Google Home Max test: Power is nothing without control

A year after its official announcement in the United States, the Google Home Max is finally available in France. The Google Home and Home Mini were warmly received in France, and we wondered why Google didn’t launch the high-end speaker in our region. Perhaps its direct competitor was waiting for the launch of Apple’s Homepod?

With HomeMax, Google is entering the world of connected speakers focused on sound quality. Google Assistant and all related features are still there. Therefore, we invite you to refer to our Google Home test for as much information as possible on this subject. The originality of the Max version is the sound quality, which we will focus on in this test. Design and voice recognition will also be discussed.

Design

Google Home Max lives up to its name. The new connected speaker is impressive. If you want to put this 33x19x15 cm block, you will need to make room in your living room. Also make sure your stand is sturdy: Home Max weighs 5.3kg!

Google uses components from Google Home and mixes plastic and fabric (hydrophobic and anti-microbial). You can’t really say that the Home Max is a very stylish speaker. all the best We can say that the design is minimalist. It looks like an old school loudspeaker attached to a turntable. If the rounded corners soften the whole, it’s clear that the design isn’t the Home Max’s strong point. Next to it, Apple’s Homepod is a little gem.

Like the classic version, Home Max is fully tactile. The reset button and microphone mute button are the only two physical buttons on the speaker. They are grouped together on the back with a C7/C8 format power port and a USB-C port (they are useless except to connect the speaker to the internet via an ethernet adapter). For example, we would like to be able to connect a smartphone or a USB key to this port. Shame. A 3.5mm jack port completes the connection. You can connect any external audio device to it. If you already have high-quality speakers, you can connect them to Home Max.

When the speaker is placed horizontally, all the control keys are at the top. One tap allows you to pause and resume music. Swiping right or left controls the volume. Four LEDs hidden under the fabric are displayed when calling Google Assistant or adjusting the volume of the speaker.

La Google Home Max can also be used vertically, but the audio is broadcast in mono and no longer in stereo. In addition, the housing is equipped with orientation sensors. Google will warn you if you position it upside down. “By the way, Google Home is upside down, it works better if you turn it to the right”. To enjoy optimum sound quality, therefore we recommend placing the Home Max horizontally and if possible in an open area for better distribution.

Overall, the design is therefore not the Google Home Max’s strong point. It is more difficult to find a place in your living room, especially large, than the classic, more elegant version. In the high-end connected speaker market, other brands are doing much better in this area.

sound quality

If the Google Home Max is that impressive, it’s because Google wants to deliver a high-quality audio experience above all else. And the bigger the speaker, the bigger the built-in speakers. The larger resonance box allows the sound to be played at high volume with less distortion and more bass.

To deliver powerful sound, Google two 11.4-centimeter woofers (22 millimeters of travel) and two tweeters treble, very compact, dedicated to 18 millimeters. With all these materials under the body, we better understand the imposing format of the Home Max. In the end, Google has managed to make everything much more compact than you might expect.

TAll this hardware enables the Google Home Max to deliver powerful sound. Very strong. At maximum volume we reach almost 100 decibels, which is equivalent to the sound of a hammer. Suffice it to say that if you exaggerate a little, neighbors may knock on your door frequently. And you might be tempted, as the speaker delivers very clean sound at maximum volume. No deterioration is noticed.

This does not mean that the sound quality is exemplary. Just the opposite. The Home Max’s biggest flaws are its lack of sharpness and balance. The sounds played give the impression of a large gloubibulga devoid of finesse. Beyond the four instruments, the enclosure cannot emit distinct and distinctive sounds. The bass tends to be tinny and vocal in some situations. For example, Liam Gallagher’s nasal voice has a very metallic sound. globally, The sound provided by Home Max lacks spatialization. It’s possible to slightly customize the speaker’s sound signature via the Home app. Then we can give more room to the treble, midrange or bass. But the equalizer is too minimalist to really enjoy.

But the picture is not completely black. For example, the Smart Voice feature is very successful. The system is comparable to that found in Apple’s Homepod or Sonos’ Trueplay: the speaker adapts to its environment (room volume, distance from obstacles, location in the home, etc.) to deliver the best sound quality. In summary, we can use Pirelli’s slogan to talk about the Google Home Max: Nothing happens without mastering power.

speech recognition

Thanks to its six built-in microphones, Google Home Max can detect the sound of a voice in extreme conditions. Google has worked particularly well at this point, and interacting with the Home Max surprised us. The biggest challenge for a speaker is perceiving the sound of the sound while broadcasting the sound itself. Home Max can distinguish an “Ok Google” without blinking, even at high volume and at a distance from the speaker.

Google has also integrated the Voice Match function. It is a voice recognition system. It’s a bit like a fingerprint sensor for sound. Voice Match can distinguish 6 different voices. Therefore, it is possible to customize the speaker for 6 different people with different music tastes, services and accounts. Again, voice recognition is impressive.

Price and release date

Google Home Max has been on sale since 30 August 2018 at a price of 399 euros. At this price, Google’s connected speaker is more expensive than Apple’s Homepod. a first. Unfortunately, the sound quality, which is the main distinguishing point of this Max version, is not there. Apple’s Homepod does it better. But Google has a power Apple doesn’t have: its assistant. Siri is still light years away from Google Assistant.