Audio Pro G10 review: Scandi style meets Google smarts

Audio Pro has dabbled in the world of smart technology before but the G10 is its first stab at a wireless smart speaker with Google Assistant integration. Its previous smart offering – the Addon C5A – relied on Amazon Alexa for voice control, so the G10 represents a significant shift in direction for the Swedish manufacturer.

Audio Pro says the decision to move its latest smart speaker to a new voice-control ecosystem was born from consumer demand for AirPlay 2 and Chromecast compatibility. While that decision immediately alienates those in the Alexa camp, there’s no denying the G10 ticks all the right boxes if you’re a fan of Google’s smart functionality. Whether you’re after a new speaker to bolster your multi-room setup or simply want a great-sounding standalone device with hands-free control, the G10 is an appealing option.

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AudioPro G10 review: What do you get for the money?

The G10 has a list price of £226 and is currently available from Audio Pro and a small number of online retailers, including Audio Affair and HiFi Madness (via its eBay store). In the box you’ll find the speaker along with a choice of two power cables: one with a standard UK three-pin plug and the other terminating in a European two-prong connector.

In terms of design, it’s a stylish and compact cylindrical tower measuring 140 x 140 x 193mm (WDH), and weighing 1.43kg. It’s clad in a durable fabric that envelopes most of the exterior and is available in both light and dark grey. A rubberised ring on the base ensures the G10 doesn’t slip around and remains upright if it takes a knock, while the power cable connects just above the base, meaning the lead runs flat along a desk or shelf to the mains.

On top of the speaker there’s a comprehensive suite of physical controls covering all the commands you’ll need when not using the voice assistant. There’s a power button (unlike some wireless speakers, the G10 isn’t always on when plugged in), along with buttons for track skipping, source switching, Bluetooth pairing and adjusting volume. There’s also that all-important mic-mute button for activating privacy mode.

The controls are pleasingly tactile, producing a nice click when pushed down, and well-spaced out, too. Sound cues alert you to changes in volume or a switch in your output source and you can see which source you’ve currently got active via small LEDs positioned under the buttons. Four larger LEDs display your volume level and glow orange when the mic is muted. The buttons themselves don’t illuminate, which makes seeing them in low-light a little difficult but for a speaker predominantly controlled using your voice, this isn’t a big issue.

Located on the back of the G10 is an M6 fixture which can be used to attach the speaker to a wall bracket or more interestingly, a ceiling rail. The latter option is something that Audio Pro sees as becoming increasingly popular within the home furnishings industry, although my flat is sadly not equipped with a ceiling rail just yet.

AudioPro G10 review: What features does it have?

The Audio Pro G10 is designed for use over your home Wi-Fi connection and is compatible with dual-band 802.11ac networks. As a Google Assistant speaker, it’s set up via the Google Home app, which is a swift and painless process. Once on the network, you can take advantage of the G10’s built-in Chromecast capabilities to stream audio from the huge range of Chromecast-enabled apps or use your Apple devices to play content audio via AirPlay 2.

Should you wish to stream audio over Bluetooth, the G10 supports that too, via Bluetooth 4.2 and there’s also a 3.5mm AUX-in for connecting external devices, which is something the similarly-priced Sonos One doesn’t include.

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If you already own other Google Home-enabled speakers, you can create a multiroom speaker group within the Google Home app and control any or all of the devices in the group by speaking to your G10. It’s worth noting that, because the G10 was created with the Google ecosystem in mind, it can’t function as part of a multiroom system created within the Audio Pro app. That’s a drawback if you already own other Audio Pro wireless speakers but the company says it’s committed to Google integration so the G10 will be compatible with future products from the Scandinavian brand.

In addition to its wireless streaming and multiroom capabilities, the G10, of course, has full voice control courtesy of Google Assistant. The two in-built microphones picked up my voice consistently at moderate volumes and demonstrated impressive range. Standing around 5m away, the G10 was able to receive and execute commands effectively without me needing to raise my voice.

Once I started to crank the volume up, however, the speaker became more temperamental. The range at which it was able to hear me fell and, at maximum volume, my commands went stubbornly unanswered. Most users won’t push the G10 to the limits too often but, if you plan to pump out audio at a party, you’ll likely have to resort to using the physical controls.

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Audio Pro G10 review: How does it sound?

When it comes to design and functionality, the Audio Pro G10 doesn’t do a huge amount to separate itself from other Google-based smart speakers. But, when it comes to audio quality, it stands out for the right reasons.

The speaker houses a 1.25in balanced mode radiator (BMR) tweeter and long-throw 3in woofer powered by a 52W Class D amplifier, along with two 4.5in passive radiators to aid the low-end response. The resulting audio quality is excellent and, despite its relatively compact form, the G10 goes loud. It does so without distortion, maintaining the clarity and balance that characterise the sound signature at less flat-shaking volumes. Even when the sound gets really big, the speaker remains composed, with barely any vibration emanating from its housing.

Unlike the Sonos One and Sonos Move, the G10 lacks EQ-correcting technology to optimise audio based on its position. However, I found that the G10 dispersed sound in such a way that it sounded great no matter where it was located, even tucked away on a shelf, surrounded by books and other bits and bobs, as long as it was facing forward.

The soundstage is wide enough to provide room for the various components of tracks to express themselves with clarity, and crisp mids and trebles are complemented by a decent helping of bass. That bass is punchy without being overbearing and there’s no hint of any muffling or muddiness.

Dynamics, tempo and rhythm are handled capably, too. The Kooks’ “Matchbox” is a track that features numerous shifts in pace and volume, with the meandering verses building up to energetic, guitar-driven choruses that bound along rapidly and the G10 had no problems keeping up.

You probably won’t feel the need to adjust the EQ of the G10 but if you do, you’ll find your options limited. There are bass and treble sliders within the Google Home app but after playing around with them for a while, I didn’t find them to have much of an impact.

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AudioPro G10 review: What could be improved?

Aside from the microphones’ issues picking up commands when you’re playing music at top whack, I don’t have any scathing criticisms of the G10. It would be great it had a built-in battery and could be moved around the house easily but that would push the price up and the G10 is designed to be a semi-permanent installation anyway.

An Ethernet port for directly hooking up to your router wouldn’t go amiss, either, but assuming you have got a decent WiFi connection you’d be unlikely to get much use out of one. Similarly, the EQ options available leave a bit to be desired but audio quality stands up well enough to render more granular control over the sound unnecessary.

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Audio Pro G10 review: Should you buy it?

The G10 is a smart speaker that delivers engaging audio and all the wireless functionality you could ask for at a reasonable price. The Sonos One remains a better option if you want support for both Google Assistant and Alexa but, for my money, doesn’t look as attractive as the G10 and it omits a 3.5mm port. Bose’s Portable Smart Speaker and the Sonos Move offer the portability the G10 lacks but are significantly more expensive.

All things considered, it’s hard to look past the Audio Pro G10 if you’re after a stylish, affordable entry point into the world of smart wireless speakers or a device that will slot effortlessly into your existing Google Home ecosystem. It’s an impressive speaker that sounds great.