Cant use this speaker in a multi group speaker. I have several echo dots attached to speakers via aux. They all recognize each other and play with no problem. I have two soundtouch series speakers with echo dots up upstairs and they dont recognize bose smart speaker.

Trusted Reviews went ears-on with the Home Speaker 500, the new smart Alexa-enabled speaker from Bose, at a cosy press launch at the AV manufacturer's recently refurbished flagship store on London's Regent Street. In lieu of our full review, here's how we got on.

Alexa and Spotify support; AirPlay support in the pipeline; Multiple mics mean Alexa will hear you loud and clear; Colour screen displays Spotify album art

Won't work with SoundTouch products; Expensive compared to rival products

I'm really happy with this small, but powerful speaker also has big display, my recommendations

The Bose Home Speaker 500 sounds great for its size, and the bass rattling can be forgiven because it only happened on one track and wasn't actually distortion. Regardless of how rich and crisp the drivers can sound, however, the wide stereo experience that Bose claims is not something we...

Powerful audio performance with rich bass and clear highs; Streams via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi; Works with Alexa, and will eventually work with more voice assistants

Expensive; Display looks a little dated; DSP thins bass out at top volumes; Some deep bass causes enclosure to rattle

Bose jumps into the smart speaker fray with a high-quality compact offering that promises to get better over time.

Expansive; honest sound from an agreeably compact package; Onboard display and user-friendly physical controls; Recognizes voice commands even in...

Companion app can't also control Bose's own SoundTouch speakers; Touch controls on top of the speaker aren't backlit; Some minor bugs remain to be...

The best sounding speaker we've tested, but asks a high price

Excellent Sound, Great volume, relatively compact, many connection options

Expensive, multi-speaker management leaves a bit to be desired, Expensive, multi-speaker management leaves a bit to be desired

Bought this for the speaker function and as you would suspect from Bose it is top notch. Having Alexa included has opened up more options and functions. It is great and highly recommended

An Alexa-enabled Bose speaker

Great sound quality

Great sound quality

Too expensive; limited

Sonos and Apple need to move over as Bose is entering the high-end smart speaker market. At $50 more than Apple's HomePod and $100 less than the Sonos Play:5 , the Home Speaker 500 from Bose might be hitting a sweet spot for high-end smart speakers.

Robust sound with strong bass; Sleek design gives it a premium feel; No distortion; even at high volumes; Alexa integration is good

Painfully pricey; Display doesn't do much; No way to share connected services across accounts