A little while back we added a Nest Home Hub Max to our collection of smart home devices. The Hub Max was intended to replace a Home that we use in the kitchen. And given the wife’s preference to blast music on that device, I attempted to do my due diligence in researching the topic:

“Does the Nest Home Hub Max sound better than the Google Home?”

But the answers weren’t forthcoming. Given that one device has a display and the other does not, perhaps it’s the case that the two devices are not often cross-shopped. Regardless, I took the plunge and thought I’d return the Hub Max if it performed poorly.

Before going any further it might do you some good to read about ten paragraphs into this post, where I talk briefly about my experience with replacing a Sony mini bookshelf system with a Vizio SP-70 Crave Pro speaker. Here’s the main takeaway:

Crave Pro […] the music reproduction was something altogether different from the Sony.  Again, the Sony is louder and has boomier bass.  But… but… does that make the Sony better?  Because, truthfully, the Pro actually has a wider soundstage and richer bass at moderate listening levels.  It can’t get as loud as the Sony while maintaining the same composure that the Sony can, but… it can get loud enough

Thing is – my experience with the Nest Home Hub Max and Google Home was altogether similar.

The Home seems to go louder than the Hub Max – but, the Hub Max has a much more pleasing sound. Its bass is richer compared to the Home, while the latter’s is more boomy. And, likely due to the inclusion of the two front-firing midrange/highrange speakers, the mids and highs are reproduced more faithfully on the Hub Max – even when the music is played louder.

My impression has only improved over time, much as it did with the Vizio vs. the Sony. And as with that latter comparison, it has become apparent – again – that music doesn’t need to be cranked to be properly enjoyed.

If only the wife felt the same. Nonetheless, I’ve tried to tune the bass and treble settings so that when she does (frequently) crank the volume past 7, the sound at least holds together as well as can be expected for a speaker of this size.

So there you have it. If you’re looking for better sound, you’ll be happy with the Hub Max. If you absolutely need that boomy bass and are looking to go as loud as possible – stick with the Home.