GOOGLE HOME MAX
Update: November 2020
Google continues to create smart speakers that provide the user with an uncontrollable reason to buy them and enjoy this type of technology that has become so popular in the last two years.
On this occasion they have brought to the market the Google Home Maxwhich promises superior sound quality to previous models designed by the company.
In addition, the Google speaker also promises to be able to show more compatibility with other devices with Chromecast technology and better integration into the smart home.
Next, in this article we will carry out a complete analysis of the top of the range of the Google speaker so that you can draw your own conclusions.
GOOGLE HOME MAX DATA SHEET
- Design: It is a large and inconspicuous device, but at the same time it can be modern and elegant thanks to the combination of light colored mesh and its pearl white drawer.
- Size: Next to other Google speakers like the Home Mini, this one can seem gigantic.
has some measures 13.5″ wide, 7.25″ tall, and 6″ thickwhich makes it have a weight about 5 kilograms.
- Orientation : The nice thing about this smart speaker is that it can be used in two ways: horizontal or vertical.
For this, it was made with magnetic pads that allow it to be placed in any orientation without damaging the furniture in your home.
- tactile buttons: This speaker can not only be placed horizontally or vertically, but also has touch buttons that allow you to control some of its functions, which adapts according to the orientation.
This model does not have a touch screen like the Google Nest Hub.
- Indicators: The Google Home Max, like other Google smart speakers, has LED indicators that let the user know when the speaker is ready to receive a voice command.
In this case, it is three lights together at the front.
- Connection: Includes on the back a USB-C port to charge devices compatible with this type of port.
This same USB-C port can be used to connect to an Ethernet network for a more secure and stable connection.
Also, bring a 3.5mm jack port that allows you to connect analog devices to the speaker.
- multi-room capability: He is able to connect with other compatible devices in order to create a unified environment in terms of sound.
In other words, you can have one speaker in each room and listen to the same song at the same time in each room.
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF THE SPEAKER
ADVANTAGES
- The Home Max has excellent sound, since inside the sealed polycarbonate cabinet you can find a pair of 4.5-inch aluminum speakers, high-end basses with double exit coils, as well as two 1.77 tweeters.
cm each.
- It is compatible with different audio formats such as FLAC, MP3, Opus, WAV, LC-AAC+, Vorbis and HE-AAC, although it is not compatible with aptX HD or aptX.
- As expected, it is compatible with other products in the Google Cast series, which is a platform that allows you to simply play audio or video from one smart speaker to another that is connected with the Google assistant without the need for complicated settings.
- You can connect with other Bluetooth devices such as a laptop, desktop, tablet, mobile or any other device that contains a Google account.
DISADVANTAGES
- It is a fact that the Google Home application that is used to configure and control the Home Max smart speaker, does not always respond or work as it should, which is why it is annoying to use.
- Due to its large size, very similar to the Harman Kardon Citation 500, it is extremely heavy, so it may not be practical to hang it, but rather to put it on a table or desk.
In addition, it takes up a lot of space, more than most smart speakers on the market.
GOOGLE HOME MAX VOICE ASSISTANT
The Google Home Max is based mainly on streaming or streaming servicesmore than in storage services.
This feature allows you to use services like Youtube music, SpotifyGoogle Play Home, TuneIn, Pandora, iHeartRadio and more.
These are streaming music services that simply through the internet can play the songs we want to hear or the artist we want to hear.
In addition, another of its functions as a smart speaker is its perfect integration into the future smart homethat is, you can control other smart devices in the house through voice commands, such as the heating system.
But this time Google made it simpler.
Before it was necessary to ask the speaker to tell the other devices the task that you wanted them to execute.
Now, all you have to do is give the order and the Home Max will execute it for you, without much complication.
For example, you can say something like “Hey Google, turn on the light bulbs in the master bedroom,” and they will turn on automatically.
A major improvement to all Google speakers is that you will no longer need to constantly say “Ok Google” to activate the voice assistant.
To do this, it will suffice to activate the conversation mode in the assistant application, which is deactivated by default from the factory in SettingsāPreferencesāContinuous conversation.
In this way, we only have to activate the Google speaker once with the voice command «ok google»and we will be able to maintain a fluent conversation with the Google smart speaker.
HOW DOES GOOGLE HOME MAX WORK?
It seems that Google has met the expectations of many users with previous models like the Google Home, which is capable of providing excellent audio quality, or the Home Mini, which provides decent audio quality but is better compatible with other speakers. smart.
Even so, with the word Max it seems that they are targeting a different audience, one that loves music more than anything.
In order to achieve its goal and make its name stand out, it not only has to integrate the same Google Assistant and its useful features, but also surpass the sound quality that it has presented in these previous models.
The good news is that as long as you have enough physical space and budget, this speaker provides good sound quality from the moment you connect it to your network.
Besides, the home max It includes a system that allows you to automatically configure the equalizer in order to provide a sound quality according to the space in which it was placed.
In both high and low volume, the google speaker achieves that high and low sounds do not mix with each other in such a way that they dull and distort the audio.
So sound travels throughout the room, especially if you’re also connected to other Google Cast devices.
But even alone, you can achieve a good volume even in a not so small room.
The Home Max requires that you activate it through voice commands, but you can also do it through another device such as your iPhone, Android mobile or a tablet that has the control application installed.
Fortunately, the microphones on this speaker are powerful, allowing voice commands to be picked up even when the speaker itself is playing loud music.
HOW TO CONFIGURE THE SPEAKER?
Its configuration is quite simple and intuitive, you just need to connect it to the power through the cable that comes with the product, first at the back of the speaker, and then at the wall outlet.
Afterwards, you just have to download the Google Home application on your mobile device or tablet in order to configure it.
Explore the app to get to know it well and familiarize yourself with the features you can control on your Home Max.
First, you can find the latest features, tips, and deals that are related to the speaker.
In addition, you will be able to control the configuration of your music services, what will be the set your location, connect smart devices like your home lights, thermostat, and other Chromecast devices.
For example, if you want the Google Home max to stream the free version of Youtube musicIt is very simple.
It is only necessary to open the Google Home app that we have installed on our phone or mobile device and press the icon at the top where it says āsettingsā.
Then a new screen will open where we will find “google assistant servicesā, we select the music option and the YouTube Music app.
Once the option is selected, we will already have our streaming music installed with YouTube, yes, in the free version.
As with Spotify, we will also have to listen to an announcement from time to time.
It is what we are afraid to put up with for its free version š¬
OUR VERDICT
If your home is full of Chromecast devices and you want to make your home smarter, then we are sure it will fit perfectly in your spaces.
The truth is that they have done an excellent job of adding smart speakers to their streaming media ecosystem.
In addition, it should be noted that this smart speaker has good audio qualitywhich maintains harmony with the space and is not distorted even at high volume, and allows receiving voice commands with a high pick-up capacity.
If we compare it with other smart speakers that have already been on the market to this day, the Google Home Max is one of the ones with the best sound.
While Google’s assistant has struggled when it comes to integrating with other smart home devices, recent advances have brought it very close to being on par with Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant.
It is true that there are many other speakers that have excellent sound quality and multi-room system, but the Google Home Max definitely shows great promise.
YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED IN
Click to rate this Article!