Smart speaker buying guide

Setting up a wireless smart speaker system allows you to play your favourite songs, podcasts and radio stations throughout your home, just by using your voice. Connecting via your WiFi network or Bluetooth, smart speakers can receive audio from your smartphone, tablet, computer or home theatre system and control everything using a free-to-download app.

Using smart sound speakers through the home allows you to play the same song in every room or a different song, station, podcast or playlist in each space. You can connect to digital music libraries, radios, compatible CD players, and even turntables, so you’ll always have plenty of content. If this seems daunting, why don’t you start with one and grow your system? You can even create a virtual surround sound experience by adding a smart soundbar, subwoofer and rear speakers for a home cinema to be proud of.

Talking about ‘wireless speakers’ can be a little misleading as it doesn’t mean that a speaker has absolutely no wires at all. Generally speaking, home wireless speakers need a wire to connect to the mains. Even fully portable speakers need to connect to the mains to recharge their built-in batteries. Many wireless speakers also contain a ‘line in’ or ‘aux in’ socket to connect your speaker to an audio source via a cable. If you want to connect non-wireless devices like an old record player or a CD player to your wireless speaker, then this is really useful.

Often known as ‘pairing’, you can effortlessly connect your smartphone/devices to your speakers via Bluetooth or WiFi. Both methods have perks but Bluetooth is perfect for short distances (around 10 metres) as you don’t need an internet connection or Wi-Fi signal. The sound quality is usually excellent via Bluetooth as the technology continues to improve, but the WiFi connection can often be a little better.