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See Top Ranked SoundbarsSonos Beam Soundbar (2018) vs Google Home Mini (2017)
Sonos Beam Soundbar (2018) (BEAM1US1BLK)
Excellent
See our analysis
Analysis:
The Sonos Beam Soundbar (2018) (BEAM1US1BLK) is an exemplary product and one of the very best Soundbars at the $310 budget.
The Google Home Mini (2017), however, doesn't seem to have enough data available for us to be able to draw any meaningful conclusions.
The Sonos Beam Soundbar (2018) (BEAM1US1BLK) has done great in quite a few roundups from some of the most highly trusted sources available, such as TechGearLab, AVForums, CNET, and Consumer Reports, which perform high-quality in-depth testing. It got awarded the "Best for Small Spaces" title by TechGearLab, "Best Soundbar Under £1,000 2018" by AVForums, and "Best for multiroom music" by CNET in their respective roundups. Earning that much praise from such respected sources is undoubtedly an impressive accomplishment.
As for the Google Home Mini (2017), it was really well-received by reviewers at Tom's Guide, a reliable source that's known for conducting its own, high-quality, in-depth testing. It performed great in its "Best Home Depot Father's Day sales 2020" roundup and was named its "Ranked 2 out of 7", which, on its own, makes it a product that warrants a closer look.
Out of the sources that tested and rated both of these Soundbars, What Hi-Fi?, TrustedReviews, techadvisor.com, Techradar, PCmag, and slashgear.com preferred the Sonos Beam Soundbar (2018) (BEAM1US1BLK), whereas reviewers at CNET liked the Google Home Mini (2017) better. Expert Reviews gave them identical review scores.
We also took a look at which sources liked these products best - the highest Sonos Beam Soundbar (2018) (BEAM1US1BLK) rating came from What Hi-Fi?, whereas the Google Home Mini (2017) most impressed reviewers at livingetc.com; they earned scores of 10 and 9, respectively.
Lastly, we averaged out all of the reviews scores that we could find on these two products and compared them to other Soundbars on the market. We learned that both of them performed far better than most of their competitors - the overall review average earned by Soundbars being 7.6 out of 10, whereas the Sonos Beam Soundbar (2018) (BEAM1US1BLK) and Google Home Mini (2017) managed averages of 8.8 and 8.0 points, respectively.
Due to the difference in their prices, however, it's important to keep in mind that a direct Sonos Beam Soundbar (2018) (BEAM1US1BLK) vs. Google Home Mini (2017) comparison might not be entirely fair - some sources don't take value for money into account when assigning their scores and therefore have a tendency to rate more premium products better.
Tech. Specs Comparison
Sonos Beam Soundbar (2018) (BEAM1US1BLK)
$448
Google Home Mini (2017)
Amplification
Active
-
Channels
3.0
-
Dolby Atmos
No
-
Voice Control
Alexa
-
Reddit Threads (15)
in "Crammed a rPi into my record player so it could stream to Sonos"
Last updated: 23 Jan 2021
in "Minimal Console Gaming Setup"
Last updated: 27 Jul 2020
in "Is this burn in?"
Last updated: 6 May 2020
in "Best smart speaker for spotify at lower volumes?"
Last updated: 4 Apr 2020
in "My new living room setup."
Last updated: 9 Mar 2020
in "HomePod as Dedicated TV speakers"
Last updated: 6 Jan 2020
in "How to control volume using caavo remote when AppleTV is using Sonos as audio source?"
Last updated: 29 Jun 2019
in "On Alexa soundbars and what exactly they do"
Last updated: 10 Mar 2019
in "Would you say the Sonos Beam bass sounds better for listening to music than a Play One? Is the bass as deep?"
Last updated: 30 Oct 2018
in "Soundbar for X900F"
Last updated: 12 Oct 2018
in "Just moved into a new apartment in Chicago. Easily the nicest place I’ve ever lived in!"
Last updated: 2 May 2020
in "Sonos Surround (Beam + 2x One) - Questions"
Last updated: 11 Mar 2020
in "Decided to mount my Sonos Beam"
Last updated: 9 Jan 2020
in "HomePod as Dedicated TV speakers"
Last updated: 6 Jan 2020
in "PS4, Samsung TV & Soundbar with HDMI-ARC and Optical Audio Configuration help!"
Last updated: 14 Jan 2020
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Reddit Threads (9)
in "Headset kinda stays warm when plugged in and not in use w/ compute off..."
Last updated: 17 Mar 2020
in "[Just Chatting] How do you guys listen to music/podcasts to aid sleep?"
Last updated: 12 Mar 2020
in "Chromecast as an alarm?"
Last updated: 10 Mar 2020
in "It's the remix to ignition"
Last updated: 8 Mar 2020
in "Is it just me, or is Alexa getting progressively LESS intelligent?"
Last updated: 26 Feb 2020
in "Anybody rocking full Google ecosystem?"
Last updated: 19 Feb 2020
in "I need lists to survive"
Last updated: 9 Feb 2020
in "Google Home Max - Impressed"
Last updated: 13 Dec 2018
in "Google Home Mini might be the best $40 I've ever spent!"
Last updated: 23 Nov 2017
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Sentiment analysis from Youtube reviewers
See fewer
Sentiment analysis from Youtube reviewers
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Higher than average expert review score
7.6
Overall Avg. for Soundbars
8.8
Avg. Review Score
Score
Has average expert review score
7.6
Overall Avg. for Soundbars
8.0
Avg. Review Score
Score
Highly recommended by trusted experts
Highly Trusted SourceDepth of
analysis
analysis
Yes
In-house
Testing
Testing
Runner Upin “Treat Yourself: Use Your Gift Cards on These Top Electronics Products”
Last updated: 14 Dec 2021
Highly Trusted SourceDepth of
analysis
analysis
Yes
In-house
Testing
Testing
Best for Small Spacesin “The 5 Best Sound Bars of 2023”
Last updated: 27 Mar 2023
Highly Trusted SourceDepth of
analysis
analysis
Yes
In-house
Testing
Testing
Best Soundbar Under £1,000 2018in “Editor's Choice Awards – Best Home AV 2018”
Last updated: 6 Dec 2018
Highly Trusted SourceDepth of
analysis
analysis
Yes
In-house
Testing
Testing
Best for multiroom musicin “Best Soundbars With Amazon Alexa for 2023”
Trusted Source-
Depth of
analysis
analysis
No
In-house
Testing
Testing
Best Overallin “Best speakers for Apple TV 4K in 2023”
Last updated: 18 Oct 2022
Trusted Source-
Depth of
analysis
analysis
No
In-house
Testing
Testing
Best Overallin “10 Cool (and Weird) Tech Products That We Tested This Month”
Last updated: 25 Aug 2022
Trusted SourceDepth of
analysis
analysis
Yes
In-house
Testing
Testing
Best Overallin “9 best tech releases: gadgets, games and phones | The Independent”
Last updated: 14 Nov 2018
Trusted SourceDepth of
analysis
analysis
Yes
In-house
Testing
Testing
Best Smart Optionin “Holiday 2020: The 5 Best Soundbars”
Last updated: 27 Jun 2023
Trusted SourceDepth of
analysis
analysis
Yes
In-house
Testing
Testing
Rated 9.2 out of 10in “The 7 Best Sonos Speakers for Your Home”
Last updated: 8 Jun 2021
Trusted SourceDepth of
analysis
analysis
Yes
In-house
Testing
Testing
in “Best Alexa speakers: There's more than just Echo”
Last updated: 13 Oct 2020
techadvisor.com
Trusted SourceDepth of
analysis
analysis
Yes
In-house
Testing
Testing
in “Best Sonos speakers 2023”
Last updated: 22 May 2023
Trusted Source-
Depth of
analysis
analysis
No
In-house
Testing
Testing
in “The 16 Best Gadgets of 2018”
Last updated: 8 May 2023
-
Depth of
analysis
analysis
No
In-house
Testing
Testing
Best Overallin “Smart Sound Bars – The Best Upgrade for Your Couch and Gaming Setup”
Last updated: 13 Jun 2018
esquire.com
-
Depth of
analysis
analysis
No
In-house
Testing
Testing
Runner Upin “38 Best Gifts For the Film Buff in Your Life”
Last updated: 16 Sep 2022
Depth of
analysis
analysis
Yes
In-house
Testing
Testing
Best for smart homesin “Best soundbars 2023: Dolby Atmos, voice assistants, great sound quality, and more”
Last updated: 16 May 2023
Depth of
analysis
analysis
Yes
In-house
Testing
Testing
The best Alexa-enabled soundbarin “Best Alexa-enabled devices of 2021”
Last updated: 31 Mar 2021
manofmany.com
-
Depth of
analysis
analysis
No
In-house
Testing
Testing
in “15 Best Soundbars for Entertainment Junkies”
Last updated: 14 Jun 2023
The TelegraphDepth of
analysis
analysis
No
In-house
Testing
Testing
in “The best soundbars for your TV”
Last updated: 10 Feb 2020
Depth of
analysis
analysis
No
In-house
Testing
Testing
in “43 Best College Graduation Gifts of 2023 That'll Help Them Master Adulthood”
Last updated: 5 May 2023
Depth of
analysis
analysis
No
In-house
Testing
Testing
Best for Serious Audiophilesin “The Best Sound Bars for an Amazing Audio Experience”
Last updated: 25 Mar 2020
gearhungry.com
-
Depth of
analysis
analysis
No
In-house
Testing
Testing
in “Best Smart Speakers in 2022”
Last updated: 23 Aug 2022
buzzfeed.com
-
Depth of
analysis
analysis
No
In-house
Testing
Testing
in “26 Best Things For Your Binge-Watching Experience”
Last updated: 14 Nov 2020
Trusted SourceDepth of
analysis
analysis
Yes
In-house
Testing
Testing
Best with Smarthome Integrationin “The Best Sound Bars to Boost the Decibels in Your Home Theater”
Last updated: 27 Jun 2023
Trusted SourceDepth of
analysis
analysis
Yes
In-house
Testing
Testing
in “7 Cryptocurrencies That Will Actually Protect Your Privacy”
Last updated: 16 Jun 2022
Depth of
analysis
analysis
Yes
In-house
Testing
Testing
The best Alexa-enabled soundbarin “Best Alexa-enabled devices of 2021”
Last updated: 31 Mar 2021
Depth of
analysis
analysis
Yes
In-house
Testing
Testing
The best AirPlay 2 sound barin “Best AirPlay 2 speakers 2019: Sonos One, HomePod, Sonos Beam, & more”
Last updated: 8 Oct 2019
Depth of
analysis
analysis
Yes
In-house
Testing
Testing
The best AirPlay 2 sound barin “Best AirPlay 2 speakers 2019: Sonos One, HomePod, Sonos Beam, & more”
Last updated: 8 Oct 2019
menshealth.com
-
Depth of
analysis
analysis
No
In-house
Testing
Testing
in “11 of the Best Gifts to Buy for Your Significant Other”
Last updated: 2 Nov 2021
Depth of
analysis
analysis
No
In-house
Testing
Testing
in “The Best Soundbars, According to Sound Engineers and Professional Audiophiles”
Last updated: 19 Oct 2021
Highly Trusted SourceDepth of
analysis
analysis
Yes
In-house
Testing
Testing
in “Top Gifts for Dads”
Last updated: 14 Dec 2022
Trusted Source-
Depth of
analysis
analysis
No
In-house
Testing
Testing
in “Everything You Need to Throw the Ultimate 2023 Super Bowl Party”
Last updated: 20 Jan 2023
Trusted SourceDepth of
analysis
analysis
Yes
In-house
Testing
Testing
in “Which Sonos speakers should you buy in 2022?”
Last updated: 18 Mar 2022
Trusted Source-
Depth of
analysis
analysis
No
In-house
Testing
Testing
in “Best Sonos Speakers in 2022”
Last updated: 1 Dec 2021
Depth of
analysis
analysis
No
In-house
Testing
Testing
in “If You Have This Tech Gadget, You’ll Love This Other Thing”
Last updated: 19 Dec 2018
Highly Trusted SourceDepth of
analysis
analysis
Yes
In-house
Testing
Testing
in “Top Gifts for Grandparents”
Last updated: 13 Dec 2019
Trusted SourceDepth of
analysis
analysis
Yes
In-house
Testing
Testing
in “Holiday 2020: The Best Gifts for Movie Lovers”
Last updated: 27 Jun 2023
Trusted Source-
Depth of
analysis
analysis
No
In-house
Testing
Testing
in “The 10 Best Audio Products of 2018”
Last updated: 25 Aug 2022
Trusted SourceDepth of
analysis
analysis
Yes
In-house
Testing
Testing
in “Sonos Is Having an Almost Unheard of Cyber Monday Sale - Sonos Cyber Monday Sale”
Last updated: 30 Nov 2020
Trusted SourceDepth of
analysis
analysis
Yes
In-house
Testing
Testing
in “10 best smart speakers that will modernize your home | The Independent”
Last updated: 2 Mar 2020
Depth of
analysis
analysis
Yes
In-house
Testing
Testing
in “The 7 best smart speakers of 2023”
Last updated: 12 Jan 2023
Depth of
analysis
analysis
Yes
In-house
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Testing
in “The 7 best smart speakers of 2023”
Last updated: 12 Jan 2023
Depth of
analysis
analysis
Yes
In-house
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Testing
in “The 23 best new products of 2018”
Last updated: 13 Apr 2022
Depth of
analysis
analysis
Yes
In-house
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in “The 23 best new products of 2018”
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Depth of
analysis
analysis
Yes
In-house
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in “10 Best Tech Products of 2021”
Last updated: 24 Dec 2021
Depth of
analysis
analysis
Yes
In-house
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Testing
in “10 Best Tech Products of 2021”
Last updated: 24 Dec 2021
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Highly Trusted SourceDepth of
analysis
analysis
Yes
In-house
Testing
Testing
Runner Upin “Best Home Depot Father's Day sales 2020”
Last updated: 28 Jun 2022
Highly Trusted SourceDepth of
analysis
analysis
Yes
In-house
Testing
Testing
in “The Best Tech We Bought in 2018”
Last updated: 6 Nov 2018
Trusted SourceDepth of
analysis
analysis
Yes
In-house
Testing
Testing
Runner Upin “What are the best books to read along with Disney on Google Home?”
Last updated: 25 Jun 2019
Trusted SourceDepth of
analysis
analysis
Yes
In-house
Testing
Testing
Runner Upin “The best gifts under $50/£50”
Last updated: 14 Dec 2018
Trusted SourceDepth of
analysis
analysis
Yes
In-house
Testing
Testing
in “The best Google products for home, work and play”
Last updated: 2 Dec 2020
Trusted SourceDepth of
analysis
analysis
Yes
In-house
Testing
Testing
in “Great Father's day tech gifts under £50”
Last updated: 14 Mar 2023
buzzfeed.com
-
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analysis
analysis
No
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in “31 Of The Best Practical Gifts To Get At Walmart”
Last updated: 7 Dec 2019
Highly Trusted SourceDepth of
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analysis
Yes
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in “Best White-Noise Machines”
Last updated: 2 Sep 2019
Trusted SourceDepth of
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analysis
Yes
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Testing
The Google Home Mini is like having a simple, hands-free Assistant around the house. It can help you keep track of the weather, tell you jokes, and the like. But most importantly, it can also play several ambient sounds to help you relax throughout the day, and even as you sleep. These sounds do loop, allowing them to play for up to 12 hours non-stop if you desire.in “Best White Noise Machines in 2022”
Last updated: 8 Dec 2021
buzzfeed.com
-
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analysis
No
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analysis
Yes
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analysis
Yes
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in “Best Tech Gifts for the Chef in Your Life”
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-
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analysis
No
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in “Wish List 2017: 60 Amazing Gift Ideas for Everyone in Your Orbit”
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mensjournal.com
-
Depth of
analysis
analysis
No
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analysis
Yes
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Yes
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Find the best product and price, effortlessly.
Discover deals on the best products
We do the research. You save the money.
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