Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

OT: Google Nest Hub vs Amazon Echo

YEMTrey
YEMTrey Posts: 6,829
Looking to add to the house.  Which one do you use and why?  Go!  and thanks!
Steve 
XL, Mini Max, and a 22" Blackstone in Cincinnati, Ohio

Comments

  • NorthPilot06
    NorthPilot06 Posts: 1,179
    I have two echos. Not that impressed by the dot, but the “normal” echos have fairly decent sound quality. Can’t say I use it terribly frequently, but it is nice to play music off occasionally. 

    To me, it seems as though these devices are on a trajectory to replace the likes of Sonos speakers (or equivalents).  I will be very excited if/when that happens - id like to have an amazon echo amplifier that I could tie into existing speakers. I’m not keen to buy into the Sonos ecosystem. 

    I’ve found that they’re very good at synchronizing music across all speakers (no latency issues to speak of)
    DFW - 1 LGBE & Happy to Adopt More...
  • ColtsFan
    ColtsFan Posts: 6,310
    edited October 2019
    Echo's here. They integrated with my Phillips Hue and other smart IoT devices and I figure Google already had enough data on me. They work nice when setting up groups and playing music in a given area of the house too
    ~ John - https://www.instagram.com/hoosier_egger
    XL BGE, LG BGE, KJ Jr, PK Original, Ardore Pizza Oven, King Disc 
    Bloomington, IN - Hoo Hoo Hoo Hoosiers!

  • smak
    smak Posts: 199
    Echos here as well.  I'm in the sonos camp as well.  For the echos I have mostly dots with the integration with sonos it works very well.

    You could also ease into the sonos camp with a "sonos one" and have your choice of Alexa or Google (and switch whenever you want).

    @NorthPilot06 you might want to check out the echo link amp. I think that *might* be what you are looking for.
    smak
    Leesburg, VA
  • smbishop
    smbishop Posts: 3,053
    4 echo dots and the original Alexa speaker.  Integrated with lights and our home speaker system, love it!  I even use one in my classroom..
    Southlake, TX and Cowhouse Creek - King, TX.  2 Large, 1 Small and a lot of Eggcessories.
  • NorthPilot06
    NorthPilot06 Posts: 1,179
    smak said:
    Echos here as well.  I'm in the sonos camp as well.  For the echos I have mostly dots with the integration with sonos it works very well.

    You could also ease into the sonos camp with a "sonos one" and have your choice of Alexa or Google (and switch whenever you want).

    @NorthPilot06 you might want to check out the echo link amp. I think that *might* be what you are looking for.
    Thanks for the heads up @smak - that is what I was talking about. Looks like reviews are a bit mixed, hopefully they’ll come out with a second generation at some point 👍
    DFW - 1 LGBE & Happy to Adopt More...
  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,429
    Two Echoes here, also.  Worth the money for the alarm feature alone; instead of finding my reading glasses, pressing Set and Forward/Backward buttons, overshooting, having to cycle around 23.9 hours, repeat, I can just say "Alexa, set alarm for 5 am tomorrow", she confirms, and I'm done.  
    My new car came with a 6-month free subscription to SiriusXM, and as long as they'll offer me 1/2 off when I try to unsubscribe, they've got me.  Just a couple months ago they now allow you to use one subscription on multiple devices: car, computer, and Echo!!!  This is fantastic!  (I don't know if it extends to Googlez Nezt, it may).  It's also supposed to work on my Roku/home stereo; I got it to work once but it's still really buggy.  
     
    There are concerns about privacy.  These things "can" listen to you and your family, 24/7.  It doesn't bother me, as I live alone and only scream at the TV during the news, otherwise it gets nothing; but it's something to be aware of.  
    _____________

    "I mean, I don't just kill guys, I'm notorious for doing in houseplants."  - Maggie, Northern Exposure


  • U_tarded
    U_tarded Posts: 2,041
    Botch said:
    Two Echoes here, also.  Worth the money for the alarm feature alone; instead of finding my reading glasses, pressing Set and Forward/Backward buttons, overshooting, having to cycle around 23.9 hours, repeat, I can just say "Alexa, set alarm for 5 am tomorrow", she confirms, and I'm done.  
    My new car came with a 6-month free subscription to SiriusXM, and as long as they'll offer me 1/2 off when I try to unsubscribe, they've got me.  Just a couple months ago they now allow you to use one subscription on multiple devices: car, computer, and Echo!!!  This is fantastic!  (I don't know if it extends to Googlez Nezt, it may).  It's also supposed to work on my Roku/home stereo; I got it to work once but it's still really buggy.  
     
    There are concerns about privacy.  These things "can" listen to you and your family, 24/7.  It doesn't bother me, as I live alone and only scream at the TV during the news, otherwise it gets nothing; but it's something to be aware of.  
    At renew time for xm.  Be diligent I’ve played their games for years, the want like 20 a month for all channels.  Tell them too much and you want to cancel then they say like 150 for a year.  Still not worth it,  I would usually end up at 99 a year prepaid and would just set a calendar event and a 6 pack to dance every year about 20 days before it’s up. 
  • GregW
    GregW Posts: 2,676
    edited October 2019
    I have a couple of Dot's. They are okay. Where they excel is in the kitchen for use as a timer. East to say Alexa set a 5 minute timer. Can even run multiple concurrent timers.
    I also have a Echo Auto. Sadly it's a total pain in the backside. A half baked product that's a long way from market release ready. I think they are still in Beta.
    I have had a cursing rage come on me using the Echo Auto. (It Didn't Help)

    For reference, if you have a Spotify Premium subscription, Google will send you a free Google Home Mini

    It's free for new subscribers or existing. Even though it's free, you still have to enter a credit card, but they won't charge you.

    Mine has shipped, but I haven't received my Home Mini yet.

  • milesvdustin
    milesvdustin Posts: 2,882

    2 LBGE, Blackstone 36, Jumbo Joe

    Egging in Southern Illinois (Marion)

  • GlennM
    GlennM Posts: 1,358
    Sonos, google and Alexa here. I have a fully automated home. I find google works way better for me. Half the time Alexa doesn’t understand what I’m asking
    In the bush just East of Cambridge,Ontario 
  • YEMTrey
    YEMTrey Posts: 6,829
    Thanks for the input.  We have a couple of Echo Dot's in the house now.  Really like the one in the kitchen for music, using as a timer and answering questions.
    All of our pictures are in Amazon cloud, and all my music is on Google Play.  Want one to slideshow our pictures through, and want to place several units throughout the house to stream music to all rooms.
    Steve 
    XL, Mini Max, and a 22" Blackstone in Cincinnati, Ohio

  • 1911Man
    1911Man Posts: 366
    I don't understand the draw for either alexa or echo devices. Hell, I don't even use voice commands on my phone. When driving, I don't use the voice commands either (or at least I haven't). 

    @milesvdustin I agree with the meme... Why open yourself to even MORE data collection than is already taking place?? 

    Large BGE with CGS Woo Ring, stone with stainless pan, Smokeware chimney cap, Kick Ash basket and Kick Ash can.
    Living free in the 603 (Pelham).
  • My favorite disclosure was that they werei listening to people having sex in there homes with those things. There should bury another nugget in the terms of servicen so that they can release snippets of audio without identifying information.  Then they could the do a best of the month for a number of different categories.

    I get that people like the experience they can provide but it will be a generational thing before everyone accepts them if they ever do. Skynet was bad yo...

    https://amp.barstoolsports.com/chicago/your-in-home-alexa-is-apparently-listening-to-you-have-sex-and-amazon-employees-allegedly-record-and-listen


  • 1911Man
    1911Man Posts: 366
    My favorite disclosure was that they werei listening to people having sex in there homes with those things. There should bury another nugget in the terms of servicen so that they can release snippets of audio without identifying information.  Then they could the do a best of the month for a number of different categories.

    I get that people like the experience they can provide but it will be a generational thing before everyone accepts them if they ever do. Skynet was bad yo...

    https://amp.barstoolsports.com/chicago/your-in-home-alexa-is-apparently-listening-to-you-have-sex-and-amazon-employees-allegedly-record-and-listen


    Do they get the full experience if you also have an alexa enabled security system with cameras?? 
    Large BGE with CGS Woo Ring, stone with stainless pan, Smokeware chimney cap, Kick Ash basket and Kick Ash can.
    Living free in the 603 (Pelham).
  • johnkitchens
    johnkitchens Posts: 5,227
    My favorite disclosure was that they werei listening to people having sex in there homes with those things. 

    They would think mine was broken. Nothing but total silence. : ( 

    Louisville, GA - 2 Large BGE's
  • We use our DISH network to play music during the day, as we have 5 receivers in various rooms.  And you can set up the remotes voice command with Google to operate your smart devices (lights, garage door openers, Controllers).
  • YEMTrey
    YEMTrey Posts: 6,829
    If they want to listen to us having sex more power to them.  Maybe they'll get more out of it than my wife does, lol.
    Steve 
    XL, Mini Max, and a 22" Blackstone in Cincinnati, Ohio

  • lkapigian
    lkapigian Posts: 10,708
    edited October 2019
    YEMTrey said:
    If they want to listen to us having sex more power to them.  Maybe they'll get more out of it than my wife does, lol.
    Ha ha....they would hear a lot of " cramp cramp, I have a cramp" in mine...
    Visalia, Ca @lkapigian
  • Amazon, WEMO, and Nest devices for me which are used in home automation. Alexa has no problem understanding me but not my wife. Alexa app offers some good features like history, home automation, and device grouping. Then you can download the IFTTT app for situational events such as phone hits wifi network and lights turn on it the house. Temperature adjustments throughout the day. Etc... So much out there in this growing market.