Asus Lyra Voice

Decent smart speaker that happens to be a router

The next step for mesh routers appears to be integrating voice assistants into their repertoire. With the release of the Lyra Voice, Asus joins the likes of the Netgear Orbi Voice by releasing a router that also takes a turn as a gateway to the wonderful world of Amazon Alexa. In terms of headline figures, this is very much a router in the same guise as the original Lyra, offering AC2200 connectivity: 400Mb/s at 2.4GHz, and dual 867Mb/s connections at 5GHz.

Before we go any further, it’s worth considering how this will fit in your home, because if the Internet connection enters your house in a foyer, under a staircase, or somewhere out of the way, this limits the usefulness of the main selling point of the Lyra Voice as an allin-one solution. The good news is that the Lyra Voice can work alongside your existing mesh network (or indeed any Wi-Fi router), but in many ways, it’s much neater as an all-in-one solution (if your layout will play ball).

The Lyra Voice is different from your normal router in that it boasts a fabric finish and isn’t covered in visible antennae. There’s a slightly thinner band in the middle adorned with the Asus logo, the light strip used by Alexa to show that it’s heard you (and also used during setup to show where it is in the installation process), and four buttons on the top that control volume, mute the speaker, and wake Alexa instantly. Around the back is an on/off switch, as well as two Ethernet ports, and a power connector.

In terms of audio, the Lyra Voice is loud without being overbearing, and it isn’t overly bass heavy, which can often be the case with Bluetooth speakers. Speaking of which, when paired as a Bluetooth speaker or streaming directly, it makes for a thoroughly enjoyable musical experience, and thanks to Alexa, it’s easy to control as well. As a smart speaker, it impresses—we found talking to Alexa, even from a distance, worked well. The responses are clear, and it was reasonably rare for us to have to clarify any of our questions.

Software sorrows

All good so far, which brings us to our biggest problem with the Lyra Voice— its software. We initially tried setting up the Lyra Voice as an additional unit to an existing mesh network, but couldn’t get it to complete the installation, despite picking up the network we wanted it to attach to easily enough. We then tried setting it up in router mode, but came unstuck at the end of installation as well. It transpired that there was a problem with the setup app, and judging by the comments on the app store, this problem had been ongoing for some time.

After several weeks, an update finally became available, and at this point we could finish the installation, and use it as intended. However, we then witnessed performance that was well below what you’d expect from a modern router— 5Mb/s, even if standing next to it. Fastforward a few more eagerly downloaded updates, and we finally have a router that performs well. But as experiences go, it hardly instils confidence.

Once configured properly (and updated), the actual throughput you’ll enjoy from the Lyra Voice is impressive, especially at range. It’s a consistent performer, too. Indeed, for a single router, it managed much better coverage than we would have expected, and for modest sized homes, there’s a lot to like here as a standalone router.

However, the initial software problems left a bad taste in our mouths, and while it now works as intended, this did knock our confidence in Asus’s ability to maintain the software in a reasonable timeframe. That said, the combination of a smart assistant and decent Bluetooth speaker makes for a tempting addition to normal router capabilities. And while it may cost a little more than a normal router, it feels like a good return on the investment.

Speed Super-light; supersensitive; super-simple.

Kills Rather unexciting; comes with a questionable cable.

$ 60, http://endgamegear.com