Google Nest Audio review: Well-rounded smart speaker
Recently, the search engine giant Google launched the new Pixel 4a along with Nest Audio smart speaker in India.
Both the devices are available exclusively on Flipkart for special prices-- Rs 29,999 and Rs 6,999, respectively during the Big Billion Days. If you are planning to buy the Nest Audio smart speaker, read this review.
Design and build quality:
With the new Nest Audio, Google has hit the sweet spot in terms of the size of the smart speaker and also design as well. It is bigger than the Home Mini and a bit smaller than the Home Max. Its height is just shy of 7.0-inch and 4.9-inch wide.
It comes with a high-quality enclosure with fabric on top and I have to say, it exudes a premium hand feel.
Also, Google has made sure the production of the Nest Audio is eco-friendly. The fabric is said to be made of recycled plastic bottles.
Even the rest of the hardware such as housing, the foot, and a few other smaller parts are made of 70% recycled plastic waste.
At the top, it has three wide capacitive touch buttons-- from left to right-- volume down, pause/play, and volume up-- spread across evenly under the fabric. They are really responsive to the touch despite a thick layer of fabric on top.
On the back, it features a physical mute button, which blocks the mics of Nest Audio from listening to the conversation in the room and protect the privacy of the user. Down below, we find the 'G' Google-branded silicone badge, and slightly lower to right, you find the DC power jack.
In the retail package, the company is offering 30W, 24V external adapter with 1.5m (around 4.11 feet) cord.
User-interface and performance
Setting up the Google Nest Audio Speaker is really easy. Customers just have to install the Google Home app (available on both Apple App Store and Google Play) on their phone and launch it, you will find '+' in the top left corner or else find a suggestion 'Set up Nest Audio' just below the Home app tab. Just added and follow the instructions.
It took hardly five minutes to locate, pair with the companion phone and complete the set up for the Nest Audio Speaker. Also, make sure to link your default music service with the Google account, just so there won't be a hassle to play songs or podcasts on Nest Audio.
And if you have any smart gadgets, add them to the Google Home app. Once all done, you can just use voice commands to turn on or off the smart home appliances. As of now, there are more than one million devices compatible with Google Assistant tech.
Also, Google recently introduced leaving home and I'm home routines, which will help users worry less. For instance, you can set lights and AC on in I'm home routine, which will allow smart appliances to automatically turned on once the Nest Audio detects the owner entered the house. Similarly, when the owner leaves home, the 'Leaving home' routine gets triggered and all the selected gadgets get turned off. If you happen to have a smart CCTV, you can add to leaving home routine. This kind of convenience comes really handy for people living in urban regions.
However, given the Covid-19 pandemic still prevalent, most people are still working virtually from home. So, the aforementioned routines have limited scope for at least another six months or early if a potent vaccine gets ready for deployment.
Until then, users can make good use of Good morning and Bedtime routines, he/she can select play music when you up to the alarm or ask for tomorrow's weather before going to the bed. You can see more options below in the image.
The Nest Audio also supports intercom and broadcast features, wherein the user can communicate to other family members via Google smart speakers (old and new) in different parts such living room, kitchen, bedroom, and other areas of the house. For instance, a mother can just ask Nest Audio in the kitchen to connect to another smart speaker in the bedroom upstairs to send instructions to children.
FYI, the owner can link five other members' accounts of the house with the Google Home app, and based on the distinct voice profiles, Google assistant can intelligently make the distinction to offer personalized suggestions and answers to that particular person.
Besides all the smartness, Nest Audio delivers a really good sound effect than the previous generation Home series speakers. Google claims Nest Audio is 75 percent louder and has 50 percent stronger bass than the original Google Home. It has incorporated a 19mm tweeter for consistent high-frequency coverage and clear vocals and a 75mm mid-woofer to bring bass effect.
I listened to several music genres and acoustics and happy to note, it delivered good clear output. With Nest Audio, as said before Google has hit a sweet spot in terms of size of the smart speaker. Even at high volume, there is clarity in vocals and background instruments.
Also, Google has equipped Nest Audio with Media EQ (equaliser) feature that enables the smart speaker to automatically adapt to the content the user is listening to such as music, podcasts, or audiobooks. It can also intuitively adjust the settings based on the background noise in the home and accordingly raise the volume so the user can listen to the reply by Google Assistant.
Final thoughts
Google's Nest Audio has a visually appealing aesthetic design and the numerous use-cases offer the freedom to the owner to install it in any part of the house to get things done. Its sensitive microphones can detect voice commands even with noisy background and users can turn or change light colours on smart bulbs, change channels on TVs with inbuilt-Chromecast and other IoT gadgets. Additionally, it can offer to get quick access to real-time weather, latest news, cricket scores, other sports updates, and more. Most importantly, it excels in delivering a really good audio experience.
Considering the over-all aspects, Google Nest Audio a smart buy. Just go for it.
One more suggestion I'd like to add is that If you are living near high traffic density and dusty roads, pick the charcoal model.
For now, Google Assistant can respond only in English and Hindi, but I am very much keen to converse with Kannada. Others too can expect to speak with Nest Audio in Telugu, Tamil, Bengali, and other regional languages of India in the near future.
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