bassier sonic response, and the round-firing speakers give you a more 360-like sound. Beyond sound quality, you can connect your speaker to your home Wi-Fi system to communicate with your in-home audio system, but you can also use Bluetooth connectivity to connect the speaker to a phone or computer more instantaneously.

Using Bose’s SoundTouch functionality gives you fuller control over any Bose speaker in your system. Simple capacitive touch controls and the classy Bose design round out an incredibly solid option for a smart speaker. At about $200, it is on the expensive side of our list, so that’s a major consideration here.

One of the other big names in the smart speaker game is Sonos, and the Sonos One is an excellent choice for those who want a fully integrated smart speaker system. This unit allows you to buy into a system that doesn’t lock you into one specific smart ecosystem. That’s because the Sonos interfaces entirely via Wi-Fi through the Sonos app.

Best for Compatibility

Sonos One (Gen 2)

  • Tons of compatibility

  • Intuitive app control

  • Great sound quality

  • Pretty expenisve

  • No Bluetooth

While the sound quality will be best if you buy a pair of Sonos Ones to use as a stereo set, a single speaker fits nicely on an office shelf or in a kitchen. Alexa is built right in, allowing for the same smart control you’d expect from the Echo line of smart speakers. But there’s also AirPlay 2 and a host of other services supported through the Sonos app, such as Spotify and Pandora.

There’s a lot of digital signal processing and sound research that has gone into Sonos’ technology, meaning that this speaker sounds just plain great.

While a dedicated Echo Dot is a great device to have around the house, and many of the models work well in a pinch if you want to listen to music, these gadgets don’t work for rounding out your overall entertainment setup. That’s where a soundbar comes in. The Polk Audio React sits nicely just below your TV, working to pick up where your TV’s sub-par built-in speakers lack.

Best for TV & Entertainment

Polk Audio React Sound Bar

  • Seamlessly integrates into entertainment setups

  • Six drivers for full sound

  • Compatible with Alexa

  • Not great for bass response

  • Controls can be a little clunky

The React gives you six dedicated drivers, some focused on mids and bass, with tweeters focused on the higher end of the frequency spectrum. Polk has even loaded in some DSP that targets the vocal part of the frequency spectrum to help isolate and accentuate it—perfect for watching dialog-heavy shows.

Best Budget

  • Budget-friendly price point

  • Tons of music platform compatibility

  • Small, unassuming design

  • Sound quality is still a bit flat

  • Lacks loudness and bass

There’s all the smart functionality you could want from an Alexa speaker, such as checking your calendar, calling up the weather, and teaching hundreds of skills dedicated to Alexa. And the best part is because it’s just one generation old, you still get reasonably modern performance at a price that sits under $40 (and can often be had for even less on sale).

“Even with its minimal design and tiny form factor it’s still very aesthetically pleasing, and you can easily see its light ring indicator from across the room.” — Benjamin Zeman, Product Tester

Best Sound Quality

  • Immersive, 360-degree sound

  • Tons of bass with a down-firing port

  • Seamless Alexa functionality

  • Fairly expensive

  • Bulky cylindrical build

Marshall is a brand most known for half stacks and classic tube amps, but in recent years, the guitar giant has taken strides toward consumer-focused Bluetooth speakers. The second-generation Marshall Acton looks every bit as quintessential as Marshall’s classic amps, with the gilded grill cover and metallic gold accents and knobs. The Acton is actually advertised as a multi-room speaker, meaning that if you pair it in the Marshall app with other compatible speakers, you can control audio between this speaker and others.

Best Splurge

Marshall Acton II Alexa Voice Wireless Speaker System

  • Classy design

  • Rich, full sound

  • Multi-room functionality

  • High price tag

  • Limited on-board controls

There are several means of connecting, including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and some hardwired inputs. And, of course, the Acton is Alexa-compatible right out of the box, meaning it will operate much like an Echo Dot. With tons of richness across the spectrum, plenty of coverage from bass to treble, and a really nice design, the Acton II is a great option if you can afford the $300 price tag. 

About Our Trusted Experts

Jason Schneider is a writer, editor, copywriter, and musician with almost ten years’ experience writing for tech and media companies. In addition to covering tech for Lifewire, Jason is a current and past contributor for Thrillist, Greatist, and more.

Benjamin Zeman is a business consultant, musician and writer based in southern Vermont. When he’s not reviewing tech products for Lifewire, he’s getting nerdy fixing them or solving complex problems for businesses in need of an outside perspective.

What to Look For in an Alexa Speaker

Sound Quality

One of the drawbacks of going with an Echo Dot is you’ll lack a big enough driver to give you truly impressive sound quality. If you want better sound, you’ll have to go with an upgraded pick or something from a more audiophile-centric brand, such as Bose or Sonos.

Size and Design

Your Alexa-enabled speaker will likely be sitting out in the open, right on your shelf, or next to your TV setup. As such, a low profile or elegant design might be important to you. It will likely come at the expense of loudness and bass response, however.

Connectivity

Most smart speakers connect to your devices via Wi-Fi, giving them most of their smart home and multi-room functionality. Some speakers, including most in the Echo line, also give you Bluetooth functionality for easily connecting to a single phone or device.

Because Alexa functionality often requires information pulled from the internet, it stands to reason that your speaker (or the device it’s connected to via Bluetooth) should be connected to the internet. That way, when you ask Alexa a question or to pull your calendar appointments, she’ll have access to the information.