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The Google Home Max smart speaker ties its all-time-low price: $212

For a limited time, you can save $87 on Google's robust HomePod rival.

Rick Broida Senior Editor
Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show Travelers). He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms (chronicled in the ebook "I Was a Middle-Aged Zombie").
Rick Broida
2 min read
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The best-sounding smart speaker is now almost $200 less than it was at launch.

CNET

When the Google Home Max smart speaker debuted in late 2017, CNET's Ty Pendlebury raved about its responsive microphones and excellent room-filling sound. (Read his Google Home Max review to learn more.) Less rave-worthy, however, was the price: $399. Ouch. Thankfully, earlier this year Google slashed prices on all its Google Home smart speakers, with the Max getting a very welcome $100 discount. 

Read more: Best Wi-Fi speakers and music systems of 2019

Pish. We can do better than that, right? Yes. We. Can. For a limited time, and while supplies last, Daily Steals via Rakuten once again has the Google Home Max (chalk or charcoal) for $212.49 shipped (plus tax where applicable) when you apply promo code SAVE15 at checkout.

The Max's chief rival is the  Apple HomePod , which normally sells for $299. Unfortunately, Ty's Max review doesn't directly compare sound quality between the two, though the former was found to be superior to both the Bose SoundTouch 30 and Sonos Play:5. Ultimately, Pendlebury said, it's "the best-sounding smart speaker yet."

Those smarts come from the Google Assistant, of course, which most would agree is smarter than Siri (in her current incarnation, anyway). Meanwhile, the Max supports a much broader array of connected services than the HomePod; you're not limited to music from just one source.

Amazon, meanwhile, just introduced a variety of new Alexa-powered speakers, including the Max-rivaling Echo Studio for $200. That may yet prove the better buy, but we won't know until we're able to compare them.

Still, if you're accustomed to and/or prefer the Google ecosystem, this is a great way to add room-filling sound and a crackerjack Google Assistant to your home -- and for a price that's quite a bit more palatable than $399.

Watch this: Google Home Max is a smart speaker built to party

Note: Originally published earlier this year. Updated product pricing/availability.


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