Nest Audio review: The Google Home successor has serious audio chops

The replacement for Google's original, now discontinued smart speaker is here, and after listening to it for a few days, I'm not missing the old Google Home one bit. The rectangular Nest Audio delivers truly impressive sound considering its $100 price tag, and its sturdy, fabric-covered design looks handsome in person. With Google Assistant on board, the Nest Audio can also respond to voice commands and take charge of smart home devices. Waiting in the wings, however, is Amazon's refreshed Echo speaker, which also costs $100 and packs in stereo (rather than mono) sound, plus a Zigbee smart home hub. From the moment pre-announcement photos of the speaker appeared online, the Nest Audio's industrial design provoked furrowed brows and even some derision; indeed, I wrote that it looks like a "potato sack" or "a pillow standing on end."