Plenty of early holiday sales on models from Amazon, Sony, JBL, and more
If you’ve been considering buying a smart speaker, or any wireless speaker, now a great time to snag one at a nice discount. Amazon’s two-day Prime Early Access Sale is underway, and Walmart is holding a three-day Rollbacks and More sale.
But to get a deal you’ll be satisfied with for years to come, you can’t just look at the sale price—the quality of the model makes a huge difference because not all speakers have the same sound quality and other features. We’ve combed through the sales, alongside Consumer Reports’ test results, to help you buy a speaker that will make you happy not just next week, but next month, next year, and beyond.
Consumer Reports is combing through both Amazon and Walmart’s sales to find the best offers on everything we test, so head over to our Deals hub for the latest deals on everything from TVs and headphones to vacuums and kitchen appliances.
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For less than $50, the pocket-sized Sony SRS-XB13 is a solid deal. It’s a take-anywhere speaker that can go to the park or the beach without fear of an expensive piece of electronics getting lost, stolen, or destroyed. The Sony’s bass isn’t very strong, and it lacks the smoothness and detail of more expensive speakers, but the speaker’s sound can fill a small room.
Why it’s a good deal: This is a great value for the quality and portability.
Sony’s SRS-XB23 is an example of when less is more. It lacks bells and whistles, like colorful LEDs that pulse with the music, but it’s a relatively inexpensive, medium-sized speaker that’s water-resistant, according to Sony. And while it’s missing some of the clarity of the very best portables, our testers say the sound is satisfying.
Why It’s a good deal: At more than $40 off, the Sony is a practical, good-sounding bargain.
The fourth-generation Echo is better than its predecessor in every way. The new Zigbee hub is a useful smart home upgrade. And the sound quality is improved with strong but slightly boomy bass and enough volume to fill a medium-sized room. That said, the latest Echo still can’t compete with the best-sounding smart speakers like the Sonos One or Amazon’s Echo Studio.
Why it’s a good deal: This model is back to the low price we always see during major holidays.
Amazon Echo Dot (4th Gen)
The Echo Dot is the cheapest way to enter the Amazon smart speaker ecosystem, especially when it’s on sale. This discount puts the price just a few dollars higher than we usually see on Prime Day. Despite its low price and small size, it’s powered by Amazon’s cloud servers, so it offers the same smart speaker functionality as its far more expensive brethren. With stronger bass and more extended trebles, the sound quality on the latest globe-shaped model is improved over previous versions, but it’s still not the best choice for listening to music. If you’re looking for a smart speaker to get weather reports and perhaps listen to podcasts the Dot will do just fine.
Why it’s a good deal: This is just $5 more than the lowest price we’ve seen for this model.
Amazon Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen)
The Echo Show 5 is Amazon’s smallest smart screen. Our testers report that the sound is subpar for a music-listening device, but that’s not why you should consider this device. It’s a utility machine that works well placed on a night table or desk. You get all the Amazon Alexa functionality you’d have in other Echo devices, including the super-cheap Dot, and some added value thanks to the small screen and camera.
Why it’s a good deal: This is back to the best price we’ve seen.
Amazon Echo Show 8 (2nd Gen)
The Echo Show 8 has an 8-inch touchscreen (ideal for displaying online recipes), responds to voice commands (useful when you’ve got messy hands), and has a camera that can adjust the focus to “follow” you as you move about the room on a video call. The device’s footprint is also significantly smaller than that of the more expensive Show 10, which needs a beach-ball-sized space on the countertop to provide clearance for its rotating screen. As with many smart speakers, though, the Show 8’s sound quality is somewhat lacking, according to our testers, who noted the model’s strident high frequencies.
Why it’s a good deal: This price matches the lowest we’ve seen for this model.
The Marshall Stanmore II Voice is a super-stylish smart speaker, channeling the classic good looks of Marshall’s iconic guitar amplifiers. Our testers found it quite easy to use, with large, clearly labeled knobs. Its sound falls short of what you get from the very best wireless speakers, with bass that’s a bit boomy and a midrange that’s slightly congested. The Stanmore II does provide enough volume to fill a large room.
Why it’s a good deal: This is a decent discount, although it’s not the best we’ve seen. The price has dipped below $400 for major sales, so you may want to hold off if you’re interested but want to save more.
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Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright © 2022, Consumer Reports, Inc.
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