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But there's no reason to exclude them from the design if you're choosing to include volume and playback controls. And hey, if we're being pie in the sky, it would have been great to enhance Google's voice options with direct streaming from Tidal or another lossless audio service. Supported audio streaming file formats include HE-AAC, LC-AAC+, MP3, Vorbis, WAV, FLAC, and Opus. You'll want to use Chromecast over Wi-Fi, if possible, for the best audio quality, as the speaker doesn't list native support for AptX over Bluetooth.
Just look for smart devices with a Works with Google Home or Matter badge. Just when we thought our favorite Google Home speaker was completely done for, it has made a resurgence on the Google Store and it is nearly as affordable as it has ever been. Sure, there have been a few flash sales that got it down to $149 a few times in 2020, but they never lasted long and were usually tied to some sort of bundle. This time, the Google Home Max is resurfacing in Google’s own store and both the black and white models are marked down to $179 each. At $99 apiece, it’s much cheaper, and buying two for stereo is more palatable. While announced in October, the speaker did notlaunchuntil December 2017.
Nest Cam with Floodlight
It seems like a very short run, but Google likely sees its newer Nest Audio speakers as a better replacement. At about half the price, users can pick up two Nest speakers and achieve the same or superior sound quality with a smaller footprint. As of today, the US Google Store lists the Google Home as “No longer available.” That said, the product listing has not been removed and the device is still shown alongside other speakers.
When sub-bass moments occasionally occur in the mix, the speakers deliver them with full-bodied presence that doesn't compete with the highs for the spotlight. Again, the louder you pump the volume, the thinner the bass gets, but at fairly high listening levels, the bass depth is still impressive. The vocals are delivered with solid clarity and without much added sibilance. Bill Callahan's "Drover," a track with less deep bass in the mix, gives us a better sense of the Home Max's overall sound signature. The drums on this track can sound overly thunderous on speakers that boost the bass too much, but through the Home Max, you get lovely bass depth.
It’s official: the Google Home Max is discontinued for real this time
Not only is the device out-of-stock in the US Google Store, but the company told Engadget it discontinued the line. You may still be able to find them through other vendors, but only while supplies last. Other than cost, there was never any reason not to buy this excellent speaker from Google. At $399 when it debuted, it was always a bit pricey for many users, but recent discounts to $299 on a regular basis have made it far more palatable.
In these days of planned obsolescence, discontinuing a product line usually means support for the device is limited to only a few more years. Those who may have only picked up a Home Max this year might be worried that their purchase may soon be ignored. However, Google says that it has no plans to stop providing updates and support for the device. For months now, the Google Home Max has gone on sale, off of sale, had a permanent price reduction, gone on sale again, and then returned to in-stock status as the year wound to a close. With a full-blown return to the Google Store, I thought perhaps this excellent speaker was going to just hang around for a while longer. After all, if you are Google and trying to just sell through your remaining stock, why lift the awesome sale they had going?
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Now marked down to $179 consistently , it is hard to recommend any other speakers at this point. Sure, you could get a pair of Nest Audio speakers for almost the same money, but I promise you even a stereo pairing of those fantastic speakers pales in comparison to the Google Home Max’s massive sound stage. Several audio-centric reviewers found the stereo sound provided by two linked Nest Audio speakers to significantly improve overall sound reproduction when compared to previous offerings. And, to state the more or less obvious, it blows away the audio performance offered by the smaller Google Home speaker, though that speaker offers some decent bass depth for its size. If Google Assistant is a priority and solid audio performance is also high on the list, you won't be disappointed with the Home Max. A silicone rubber base ships with the Home Max, and can be placed beneath it to keep it from dancing across tabletops.
So let's say the built-in Google Assistant functionality is worth about $50 of the $400 price tag—that would mean the Home Max should sound as good as a $350 speaker, right? Compared with some of our favorite standard wireless speakers in this price range, like the Klipsch The Three and the JBL Boombox, the Home Max is most definitely a competitor. From a purely audio-based standpoint, the Boombox is the winner in terms of volume and bass depth, while the Klipsch model delivers the most refined audio of the bunch. But in terms of clarity, power, and bass depth, the Home Max delivers an excellent listening experience that can hang in the same league as these speakers, which is especially impressive when you factor in the voice control. As far as smart speakers go, the top competitor for the Google Home Max right now is JBL's Link system, especially the Link 500 ($399.95), which we are in the process of reviewing. The Link system has four different speaker options, all with Google Assistant.
Ethernet Adapter for Chromecast (4K Google TV)
Meanwhile, the “Coral” fabric Base is “out of stock,” but the two metal variants remain available. The writing has been on the wall for quite some time, but as of today – reported by 9to5 Google – our favorite speaker in the office is no longer for sale. This isn’t a big price reduction, out of stock alert, or future warning from Google. This time around, the Google Home Max is finally gone for good, and my hopes for a proper replacement may be gone as well. It can be placed vertically or horizontally, while it supports stereo configuration if you have a pair.
This is a powerful sound that'll appeal to fans of deep bass, yet the speaker doesn't forsake the overall balance of the mix, as the highs are also well represented. "Existing Google Home Max users shouldn't worry as they won't see any change in their service," a spokesperson said. "We'll continue to offer software updates and security fixes to Google Home Max devices. We're committed to delivering great sound and whole home audio features across all of our Assistant-enabled products." If you remember our review and follow up on this speaker, it is an absolute beast. The sound quality is superb, the connectivity is solid, and it still looks great on the shelf.
Since 1982, PCMag has tested and rated thousands of products to help you make better buying decisions.See how we test. Even though I'm a freelancer now, PCMag has been my home for well over a decade, and audio gear reviews are still my primary focus. Prior to my career in reviewing tech, I worked as an audio engineer—my love of recording audio eventually led me to writing about audio gear.
The same base, which resembles a gray pancake with a Google G at its center, can be placed on the right side panel, and the speaker can be flipped vertically. If you're using only a single Home Max speaker, you should use it horizontally. The Google Home Max is the first smart speaker we've seen with serious audio performance. Google’s smart speaker lineup is currently comprised of four devices, with the latest being the Nest Mini from October 2019. The original Google Home today is “no longer available” from the US Google Store in a possible end for the nearly four-year-old Assistant device.
It can recognize up to six different voices for different Google accounts, synchronize music between rooms, and even broadcast messages to all of the Google Home devices in your home. While the original, smaller Google Home speaker looks like an air freshener or scented candle, the Home Max is simple and beautiful. Its smooth contour has rounded edges and a lovely cloth speaker grille that is so seamlessly installed, it looks like it and the surrounding matte plastic are one piece. The cloth has a slight sheen to it, and white LEDs glow behind its surface to display volume levels. Beneath the grille, dual 0.7-inch tweeters and dual 4.5-inch woofers deliver the audio.
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