HomePod Sonos One

£319 £199

Voice Assista nt Siri is solid at picking up commands, and can control your home, set timers, add reminders and find trivia. It’s most adept as a ‘musicologist’, though.

Multi-room None at launch. But soon, it will support AirPlay 2, Apple’s multi-room streaming tech. You can mix and match AirPlay 2 speakers from different manufacturers.

playback Options You can play practically anything using AirPlay. Siri can only play back Apple Music tracks. There are no other connection options at all.

audio quality The HomePod definitely sounds like a high-end speaker. It’s big across the range, meaning chunky bass as well as crystal-clear treble. It’s loud, too.

T3 Verdict The HomePod’s smart side has limitations, but Siri is great for Apple Music, and if you’re deep into Apple, HomePod will be a hit. Voice assista nt

Alexa is top-tier at hearing commands, and has a similar set of commands built into Siri (though is limited for music). However, Alexa’s Skills expand things.

multi-room

Sonos’ own multi-room system for its speakers works through its app. Sonos speakers (including the One) will also support AirPlay 2 in the future.

playback Options

Sonos’ app supports Apple Music, TIDAL, Spotify and other big streaming services. Alexa commands work with Amazon Prime Music and Spotify.

audio quality

The Sonos One kicks out a good amount of volume for its size. Music is balanced well, detailed, and full. It feels a little less open and bright, though.

T3 Verdict

Alexa’s expandability, and Sonos’ great sound and cross-platform multi-room flexibility, make this a top-choice all-rounder for a smart speaker.