Soundwise, however, HomePod Mini leaves something to be desired. For instance, you can ask for driving directions while making coffee in the morning, then send your chosen route to your car before leaving. The Mini allows voice control of other music services, including Pandora and iHeart Radio, and can even integrate with Apple CarPlay in your vehicle. The device is a solid option for controlling Apple HomeKit smart home products and services such as Apple Music. The Mini’s best selling point is the way it interfaces seamlessly with the rest of the Apple ecosystem. If your desk looks a little like an outpost of an Apple Store, with your iPhone, iPad, and AirPods charging next to your MacBook, the HomePod Mini smart speaker might make an ideal office companion. And all of our test samples are bought at full retail-no freebies for us. “Many of today’s best wireless and smart speakers work well in an office or home office environment because they offer impressive sound in a small and simple package,” says Nish Suvarnakar, Consumer Reports’ analyst for the home audio market.Īll of the following stylish, good-sounding speakers do well in Consumer Reports’ labs, where we test for ease of use, versatility and, most of all, sound quality. And because you’ll be staring at it all day, every day, your speaker should be attractive, or at least unobtrusive.Īnd these days, you have a lot of good choices. If the speaker will be sitting on your desk, there’s an advantage to a speaker that’s small-desk real estate can be precious. Instead, you want a model that sounds appealing when played quietly and from close range.Īnd lastly, the box itself matters, too. On the other hand, while home speakers might have to fill a large family room, most offices are more modest in size-so you don’t necessarily need a desktop speaker that can crank out a lot of volume. A grating, annoying midrange-the tones where you hear most vocals and many instruments-might not be a dealbreaker in a portable speaker you take to the beach, but if you’re listening for hours at a stretch every day, any sonic flaws will stand out. The most important requirement for a work speaker is that it sound good. If that sounds good-or you simply want to listen to Meryl Streep’s cover of ' The Winner Takes It All' while you type-a good desktop speaker can be a solid investment.

Research studies suggest that listening to music can brighten your mood while boosting your productivity and creativity. Whether you’re working from home or traveling into an office, there’s a lot to be said for adding music to your workday.

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