4 Smart Speakers Worth Trying Instead Of An Echo Dot

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The Alexa voice assistant is one of the original companion tools that made the idea of a smart home a concept most folks could wrap their heads around. Say a voice prompt to an Alexa smart speaker, smart display, or the Alexa app, and the digital doer carries out your command. Alexa is an Amazon technology, and the company offers a solid selection of speakers and displays with Alexa built in, all of which are branded as Echo devices. The Echo moniker is Amazon's promise to you, the consumer, that Alexa is built into the product you're looking at.

Many smart home devices may say they'll work with or are compatible with Alexa, but that isn't the same thing as being Alexa built-in. For the latter to be true, it means the smart home device includes built-in microphones that listen for human voices (along with a few other sounds), specifically Alexa's wake word and subsequent commands. There are actually quite a few smart speakers on the market with Alexa built in that aren't manufactured by Amazon. As you may have guessed, though, they're not all created equal. The good news is that there are a lot of excellent options on the table.

The list of reputable brands offering these devices includes big names like Bose and JBL, and integrated Alexa is merely scratching at the surface of what many of these smart gadgets can do. For example, sound quality is one of the top priorities when vetting any speaker, smart or otherwise. To that end, we came up with a list of four smart speakers worth trying instead of an Echo Dot (one of the smallest Amazon-produced Alexa speakers), with a particular focus on models that have Alexa built in and deliver top-notch sound quality.

While Denon may be best known for its extensive lineup of AV receivers, the company is also a force to be reckoned with when it comes to smart speakers. One such device is the $250 Denon Home 150 Wireless Smart Speaker, which not only has Alexa built in, but also includes support for Siri and HEOS, Denon's own multiroom audio technology. You can connect the speaker to Wi-Fi or use its Ethernet port to plug in directly to your router or other network terminal. 

Once connected to the internet, the Home 150 gives you access to music-streaming platforms like Spotify and Tidal, but it can also be paired with Bluetooth devices. The speaker even has two wired audio inputs: USB-A for playback from a flash drive or external hard disk and a 3.5-millimeter auxiliary. As far as sound quality goes, the speaker does a great job at balancing frequencies, particularly the mids and low end. There's a little rolloff in the treble range, but not enough for us to tell you to steer clear. You can also pair two Home 150 speakers together for stereo playback. 

Should you decide to purchase a Denon Home Soundbar 550 in the future, you can also use the Home 150 speakers as wireless rears for 5.1 surround sound. More than 600 Amazon shoppers have left feedback about the speaker, earning it a 4.1-out-of-5-star rating. The consensus is that the Home 150 packs a mean punch and is easy to pair with other compatible Denon tech, although it does sound like the HEOS app could use a bit of work.

It's almost impossible to talk about internet-connected speakers without mentioning Sonos. The company is a pioneer in the wireless audio space, and speakers like the $220 Sonos Era 100 are an excellent way to control your Alexa household. Featuring an improved processor and driver design (compared to older Sonos tech like the Play:1), the Era 100 delivers rich and balanced audio that can fill a small-to-medium-sized room. You'll also be able to use Trueplay tuning in the Sonos app to calibrate your speaker to best suit your room acoustics.

Speaking of the Sonos app, it's your main method of control and customization for all Sonos hardware. It's the software you'll use to group and ungroup speakers for multiroom audio, and it also acts as a music-streaming hub that gives you access to Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, and many more platforms. You're not just limited to internet playback either, as the Era 100 also supports Bluetooth and wired playback (the latter requires a Sonos Line-In Adapter). In addition to built-in Alexa, the speaker can also be controlled by Sonos' own voice assistant.

The Era 100 has been praised for a few years now, and the Amazon crowd definitely digs the speaker. It has scored 4.4 out of five stars, based on over 2,750 buyer ratings, and the overwhelming majority love everything from the sound quality and compact build to how easy it is to use. That said, there is a bit of feedback that indicates the speaker may occasionally drop its Wi-Fi connection, which could require a hard reset to get everything back online.

Over the last several years, Bose has been working hard on its Wi-Fi-powered speakers and soundbars. While some of these products are a tad bit pricey, it's hard to beat the bass-boosted punch that Bose brings to the table, especially when it comes to the $300 Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker. With three multidirectional speakers and Bose's CleanBass Technology on tap, this is room-filling sound that truly makes an impact.

Built-in Alexa means you'll be able to launch your favorite playlist or dim smart lights without the need for an Echo device or the Alexa app. The Lifestyle Ultra supports Google Cast and AirPlay 2, too, and you can even pair the speaker via Bluetooth to phones, tablets, and other tech. As you may have guessed, you'll also be able to link multiple Lifestyle Ultra speakers together for stereo playback (two speakers), a multi-room audio setup, or a Lifestyle Ultra home theater (soundbar, subwoofer, and two rear speakers).

Industry pros are all about the Bose Lifestyle Ultra, and SoundGuys even thinks that Sonos could have a fierce competitor to worry about. On Amazon, the speaker has scored 4.1 out of five stars, based on over 300 ratings. Most folks love the sound quality, but it does seem like the Bose app can get a little finicky from time to time, particularly during the initial onboarding.

Right off the bat, one of our favorite things about the $500 JBL Authentics 300, and the greater Authentics lineup in general, is the retro design. Both the Black/Gold and White/Gold colorways have a sort of vintage eloquence to their appearance, where not even the carrying handle looks out of place. Behind the fabric grille, the Authentics 300 is powered by two one-inch tweeters, a 5.25-inch woofer, and a down-firing, six-inch bass radiator.

Users can expect impressive sound quality, and the JBL One app gives you numerous tools for audio customization, including presets and a graphic equalizer. This is also the software you'll use to mess with music-streaming platforms and to receive updates. Both Alexa and Google Assistant are natively supported, and neither requires a separate device to receive voice commands; just speak right to the Authentics 300 to start controlling your smart home.

The Authentics 300 works as a Bluetooth speaker, too, and features a 3.5-millimeter auxiliary input, on top of USB-C and an Ethernet port. We also like that the speaker is battery-powered, and JBL claims it should last up to eight hours on a full charge. The Authentics 300 has been on the market for a minute, so some folks may feel that the price is pretty steep. Still, this JBL speaker has earned a 4.4-out-of-5-star rating, based on over 280 user ratings.

In building this list, our main goal was tracking down great speakers with Alexa built in, which isn't the same as being Alexa-ready or Alexa-enabled. To ensure wide availability, we chose only speakers that are available for purchase on Amazon. Only devices with a score of at least four stars out of five on the retailer's platform were considered, and the ones that made the final cut all have received at least 250 buyer ratings. Finally, we referenced both professional, hands-on reviews and specific user feedback to hone in on our four picks, as well as considering and discussing each speaker's pros and cons.