Jordan O'BrienWhen Google Home was first announced it was hailed as an Amazon Echo but with a better AI assistant and better acoustics. While some would argue that’s already true, the speaker is now at least better suited to an audiophile’s home – as it finally has an equaliser, allowing users to tweak the speaker settings to ensure it sounds the best that it can.
Google Home’s EQ isn’t quite as advanced as what you’d expect to see on a high-end audio system, with options limited to just bass and treble, but it’s a start. Most users won’t need the settings, however, as Google uses AI to ensure that the speaker sounds the best that it can depending on where it’s been placed.
The debut of the EQ coincides with the expected launch of the Google Home Max, which is set to debut in December. Unfortunately, Google’s high-end smart speaker will only be available in the US to begin with, meaning Europeans will have to make do with the standard Google Home and Home Mini.
In addition to a new EQ, Google is also set to allow users to pair multiple Google Home devices to create stereo speakers. This will be especially useful with the Google Home Max, although the functionality will also work with the standard Google Home and Google Home Mini. It’s yet to be seen whether users will be able to pair Chromecast-supported speakers, however.
The stereo functionality has yet to be made live in the app, meaning Google is likely still working on implementing the technology, but it should launch alongside the new Google Home Max. That puts a potential roll-out of the feature in December; just in time for Christmas.
Google has already showcased its willingness to release new features for its smart speakers if users demand them. That started from the day Chromecast Audio was first released, with users asking for multi-room streaming, which rolled out in late 2015. That’s in direct contrast to Amazon, which has been slow to add features like multi-room streaming to its offering.