Google Home Max (2017)

51 reviews

Apr, 2024

Positive
sound (16)
design (7)
usability (6)
reliability (5)
bass quality (2)

Negative
price (19)
size (5)

General overview
Price comparison

alaTest has collected and analyzed 51 reviews of Google Home Max (2017). The average rating for this product is 4.1/5, compared to an average rating of 4.5/5 for other products in the same category for all reviews. People are impressed by the bass quality and reliability. The design and usability also get good feedback, but some have doubts about the size and price.

sound, usability, design, reliability, bass quality

price, size

We analyzed user and expert ratings, product age and more factors. Compared to other products in the same category the Google Home Max (2017) is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 90/100 = Excellent quality.

Review analysis

(Based on 51 reviews)

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Showing 1 - 10 of 36 Show Reviews: in English | in other languages (12)

Expert review by (engadget.com)

Google Home Max review: An assistant for music lovers

If you're looking for a voice-activated speaker and want excellent sound quality, the Google Home Max is the best option on the market. It's expensive, but you get a lot for your money. If you want great audio and don't want to mess around with more...

Excellent sound quality ; Simple setup ; All the features of the Google Assistant ; Tasteful design ; 3.5mm jack and Bluetooth support for additional audio devices

Expensive, especially for a stereo pair ; Somewhat limited streaming service selection (but at least it has Spotify) ; Third-party support still trails Amazon's Alexa ecosystem

At $399, the Google Home Max will not sell as well as the standard Home or Home Mini. But many people listen to music on those devices, and a subset of them certainly would like to combine the smarts of the Google Assistant while also upgrading their...

Dec, 2017

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Expert review by : Julian Chokkattu (digitaltrends.com)

Google Home Max hands-on review

It's expensive, but the Google Home Max can do a lot more than your traditional bookshelf speaker.

Loud, great sound quality ; Can pair with multiple devices ; Assistant is as useful as ever ; Supports many high quality audio formats ; Support for good range of music streaming services

Expensive ; Can't work as a TV sound bar

Dec, 2017

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Expert review by : Sascha Segan, Tim Gideon (pcmag.com)

Google Home Max

The Home Max speaker is designed to be the center of Google Assistant-powered home, but it will need to sound very good to justify its high price.

Great sound. Works as a mono speaker, a stereo pair, or part of a whole home audio system. Attractive design.

Too much bass for audio purists. Could do with better lossless audio options.

The Google Home Max is the best smart audio experience you're going to get right now. While new smart home brands and third-party skills still come to Alexa first, Amazon doesn't have an integrated solution that satisfies people who want a true...

Dec, 2017

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Expert review by : Dan Seifert (theverge.com)

Google Home Max review: smart gets loud

Loud, full sound ; Google Assistant integration ; Can be paired in stereo configurations or multiroom setups ; Cast support enables playback from many streaming services

Doesn’t sound as good as comparable Sonos speaker ; It’s expensive ; Touch controls are finicky ; Microphones have trouble hearing voice commands when music is playing loudly

Hey Google, turn it up

Dec, 2017

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Expert review by : Ty Pendlebury (cnet.com)

Harder, better, stronger sound comes to Google Home

OK Google, you sound way better on a Max. But should I really pay $400?

The Google Home Max builds the convenience of Google Assistant into a plus-size speaker that can fill a room with excellent sound. The microphones respond well, even when you're blasting music.

The sound can be a little too revealing, and guitar lines in particular can sound a little too piercing for comfort. If you mainly want background music, you should spend half as much on the Sonos One.

Although too expensive for mass appeal, the Google Home Max is the best-sounding smart speaker yet.

Dec, 2017

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Expert review by : Brandon Dimmel (audioholics.com)

Google's Home Max Speaker: Impressive Sound, Strong Features, High Price

Home Max expands upon Google's 2016 release of Google Home, a smaller, more affordable speaker designed to compete with Amazon's Echo, which uses that company's Alexa personal assistant technology.

Oct, 2017

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Expert review by : Michael Brown (techhive.com)

Google Home Max review: This is the best-sounding smart speaker you can buy

But Sonos might have more to fear than Amazon (ditto for Apple).

Excellent audio reproduction ; Strong smart home chops ; Powerful amplifiers

Not sonically superior to the more-expensive (and dumb) Sonos Play:5 ; Unnecessarily verbose responses to verbal commands ; There are no display-equipped speakers in the Google Home ecosystem (yet)

You’ll only want to invest in one smart speaker ecosystem. That leaves Google at a bit of a disadvantage because it doesn’t have anything with a display in its arsenal that can compete directly with or . The company surprised everyone, however, with...

Jan, 2018

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Expert review by (zdnet.com)

Google Home Max review: Sound this good comes at a price

After living with the Google Home Max in my office for over a month, I've grown fond of the ability to bark out commands to play music and control volume.

Impressive sound quality ; Google Assistant keeps getting better

Expensive ; Big footprint needs a dedicated space

Jan, 2018

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Expert review by : Abner Li (9to5google.com)

[Update: Final] Google Home Max officially discontinued after going out of stock

The Home Max, and Mini, launched in 2017 as the first expansion of Google's smart speaker lineup. After three years, Google has officially discontinued the Home Max as inventory is depleted . expand full story

Jan, 2021

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Expert review by : Sachin Bahal (TheCanadianTechie)

Google Home Max Review: Taking the Google Assistant to the Max

When it comes to smart speakers, they're useful but tend to not sound the greatest. But with introduction of smart speakers like the Sonos One, HomePod and even the Google Home Max. The Google Home Max marks the company's first foray into the premium...

Sounds great and can get fairly loud ; Can be used in a Speaker Pair ; Nice design ; Multiple ways to play music on the speaker (Google Cast, Bluetooth, voice, Aux input)

Expensive ; Fairly heavy

Overall, the Google Home Max is a great sounding smart speaker that offers better sound than standard Google Home or the Google Home Mini but also one of the more expensive smart speakers out there.

Aug, 2018