Google Nest Audio Speaker: Features and Review

March 7, 2025

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In recent years, smart speakers have become an essential part of modern living, offering convenience, entertainment, and smart home integration all in one. Among the popular choices in this category is the Google Nest Audio Bluetooth Speaker, a device that promises top-notch sound quality and seamless integration with the Google ecosystem. Whether you want to enhance your music experience or control your smart home devices hands-free, Google Nest Audio delivers.

This article will explore Google Nest Audio in-depth, covering everything from its design and features to its performance and comparison with other smart speakers. Let’s dive in and see if this is the right Bluetooth speaker for your home.

Quick Specs of Google Nest Audio Speaker

Product Type: Smart Speaker with Google Assistant
Bluetooth: Yes, Bluetooth 5.0
Wi-Fi Connectivity: Wi-Fi 5 (2.4 GHz & 5 GHz)
Color Options: Chalk, Charcoal, Sky, Sage, Sand
Size: 7.8 x 4.9 x 6.9 inches
Weight: 2.6 lbs (1.2 kg)
Power Source: AC only (plugged into an outlet)
Voice Assistant: Google Assistant built-in
Additional Features: Chromecast support, multi-room audio, adjustable bass and treble

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Google Nest Audio Speaker Release Date

The Google Nest Audio was officially released in October 2020 as a successor to the Google Home speaker. Designed as a larger and more robust option compared to its predecessors, the Nest Audio quickly became a favorite for those seeking a high-quality sound experience and the innovative features of Google Assistant.

Unboxing the Google Nest Audio Speaker

When you unbox the Google Nest Audio, you’ll find:

The Google Nest Audio speaker itself
A power cable
A user manual

The packaging is minimalist, and the speaker’s design is sleek and compact. The device has no extra accessories, but it’s ready to go once you plug it into a power source. The speaker’s simple, clean aesthetic fits effortlessly into various home decor.

Design, Display, and Controls

The Google Nest Audio has a modern, vertical design that seamlessly blends into any space in your home. It’s available in multiple color variants, including Chalk, Charcoal, Sky, Sage, and Sand, so you can choose one that best suits your room’s aesthetic.

Key Design Features:

Minimalist Shape: Its oval shape and smooth fabric covering make it attractive and functional.
Four Horizontal Lights: These lights show when the speaker is active or responding to commands.

Touch-sensitive Controls: In addition, there are controls to adjust the volume, play/pause music, and answer/end calls. However, you will need to get familiar with the touch areas since no physical markings indicate their location.

Build Quality:

Material: Mostly made of plastic with a rubber-like base. The fabric covering is soft but may attract dust over time.

Durability: The speaker feels solid and durable but is not water-resistant, so it’s best to keep it away from areas prone to moisture.

Differences Between Sizes and Variants

While the Google Nest Audio is a larger speaker than the Google Nest Mini, it offers a much richer sound experience. Its audio output is significantly improved, with deeper bass and a fuller sound profile, making it ideal for listening to music and watching videos.

The main differences you’ll notice when comparing the Google Nest Audio to other Google speakers, such as the Google Nest Mini, include:

Size: The Nest Audio is more oversized, offering better sound performance.
Sound Quality: The Nest Audio features richer bass and a more balanced sound profile, while the Nest Mini is more compact and emphasizes bass less.
Volume: The Nest Audio can play louder, making it more suitable for larger rooms.

Available Colors

The Google Nest Audio is available in five distinct colors to match various home interiors. The options are:

Chalk
Charcoal
Sky
Sage
Sand

These colors allow you to integrate the speaker effortlessly into your home decor while adding a touch of style.

Features of Google Nest Audio Bluetooth speaker

The Google Nest Audio Bluetooth speaker comes with a host of features designed to provide a premium audio experience and ease of use:

Design and Build Quality

The Google Nest Audio features a sleek, minimalist design that blends effortlessly into most home decors. Its fabric-covered exterior offers a soft and aesthetically pleasing look. Available in various colors, such as Chalk, Charcoal, Sky, Sage, and Sand, it offers flexibility to match different interior styles.

Shape & Size: The speaker is tall but not too bulky, which makes it suitable for placement on various surfaces around the home.
Material: The exterior fabric feels premium and durable, and the speaker’s solid plastic body ensures sturdiness. It also has a rubberized base that helps with stability.
Weight: Weighing approximately 2.6 lbs (1.2 kg), the speaker is not too heavy, making it easy to move around from one room to another.

Assistant Integration

The Google Nest Audio has Google Assistant built-in, allowing for hands-free voice control. Google Assistant responds quickly and efficiently when controlling music, checking the weather, or managing your smart home devices.

Far-Field Performance: The far-field microphone system ensures that Google Nest Audio can pick up your voice commands from a distance, even in larger or noisier rooms.
Microphone Mute: If you prefer privacy, you can quickly mute the microphone using the physical mute button on the back of the speaker. This ensures the speaker doesn’t listen to your voice commands unless you want.

Sound Quality

The Google Nest Audio is primarily designed to deliver superior sound quality compared to its smaller sibling, the Google Nest Mini. The sound quality can be summarized as balanced, focusing on the mids and vocals.

Frequency Response: The speaker’s response is accurate across various ranges, especially for mid-range frequencies. The treble, however, can sometimes sound dull, and the bass is less pronounced than other premium speakers.
Bass and Treble Adjustments: The Google Home app allows you to tweak the bass and treble to suit your preferences. While it doesn’t have the deepest bass, it provides a pleasant listening experience for everyday use.
Soundstage and Stereo Pairing: By default, the Google Nest Audio plays audio in mono, but it can be paired with another Nest Audio speaker to create a stereo pair. This improves the soundstage and provides a more immersive listening experience.

Connectivity

The Google Nest Audio supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, providing flexibility in streaming content.

Wi-Fi Connectivity: The speaker supports Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) and operates on both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, ensuring stable and fast wireless streaming.
Google Chromecast: The device is compatible with Google Chromecast, allowing you to stream music, videos, and more from compatible devices.
Bluetooth: With Bluetooth 5.0, the Nest Audio offers an impressive range of up to 77.5 meters (254.3 ft). However, it can only pair with one device at a time, and its latency can sometimes cause video syncing issues.

Smart Home Integration

The Google Nest Audio is a key component of the Google Home ecosystem, which makes it a perfect fit for anyone with a smart home setup. It integrates seamlessly with various Nest and Google smart devices, offering a convenient hub for managing your connected devices.

Smart Device Pairing: Easily link your Google Nest Audio to other smart devices like thermostats, lights, cameras, and more, allowing you to control them using your voice.
Multi-Room Audio: You can connect multiple Google speakers and create a synchronized audio experience across various rooms. This feature is great for larger homes or when you want to amplify your music throughout the entire house.
Works with Google Home: Google Nest Audio is fully compatible with the Google Home app, which allows you to manage settings, customize sound, and pair it with other Google speakers for an enhanced audio experience.

Control and Interaction

The Google Nest Audio has touch-sensitive controls that allow you to easily adjust settings without a smartphone or voice command.

Touch Controls: The touch controls on the top of the speaker allow you to control music playback, adjust volume, and even answer calls. The controls are intuitive, but the absence of markings means you have to remember where to tap for specific functions.
Physical Mic Mute: A dedicated button on the back allows you to mute the microphone whenever you don’t want the speaker to listen to you, offering an added layer of privacy.
Volume Adjustments: The horizontal lights on the front of the speaker help indicate the volume level, allowing for quick adjustments.

App Integration

The Google Nest Audio works in conjunction with the Google Home app, which is available for iOS and Android devices. This app allows you to set up the speaker, customize its performance, and control various features.

Bass and Treble Adjustment: The Google Home app allows you to fine-tune the sound quality by adjusting the bass and treble.
Stereo Pairing: Use the app to pair two Nest Audio speakers together for a stereo sound experience
Party Mode and Multi-Room Audio: The app allows you to create a multi-room audio setup to stream music across several rooms or play different content in different rooms simultaneously.

Portability

While the Google Nest Audio is designed to stay plugged into a power source for consistent performance, its relatively compact size and weight make it easy to move around within your home.

Not Battery-Powered: Unlike portable Bluetooth speakers, the Nest Audio is a wired-only speaker, so you can’t take it outside or move it far from a power outlet.
Easily Moveable: It’s lightweight and compact, making it easy to carry from one room to another.

Limitations

Outdoor Use

The Google Nest Audio isn’t designed for outdoor use due to its lack of water resistance and limited portability. You should avoid exposing it to rain or extreme temperatures.

Volume Limitations

While the speaker can fill an average-sized room with sound, it struggles to perform in larger open spaces. At higher volumes, you may notice compression in the sound, particularly in the bass frequencies.

No Stereo Sound in Single Unit

The speaker plays mono sound out of the box, so it’s best to pair it with another Nest Audio to experience authentic stereo sound.

Price and Availability

The Google Nest Audio is competitively priced in the smart speaker market. As of 2023, the price typically ranges from $99 to $129, depending on promotions and the specific color or bundle deals. It is available on Amazon, Best Buy, and the official Google Store.

You can often find it in multi-packs, such as a 2-pack, which may offer savings if you use multiple speakers for a larger space or a multi-room setup.

Google Nest Audio Comparison

When comparing the Google Nest Audio with other leading smart speakers, it stands out in several areas:

Google Nest Audio vs. Amazon Echo (4th Gen)

The Amazon Echo has slightly better voice assistant performance, particularly in noisy environments. However, the Nest Audio supports Google Assistant, which may be preferable for users already within the Google ecosystem.
The Echo also offers more seamless Bluetooth pairing with iOS and Android devices.

Google Nest Audio vs. Apple HomePod Mini

Both speakers are similar in sound quality, but the Apple HomePod mini offers a more spacious soundstage. However, the Nest Audio excels in integration with Google Home and Chromecast for streaming music and controlling smart home devices.

Google Nest Audio vs. Google Nest Mini

The Nest Audio is the larger, more powerful sibling of the Google Nest Mini. It provides better bass, more volume, and a richer sound profile. The Nest Mini is more suitable for compact spaces where a smaller speaker is sufficient.

Is It Worth Buying the Google Nest Audio?

If you’re looking for a smart speaker that blends excellent sound quality, voice assistant integration, and seamless smart home control, then the Google Nest Audio is certainly worth considering. Its features, such as Chromecast support, customizable sound, and multi-room audio, make it a great addition to any home.

Conclusion

The Google Nest Audio Bluetooth Speaker is a solid choice for those seeking a premium smart speaker with rich sound quality and excellent Google Assistant integration. It’s perfect for creating a smart home ecosystem and enjoying hands-free control of your devices. Whether you want to listen to music, control your home automation, or interact with your voice assistant, the Google Nest Audio has you covered.