Review of smart speaker LG with "Alice". It costs less and sounds better than Yandex.Station

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

A device with all the functions of a voice assistant and high-quality speakers for 10 thousand rubles.

A smart speaker can not only play music, but also respond to voice commands. It can be used to listen to tracks from streaming services, to control smart home gadgets, or as a reference to answer questions.

The acoustics LG XBOOM AI ThinQ WK7Y came to our editorial office - one of six speakers with support for the voice assistant of "Alice" and the main competitor of the original "Yandex. Station".

Table of contents

• Appearance
• Controls and interfaces
• Sound
• Voice assistant "Alice"
• Differences from Yandex. Station
• conclusions

Appearance

The LG speaker looks reliable and expensive. It is a minimalist cylindrical device made of quality materials. The outside of the speaker is covered with a metal mesh, while the rest of the surface is made of matte plastic. Black color.

The LG logo is located at the bottom of the case, and Meridian Audio on the top. There is also a light indicator at the top of the speaker, which is activated together with "Alice" or when the volume is changed.

The column diameter is 13.5 cm, the height is about 21 cm. The device weighs 1.9 kg.

The LG XBOOM requires a power outlet and a Wi-Fi network to function, which automatically makes it a home or office speaker whose destiny is to stay in one place.

Controls and interfaces

The instructions in the kit and tips from "Alice" when connecting to the network will help with the first synchronization. In short, the speaker adapter must be plugged into an outlet, and then download the Yandex application. There you need to find the device and connect it to Wi-Fi. Everything, the column can be used.

The control panel at the top includes several buttons. These are pause, volume up and down and the F key, which is responsible for switching between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections (you can also do this using a voice command). Touch buttons. Because of this, they are difficult to find in the dark: they have no relief and no recoil when pressed.

On the back of the case there is a microphone mute button - for those who are wary of surveillance and do not want to share private data with Yandex.

On the bottom of the device there is a reset button and a socket for the power cable. It is retracted into a special recess.

Sound

Speakers of this form factor do not have to expect a special volume and elaboration of space: all emitters are concentrated on a small patch. A 20mm tweeter and 89mm mid-range are responsible for the sound. Together they deliver 30 watts of power. The set of speakers suggests that the sound here does not even pretend to be multi-channel.

The LG XBOOM has enough power for a large room or small office. The same Meridian Audio, whose logo we saw under the control panel, is responsible for the production of the emitters in the speaker. The company has built a reputation as a manufacturer of Hi-Fi audio systems for home theaters and premium vehicles from McLaren, Land Rover and Jaguar. LG also talks about Clear Vocal and Enhanced Bass technologies, which are responsible for the intelligibility of voice frequencies and bass boost. All this makes the LG XBOOM sound very deep and rich.

There are some problems with a slight overweight of bass and readability in the lower mids, but these nuances are clearly not critical for those who listen to music in mono from a speaker for 10 thousand rubles.

By the way, it is better to unfold the gadget with the LG logo towards yourself. Despite the cylindrical design, the sound here is directed strictly in one direction.

Voice assistant "Alice"

Alice has hundreds of features and a few serious flaws. The latter include the total dependence on Yandex services, the inability to download music from other streaming services, and the fact that the voice assistant from time to time simply does not understand you. The calibration and power of the LG XBOOM microphones are satisfactory: when music is playing, "Alice" does not always confidently recognize the user's phrases.

A little about the functions. Here's what you can do with the voice assistant in LG XBOOM:

• find out the travel time from point A to point B;
• set an alarm or reminder;
• find out the recipe for the dish (upon request, "Alice" launches a search on "Yandex" and reads the results from culinary sites);
• translate a phrase into another language;
• enable or disable the smart home gadget (Alice can work with devices from Yandex, Xiaomi and Redmond);
• play a game (eg "Cities" or "Guess the Animal");
• find out the exchange rate;
• include sounds from nature (for example, forest, ocean, or campfire);
• turn on music and set a timer to turn it off;
• find out how much the product costs (Alice will give the price from Yandex. Market).

These are just some of the functions. The complete list is available on the Yandex website.

Differences from Yandex. Station

Here are the main ones.

• Sound. The LG speaker sounds deeper, more detailed and brighter.
• Appearance and dimensions. Our subject is slightly smaller than Yandex. Station and has the shape of a cylinder, not a rectangular parallelepiped. It also looks more reliable because of the metal grill.
• HDMI port. LG XBOOM doesn't have one. If you are looking for a music box with a voice assistant and not a multimedia system, this nuance is not important.
• Bonus subscriptions. LG XBOOM has fewer of them: there is no Amediateka and the Yandex. Plus subscription is limited to three months, not a year. Nine months difference is equivalent to 1,521 rubles.
• Price. LG XBOOM costs 9,990 rubles - a thousand less than the "Station".

conclusions

LG XBOOM AI ThinQ WK7Y bypasses the more popular Yandex. Station in a number of parameters, and costs less, if you don't count the difference in subscriptions. If you can get by without connecting the speaker to your TV, it's best to go for the LG option.

Smart speaker LG will perfectly cope with the role of a home music box and a universal assistant who will tell you how much to cook eggs, or just entertain with an unpretentious game. Someday there will be more competitors in this field, but while devices with Siri and Alexa speak to us only in English, and the Russian-language mode of the "Google Assistant" in Google Home is turned on through crutches, LG XBOOM with "Alice" is one of the best options …