What do you think of voice assistants' voices?

[EmilieT]

Hi everyone, 

I was reading some news this morning on Google Assistant's new more natural-sounding voice, and it made me think back on all the different voices I've heard from different voice assistants over the years. Accents, personality, tones, pitch, rhythm of speech: so many aspects differentiate the various voices used for voice assistants. In the end, I think it comes down to personal preferences which ones you like most, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on this!

Out of all voice assistants you've used or heard, are there any you particularly like? Are there any criteria you can identify that make a voice assitant's voice more enjoyable for you? 

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[TallTrees]

My computer has a voice for reading assist.

Sounds ok to me but not to everyone else.

Most households seem to have a "voice assistant" of some sort or another

could it be ????   **** "the other half" "the "kids" "the cat"  "the Dog" 

advising, asking, demanding, encouraging, moaning ~ I could go on @EmilieT 

I couldn't add another voice surely

[Anonymous]

@EmilieT 

Having had Amazon Echo devices in the house for nearly two years I'm used to Alexa's voice.

I don't think I'd want it to become more natural as I think it's still important to remember that you are dealing with a machine but it's good that voice synthesis has progressed so much over the past few years.

I can see the appeal for the vendors (and the associated celebrities) to make their assistants sound like a person's favourite actor or singer, for a price of course, a bit like the market for mobile ringtones in the early 2000s.

[EmilieT]

@TallTrees Do you know what others don't like about the voice of your computer's reading assist? Just curious

@Anonymous I wouldn't want a voice sounding too natural either, as you said it's good to remember they are virtual assistants and not human companions. Are you using your Amazon Echo for a range of things or a few selected features? I don't have one but have been thinking it might come in handy sometimes

[TallTrees]

Yes @EmilieT I was using the voice reader on my computer so that other people could hear the document we were all interested in. The voice was good but was a very computer style voice hope you know what I mean. Having said that it was clear except for some names which were not!
I can slow down the voice or equally can speed it up. I find it very useful when proof reading documents.

[TallTrees]

Well @EmilieT If I really needed an assistant like Alexa for instance that the mention by @Anonymous of a voice of a favourite actor or similar would be a choice I would make as I find Alexa's voice smarmy.

[Anonymous]

@EmilieT 

I have the Hive thermostat (heating and hot water) and Hive smart bulbs which I control with it (had to enable the skill and link the Hive account, this doesn't involve giving your password to Amazon as it opens the Hive site in the Amazon app which then sends an OAuth token to Amazon when you sign in)

Also works as an alarm clock if you wish and has a handy flash briefing (you can add sources such as Sky News and BBC News to give you the headlines along with other stuff such as the weather) which is handy at the moment as I'm avoiding watching full news bulletins because of THAT word), can also play radio stations it has a skill for and music from Amazon music.

Lots of other stuff you can do by enabling skills, I have a couple of the Dots (2nd Gen versions) but the 3rd gen apparently has a better speaker but the 2nd Gen isn't bad.

Definitely worth picking one up if you like to tinker.

You can also get some idea by downloading the app as it'll work through your phone too if it's supported.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.amazon.dee.app

[EmilieT]

@TallTrees 

That reader sounds very useful! So if you had the optin to pick anyone's voice instead of Alexa's, do you know who's voice you'd pick?

@Anonymous 

Brilliant, so much info, thanks for all the ideas, I have some reading and researching to do now! I think @Marjo picked up an Amazon Echo not long ago as well so all of your suggestions might be of interest to her too Did you consider any other smart hubs for your home or was the Amazon Echo the one you had your eye on all along?

[TallTrees]

Hello @EmilieT 

1.  Would be Cary Grant

and I would like to have another couple for when I fed up with Cary.

2.  Richard Burton

Then if I need jollying up ~  3. Spike Milligan

 "Alerts" 

Alerts should be the ~ one of the Welsh Male Voice Choirs

I could then leave the Alerts on for quite some time

Myfanwy

[Marjo]

Oh yes I did get an Amazon Echo Dot, the small one but I think it has great sound despite the tiny size. I use it in my kitchen so when I'm in the living room, I can hear the radio playing in the kitchen as background noise which I like so it's not too quiet in the house. I got another one as well later on because I liked it so much, to put on my bedside table. So I use the Dot for things like:

• "Alarm" clock: waking me up in the morning by telling me what time it is and playing the latest news and a weather update
• As radio player
• Music player using my playlist
• Cooking timers
• Timers to remind me to empty the washing machine when it stops (the sound on the machine itself is broken so I always forgot before)
• Random questions when I'm bored or need to know the meaning of a word etc or have some math question (I'm extremely bad at math)
• Reminder when the clock hits 9pm by Alexa just saying "It is now 9pm!"
• Listening to relaxing night sounds for sleep (current favourite is a loop of jungle background sounds)
• Entertain my cats by getting Alexa to make cat meows or other animal sounds

The voice is quite pleasant I think, and having listened to it regularly for a while I've come to kind of, well not "care" about it per se, but I find it a familiar addition to my household.