Standard speakers are used to play audio via Bluetooth, WiFi, physical cable etc from an external device. Smart speakers deliver additional features such as online information (weather, music, news and so on) and the ability to control other smart devices, via voice commands such as "OK Google," "Alexa" and "hey Siri."

Bluetooth is a very simple connection in most cases because it's direct from one device to another. While the claimed range is usually limited to around 10m our testers found the figure to be much larger, in straight line tests achieving up to 30m as well as in tests where there were obstructions such as a brick wall or solid core doors where our tester comfortably played music more than 10m from the device.

Wi-Fi connectivity allows you to connect a number of devices over a wireless network. It can also stream an uncompressed audio file which may help deliver better sound quality for some high-end speakers, although the improved quality may not be evident with most wireless speakers. 

The big advantage with Wi-Fi over Bluetooth is the range, with Wi-Fi networks often able to project well over 30 metres.