Stiftung Warentest under the magnifying glass: smart speakers
10.11.2020
Translation: machine translated
Stiftung Warentest is rightly an authority when it comes to product tests. It has now tested smart speakers. However, we don't want to simply write off the results and are therefore adding further aspects.
The original test is technically flawless, but emotionless. We have therefore supplemented it with design, the manufacturer's reputation and the opinions of other testers.
It's a close neck-and-neck race in this "Warentest Plus", with two speakers coming out on top in the end. The second-generation Sonos One comes out on top in the Stiftung Warentest, but when other factors are taken into account, the third-generation Amazon Echo pulls level with it.
The five best smart speakers in our range
We take a look at the five best speakers according to the test by Stiftung Warentest (issue 11/2020, subject to charge).tagIds=591" title="smart speakers">smart speakers that we have in our range.
The Stiftung Warentest awards the following (school) grades:
- Sonos One (Gen. 2): 2.8
- Amazon ECHO (3rd gen.): 3
- Marshall Uxbridge Voice (Alexa): 3.1
- Gigaset Smart Speaker L800HX: 3.1
- Bose Home Speaker 300: 3.5
None performs well. All are only satisfactory overall. Sound accounts for 40 per cent of the overall score and is not always to blame for the average ratings. Handling and data protection account for 20 per cent and 10 per cent of the overall score. In terms of data protection, all are only sufficient, which drags the overall score down. The voice assistants account for 20 per cent of the overall score and are all good with small differences. The Sonos One takes first place mainly due to its well-rated sound.
Reviews from other magazines
We found the five smart speakers in the best lists of four magazines. They landed in these places when Computerbild, testberichte.de, hifi.de and testsieger.de had only tested these five speakers. The average ranking achieved by the individual speakers is interesting.
Best list rank per magazine
Change in leadership: The Amazon Echo comes out on top in the magazines, swapping places with the Sonos One. The fourth place in Computerbild is a particular problem for Sonos. The speakers from Marshall, Gigaset and Bose retain their ranking.
YouTube score
In addition to the classic test portals, we also looked at the opinions on the various Bluetooth speakers on YouTube. The opinions of 10BestOnes, TheTechMag, [Smart Home Sounds Ltd](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74f4V1K6vfk; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoF4bLq5its) are included in the evaluation.
So that you don't have to watch all the videos yourself, we have created a ranking based on the YouTubers' ratings. In summary, the result looks like this:
- Sonos One
- Amazon ECHO
- Marshall Uxbridge Voice
There were not enough videos for the Gigaset Smart Speaker L800HX and the Bose Home Speaker 300 to be included in the review.
Brand popularity
Hand on heart. Can you say with a clear conscience that the brand doesn't matter to you? Of course, new or less well-known manufacturers can also bring excellent products onto the market. But in the end, there is a bonus and a leap of faith in favour of the big and well-known brands.
Search interest on Google
Our point of reference for the popularity and awareness of a brand is Google Trends. There, however, we do not look at general search queries, but at those in the shopping area.
The lead for Amazon is huge. Competitors don't stand a chance against the concentrated power of the group. If you ignore the top dog, Bose is the best-known player on the market. Sonos, Gigaset and Marshall follow close behind.
Design
The German consumer organisation Stiftung Warentest looked at the sound, voice assistants, handling, versatility, power consumption and data protection of the smart speakers. We add the very subjective "design" factor. After all, a speaker like this likes to be clearly visible around the home. It wouldn't sound as good out of the cupboard. Which smart speaker meets the taste of the masses just by looking at it? To find out, we conducted a - non-representative - survey in our Community.
Survey: Which smart speaker is the best?
It's a close race between the top two places, but in the end the Bose Home Speaker 300 can claim the title of most beautiful speaker. The Marshall Uxbridge Voice in the design of a classic amplifier came in second place. The Sonos One and the Amazon ECHO follow at a distance. The Gigaset Smart Speaker L800HX came in last place.
Conclusion: Sonos and Amazon on a par
Finally, we summarise all aspects: Stiftung Warentest's rating with the ratings of the other testers and the additional criteria of "brand popularity" and "design". But not equally. The three test areas Stiftung Warentest, magazines and YouTube each account for 25 per cent of the overall rating, while the brand and design each account for 12.5 per cent.
Weighted overall rating across all criteria
The Sonos One loses its sole top spot. The Amazon ECHO catches up with it. It was helped by the ratings from other magazines and the high profile of its manufacturer.
Small decision-making aid: The Sonos One performs better in terms of sound and you can choose between Alexa and the Google Assistant and set up a multi-room system with other Sonos products. The ECHO, on the other hand, is significantly cheaper, only has Alexa on board and can also be used as a Bluetooth speaker for playing music. The Sonos One requires a Wi-Fi connection for this.
When I was but a young student, I'd sit in my friend's living room with all my classmates and play on his SuperNES. Since then I've had the opportunity to test out all the newest technology for you. I've done reviews at Curved, Computer Bild and Netzwelt, and have now arrived at Galaxus.de.
