Better late than never, right?

TheHarman Kardon Invokelaunched on Sunday with high-quality audio and a stylish design for $199.

But how does it compare to the competition from Amazon, Google, Apple and Sonos?

Its missing a subwoofer, but makes up for it with a passive radiator for bass.

Microsofts new speaker also boasts a pretty nice design.

Hopefully that will improve with future software updates.

It only really works with Microsoft apps for features like checking your calendar or getting reminders.

The Verge notesin their review that call quality on the Invoke was pretty poor on both ends.

The Invoke doesnt come at a discount, either.

Who Should Buy It?

If youre an audiophile whos already bought into Microsofts ecosystem of apps, this is the speaker for you.

Otherwise, there are cheaper options from Amazon and Googleor better audio quality for the same price from Sonos.

Out of the box, the Sonos One is a bit of a letdown as a smart speaker.

Audiophiles looking for a standalone smart speaker with great sound should consider the Sonos One.

Heres how the 2017 model compares to the competition.

The biggest improvement to the new Echo is its far-field microphones, which were redesigned for better voice recognition.

That should make it even easier to talk to Alexa.

Alexa has become the industry standard for smart home speakers, so it supports the most skills and gadgets.

The Echo is limited to what Alexa can do, but that shouldnt be an issue in most cases.

If youre looking for a simple standalone smart speaker with okay sound, this is the way to go.

Heres what you oughta know.

Google Home also works with Chromecast.

The same goes for any speaker with support forGoogle Cast audio.

The audio quality is also pretty bad at high volumes, but most of the time it sounds fine.

For buyers on the market for the very smartest smart speaker, this is the way to go.

Apple HomePod ($349)

Finally, theres the HomePod.

Heres what we do know about the upcoming smart speaker.

Though, again, no ones been able to test that out in the wild yet.

As for the design, its fine but not particularly appealing and comes in black or white.

The $350 price tag may also scare some people away, but thats theApple taxfor you.

Should You Buy It?

If youre totally bought into Apples ecosystem, the HomePod is the smart speaker for you.