Getting good multi-room audio doesn’t have to break the bank. Despite some ups and downs, Sonos is still probably the number one option for multi-room audio, but the main drawback is the cost of entry: The cheapest Sonos speakers are the $179 Roam 2 and the $189 Era 100 SL. The Era 100 SL doesn't have a microphone for voice assistant, so you'd need to step up to the $219 Era 100.

While most Sonos competitors play in a similarly mid- to high-end space, there are more affordable options. The best of those is the recently-released Google Home speaker, selling for $99. It doesn't match up to an Era 100 in volume or audio quality, but at less than half the cost, you can set up three Google Home speakers before hitting the price of two Era 100s.

The Google Home speaker uses a single 58mm driver, while the Era 100 has two tweeters and a midrange woofer, so it's not as loud or clear. But for $99, it sounds good enough for casual listening, and you can make a stereo pair for more volume. The Google Home app lets you set up speaker groups easily. For Apple households, the HomePod mini is another good alternative.