Google Home Mini vs Google Home

Llxndev on 26/02/2018 - 12:04
Last edited 26/02/2018 - 12:05

So I lived with a Google Home Mini for 60 days, then gave it to my gf and it's been a further 60 days. I decided that even with it's laughably endless issues, it really was worth having. I have Chromecasts, Hue lights, etc. and call me lonely but it was worth it.

I was hoping to hear, mainly from those who have actually experienced the difference in sound quality, is the GH much better? Is the issue with the Mic less prevalent? eg. with multiple GHMs at a relative's house, I can lean right up to one and summon it in a low whisper, and another one 15m away behind a closed door will decide to pipe up and tell me it doesn't understand.

When I have a place of my own again (give it 6 months) I plan on having one in every room. I can pick up a used GHM for $40, so I don't know if I'm better to wait and buy them when I can actually use the volume?

Overall, is it worth the $50-ish difference? What does everyone think?

Poll Options expired

  • 2
    A Google Home is worth it
  • 15
    Google Home Mini is good enough
  • 1
    Get the cheaper one and upgrade later
Electrical & Electronics Google Speakers Voice Assistant

Comments

  • Ryanek on 26/02/2018 - 12:10
    +3

    The Home and Mini are functionally the same, the only major difference is the sound quality of the speakers.

    • lxndev on 26/02/2018 - 12:12

      I've never heard the difference, is it quality or just maximum volume? I've noticed the GHM isn't tinny but there's next to no bass.

      • Ryanek on 26/02/2018 - 13:10
        +1

        Wow really? The Home has a 2-inch driver and dual 2-inch passive radiators, the sound difference should be really obvious.

        • lxndev on 26/02/2018 - 13:53

          Sorry, I mean I've never heard a Google Home for comparison. Wrong wording. (ESL)

          That's the point of this post haha, I'd like to find out the difference particularly in relation to sound quality as I don't have a speaker set.

        • stratbargain on 26/02/2018 - 14:00
          +1

          @lxndev:

          I have both. Google home has more bass. But both are fine. Neither are amazing when it comes to sound quality.

          I find the Mic on the mini often picks me up when I'm closer to the GH. Might just be the house layout but the Mini seems to be just as good if not better.

          If I was doing it again I'd go 2-3 mini's for the price of 1 home.

        • lxndev on 26/02/2018 - 14:01

          @stratbargain: This is the kind of opinion I was hoping to hear, thanks!

        • mskeggs on 26/02/2018 - 14:29

          @stratbargain:
          I am thinking of getting a full size Home to replace the micro-system stereo in the kitchen. We have a home mini and the sound isn't quite up to it for that. Would the full size cut it, do you think?
          I note there is a (much) bigger version in the USA too, but that looks like overkill.

        • stratbargain on 26/02/2018 - 14:34

          @mskeggs:

          Personally for the cost if I was doing it again I'd get minis in each room so I can play music throughout the house and have the same quality in each room.

          The Google home is more bass but I wouldn't say it's sound quality is any better.

        • Ryanek on 26/02/2018 - 14:37
          +1

          @lxndev: Ahh gotcha! :)

          I'm on team Alexa myself and I find the Echo (with speakers) is best for our bedroom where we can use the speakers for light listening.

          The dot is everywhere else.

        • lxndev on 26/02/2018 - 15:16

          Thanks everyone, looks like I'm getting a GHM!

  • [Deactivated] on 26/02/2018 - 12:47
    +1

    What’s so good about them?

    • lxndev on 26/02/2018 - 13:05
      +1

      For me it's mostly the integrations, I already had the Hue lights, etc. it's basically adding more modern layer of interactivity to your house. I work from home so I have a lot more time to appreciate it. There's also voice controlled music, entertainment, etc. and I had it integrated with Plex before which I really feel like I'm missing out on now. They really do the thinking for you when you have to focus on other things as well.

      All of these are things that were already for the most part possible through various other interfaces, eg. buttons/dials, remotes, light switches, and others which are in my house almost completely obsolete. It does take about a years worth of flipping light switches etc. to set up all the integrations for eg. but after you've used one for a while you really start to appreciate the over complicated simplicity of everything, especially when you can't / don't like to be sitting in front of a monitor all the time. Eg. It can help with pretty long and complicated maths including format conversions etc. without using formulas or calculators, help plan trips, search flight times, etc. alerts, news, alarms, everything.

      Also the best feature is when your phone has mysteriously left your pocket, a GH can make it buzz. It's worth the $50 investment just for that.

      • John Kimble on 26/02/2018 - 13:20

        Also the best feature is when your phone has mysteriously left your pocket, a GH can make it buzz. It's worth the $50 investment just for that.

        Curious, even if your phone is not in the reach of your home WiFi network? I'm guessing yes?

        • lxndev on 26/02/2018 - 13:49

          Good question haha. When I get another one, I'll test it and let you know. Unless someone beats me to it.

        • MeesusEff on 26/02/2018 - 14:37
          +1

          AFAIK I thought it was based on the Google account you set it up with on the GHM and your phone, but I'll turn off my wifi and test if it can buzz my phone after work 😊

        • John Kimble on 26/02/2018 - 15:15

          @kza2610: Yeah, seems to just be a shortcut to the find device tool.

        • MeesusEff on 26/02/2018 - 17:44

          @John Kimble: one little buggy thing about it is that it tells me there's multiple phones connected to my account, but will only tell me the first one. It would be great if it can work for multiple phones!

        • John Kimble on 26/02/2018 - 18:05

          @kza2610: I read it should ask you which one or read a list out?

          https://www.cnet.com/how-to/google-home-how-to-find-your-los…

        • lxndev on 26/02/2018 - 20:10
          +2

          @John Kimble:

          Thanks guys, I got my new GHM and tested out the ring function:

          • It works just as quickly when my phone is on WiFi, 4G and a different WiFi network
          • It doesn't work when the phone is off (obviously), but activates the tone when it's turned back on
          • It gives me a list of my Android devices, allows me to pick which one, but told me it only works with my "2 most recently used Android devices"
          • Doesn't work with iPhone

          As a side note, it identifies devices by their model number by default, the name set in Android is irrelevant. It was literally saying "I can help by making your O N E P L USA 5000 ring on full volume" which is ridiculous. The device name can be changed by visiting the Google Play Settings page and setting a nickname.

          Another observation was this: my girlfriend hasn't set herself up on the GHM I gave her, it doesn't know her name, it just uses my Play Music and Youtube account when she asks which was fine for me. However when I got a new one, I had to retrain my voice. It had no idea who I was, but when she summoned it with "Hey Google, what's my name" it thought she was me.

          This might prove to be a problem if you live with other people and don't use the GHM a lot, they might be able to eventually access your content as it seems to have the potential to mistakenly learn their voice as yours if it predominantly expects you to be talking to it. She successfully put my Google Photos library on the Chromecast. Retraining the voice model fixed this entirely, and I can now enjoy having Google back in my life, and setting my outside lights to a dim green whenever I feel like it.

        • MeesusEff on 26/02/2018 - 20:12
          +1

          @John Kimble: OK, it rings when its not connected to wifi. Weird thing is that now it does list the phones, but by device model number. Me and hubby both got s8+ so have to guess which one 🤔 yesterday mine was first, today it was 2nd..

        • John Kimble on 26/02/2018 - 20:17

          @kza2610: You would have to use Google home app to train it to know your voice maybe? Then it might know which S8 to locate?

          https://support.google.com/googlehome/answer/7323910?hl=en-A…

        • lxndev on 26/02/2018 - 21:05
          +1

          @John Kimble: Can just rename the devices on each account as I said above haha.

        • John Kimble on 26/02/2018 - 21:19
          +1

          @lxndev: Or that.

        • MeesusEff on 27/02/2018 - 01:16
          +1

          @John Kimble:

          EDIT : oooo tried the Google Play link from OP. I did add his mobile 6 months after, managed to rename it but cant test what's what as he's sleeping right now incase I named the wrong one haha. Yay one barrier down.

  • dcep on 26/02/2018 - 14:04

    why are you lonely with gf ?

    • lxndev on 26/02/2018 - 14:15
      +2

      She spends all her time talking to Google now (shrugs)

      • lxndev on 26/02/2018 - 14:16
        +1

        Just kidding, she's studying overseas.

  • tdth99 on 26/02/2018 - 18:37
    +2

    This is a really good question OP. I was wondering same thing, but less so for the speaker quality (I would mainly stream music via Chromecast to proper speakers anyway), more for the microphone quality.
    Have noticed if my home mini is busy playing something it can be really hard to get it to hear the keyword to stop it. I seem to have to get up to get close enough or yell at it! (such a First World Problem).
    Was wondering if the GH mike would be better at hearing the keyword when it's busy playing?

    • John Kimble on 26/02/2018 - 18:44

      Yeah I have experienced the same on my mini, especially at higher volumes.

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