Design & Construction

Google's about to change its fate with the newest addition of Nest series speaker, the Nest Audio. In the past, Google's line of speakers sounded mediocre but for their low price, it always turned out to be acceptable. Now, the Nest Audio is here to fix that. Featuring a subtle and interior fitting rectangular fabric frame, it weighs around 1.2kg. Certainly, a very substantial weight to a speaker of this size and that's because it houses a 75 mm woofer and 19 mm tweeter as well as a mic mute switch at the rear. Similarly, it requires wall power which you can find the port at the bottom left. The controls of the speaker are at the top; tap the left side to lower the volume and the right to increase the volume, which tapping the middle will play and pause the music. And if you even need to factory reset the speaker, you can switch the mic mute switch to off position and hold the top centre to do so.

Sound Quality

Moving on to sound quality, the bass response of the Nest Audio is deep but not overpowering. It never manages to distort or bleed into the mids even if you turn up the volume. The highs were a little lacking in clarity but they sounded not too bad either. The mids, on the other hand, are very crisp and filled with clarity. The instrument separation and soundstage are decent and a pair of these would help in creating a stronger stereo effect. To actually set-up the speaker, you will require the Google Home app, which will guide you through the process and register the speaker for you. The app is available on both the App and Play Store. In the app, you may hook up your various music subscriptions like Spotify, Netflix or Youtube etc. and stream music or movies from there. Overall, the sound signature can be best described as being neutral with an emphasis to the bass. But you can always alter the sound signature with the bass and treble slider which by the way controls the speaker very well. Even if you try to max out the bass or treble, the sound signature stays relatively clean and was very enjoyable to listen to. 

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Connectivity & Portability

The Nest Audio also includes Bluetooth 5.0 support and of course, smart assistant support for smart home products like Chromecast, smart lighting and many others. Got a question about something you want to know or be notified of the weather, just ask. It's that simple and just seem to work flawlessly. Whether it's being commanded to stream music from Spotify or play movies from Netflix, it seems to recognise the command accurately. Using the Google Home app, available for download on the App Store and Play Store, was a breeze. The app recognises the speaker every time and allows users to view and select songs, control the playback as well as volume and connect to other Google Nest and Home products. Inside the box, you will also find a 1.5m power brick for powering the speaker. The speaker comes in 4 different colours, Chalk, Coral, Sky and Charcoal, to fit your interior furnishings. 

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PROS​

• Crisp Sound Signature

• Interior-friendly Design

• App Support

• Built-in Equaliser

• Bluetooth Enabled

• A Range of Colours

 

CONS​​​

• No audio-out Port

• Not Splash-proof

 

The Bottom Line

All in all, the Nest Audio speaker is a great way to bring technology to interior-friendly furnishings. With far-field voice recognition microphones, a crisp sound signature and durable build, it complements your desk setup very well while improving the smart home experience.