Thank you for this excellent demonstration of the performances of both Google Nest Mini and Google Home Mini. One can really appreciate, from your contribution, the range of sound quality variation between the Nest and the Mini; and there is clearly a real difference!
@@SwitchedOnNetwork Received my Nest and its brilliant! At higher volumes, there isn't the impactful bass as you'd expect from a larger speaker; low to medium volumes, crisp. It's a fabulous ambiance when the TV's off and the kids are crafting something
Listening on my AirPods Pro, “A” sounded significantly louder with better treble but, missing bass, while “B” sounded softer with noticeably better bass and flat treble. I preferred “B”
Yep, you're right about the treble. Both were set at 0 for the test, but if you boost the treble a bit on the Nest then it sounds even better (to my taste).
At the start I thought A was the best but then the more I listened the more I prefer B, so I'm guessing b is the nest and A is the home, this was a great video.
I think that's because of the more pronounced high-end that A has. When out of a side-by-side test scenario, I boost the treble on the Nest Mini a bit and it sounds better overall - throughout the range. And in real life, it definitely doesn't sound compressed! (Although I can see why you would say that listening to that here... good point).
My all-round choice is "B". Even though it sounds compressed which flattens out the treble, it will still sound consistent at higher volumes. The bass sounds really tight and punchy as well, which I love. "A" is a fair bit tinny.
That's probably RUclips's compression you're hearing there (and/or the export of my video, even though it was at the highest quality possible within h.264 mp4 video...)
I listened to this using the built in speakers on my Pixel 3 XL and I noticed A was louder and more tinny sounding while B wasn't quite as loud but was alot smoother and had a more well rounded/deeper sound.
Without anyone's input I pick B. They both sound kinda meh, but they are both single speakers that are about $50 so meh is the range I expect them to be on. That being said, B sounded better. I could pick up more nuance on things like drums. Let's see which I chose..... EDIT: and it was the new Nest Mini. For what it's worth, My set up was Surface Pro 7 wirelessly connected to a pair of Sony WH-1000XM3 with noise cancelling on.
Yep, I'd agree with everything you've said there! :) Nice headphones by the way... hoping to do a video on the XM3s vs XM4s sometime this autumn so stay tuned for that.
very interesting review - and by god, a lot of people commenting. You really strok a nerve. For me, the key-thing is: Will I be able to live-with the small-ness of the sound/driver. I am looking for a cheap and small smart-solution - which also can do some bass and sometimes "speak up". My kids have the Home-Mini's, which they love. But, I have these "old hifi" senses and experiences ... my ears listens, my brain knows... I am looking for the Nest-Audio, which probably is the best for me ... but the size and price, buggers me, and I will love to just really "hide" them away - and then just "talk to the furniture" (with a Nest-Mini hidden behind a indoor-plant) instead of talking to an obvious "monolit speaker". We also have got animals (Guinea Pigs) in the living room, so loud listening also comes at the cost of consciousness .. which makes the Nest-Minis a "killer solution"... Funny, that such a thing can be a thing - in the middle of people struggling for their life, freedom, etc - in the world around us... Instead I should buy the cheapest, get som sound, and give the spared money and attention to people in real need.
A - feels like B is underwater at some points by comparison. I feel like it's a black and blue v white and gold - Yanny thing all over again!! Maybe it's my headphones. Will connect to a speaker instead!
I get what you mean, but there's basically no bass at all in A. If you pay attention to the guitar in the first track, the riff basically disappears and all you hear is the single notes when it moves to A, but on B you hear everything.
I'm listening to this on my computer speakers with subwoofer and and with my set up is seems clear that B has a broader dynamic range while A has cleaner sounding highs since it lacks a lot of the lower frequencies that B is able to produce. To me, this is most apparent when comparing the quality of sound from the timpanis in the symphony.
Good assessment and yes I'd agree with all that! I should also point out that the highs on B are capable of sounding cleaner, but for the test I'd set the Bass and Treble on both speakers to 0. The Nest Mini certainly sounds better with a bit of a treble boost. If you enjoyed this video, you'll like the one I'm working on this week, which is comparing the new Nest Audio to the original Google Home. It should hopefully be live on the channel in the next few days!
Although I'm listening through phone speakers, sounds like A reproduces that snare more clearly but everything else sounds better and more balanced in B. B has got to be the (N/b)est
good speakers often sound a little "flat" and "less interesting", when kept at "neutral". They are then helped by small eq-adjustments. The whole thing eventually evolves around "the quality of the sound reproduced", and not the "boom boom, or snare-snare" - so at first glance all "not neutral / low-quality speakers" can sound "interesting/promising" (depending on song/music-material) - but, they soon becomes a "pain to the ears" and "an annoyance - because of our sense/need of realism"!)
quite a few music-"artists & -studios" even trive on this factor - testing their music on portable lower-quality units/speakers/blasters - making their music sound good "to the masses" and not to the "hifi high-end purists" (problem with this, though, is that no low-classe speaker are alike. That is more or less the issue ... fail-overtones (that for instance in the home-mini produce a better sounding snare, in the selected music-piece) and deep "walleys" and distortions, of-course differs a lot between low-class speakers). The "producers" then typically "go for" some common "sound issues" - such as a full-range speaker doing both bass and mid-range and maybe treble also - resulting in high fall-off in the lows (bass-area) and compressed/no detail in the highs. These equalizations and colorizations, then of-course makes these productions non-interesting for the purists, that loves to listen to for instance Bolero, classical and special productions, and that hate the modern mp3-streamed & detail-flattened-music, for these obvious reasons ... which the masses then really don't care about, because their equipment don't reproduce these details anyway. It is kinda the "Old hifi-battle" from the 70's to 90's - before streaming and mp3's came along... These days, it was "getting the electronics and mechanics right" - now it is kinda a "digital-detail fight", with customers using a "portable full-range speaker". In my listening, I just hear and focus on the content - the lyrics, the meaning - even though I as a former sound-engineer and sound-purifier, can hear the "faults/colorizations" ... I just try to avoid the worst speakers & amp's out there - because if I don't my brain makes it all a nightmare for me! I find myself learning to "not notice" detail - meaning that I can buy cheaper speakers, and be satisfied. I have a good hifi in my living-room, with a sub and purist speakers, and a Audio-Cambridge amp - which I enjoy at times (partly because of easiness, since it plays-back PC-sound & -music). But normal daily life, is "portable" - with BBC-NewsHour, News, Music, etc - in the kitchen etc. ... and there I stand a bit in doubt regarding speaker-selection - which was what led me to this youtube-soundtest ... because I could get small and cheaper speakers, that might satisfy my ears... While I would love to have "Google Home Max" in all rooms... meaning I would be a selfish ruling father in our family (spending all money on speakers, and having them dominate each room)... but, I have also learned to settle - with for instance speakers such as "Nest Mini 2"s ... if I can just get my ears and brain to fully accept the part about loudness & details - because I have to be honest: I also sometimes "go wild" and listens as a purist, not only in front of my hifi. (which is why I have enjoyed our former "UE Blast" speaker - it had the loudness, bass, and sound.. - and was portable! ... sacrifices, that I would have to make with the Nest-Mini's).
I'm no huge audiophile, so I'm speaking as a general consumer and I think I prefer B. It sounds more full and rich. A seemed to sound like when you turn up a speaker too loud to hear over other noises and almost distorted.. it sounded "crushed" if you will, to me.
Wow clear difference, I didn't think it will change that much. A has evidently higher mids but it doesn't sound as good IMO. Considering changing my home mini to a Nest mini
Going with A, thank you, also with the headphones it was obviously where is nest, my left earplug was just louder lol. The nest sound like the speaker is underwater or something, just my own opinion.
The Google nest actually has twice the bass than Google home mini. I'd say for a person like me that likes more bass with their music the Google nest would be the option.
"A" sounds like a transistor radio compared to "B". No contest here! "B" is significantly better, although I might raise the midrange and treble on "B" just a bit.
This would be more useful without the acoustic foam. The foam mainly dampens the mid frequency reflections. Meaning the high end and bass will become more pronounced in a recording like this.
Maybe, but as long as any environmental peculiarities are kept constant between the tests (as they were) then the affect on each is identical and therefore cancels itself out. I wanted to listen to the devices themselves, cleanly, without the room I was in getting in the way.
OK. B is definitely the better one... Actually took me a while to tell... As the basiness kinda made it sound a little muffled.. But then with the classical, A just sounded echoey and no where near as Full as B. That's my guess anyway. Thank you for the decent video!!
You're spot on! :) And yes, as you say... the new Nest Mini does benefit from having the treble boosted a bit too - then it sounds awesome (but I left everything at 0 on both for the test, obviously...) Glad you enjoyed the video!
B has more bass and sounds less boxy. I own the old mini and am not going to upgrade since I have good computer speakers and don't listen to music through the mini very often. The most important thing is that the robo-voice on the old mini is intelligible enough. I read about some other improvments beside the sound quality but, again, not enough to buy one.
B is a way better in bass but then it misses mids and highs more then A. B is obviously Nest, cos I have home mini and fabrics on it exactly that grey shade ))
"B" sounds way better to me listening on Sony Bluetooth headphones. Much fuller, more bass, and better balanced. What were the bass and treble set to on each device?
It's much better than the Google Home Mini. Mine lives in the kitchen and it's more than acceptable for listening to the radio and other music whilst cooking, washing up etc and also loud enough for when hanging washing out in the garden (rock 'n' r roll!) 🤟
Through my setup: Sennheiser HD650 + Fiio K5 Pro, A sounds a lot more mid foward with better treble extension but the low ends are pretty much nonexistent, also kinda shouty on the mids. B sounded like an average crappy V-shaped tuning. Honestly for it's purpose which is mainly vocals I prefer A. Don't get one of these for music, they work but there's a ton of better options out there when it comes to music. Like lower end edifiers.
I just replaced the Google Home Mini in my garage with the Nest Mini 2 & honestly wish I left nest mini in box and sold it. Not quite as loud, maybe 5% better audio; they both sound like garbage compared to echo dot gen 2. JMO
Yeah neither is a brilliant speaker, it depends on your use case really... I'd say the Nest is much more than 5% better than the OG mini, though, but that's just me! I have a 3rd Gen Echo Dot (video coming soon with that being compared) and I'm very impressed with its sound (for a small smart speaker, of course...)
Yes for sure, I'm planning a showdown between original full size Home, both minis and the 3rd Gen Echo Dot 👍 Can't guarantee I'll have it done by Christmas as I have some other projects, but it's definitely in the pipeline.
Yes, absolutely - they're still great! And I certainly wouldn't be in a hurry to replace them all. But it's good to know that any new ones will sound so much better.
I also liked A much better and thought it was the Nest Mini? It was the blue one, which is only for the Nest Mini?? Is your labeling wrong? I already have a Home Mini and it doesn't sound as good as that A.
@@SelbyKatt haha no, labelling definitely correct - the unedited recordings were voiced with which device was being played, so no chance of mixing up! You can also get the full recordings of each on Patreon 👍
I was the same, I much prefer A but I think the audio level relative to the mic might not have been the same and skewed results so I will have to test myself when I have my nest mini.
It was definitely the same, I was very careful and meticulous! I'm doing a 4-way comparison 4 different smart speakers at the moment, so stay tuned for that on the channel soon.
B def' has it's bass where it does lack a little high,though you did say the equ' settings were set at zero so playin' around with those will change sounds to ones liking.Great presentation!
Not seeing the result yet I liked B the most. B seemed to have more lows but did get a little messy in the mid. B seemed to have lack highs and overall volume but it was the best balanced. A had next to no lows but the highs and mods were more pronounced and the volume sounded louder (probably because of the highs). I didn’t like A that much because it sounded too thin.
I think each have pros and cons. On my headphones, A sounds better for highs, with almost no low to speak of, and B sounds better at the lows, but seems to do much worse with the highs.
Kudo's for your professional approach with the 'anechoic chamber' and the presentation in the vid! Just keep in mind that the google home mini /nest mini leans/benefits from side reflection rather than reflection (hard surface) from the bottom; As far as I can tel from the teardown vids, the higher frequencies are deflected in a 360 degree patern around the pod. (higher frequencies have a more directive nature than lower tones). All and all the B sounds better judged from the vids. Wonder if it is an adjustment of the DSP or if it uses a different speaker/chamber.
Hi, thanks and I'm glad you liked the video. Yes the speaker is new and it's physically bigger and deeper in order to create the better lows. CNET's first-look video showed the two actual speakers side by side, but I couldn't find any similar clips showing them that I could freely use (and didn't want to rip mine open haha)
This is tough.. In some part of the songs, A is pretty harsh, but in other parts the B sounds a bit off, like it's compressed or something. For 1st track I'd say the A sounds more to my liking for most of the time, but for 2nd track the B one is so much better
Yeah there are definitely some parts where A has the slight edge, even if B is my favourite overall. However, this is on 0 for Bass/Treble on both; once you adjust the EQ then B wins hands down. You might also like my recent video from last week where I look at the Nest Audio vs. Google Home: ruclips.net/video/Hac_44tJBlo/видео.html
@@SwitchedOnNetwork Hey thanks for the suggestion man. I must say this new comparison is much easier to call than this one XD Speaking of which, how competent is the Nest Mini as a main speaker? Do they have audio lag when used to watch video, etc?
hmmm that would depend, where are you thinking of using the Nest Mini to watch videos? Like a bedroom for casual viewing or living room for main film night viewing, etc.?
@@SwitchedOnNetwork Bedroom for casual viewing, I think. Usually I watch vids on my smartphone before going to bed. I currently have wireless speaker (a pair of EWA A107s to be exact), but while they sound decent enough, there is noticeable lag that made watching video a bit uncomfortable, so I am looking for a small speaker that has decent sound and minimal lag. Any recommendations?
Yeah the Nest Mini should be good enough for casual viewing before bed - especially if you get 2 and put in a stereo pair and then tweak the EQ. There shouldn't be too much lag with bluetooth, although I don't use any of mine like that so can't 100% guarantee that, but I see no reason why there should be. The Nest Audio WILL be a lot better though. I've recorded tests of Mini vs. Audio too so I'll be editing that together into a comparison video for the channel soon. Alternatives I'd suggest are either a single (or stereo pair) of these Sony bluetooth speakers, I have a single one and it's great: geni.us/SonySRSXB12 (affiliate link) Or forget speakers altogether and get these headphones, which are amazing! geni.us/WH-1000XM4 (affiliate link) Hope that helps :)
Haha well yes, you wouldn't use it as your main music player in a big room, but that's not what they're intended for. A secondary device for the kitchen, bedroom etc. is where they're aimed at and they do a great job there.
Yes, I might do a video comparing to the original Home if there's enough interest. I don't have a Nest Hub, but may also compare to the Echo Dot to mix it up a little 😉
Would be very interested to hear this. Atm, I use one Mini one side of the room, and a Nest Hub the other. Seems to work really well with the Hub giving enough bass so the single 'tinny' speaker doesn't seem as bad as you'd expect. I'd be very interested to hear what the new Home Mini sounded like compared to the Hub as that might be a good way to balance some rooms still instead of getting more Hubs.
Switched On Network Timestamp? I watched the whole video and rewatched the end. Cannot find where you reveal what is A and what is B.... just that you also prefer B....?
@@SwitchedOnNetwork If one item is musically better than the other the better item will tend to be more 'in tune' ie easier to follow the melody and enjoy the tune more.Turning the bass and and treble up or down just changes the sound.IMHO
@@SwitchedOnNetwork Hmm not sure I think that could be construed as pitch which is subjective. It's being able to follow the melody easily .So you are listening to the tune rather than the sound of replay Best demonstrated with a tune you haven't heard before.Similar to tuning a musical instrument .Try it
True, although that would only be mono - if the speakers are identical you can configure them in a stereo pair (like this: ruclips.net/video/zK69Ba61dgg/видео.html). Do you not find it's a bit disjointed having a pair in the same room when the speakers sound different?
@@SwitchedOnNetwork You can pair them but I don't think they have any stereo separation at all. It's the same mono signal playing on both speakers. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
@@drlivert Yes it's a proper stereo pair - Left comes from Left, Right comes from right (I've tested it). It's completely different from just grouping the speakers.
@@SwitchedOnNetwork Looking forward to the video! Edit: You're right! Just tested it myself. Seems Google only added this feature to the old home minis a week ago.
Yeah the new one is def better but im not sure its worth getting rid of my existing Gen 1 speakers. If you really want good sound maybe you should be buying a bigger speaker than this anyway
Oh yes definitely, don't go getting rid of your existing ones to replace them with this! 😂 But if you get any additionals, it's good to know these sound so much better 👍👍👍
@@SwitchedOnNetwork Yes. I have one of the new one's but I got 2 of the Gen 1 speakers really cheap second hand - its a cheaper way to get one in every room than buying new. I think that the nest hub speaker is better than the nest mini as well maybe.
How do you find the WiFi connection on your Nest Mini? Since making this video I've sent it back once and got it replaced, and the new one is a lot better but it still drops connection and I have to reboot it frequently which drives me mad! It lives in the kitchen in the same spot a Home Mini used to, and that *never* lost connection...
@@SwitchedOnNetwork Hmmmm. yeah that is weird - I have not had too many problems but come to think of it - I have had to reset it a couple of times. I'll have to keep an eye on that. Having reliable and working connection is pretty critical for smart home devices
A and B refer to either the Google Home Mini (1st Gen) or the Google Nest Mini (2nd Gen), but I don't tell you which is which initially, to allow you to listen to a blind test with no prejudice. I then reveal which is which at the end of the video. Which did you prefer the sound of?
Multumesc pentru comentariul tau! Mă bucur că ți-a plăcut videoclipul și îmi pare rău că nu ți-a plăcut muzica ... nu poate fi pe gustul tuturor. :) Un amestec de muzică pop / rock și ceva clasic orchestral. Ce gen de muzică ați dori să vedeți pentru următorul videoclip?
Thank you for this excellent demonstration of the performances of both Google Nest Mini and Google Home Mini. One can really appreciate, from your contribution, the range of sound quality variation between the Nest and the Mini; and there is clearly a real difference!
Thanks for your kind comments, and I'm glad you found the video helpful! 👍😊😎
@@SwitchedOnNetwork Received my Nest and its brilliant! At higher volumes, there isn't the impactful bass as you'd expect from a larger speaker; low to medium volumes, crisp. It's a fabulous ambiance when the TV's off and the kids are crafting something
@@Juice82 Yes it's great as a casual listening speaker isn't it!
Can you listen to song from your youtube app when using the google nest?
Not the main RUclips app, but you can cast from the RUclips Music app
"A" was louder but more rough while "B" had more bass and was softer, I prefer "B"
Listening on my AirPods Pro, “A” sounded significantly louder with better treble but, missing bass, while “B” sounded softer with noticeably better bass and flat treble. I preferred “B”
Yep, you're right about the treble. Both were set at 0 for the test, but if you boost the treble a bit on the Nest then it sounds even better (to my taste).
De Leon that’s probably my issue. I was just using the IPad Pro Speakers. Time to whip out the Pod Pros
Noticeable difference 😭
Such a flex bro 😭😭 lucky
At the start I thought A was the best but then the more I listened the more I prefer B, so I'm guessing b is the nest and A is the home, this was a great video.
Spot on! And thanks, glad you enjoyed it 👍 I'm working on a 4-way comparison with 4 speakers at the moment.
"A" sounds like a wider dynamic range (at least on my phone). The "B" audio sounds compressed.
On mine too
I think that's because of the more pronounced high-end that A has. When out of a side-by-side test scenario, I boost the treble on the Nest Mini a bit and it sounds better overall - throughout the range. And in real life, it definitely doesn't sound compressed! (Although I can see why you would say that listening to that here... good point).
Change your phone!
@@rockfella27 yeah. Not!
Yeah,Same with me.I liked A lot more than B.
Well that was "B"loody obvious 😂
😂😜
Headphones needed to get a real perspective of the obvious differences. “A” looks like an old radio and it hurts my hears 😂
Damn, I was only expecting marginally better audio after that intro, but it is night and day difference. B is by far better, I’m using Powerbeats3.
A louder B smoother. Could see A getting on my nerves after some time. B seemed to be a nicer listening experience.
Very Illustrative, thanks a lot for this, I wish there were more videos like this instead of unboxing sand opinions.
Thank you, glad you appreciated it!
I prefer A, and it sounds clearer for me
My all-round choice is "B". Even though it sounds compressed which flattens out the treble, it will still sound consistent at higher volumes. The bass sounds really tight and punchy as well, which I love. "A" is a fair bit tinny.
That's probably RUclips's compression you're hearing there (and/or the export of my video, even though it was at the highest quality possible within h.264 mp4 video...)
@@SwitchedOnNetwork Yeah, that's true. Thanks for the video man, it's helped me decide on getting the latest gen.
I listened to this using the built in speakers on my Pixel 3 XL and I noticed A was louder and more tinny sounding while B wasn't quite as loud but was alot smoother and had a more well rounded/deeper sound.
Without anyone's input I pick B. They both sound kinda meh, but they are both single speakers that are about $50 so meh is the range I expect them to be on. That being said, B sounded better. I could pick up more nuance on things like drums. Let's see which I chose..... EDIT: and it was the new Nest Mini. For what it's worth, My set up was Surface Pro 7 wirelessly connected to a pair of Sony WH-1000XM3 with noise cancelling on.
Yep, I'd agree with everything you've said there! :) Nice headphones by the way... hoping to do a video on the XM3s vs XM4s sometime this autumn so stay tuned for that.
very interesting review - and by god, a lot of people commenting.
You really strok a nerve.
For me, the key-thing is: Will I be able to live-with the small-ness of the sound/driver.
I am looking for a cheap and small smart-solution - which also can do some bass and sometimes "speak up".
My kids have the Home-Mini's, which they love.
But, I have these "old hifi" senses and experiences ... my ears listens, my brain knows...
I am looking for the Nest-Audio, which probably is the best for me ... but the size and price, buggers me, and I will love to just really "hide" them away - and then just "talk to the furniture" (with a Nest-Mini hidden behind a indoor-plant) instead of talking to an obvious "monolit speaker".
We also have got animals (Guinea Pigs) in the living room, so loud listening also comes at the cost of consciousness .. which makes the Nest-Minis a "killer solution"...
Funny, that such a thing can be a thing - in the middle of people struggling for their life, freedom, etc - in the world around us...
Instead I should buy the cheapest, get som sound, and give the spared money and attention to people in real need.
totally agree. "A" was a tough listen
A - feels like B is underwater at some points by comparison.
I feel like it's a black and blue v white and gold - Yanny thing all over again!! Maybe it's my headphones. Will connect to a speaker instead!
I get what you mean, but there's basically no bass at all in A.
If you pay attention to the guitar in the first track, the riff basically disappears and all you hear is the single notes when it moves to A, but on B you hear everything.
1: B
2: B
I prefered B because it was "B"etter smoother and softer than A but a was very loud tho and that kind of made "A"nnoying
Badum tssss! 🤣
I'm listening to this on my computer speakers with subwoofer and and with my set up is seems clear that B has a broader dynamic range while A has cleaner sounding highs since it lacks a lot of the lower frequencies that B is able to produce.
To me, this is most apparent when comparing the quality of sound from the timpanis in the symphony.
Good assessment and yes I'd agree with all that! I should also point out that the highs on B are capable of sounding cleaner, but for the test I'd set the Bass and Treble on both speakers to 0. The Nest Mini certainly sounds better with a bit of a treble boost.
If you enjoyed this video, you'll like the one I'm working on this week, which is comparing the new Nest Audio to the original Google Home. It should hopefully be live on the channel in the next few days!
The difference is incredible, didn’t think it would be so noticeable... Good song too!!
Yes, I love Tchaikovsky 😜😜
Just ordered a free Nest Mini with Spotify! Loved this video 😊👏
Awesome! Thank you!
Although I'm listening through phone speakers, sounds like A reproduces that snare more clearly but everything else sounds better and more balanced in B. B has got to be the (N/b)est
Yep you're spot on - and B sounds even better with the treble boosted slightly (it was all even and flat for the test)
good speakers often sound a little "flat" and "less interesting", when kept at "neutral".
They are then helped by small eq-adjustments.
The whole thing eventually evolves around "the quality of the sound reproduced", and not the "boom boom, or snare-snare" - so at first glance all "not neutral / low-quality speakers" can sound "interesting/promising" (depending on song/music-material) - but, they soon becomes a "pain to the ears" and "an annoyance - because of our sense/need of realism"!)
quite a few music-"artists & -studios" even trive on this factor - testing their music on portable lower-quality units/speakers/blasters - making their music sound good "to the masses" and not to the "hifi high-end purists"
(problem with this, though, is that no low-classe speaker are alike. That is more or less the issue ... fail-overtones (that for instance in the home-mini produce a better sounding snare, in the selected music-piece) and deep "walleys" and distortions, of-course differs a lot between low-class speakers).
The "producers" then typically "go for" some common "sound issues" - such as a full-range speaker doing both bass and mid-range and maybe treble also - resulting in high fall-off in the lows (bass-area) and compressed/no detail in the highs.
These equalizations and colorizations, then of-course makes these productions non-interesting for the purists, that loves to listen to for instance Bolero, classical and special productions, and that hate the modern mp3-streamed & detail-flattened-music, for these obvious reasons ... which the masses then really don't care about, because their equipment don't reproduce these details anyway.
It is kinda the "Old hifi-battle" from the 70's to 90's - before streaming and mp3's came along...
These days, it was "getting the electronics and mechanics right" - now it is kinda a "digital-detail fight", with customers using a "portable full-range speaker".
In my listening, I just hear and focus on the content - the lyrics, the meaning - even though I as a former sound-engineer and sound-purifier, can hear the "faults/colorizations" ... I just try to avoid the worst speakers & amp's out there - because if I don't my brain makes it all a nightmare for me!
I find myself learning to "not notice" detail - meaning that I can buy cheaper speakers, and be satisfied.
I have a good hifi in my living-room, with a sub and purist speakers, and a Audio-Cambridge amp - which I enjoy at times (partly because of easiness, since it plays-back PC-sound & -music).
But normal daily life, is "portable" - with BBC-NewsHour, News, Music, etc - in the kitchen etc. ... and there I stand a bit in doubt regarding speaker-selection - which was what led me to this youtube-soundtest ... because I could get small and cheaper speakers, that might satisfy my ears...
While I would love to have "Google Home Max" in all rooms... meaning I would be a selfish ruling father in our family (spending all money on speakers, and having them dominate each room)... but, I have also learned to settle - with for instance speakers such as "Nest Mini 2"s ... if I can just get my ears and brain to fully accept the part about loudness & details - because I have to be honest: I also sometimes "go wild" and listens as a purist, not only in front of my hifi.
(which is why I have enjoyed our former "UE Blast" speaker - it had the loudness, bass, and sound.. - and was portable! ... sacrifices, that I would have to make with the Nest-Mini's).
Any idea which would be better for audio: 2 Google Nest mini paired as stereo sound or Google Home?
Depends on you definition of "better". One would fill a space better, whereas the Google Home (OG) is slightly better sounding
I'm no huge audiophile, so I'm speaking as a general consumer and I think I prefer B. It sounds more full and rich. A seemed to sound like when you turn up a speaker too loud to hear over other noises and almost distorted.. it sounded "crushed" if you will, to me.
Glad you preferred B - you might also be interested in this year's test of the new Nest Audio: ruclips.net/video/Hac_44tJBlo/видео.html
A sounds "Tinny" B sounds more flat but more bass
Wow clear difference, I didn't think it will change that much. A has evidently higher mids but it doesn't sound as good IMO. Considering changing my home mini to a Nest mini
B is the nest mini
Going with A, thank you, also with the headphones it was obviously where is nest, my left earplug was just louder lol. The nest sound like the speaker is underwater or something, just my own opinion.
A Seems Louder But B Is More Clear Sounds Less Busy👍🏾
A has more clarity at mid and high whilst B has more defined base but muddy overall.
Yes, agreed - in real world usage B benefits from a treble boost which improves that dramatically
B would be my choice. Great material!
I like B one
Btw nice song selection 😉
The Google nest actually has twice the bass than Google home mini. I'd say for a person like me that likes more bass with their music the Google nest would be the option.
Absolutely B! Great video thank you.
A was loud but B sounded smoother
"A" sounds like a transistor radio compared to "B". No contest here! "B" is significantly better, although I might raise the midrange and treble on "B" just a bit.
Yes, absolutely. You can't control the mids unfortunately, but with the treble AND bass boosted a bit the sound gets significantly better still!
"B" sounds muffled but deeper
It's certainly not muffled when you hear it in real life. What device & headphones were you listening on?
5 months and @natange forgot to answer the question.😏
Your Demo was just the best!!! B...I agree!
Glad you preferred B - you might also be interested in this year's test of the new Nest Audio: ruclips.net/video/Hac_44tJBlo/видео.html
Is Nest Mini audible enough such that it can be heard from another room or in a closed auditorium?
Yes, 100% volume is very loud!
I liked your setup with proper acoustic treatment.
Thanks!
I have both the nest and home mini, they both sound great for small speakers. Very cool, and very cheap for what they do!
Yes they are! I imagine they're probably sold at a loss as it's the ecosystem as a whole that generates revenue for them.
B is much better balanced and more clear audio
This would be more useful without the acoustic foam.
The foam mainly dampens the mid frequency reflections.
Meaning the high end and bass will become more pronounced in a recording like this.
Maybe, but as long as any environmental peculiarities are kept constant between the tests (as they were) then the affect on each is identical and therefore cancels itself out. I wanted to listen to the devices themselves, cleanly, without the room I was in getting in the way.
OK. B is definitely the better one... Actually took me a while to tell... As the basiness kinda made it sound a little muffled.. But then with the classical, A just sounded echoey and no where near as Full as B. That's my guess anyway. Thank you for the decent video!!
You're spot on! :) And yes, as you say... the new Nest Mini does benefit from having the treble boosted a bit too - then it sounds awesome (but I left everything at 0 on both for the test, obviously...) Glad you enjoyed the video!
B mids and lows are strong, but highs are too muted. A highs are clear, but its tinnier overall.
Overall, 'B' sounds a little bit better. A little muddy, but it could probably be cleaned up w/ the EQ settings.
Yes, a bit more treble in the EQ settings on the Home app makes it sound even better (to my ears/taste)
B definitely has more bass.
B is without a doubt better. Great video and great controlled test!
Thank you! 🙏
Great song choice the 1st one! What's the name? Loved it.
And yeah I agree with most here about B having a deeper bass, more balanced sound.
It's called "Losing Sleep" by Venus Demilo - more details in the video description 👍
B has more bass and sounds less boxy. I own the old mini and am not going to upgrade since I have good computer speakers and don't listen to music through the mini very often. The most important thing is that the robo-voice on the old mini is intelligible enough. I read about some other improvments beside the sound quality but, again, not enough to buy one.
A sounded annoying, B relaxed me :)
B is a way better in bass but then it misses mids and highs more then A. B is obviously Nest, cos I have home mini and fabrics on it exactly that grey shade ))
The previous version sounds like an AM rádio! :D
"B" sounds way better to me listening on Sony Bluetooth headphones. Much fuller, more bass, and better balanced. What were the bass and treble set to on each device?
They were both set to 0 on each device, to keep things neutral and consistent across the board. The bass is even better when you crank it up!
(B). I have a nest coming, so hope I'm right
👏
can you share your experience with the nest mini, how good/bad is sound quality
It's much better than the Google Home Mini. Mine lives in the kitchen and it's more than acceptable for listening to the radio and other music whilst cooking, washing up etc and also loud enough for when hanging washing out in the garden (rock 'n' r roll!) 🤟
Through my setup: Sennheiser HD650 + Fiio K5 Pro, A sounds a lot more mid foward with better treble extension but the low ends are pretty much nonexistent, also kinda shouty on the mids. B sounded like an average crappy V-shaped tuning. Honestly for it's purpose which is mainly vocals I prefer A. Don't get one of these for music, they work but there's a ton of better options out there when it comes to music. Like lower end edifiers.
I just replaced the Google Home Mini in my garage with the Nest Mini 2 & honestly wish I left nest mini in box and sold it. Not quite as loud, maybe 5% better audio; they both sound like garbage compared to echo dot gen 2. JMO
Yeah neither is a brilliant speaker, it depends on your use case really... I'd say the Nest is much more than 5% better than the OG mini, though, but that's just me! I have a 3rd Gen Echo Dot (video coming soon with that being compared) and I'm very impressed with its sound (for a small smart speaker, of course...)
B is way better. A sounds like some cheap speaker.
If I have a google home mini can I get the nest mini and still group them together to play music together in the same group?
Yes, you can group them to play music in sync, you just can't create a stereo pair.
B, definitely. ;-)
Rite of the get go B sounded wayyyy better i had too turn my volume down on A a couple times cause it sounded tinny and loud and not in a good way.
Could you compare the larger Google 'Home' which has better sound than the old mini to the new nest mini?
Yes for sure, I'm planning a showdown between original full size Home, both minis and the 3rd Gen Echo Dot 👍 Can't guarantee I'll have it done by Christmas as I have some other projects, but it's definitely in the pipeline.
Use high end headphones when watching.
I really thought that A sounded better of course but it obvious that the newest versions will always sound better.. lol
i still love my original google home mini
Yes, absolutely - they're still great! And I certainly wouldn't be in a hurry to replace them all. But it's good to know that any new ones will sound so much better.
B is old one or new one? I love B
But still the nest mini is better
While watching I was thinking "A is the new google nest and B is the older one" And I liked the sound of A more, lol :-)
haha, well it just goes to show that there's no "one size fits all" when it comes to audio preferences! 😂 Out of interest, what were you listening on?
I also liked A much better and thought it was the Nest Mini?
It was the blue one, which is only for the Nest Mini??
Is your labeling wrong?
I already have a Home Mini and it doesn't sound as good as that A.
@@SelbyKatt haha no, labelling definitely correct - the unedited recordings were voiced with which device was being played, so no chance of mixing up! You can also get the full recordings of each on Patreon 👍
I was the same, I much prefer A but I think the audio level relative to the mic might not have been the same and skewed results so I will have to test myself when I have my nest mini.
It was definitely the same, I was very careful and meticulous! I'm doing a 4-way comparison 4 different smart speakers at the moment, so stay tuned for that on the channel soon.
B def' has it's bass where it does lack a little high,though you did say the equ' settings were set at zero so playin' around with those will change sounds to ones liking.Great presentation!
Yes I agree - I think the treble needs boosting a bit. Adjusting the EQ on the Home app does the trick 👍
B has more focus and control in the sound. I much prefer it.
A was little on the higher side which kinda hurts my ear but it was balanced whereas B is low, and smoothen my ears but really giving boxy sound
Not seeing the result yet I liked B the most. B seemed to have more lows but did get a little messy in the mid. B seemed to have lack highs and overall volume but it was the best balanced. A had next to no lows but the highs and mods were more pronounced and the volume sounded louder (probably because of the highs). I didn’t like A that much because it sounded too thin.
I think each have pros and cons. On my headphones, A sounds better for highs, with almost no low to speak of, and B sounds better at the lows, but seems to do much worse with the highs.
Yes I'd agree - the tests had everything at 0, but if you turn the treble up a bit in the app, the Nest Mini sounds even better (IMHO) 👍
Kudo's for your professional approach with the 'anechoic chamber' and the presentation in the vid! Just keep in mind that the google home mini /nest mini leans/benefits from side reflection rather than reflection (hard surface) from the bottom; As far as I can tel from the teardown vids, the higher frequencies are deflected in a 360 degree patern around the pod. (higher frequencies have a more directive nature than lower tones). All and all the B sounds better judged from the vids. Wonder if it is an adjustment of the DSP or if it uses a different speaker/chamber.
Hi, thanks and I'm glad you liked the video. Yes the speaker is new and it's physically bigger and deeper in order to create the better lows. CNET's first-look video showed the two actual speakers side by side, but I couldn't find any similar clips showing them that I could freely use (and didn't want to rip mine open haha)
This is tough.. In some part of the songs, A is pretty harsh, but in other parts the B sounds a bit off, like it's compressed or something. For 1st track I'd say the A sounds more to my liking for most of the time, but for 2nd track the B one is so much better
Yeah there are definitely some parts where A has the slight edge, even if B is my favourite overall. However, this is on 0 for Bass/Treble on both; once you adjust the EQ then B wins hands down. You might also like my recent video from last week where I look at the Nest Audio vs. Google Home: ruclips.net/video/Hac_44tJBlo/видео.html
@@SwitchedOnNetwork Hey thanks for the suggestion man. I must say this new comparison is much easier to call than this one XD
Speaking of which, how competent is the Nest Mini as a main speaker? Do they have audio lag when used to watch video, etc?
hmmm that would depend, where are you thinking of using the Nest Mini to watch videos? Like a bedroom for casual viewing or living room for main film night viewing, etc.?
@@SwitchedOnNetwork Bedroom for casual viewing, I think. Usually I watch vids on my smartphone before going to bed.
I currently have wireless speaker (a pair of EWA A107s to be exact), but while they sound decent enough, there is noticeable lag that made watching video a bit uncomfortable, so I am looking for a small speaker that has decent sound and minimal lag. Any recommendations?
Yeah the Nest Mini should be good enough for casual viewing before bed - especially if you get 2 and put in a stereo pair and then tweak the EQ. There shouldn't be too much lag with bluetooth, although I don't use any of mine like that so can't 100% guarantee that, but I see no reason why there should be. The Nest Audio WILL be a lot better though. I've recorded tests of Mini vs. Audio too so I'll be editing that together into a comparison video for the channel soon.
Alternatives I'd suggest are either a single (or stereo pair) of these Sony bluetooth speakers, I have a single one and it's great: geni.us/SonySRSXB12 (affiliate link)
Or forget speakers altogether and get these headphones, which are amazing! geni.us/WH-1000XM4 (affiliate link)
Hope that helps :)
B was the better but they're both a bit crap, honestly.
Haha well yes, you wouldn't use it as your main music player in a big room, but that's not what they're intended for. A secondary device for the kitchen, bedroom etc. is where they're aimed at and they do a great job there.
What is the first song called?
Losing Sleep - details in the video description
can you compare to the original google home and nest hub
Yes, I might do a video comparing to the original Home if there's enough interest. I don't have a Nest Hub, but may also compare to the Echo Dot to mix it up a little 😉
Would be very interested to hear this. Atm, I use one Mini one side of the room, and a Nest Hub the other. Seems to work really well with the Hub giving enough bass so the single 'tinny' speaker doesn't seem as bad as you'd expect. I'd be very interested to hear what the new Home Mini sounded like compared to the Hub as that might be a good way to balance some rooms still instead of getting more Hubs.
Well, if you can persuade Google to send me a free hub, I'll make the video! 😂😉
I know nothing. From the video I thought A sounded better. But I definitely want B 🤭
I'm confused what is B and what is A,
I reveal the answer after the 1812 Overture section :)
Ok
Which did you prefer? Did you guess right?
@@SwitchedOnNetwork B
Switched On Network
Timestamp? I watched the whole video and rewatched the end. Cannot find where you reveal what is A and what is B.... just that you also prefer B....?
Musically there is no difference, soundwise B has slightly more detail and a lot more bass.
What do you mean by "musically there is no difference"?
@@SwitchedOnNetwork If one item is musically better than the other the better item will tend to be more 'in tune' ie easier to follow the melody and enjoy the tune more.Turning the bass and and treble up or down just changes the sound.IMHO
@@LeoShoSilva ah I see, so you mean the ability to accurately reproduce notes and sounds at the correct frequency, etc.?
@@SwitchedOnNetwork Hmm not sure I think that could be construed as pitch which is subjective. It's being able to follow the melody easily .So you are listening to the tune rather than the sound of replay Best demonstrated with a tune you haven't heard before.Similar to tuning a musical instrument .Try it
Switched On Network He means that there is same songs on both😂
B sounds much less tinny but even though bass set to 0, B sounds like it has too much bass??
I just been offered the nest mini and deffo B sounds way better and im lokking forward now to get it
Great stuff, enjoy it!
I got the Google nest mini 2 months ago
I think B is better
It’s smoother and has more bass
I agree 😊
'A' sounded better on the first song but 'B' sounded better on the second to me
you guys could just do like i have with my bedroom & have one nest speaker and one original home mini paired =]
True, although that would only be mono - if the speakers are identical you can configure them in a stereo pair (like this: ruclips.net/video/zK69Ba61dgg/видео.html). Do you not find it's a bit disjointed having a pair in the same room when the speakers sound different?
I would totally get the nest and boost the treble. Most compelling reason for me to get it however, is the option to stereo pair the nest minis.
You can stereo pair the original Home Mini as well - I have done with two of mine. Video coming soon 😀
@@SwitchedOnNetwork You can pair them but I don't think they have any stereo separation at all. It's the same mono signal playing on both speakers. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
@@drlivert Yes it's a proper stereo pair - Left comes from Left, Right comes from right (I've tested it). It's completely different from just grouping the speakers.
@@SwitchedOnNetwork Looking forward to the video!
Edit: You're right! Just tested it myself. Seems Google only added this feature to the old home minis a week ago.
@@drlivert how do u do stero?
B is better by far.
Glad you preferred B - you might also be interested in this year's test of the new Nest Audio: ruclips.net/video/Hac_44tJBlo/видео.html
I wonder what would happen mixing both speakers and playing music at same time. 🤔
You can do that with a group...
Yeah the new one is def better but im not sure its worth getting rid of my existing Gen 1 speakers. If you really want good sound maybe you should be buying a bigger speaker than this anyway
Oh yes definitely, don't go getting rid of your existing ones to replace them with this! 😂 But if you get any additionals, it's good to know these sound so much better 👍👍👍
@@SwitchedOnNetwork Yes. I have one of the new one's but I got 2 of the Gen 1 speakers really cheap second hand - its a cheaper way to get one in every room than buying new. I think that the nest hub speaker is better than the nest mini as well maybe.
How do you find the WiFi connection on your Nest Mini? Since making this video I've sent it back once and got it replaced, and the new one is a lot better but it still drops connection and I have to reboot it frequently which drives me mad! It lives in the kitchen in the same spot a Home Mini used to, and that *never* lost connection...
@@SwitchedOnNetwork Hmmmm. yeah that is weird - I have not had too many problems but come to think of it - I have had to reset it a couple of times. I'll have to keep an eye on that. Having reliable and working connection is pretty critical for smart home devices
what does the A B mean
A and B refer to either the Google Home Mini (1st Gen) or the Google Nest Mini (2nd Gen), but I don't tell you which is which initially, to allow you to listen to a blind test with no prejudice. I then reveal which is which at the end of the video. Which did you prefer the sound of?
B anyday anytime
Absolutely!
A sound more natural, B boosts the bass and treble too much , sounds weird
B... much better sound... now let's see, which one it was :)
Frumos video dar muzica care ai ales-o na fost pe gustul meu
Multumesc pentru comentariul tau! Mă bucur că ți-a plăcut videoclipul și îmi pare rău că nu ți-a plăcut muzica ... nu poate fi pe gustul tuturor. :) Un amestec de muzică pop / rock și ceva clasic orchestral. Ce gen de muzică ați dori să vedeți pentru următorul videoclip?
A = Higher definition but less bass
B = More bass but less definition
I preferred B must be Nest mini 🤞🏼
B sounds definitely more natural with deep bass compared to A.
I definitely prefer B. Sounds a lot tighter and cleaner, and more defined low end
B ftw!
I prefer A. "A" sounded better on my headphones and on my speakers. "B" sounds like someone put a box over the top of the speaker.
Not a fan of bass, I see? 😄
B sounds better to me.
B sounds way better obviously with clearer sound
So B is the Google Nest or the default Google home mini?
@@TheArchmage100 nest
The identities are revealed in the video! But yes, B is the new Nest Mini.