Panasonic GA10

Taking cost out of the equation – Side by side, I’d happily put the Panasonic GA10 at the top of the pack at the moment. The sound quality is far superior to the Google Home or Home Mini and it’s got Google Assistant which given my investment in the Google world, far superior to Alexa.

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Overall, we think the strengths of the GA-10 easily outweigh the negatives, which in our view are really just the limitations of the microphone. Priced at US$250, it is going to require a deeper dive into the pockets than plenty of Google Assistant alternatives would do, but with good sound quality and its elegant design, it's not unreasonable either. We're fans.

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Panasonic has managed to achieve what it set out to: to make a smart speaker that takes sound seriously. The SC-GA10 scores bonus points for offering input selection, with Bluetooth, 3.5mm and network streaming alongside Google Cast. For those who want an AI helper, but who aren’t willing to sacrifice too much on the sound quality or functionality of a proper sound system, the SC-GA10 is worth investigation.

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Overall, we’d rate the Panasonic GA-10 not only above Google’s own stable of smart speakers but probably most of the other smart speakers out there, stopping just short of Apple’s HomePod and the Sonos One. That said, given the circumstances surrounding the latter, this might just be the best sounding Google Assistant you can buy right now.

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As you should expect, Google Assistant works just fine here to deliver a “smart” speaker experience. But, Panasonic doesn’t deliver on its promise of high-quality audio, and the GA10 is much pricier than a lot of its competition.

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The GA10 is like the Google Home for people who want decent audio. It’s as much a living room speaker as it is a smart assistant. Although it costs more than Google Home, it's a heck of a lot cheaper than an Apple HomePod or Google Home Max.

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A great sounding Bluetooth speaker with an intellect to match, Panasonic’s gutsy SC-GA10 combines the benefits of smart control, with a gloriously immodest musical performance.

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If it's not too big for your, the Panasonic GA10 is looking like a great smart speaker if you're on the Google Assistant side of the fence. It's good looking and most importantly will be a good choice for those looking for higher-end sound quality.

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The speaker adds the feature I’ve been looking for in a voice-enabled speaker: sound quality. The Panasonic SC-GA10 looks great on paper and is aesthetically pleasing.

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