Google Home Max is a high-end smart speaker that competes with the Apple HomePod and has Google Assistant. The Google Home Max White is the largest of the company’s three smart speakers—the Home, Home Mini, and theHome Max— which has been available in the United States since November 2017. The organization of voice commands, controls, and queries is identical to Google’s more portable smart speaker options, but the voice is noticeably different. Unfortunately, there is a lack of variety regarding high-quality smart speakers in terms of audio output. Even though the microphones have trouble picking up your voice when the music is loud, but the Google Home Max is still stunning. Unfortunately, this speaker has been discontinued and is now difficult to get. But there are many other great things you can do with this device to finish your smart home.
If you think about home audio, Google isn’t the first firm that springs to mind. However, with the release of the Google Home product line, that has all changed (which it has since replaced with the Google Nest line of smart home products). The Nest Mini (previously the Home Mini) includes speakers, but they don’t feel like they were designed with music in mind. Their primary use is for communicating with Google Assistant and, occasionally, controlling smart home devices. Unfortunately, Google Home Max White is not like that. This speaker is the largest and most aesthetically pleasing in the line, and its primary function is to play music. Although the Google Home Max has been officially retired, is it worthwhile to purchase one while they are on sale?
Is the Google Home Max White right for you?
For people affiliated with Google and its services, with a Chromecast, you may skip using the remote altogether by asking your speaker to send content to the TV. In a similar vein, both YouTube and YouTube Music are equally acceptable. Whoever frequently employs Google’s voice-activated search, The Google Assistant still gives the best answers of any personal assistant. It keeps getting better over time, so I use it whenever I need a quick reminder of something simple.
It’s only for Apple Music members, sorry. Apple Music differs from other streaming services like YouTube Music, Spotify, etc., in that it does not support the Google Cast protocol. If you want to stream your Apple Music collection, you’ll have to get creative about how to do it.
Here are the details:
Google Home Max White can fill even sizable areas with its massive, powerful sound. Unlike the cheaper Amazon Echo or Apple HomePod, the Home Max is best placed at the far end of a room so that its two 4.5-inch woofers and two tweeters can project sound in all directions. However, it doesn’t have a sweet spot and will sound about the same no matter where you put it. The Home Max has a powerful sound, with a strong midrange and low-frequency response. You’ll enjoy the Home Max if you’re a fan of deep, rumbling bass, but I found the bass to be a little sloppy on some tunes and lacking in nuance; dialling it back helped a little.
When the device is turned from vertical to horizontal, the dots in the middle of the speaker move around.
- A USB-C charging port is available (but not quickly).
- In a weird twist, the Google Home app’s volume controls to change the volume by 4 to 6 percent when used on a smartphone.
- If you turn on Home Max upside down, Assistant will let you know, but it will still function normally.
- The volume control has a lot of fine-tuning options, so it’s easy to find the sweet spot.
The massive size of the Google Home Max White means it can pump a lot of air, resulting in fairly intense lows. Although I find the low E string to be overpowering in Frank Ocean’s song “Moon River,” I can’t deny that it adds roughness and never distracts from his singing in the sweet spot. The speaker’s low-frequency vibrations are muffled by the rubber bass pad so that the lows won’t bother anyone. Because of its subtlety, the lower-frequency accent will likely be appreciated by the vast majority of listeners. This is the perfect party amplifier because the highs aren’t too piercing, and the mids aren’t drowned out. However, I found it sounded OK at lower volumes, so I started using it as a background music played throughout the day.
In Generator Second Floor by Freelance Whales, the vocals were easily discernible, even with the rest of the instruments joining in during the chorus at about the 2:17 mark, when many thumping drums and bells were ringing. As for the bells specifically, one of my only complaints is that the high frequencies are a bit harsh. Understandably, Google would have played it safe and not given them as much weight as the lows. I can’t remember the last time I heard, “Drop the bells.” Even at maximum volume, there isn’t much audible distortion, but the hi-hats and cymbals lack the reverb that would otherwise help expand the soundstage.
Is it possible to use the Google Home Max as a soundbar?
Technically, sure, but we wouldn’t suggest it. In theory, this should work if your TV has a 3.5mm audio output and a corresponding input on the Google Home Max. Using this method to hook up your TV will indeed increase the volume, but that doesn’t guarantee it’ll improve the picture quality in any way. To put it simply, a high-quality soundbar improves the whole viewing experience. They accomplish this by participating in a 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound system or supporting codecs such as Dolby Atmos or DTS: X. Though the Google Home Max White is an excellent speaker, its primary purpose is to improve the quality of audio for music, not video.
Price
Google’s top-tier home speaker, the Google Home Max, can be purchased for £399 in either a chalk or charcoal finish. The Google Home is £99, while the Home Mini is just £39. The price of the Sonos Play:5 is £499, the Sonos One is £199, and the Apple HomePod costs £319.
Verdict
The Google Home Max White is a big improvement when you consider the sound quality compared to the other and previous Google Assistant. It has a sound that fills the room and bass that rumbles. Even though Google Assistant is now the best voice assistant on the market, thanks to its large library of music services and better voice recognition and understanding, the Home Max’s sound quality isn’t as good as that of the Apple HomePod. Still the Google Home Max White is a fantastic speaker for playing loud music during house partes and it really suits a smart home. At £400, it’s a pretty good deal if you want to replace your old speaker in your living room with a premium listening experience.
