Third-party smart speakers continue to pick up steam, with LG joining companies like JBL and Sonos in offering models with voice assistants.
The LG ThinQ WK7 is a Google Assistant speaker with a fairly powerful 30-watt driver that makes it capable of very solid and balanced audio performance.
At $199.99 it's fairly pricey, but it stands capably alongside our Alexa favorite, the Sonos One.
Unassuming Design
The WK7 looks like a stout version of the original Amazon Echo, simply a black plastic cylinder measuring 8.2 by 5.4 inches (HW).
It's a rather stark and uninspired design, compared with the recent Echo speakers and JBL's more rounded and rugged-looking Link speakers.
There's no battery, so the speaker isn't portable; it needs to be plugged in at all times.
The top panel holds play/pause, Google Assistant, and volume control buttons surrounding a circular Function button that toggles Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modes.
Two microphone pinholes also sit on the top panel.
A row of four dimmable indicator lights face forward on the curved front of the speaker, just below the top edge.
Google Assistant and Google Cast
As a Google Assistant device, the WK7 can be set up just like a Google Home.
Plug it in, open the Google Home app, and it will show up as a new device.
Tap it and the app will walk you through connecting the WK7 to your Wi-Fi network, registering it to your Google account, and optionally configuring other streaming media services and training Google Assistant to recognize your voice (if you've already trained Google Assistant, the data will automatically be synced with the WK7).
You can use the WK7 like any other Google Assistant device, such as the aforementioned Google Home or the JBL Link 10.
Just say, "Hey Google," and ask a question or give a command and the speaker will respond.
You can ask Google Assistant for general information like weather reports, sports scores, unit conversions, and trivia; tell it to play music through Google Play, YouTube Music, Deezer, Pandora, or Spotify; and control smart home devices like lights, locks, and thermostats (including other LG devices like appliances and TVs under the company's ThinQ brand).
Google Assistant doesn't have quite the selection of third-party skills or support as many home automation devices as Amazon's Alexa, but it's catching up, and we find it easier to speak to naturally and less strict with syntax than Amazon's voice assistant.
The WK7 also acts like a speaker with a Google Chromecast Audio connected, so you can stream any compatible app's sound directly to it as a Google Cast device.
The speaker can integrate into a Google-powered multi-room system with other Google Cast speakers, supporting a much wider selection of streaming media than the handful of services accessible through voice commands.
It's a convenient way to play music without switching the WK7 to Bluetooth mode.
Performance
The WK7 handles deep bass well enough, but not with any particular force or ultra low-frequency response.
Our bass test, The Knife's "Silent Shout," sounds reasonably full and doesn't distort even at maximum volume.
However, the synth bass notes and kick drum hits don't sound very powerful at that level, and seem to top out before you reach full volume.
This indicates some digital signal processing to protect the drivers and prevent distortion when dealing with sub-bass-heavy music.
Yes' "Roundabout" sounds very good on the WK7, thanks to solid high-frequency clarity and bass response.
The acoustic guitar plucks in the opening of the track get a good amount of string texture, and the electric bass comes through with a pleasant punchiness.
The drums, guitar, and vocals all sound clear and balanced, making sure every part of the mix gets some attention.
The heartbeat-like drum hits in Massive Attack's "Teardrop" get enough low and low-mid presence to sound full, but the speaker doesn't reach quite low enough to really make the bass palpable.
The vinyl texture in the background of the track comes through clearly, but doesn't overwhelm the mix or get in the way of the vocals, which sound warm and clean.
A Solid Smart Speaker
The LG WK7 is a capable and fairly powerful Google Assistant-equipped speaker that offers balanced and full sound.
It isn't the loudest speaker of its size or price and it isn't portable, but its solid audio performance and the benefits of Google Cast and Bluetooth make it a very flexible option to keep on a shelf or desk.
It's about on par with the excellent Alexa-equipped Sonos One in audio quality, making it a worthy option if you're looking for a speaker you can control with your voice but aren't committed to Amazon's ecosystem.
If you're looking to pay less for a more portable option, the JBL Link 10 features Google Assistant and a built-in battery for half the price.
The Bottom Line
The LG ThinQ WK7 is a capable Google Assistant speaker that can fill a room with music and stream through Google Cast or Bluetooth.
