Get a first-gen Sonos One for just $144.95 (Update: Sold out)
Originally $199 and now $169 at most stores, the One gets a rare discount. Plus: A Honeywell smart thermostat and Echo Dot for $80.
The Sonos One gives you a choice between Alexa and Google Assistant.
If you like the Amazon Echo but wish you could have Alexa in a speaker that sounds a lot better, say hello to the Sonos One . It's a very Echo-like smart speaker, right down to built-in Alexa. However, it also gives you the option of using Google Assistant.
Discounts are rare, but ending today, and while supplies last, B&H has the first-gen Sonos One smart speaker for $144.95, the lowest price I can recall seeing. That's for the black model. The white one is still $169.95.
I tend to think of Sonos as the Apple of multiroom speakers: Great products, but you pay a premium for them. And as I noted, discounts tend to be rare (and small).
The Sonos One debuted in 2017 with a $199 price tag. This first-gen model now sells for around $169, so an extra $25 off is noteworthy.
As mentioned above, it has Alexa baked in, but you now also have the option of switching to Google Assistant. You can't use both at the same time. It's one or the other, and you have to repeat the speaker setup process to switch between them. Still, it's nice to have the choice, and nicer still to have it in a speaker as good as this one.
How good is it? For that I'll turn you over to Ty Pendlebury's Sonos One review. He called it "the best sounding smart speaker you can buy." And although there's a newer second-gen model that has a faster processor and more memory, it's otherwise identical.
As we get closer to Prime Day, it's possible will see other Sonos speaker deals. Right now, however, this is the best One by far.
Your thoughts?
Bonus deal: Buy a smart thermostat, get a free Dot
Buy this for $80, get a free Echo Dot (worth $50), and maybe score big fat rebates from your utility companies.
The smart way to buy a smart thermostat is to see if your local utilities are offering any kind of rebates, then choose one that actually makes you money when you buy it.
For example, Best Buy has the Honeywell Home RTH6580WF programmable smart thermostat for $79.99 (save $20), a price that includes a free Amazon Echo Dot. The latter is worth $50 all by itself.
That model is one of five Honeywell Home options that include the free Dot (though it's currently the only one on sale). The others include the $150 Honeywell T5+ and $170 Honeywell T9.
But the $80 job handles the basics, including seven days' worth of programming and app-powered controls. It has a 4.5-star rating from well over 500 buyers.
And be sure to check with your utilities. In my neck of the woods, for example, the electric company and gas company each offer a $50 rebate on Wi-Fi-enabled thermostats, meaning I'd actually make $20 on this purchase.
Giveaway! Your (last) chance to win an Apple TV and Plex bundle
Time is running out to enter CNET's ultimate live TV and streaming giveaway, which includes this grand prize: An Apple TV 4K, a $25 gift Card to CBS All Access and a $100 gift card to a streaming service of choice (HBO Now, Hulu or Netflix).
The grand-prize winner will also receive a premium Plex Pass membership (with tuner and antenna included) courtesy of Plex. You've got until June 30 to get your entries in.
CNET's Cheapskate scours the web for great deals on PCs, phones , gadgets and much more. Note that CNET may get a share of revenue from the sale of the products featured on this page. Questions about the Cheapskate blog? Find the answers on our FAQ page. Find more great buys on the CNET Deals page and follow the Cheapskate on Facebook and Twitter!