Alexa or google

Hello all

It feels like ages since I have been here. Not much changed at home.

I am thinking of buying Alexa or Google small device to add voice activation to my BLGW.

Has anyone done this? What is the best option?

Why don't you ask the question on the podcast thread. Willie has a lot of experience with the gateway and voice control

By using it on the BLGW what are you trying to do ? Ie commands

You can use google natively without BLGW to play music eg play deezer on beosound one etc

Presumably to trigger macros, something an Alexa or GH can’t do on its own

I would also be interested in hearing an update on the quality of sound sent from either device to be played on a B&O speaker -- either by line-in or bluetooth. I remember trying this long ago and abandoning the notion since the sound quality just wasn't up to par with B&O sound. Has this improved with either platform? I see that Alexa now has an attractive, slim profile, input-only device without an internal speaker.

I can't address integration with BLGW but I can mention my experience with Alexa vs. Google.

 

I'm a huge Amazon fan and I live in their home town of Seattle, so I purchased a few Amazon Echo Dot units to spread around my house.

 

I wasn't really happy with what they did so I picked up a couple of google home minis. Within 15 minutes of receiving the Google Home devices I was packing up the Alexa units for return to Amazon.  The Google devices were literally 10 times as useful.  Ask for the weather.  Ask trivia questions.  Tell it to to control lights.  Ask for reminders.  Create a shopping list.  It is just night and day better than Alexa.

 

If only I could use it to control my B&O Multiroom equipment.