Google Nest Audio Speaker Review

[Chrispy]

It would be great if it had a subwoofer or enabled one.

Then again how many who use one of these wants one?

 

[audiotron]

I wasn't expecting this. Well done Google!

 

[staticV3]

Vertical directivity is astonishingly smooth for a 2-way, non coax design.

Where did the usual crossover dip go?!

 

[amper42]

Google should actually pay users who place this speaker in their house for the sole privilege of spying on their every word.

A bug was discovered in Google Home speakers that allowed hackers to install a backdoor account and potentially use it for remote snooping. This vulnerability could allow an attacker to: Control the device remotely. Access the microphone feed. Listen in on conversations in the home. The researcher who found this feature received a $107,500 reward from Google for reporting it.

Even without hacking, there are privacy implications of having always-listening devices in the home:
Google records and stores voice commands and audio clips by default (though you can opt out). Human reviewers may listen to anonymized audio clips to improve the system. Partners or ex-partners with access to linked accounts could potentially use features like "Drop In" to eavesdrop.

If you use Google Nest speakers, here are some steps to enhance privacy:
Review and delete your saved voice recordings regularly. Turn off voice and audio activity in your Google account settings. Disable features like "Drop In" that allow remote access. Use a separate Google account for your smart home devices. Unplug or mute the speaker during sensitive conversations.

This speaker is built by big brother for the sole purpose of monitoring your conversations. Don't forget that if you buy it.

 

[USER]

Enough with the soapboxing you guys. Amir showed you the switch that turns off the mic.

 

[Chrispy]

Enough with the soapboxing you guys. Amir showed you the switch that turns off the mic.

For us paranoid folk....does it really?

 

[AndreaT]

Google should actually pay users who place this speaker in their house for the sole privilege of spying on their every word.

A bug was discovered in Google Home speakers that allowed hackers to install a backdoor account and potentially use it for remote snooping. This vulnerability could allow an attacker to: Control the device remotely. Access the microphone feed. Listen in on conversations in the home. The researcher who found this feature received a $107,500 reward from Google for reporting it.

Even without hacking, there are privacy implications of having always-listening devices in the home:
Google records and stores voice commands and audio clips by default (though you can opt out). Human reviewers may listen to anonymized audio clips to improve the system. Partners or ex-partners with access to linked accounts could potentially use features like "Drop In" to eavesdrop.

If you use Google Nest speakers, here are some steps to enhance privacy:
Review and delete your saved voice recordings regularly. Turn off voice and audio activity in your Google account settings. Disable features like "Drop In" that allow remote access. Use a separate Google account for your smart home devices. Unplug or mute the speaker during sensitive conversations.

This speaker is built by big brother for the sole purpose of monitoring your conversations. Don't forget that if you buy it.

How secure is the switch to turn off the mic? Does it interrupt the circuit or does it just program the chip? You raise a very good point: we are monitored already quite too much: transponder to pay the tolls, Netflix that checks out what I watch, and the iPhones that might be hacked to record every conversation and keystroke.

 

[amirm]

For us paranoid folk....does it really?

It does or it wouldn't keep pestering you to turn it back on!

BTW, wife came to me last night asking what this prompt she was seeing about a new device on her phone. The Google home everywhere in the house wanted to adopt the darn thing without even being prompted!

 

[Chrispy]

It does or it wouldn't keep pestering you to turn it back on!

BTW, wife came to me last night asking what this prompt she was seeing about a new device on her phone. The Google home everywhere in the house wanted to adopt the darn thing without even being prompted!

Us paranoid folk figure that's just some bs psychology to make you think it's not doing it anyways....

 

[amper42]

It does or it wouldn't keep pestering you to turn it back on!

BTW, wife came to me last night asking what this prompt she was seeing about a new device on her phone. The Google home everywhere in the house wanted to adopt the darn thing without even being prompted!

It's just one hack away from turning itself back on. AI may not always be your friend.

 

[EJ3]

This is the power of economies of scale X engineering. No boutique audio company can compete with the Google (or Apple) Empire…

This is why the audiophile hobby is dying. You don’t need to know anything to enjoy high performance audio. No complex wiring or impedance matching. Literally plug and play!

If you think about the AirPods as external hearing aid, that will have economies of scale and processing horsepower than anything else a hearing aid company can offer.

PLUS: the power of getting your information for free and selling it!

 

[amirm]

Us paranoid folk figure that's just some bs psychology to make you think it's not doing it anyways....

Well, maybe I work for Google. Have you thought of that???

 

[Old_School_Brad]

This is the power of economies of scale X engineering. No boutique audio company can compete with the Google (or Apple) Empire…

This is why the audiophile hobby is dying. You don’t need to know anything to enjoy high performance audio. No complex wiring or impedance matching. Literally plug and play!

If you think about the AirPods as external hearing aid, that will have economies of scale and processing horsepower than anything else a hearing aid company can offer.

True. While the hobby aspect -the obsessive tinkering is fading, audiophile-level sound quality is now accessible to a much broader audience. Overall, I see this as a win. If you’re after a specific sound response, you can still achieve it yourself with various DSP options and a standard passive setup.
Typically, DSP is used in less capable speakers to extend bass range and smooth the frequency response, but this effect disappears when you listen at volumes above conversational levels. At that point, you’re essentially left with a midrange + tweeter speaker, which is what it physically is.

Still, these speakers are impressive. The first DSP-driven smart speaker that truly caught my attention was the Libratone Zipp -over 10 years ago.
At this point, can we really still be surprised by this level of performance? Instead, we should be focusing on the manufacturers that persist in releasing subpar designs, often at inflated prices, while others have set the bar much higher. The technology is here, and customers deserve high-quality, thoughtfully designed products without paying a premium for outdated or poorly engineered alternatives.

It's just one hack away from turning itself back on. AI may not always be your friend.

I remember the fiasco when it launched. They added the switch in response.

Ideally, the switch should physically disconnect the microphone so no hack could reactivate it.
If the switch only serves as an input to the controller, it can indeed be reactivated by a hack -or by Google, which, honestly, I’d consider just as bad.

 

[NTK]

Vertical directivity is astonishingly smooth for a 2-way, non coax design.

Where did the usual crossover dip go?!
View attachment 402887 View attachment 402888 View attachment 402889

The small size of the speaker probably helped a lot. The center-to-center distance of the 2 drivers are only ~2.5 in (64 mm).

If you look closer at the picture, the tweeter is not centered to the waveguide. It directs the high frequency sound a little upward. It is possible that something clever is going on here. Below are the vertical polars.

 

[Koeitje]

We have one at work that we use for some background music. Sounds pretty decent for such a small device.

 

[tktran303]

I believe there is something going on to result in irregularity where the tweeter takes over. A testing artefact or crossover artefact (phase and/or delay)

If you were the designer you wouldn’t put your name to that; it could/should be a lot smoother. Psychoacoustically it may be hard to hear it, but nevertheless @amirm should not have to introduce smoothing, to make it appear smoother.

It has no line-input, and connects via Bluetooth or Google Cast; I wonder if this is relates to the artefact.

How does AudioPrecision connect and test BT devices and compensate for the delay/lag introduced?

 

[WOLFAGRAM]

Great reporting. Thank you mr. Amirm for the choice of speaker.

This review is a perfect balance between „serious audio“ media (testing mid to high-end products, often quite niche ones) and „lifestyle“ media (sponsored mass products recommended for „seamless integration“ or whatever).

Why spreading true information about audio only as an arcane knowledge useful for just a few?

GOOD SOUND TO THE PEOPLE!!! (Including our loved ones, without breaking the bank during gift season).

 

[D-Livs]

I bought a pair of these for my wife in the kitchen. One on either side of the sink. They sound great, have useable bass down to 40hz. Processing delay and the app are bad, but if you want to put music on a kitchen counter—incredible.

These were to hold me over until I get around to installing in-ceiling speakers around the house, now…. I think I will just buy another set of these.

 

[Old_School_Brad]

I believe there is something going on to result in irregularity where the tweeter takes over. A testing artefact or crossover artefact (phase and/or delay)

If you were the designer you wouldn’t put your name to that; it could/should be a lot smoother. Psychoacoustically it may be hard to hear it, but nevertheless @amirm should not have to introduce smoothing, to make it appear smoother.

It has no line-input, and connects via Bluetooth or Google Cast; I wonder if this is relates to the artefact.

How does AudioPrecision connect and test BT devices and compensate for the delay/lag introduced?

I'd be very proud of having put my name on a product like this. Within the restraints of price and size the performance is incredible.
Good point in the testing method. I'd like to know as well.

 

[amirm]

It has no line-input, and connects via Bluetooth or Google Cast; I wonder if this is relates to the artefact.

How does AudioPrecision connect and test BT devices and compensate for the delay/lag introduced?

I used Chromecast streaming which is bit exact. I don't use Audio Precision for speaker testing. The Klippel system that I do use has a clever method for testing such products. You play the "CHIRP" signal over and over in your player of choice. Klippel then uses two microphones: one for measurements and the other, to detect the delay in the signal. Using that, it is able to find the beginning of the CHIRP test signal. Audio precision has something similar but uses cross correlation instead of the second mic.