LISTEN AND LEARN

I’m Planning on Buying a Ton of These Google Speakers So I Can Talk to Bots All Day

The Google Nest Mini will learn what you say most office and answer faster. The improved hockey-puck sized device also sounds superb.

I want to add eight of these Google speakers in my house. No seriously: The Google Nest Mini is a new speaker that sounds fantastic. I am testing two of them currently, linked to each other to form a speaker pair, and for only $49 each, I plan to add more.

First, let’s run through the basics. The Next Mini sounds rich and full, much better than the original Google Home Mini released about two years ago. Google also improved the fabric on the circular speaker (about the size of your palm). To control the speaker, you can use your voice or tap the top to play/pause and the sides to adjust the volume.

I played an entire album by the band How to Dress Well and thought the finger snaps on the song “Word I Don’t Remember” sounded super realistic. My go-to goth rock artist Chelsea Wolfe engulfed my office in punishing synth. The sonic assault of drums and bass on the song “Feral Love” had a crunchy, otherworldly sound. If your goal is to entertain yourself with loud music these speakers will do just that.

I used both Google Music and the YouTube Music app, but you can stream using the Deezer app, Spotify, Pandora, and other apps. The speaker will adjust itself to background noise automatically, too. I tested this by grabbing a guitar and watched as the Nest Mini raised the volume a bit to compensate. My guess is the Mini will constantly adjust itself when people are talking to make the music louder or softer.

Another interesting feature has to do with learning how you use the speaker. If you ask the same questions or issue the same voice commands (such as adjusting the temp of your Google Nest Learning Thermostat), the bot will respond faster.

I can imagine having one of these in the kitchen, one in the bathroom and the den -- just about every room of my house. I like talking to bots and I’m a major music fan. The quality is amazing and the price is fantastic. I’m sold. Google, here’s my money.

Bed Bath & Beyond

$49

Google Nest Mini 2nd Generation

Bed Bath & Beyond

Scouted selects products independently and prices reflect what was available at the time of publish. Sign up for our newsletter for more recommendations and deals. Curious about a specific product or brand? Let us know! If you buy something from our posts, we may earn a small commission.

See more of our coverage in your search results.

ADD THE DAILY BEAST ON GOOGLE

John Brandon

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.