Smart speakers seem to be the in thing this year in consumer technology. Google announced a bunch of new partnerships with Google Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa is growing like a weed. The KitSound Voice One is one of the latest Alexa powered speakers on the market and we tested it out for a bit. The KitSound Voice One wants to be the stylish looking Alexa speaker. With its different design and nano-coated fabric exterior, it just may be. But how good does it sound? And how good is Alexa on it? Find out in our full KitSound Voice One review!
Specifications
The KitSoind Voice One has the following features and specifications:
- Weight: 1750 g
- Dimensions: 278 x 130 x 139 mm
- Voice Control: Amazon Alexa, Spotify Voice Control
- Connectivity: Aux, Bluetooth, Multi-room, Wi-Fi
- Compatibility: All Android Models, All iPhone Models
- Wireless Range: Entire Wi-Fi Zone
- Output: 20 Watts
- Charging Output: USB Device Charger
- Power Type: Mains Powered (no battery)
- Connections: 3.5mm Jack, USB
- Radio: Play internet radio stations
- Materials: Stain-resistant nano-coated Fabric
- Color: Grey
What’s In The Box
- KitSound Voice One Smart Speaker
- Remote Control
- UK Power Adaptor
- EU Power Adaptor
- US Power Adaptor
- Aux-in Cable
- User Guide
Design
The KitSound Voice One has a boxy/rectangular look to it, a departure from the cylindrical look of other speakers. The materials used for the build all seem to be high-quality plastics and what KitSound calls “nano-coated” fabric. I don’t mind the plastic build, it keeps things light but it does feel slightly cheap. The fabric is what really makes the speaker look like a stylish piece of furniture which should appeal to most buyers.
Taking a tour around the Voice One, you’ll find nothing on the top and bottom of the speaker. Around the back, you’ll find the AC power port, USB 2.1 out, AUX in, and WPS button. The sides of the Voice One are clear of any buttons and are covered by that nano-coated fabric.
Moving around to the front, the nano-coated fabric continues but here is where you’ll find your buttons. There are a total of five buttons on the front and an LED indicator.
- Standby & Mute/Unmute
- Volume Dial
- Tap to talk center button
- Mode button (BT, AUX, and WiFi)
- Action button (play/pause)
- KS LED indicator
All of the buttons are solid, though the volume dial has some play to it which makes it feel a bit cheap. The LED light ring is a nice touch and glows different colors when you give Alexa a command or turn off the microphone. KitSound also included a remote, which is not really needed but I guess a good addition for some. One point of disappointment in the design is the lack of battery. The Voice One is wall power only, so there is no way to make this portable.
Overall, the design of the KitSound Voice One is nice. Its boxy/rectangular shape is a good departure from the cylindrical look of other speakers and the fabric gives it a touch of class.
Ease of Use
The KitSound Voice One is fairly simple to use. You can connect directly to it through Bluetooth by clicking the mode button and choosing Bluetooth. Or, the preferred method, you can connect it to your Wi-Fi network. Connecting it to your Wi-Fi network is the better option as you’ll have the full range of your Wi-Fi signal for operation. You’ll need to download the KitSound App from the App Store or Google Play. Then you’ll go through this quick and painless setup:
- Plug-in KitSound Voice One to your wall
- Voice One will power up indicated by the light ring turning solid white and the unit saying “powering on”
- Open up the KitSound App and follow the onscreen instructions
- Sign into your Amazon account in the KitSound App
That’s just about it. The instructions in the app are pretty straightforward. First Voice One will create its own Wi-Fi network, which you will connect to, and then you will connect to your local network in the app. Once connected to your network, the app will locate your Voice One and auto connect. You only have to do this one time. You should know that Voice One only works on 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and 5GHz networks are not supported.
Operating the speaker is straightforward as well. Most everything is done through Alexa voice command so playing music, asking for weather, asking for news, all just a voice away. The physical controls and remote are self-explanatory.
Alexa/KitSound App
Your full range of Alexa skills are available on the Voice One, so that’s pretty awesome. Playing Jeopardy, asking for your flash briefing, that’s all here. You can, of course, play songs from Amazon Music using voice commands but you cannot use voice commands for Spotify. You’ll have to connect the Spotify app to the KitSound app and control music through the Spotify app. KitSound does say they will be adding this skill at some point. You can also use Tidal, Napster, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, and local music on your device.
The KitSound is pretty basic and serves as sort of a hub for your music and favorites. It’s mostly an aggregator for your music content, nothing much more than that. Overall, Alexa works as it should here and the KitSound is handy in some situations.
Sound
The KitSound Voice One has a fairly neutral and balanced sound with some extra emphasis on the bass. In a small room, you can really feel and hear the music well. Move it into a medium size room, like a kitchen, you still get a good amount of spacial clarity. But the Voice One starts to lose its voice in larger rooms. This isn’t a bad thing, I really think this speaker is designed for places like kitchens, and small bedrooms.
The sound coming from this speaker is on par with the competition. I didn’t feel it was anything super special but it wasn’t too thin nor tinny sounding. It was comfortable enough to listen to and enjoy music and talk. It’s certainly not an audiophile’s speaker. This is more of a “I need a speaker in this room for a quick listen to while I work on other things” kind of speaker.
Overall, the sound is acceptable for this price point. It’s not super amazing but it’s also not pure garbage. I think most users will be satisfied with the sound quality here.
Reception
We set the KitSound Voice One up on our Wi-Fi network instead of using Bluetooth. Since the speaker is powered by wall power only, it made sense to use our Wi-Fi network. Reception on Wi-Fi is excellent and performs well. Remember, this will only work on a 2.4GHz network.
Price/Value
The KitSound Voice One is priced at $149USD which is in line with much of the competition. The design and looks of the Voice One are very appealing, it’s an attractive speaker. The build quality is good, for sure it’s $149USD good, though it does feel light and plasticky. The sound is decent but not stellar. There is value here if you’re looking for a good sounding Alexa speaker with good looks.
Wrap Up
This is a nice looking Alexa speaker that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. The build is mostly plastic but given the price, that is to be expected. It’s missing Spotify voice control but that should be coming, we hope. If you want to connect to your Wi-Fi it needs to be 2.4GHz, 5GHz networks need not apply. The sound is decent, not mind-blowing or impressive but decent. I don’t think this is an audiophile speaker but I do think this will appeal to some who feel Alexa speakers aren’t very stylish. The Voice One has some shortcomings but it might catch those who value looks over all else.
*We were sent a sample of the KitSound Voice One for the purposes of this review.
Last Updated on December 26, 2019.
