Hey everyone, I wanted to share my journey and thoughts on voice control hardware for my Home Assistant setup. I’ve been using Google through Nabu Casa for years, and while it works great, I’ve always been curious about exploring alternatives that might offer more local control and flexibility.
For context, I have a fairly large setup with 900 active entities and rely heavily on Google Mini speakers scattered throughout my home. They’re loud, clear, and consistent, but I’m intrigued by the idea of moving away from cloud dependency. I’ve experimented with some off-the-shelf solutions in the past, like the M5 Atom speaker, but found them impractical for everyday use.
Now, with the advancements in voice control software, I’m wondering if the hardware has caught up enough to justify a switch. I’m particularly interested in finding reliable alternatives to the Google Mini, especially for my kitchen and living areas. I’d love to keep the Max speakers for music but would need something comparable for the mini’s functionality.
I’ve heard great things about some newer models from brands like Wyze and Sonos, but I’m not sure if they integrate seamlessly with Home Assistant. I’d appreciate any recommendations or firsthand experiences with hardware that offers a balance of reliability, sound quality, and local control capabilities.
On another note, I’ve also been experimenting with ESPHome and custom scripts to automate various tasks around the house. It’s been a steep learning curve, but the satisfaction of creating something tailored to my needs is incredibly rewarding. If anyone has tips or resources for diving deeper into ESPHome, I’d be thrilled to hear them!
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and experiences. Let’s keep the conversation going!