"Yandex. Station 2 "- an overview of the column, pleasing to the eye

In May on the Russian market appeared "Yandex. Station 2". This is the second generation of the first and most important smart speaker with the Alice voice assistant. The "station" has changed in appearance, received new functions, but has become less powerful in terms of sound. The price at the same time turned out to be impressive - 16,990 rubles. Whether the column is worth the money and to whom it can be recommended - we will find out in this review.

Table of contents

• Characteristics
• Appearance
• light bar
• Sound
• Application
• Zigbee technology
• Aqara device kit
• Ecosystem Functions
• Results

Characteristics

Appearance

Compared to the first "Station", the new column has changed a lot in appearance, except for the rectangular shape. The device has become noticeably more compact - 123 × 199 × 99 mm. The first model had dimensions of 141 × 231 × 141 mm.

The case is covered with a coarse interior fabric, quite pleasant to the touch. In anthracite, it looks much more expensive than that gray mesh in the first "Station". Also, the novelty will be available in dark blue, brick and sand shades.

The body is slightly rounded at the bottom. According to the manufacturer, this creates the feeling that the column is floating above the surface of the table. There is indeed some truth in this.

The base of the case has a silicone coating, so the speaker will not slip or vibrate from sound vibrations.

There is only one connector on the back - USB Type‑C - for power. An adapter with an output power of 35 W and a non-removable cable is included. On the wire itself there is a convenient silicone tie that allows you to neatly collect excess cable.

There is no 3.5 mm port (AUX), so the speaker cannot be connected to more powerful acoustics.

The top panel is now completely flat with the original LED backlight. In the central part there is a touch zone with three buttons: to change the volume at the edges and call "Alice" in the middle. The latter also allows you to pause music and turn off the alarm with a short press. Swipe left and right to switch tracks.

All four microphones are also located in the center. Their sensitivity is excellent. "Alice" will hear you, even if you give commands from another room with an open door. To completely turn off the microphones, there is a mechanical button on the back, above the USB‑C connector.

light bar

The backlight of the top panel is the main feature of the new Yandex. Stations. The animation on it adapts to different usage scenarios. For example, it adapts to the melody and rhythm of the music, synchronizes with the voice of "Alice" and reacts to various actions like likes, switching tracks and setting a timer.

The brightness of this panel is small, but it will be enough for the "Station" to act as a night light. There are several special modes for this:

• lava lamp (bright overflows of various shades);
• candle (pulsing yellow);
• nightlight (warm white light).

These modes are not tied to music in any way, you can use them even in complete silence. They are activated by the phrase "Turn on the mode ...", and turn off, respectively, "Turn off the mode ...".

Sound

More compact dimensions and less weight of the second "Station" - a consequence of equipping with less powerful acoustics. Instead of 50 watts, now only 30 watts are two full-range speakers located on the sides and two passive radiators. The system is complemented by a new aperiodic grating, which reduces sound distortion.

The column sounds exactly at its 30 watts, no more and no less. The sound is clear, without wheezing at high volume. Genre it is universal - suitable for any music, but does not produce a “wow effect”.

At the same time, the “Station” clearly lacks bass – even by the standards of small speakers and even with bass boost activated in the application. In the first generation of the device, things were much better with this, since there were two separate woofers. Here, alas, there are none, so there are no dense “thumping” basses.

It is also worth noting the new Room Correction technology, which allows you to adjust the sound to the size and shape of the room. To do this, the speaker listens to the sound reflected from objects through microphones and adjusts the equalizer for it. Sounds great in theory, but it doesn't make much of a difference. Perhaps it will be noticeable in a room of some irregular shape, but not in the average rectangle.

Application

By the launch of the second "Station" company "Yandex" had time to release the application "House with Alice". It allows you to connect and configure smart devices and control them, including speakers. Previously, this had to suffer in the Yandex application, which is already overloaded with functions.

appbox fallback https://play.google.com/store/apps/details? id=com.yandex.iot&hl=ru&gl=ru

"House with Alice" is a convenient and intuitive program. With its help, you can connect not only Yandex devices, but also all other gadgets, sensors and household appliances that work with Alice.

For each device, a plate is created on the main screen, where all measurements, activity history and other useful information are visible.

Work scenarios are also programmed there when you set a condition (voice request, motion sensor and others) and a command to be executed (turn on the light, start music, turn off the socket and etc.). All this is easy to figure out - there are hints and examples of scenarios.

Also in the application, you can view all compatible devices from Xiaomi, Philips, Samsung or other manufacturers and go to their pages on Yandex. Market".

This is convenient, although the lists are quite sparse. This is especially true for devices that support the new Zigbee protocol, but we'll talk about it separately.

Zigbee technology

Zigbee is a modern network protocol for the interaction of devices within a smart home without the help of Wi‑Fi (only the column should be connected to the Internet).

This technology has long been used in other systems, but "Yandex" began to implement it only now, with "Station 2". Probably all subsequent columns of the company will also support it.

The advantages of Zigbee are energy efficiency, connection reliability and high data transfer speed without loading the home router. The signal between compatible devices can be transmitted along the chain, where the column will be the control center.

Simply put, you will change the batteries of smart sensors much less often, and commands within the system will be executed with less delay. The same light bulb according to the scenario will light up faster. At the same time, the column also works with old smart home devices connected via Wi‑Fi.

Another very obvious advantage of Zigbee is the variety of compatible devices. There are hundreds of them on the market, if not thousands. It remains to wait until at least the most popular solutions appear in the application. Yandex promised not to delay this, but feedback is needed from users so that developers can see which gadgets need to be added first.

Aqara device kit

Together with the new Station, a set of Zigbee devices from Aqara went on sale. It includes a smart bulb, a temperature and humidity sensor, a motion sensor and a wireless button. Separately, all this costs 7,990 rubles, paired with a column - 19,990. The price of the column itself separately is 16,990 rubles.

These devices are connected very simply: the sensors and the button will become available for detection if you hold down the small a round key on the case (the blue diode will light up), and the light bulb - after turning it on and off five times (it will blink twice).

Now more about the Aqara kit itself.

1. smart light bulb

Aqara LED Light Bulb has a standard E27 base. The brightness varies, as does the temperature of the light - from cold white to warm yellow. The latter is perfect for reading.

You can use it, for example, in a floor lamp, controlling the on and off, as well as the glow parameters using voice commands.

2. Motion and light sensor

Aqara Motion Sensor is very compact, with a separate leg that allows you to attach it to walls and ceilings - tear off a piece of paper at the base and glue it to the surface. But you can just put the device on the shelf.

It is used mainly for such scenarios: if movement is noticed in the room, you need to turn on the light. Or turn it off if there is no activity for more than 30 minutes.

3. Temperature and Humidity Sensor

The Aqara Temperature and Humidity Sensor is also rather small and doesn't draw too much attention to itself. It can be placed on any surface, including glued to the wall.

As an independent solution, it will be useful to those who have a lot of colors and humidity should always be kept in mind. You can find out this data both in the application and by asking the question: “Alice, what is the humidity in the room?”.

Ideally, you need to use the sensor in tandem with climate technology, which will turn on at a certain temperature or humidity. Such a bundle can be configured even with an old air conditioner using an intermediate link smart remote. In this case, the temperature sensor will transmit data to the hub to the column, and it will already give a command to the remote control, which will turn on the air conditioner.

4. Wireless button

Aqara Wireless Mini Switch is slightly larger than a temperature sensor and resembles a small doorbell. You can use it according to the same principle, gluing it to the outer surface of the front door. In the scripts, you will need to set a condition when, when you click on the "Alice" button, a certain phrase will be spoken. For example, "It seems that someone has come" or "Brought someone again."

You can also set scenarios in which, by pressing the button, Alice will turn on a specific song in Yandex Music, talk about the weather, or answer a pre-recorded question.

All this is great and funny, but sometimes the button works only once. "Alice" says that the device is online, but she does not see the pressing. Reconnecting doesn't help. I reported the problem to the support chat - fortunately, this can be done directly in the House with Alice application. The operator collected the necessary data and promised to sort it out.

Ecosystem Functions

In addition to connecting light bulbs, sensors and other equipment to the column, it will be possible to connect the “Stations” themselves with each other using the “Multiroom” function. They will play music at the same time, and at different volumes. You can put "Mini” or “Light” in the kitchen, and “Station-2” in the living room. Synchronous playback is started by the command "Alice, turn on the music everywhere."

You can also connect to the column "Module”, which connects to the TV via the HDMI port. It is sold separately and costs 4 490 rubles.

This device can also be used on its own by controlling voice commands through the bundled remote control, but paired with the "Station" to look for the same films or series in Kinopoisk it will be much more convenient. The function of their connection is called "Tandem".

With the "Module" voice, it will be possible to turn the TV on and off, rewind, adjust the volume and even look for the remote - yes, literally call it. By the way, the remote itself is tactilely very pleasant and has a luminous navigation button.

But using “Station 2” to output sound from TV will not work, such an opportunity is simply not provided.

Results

Emotions during the testing of the column are mostly positive. "Station 2" perfectly hears commands, quickly responds to them, and simply pleases the eye.

At the same time, it is difficult to call it a full-fledged second generation. Rather, it is a branch in which the emphasis has shifted. The sound is no longer so powerful and bassy - it is noticeable. But Zigbee support has appeared, which makes the device a much more versatile hub for creating your own smart home.

The ring on top of the first "Station" was a cool decision, but the light panel of the new column is just delightful. With it, the gadget has become more "alive", interactive and responsive. Well, besides, now he can replace the bedside night light.

The fact that this is the only column with Zigbee and Alice plays into the hands of Station 2. And if you are going to acquire smart technology and sensors over time, then the novelty will be a good investment.

Buy

If you only need "Alice" and the sound quality is not in the first place, take a closer look at the "Mini 2" at 10 watts. It is now available for purchase about 6,000 rubles. For the best sound with voice control, “Max” at 65 W is suitable with the ability to connect to even more powerful acoustics. This column is now 26 990 rubles.