Home Assistant Voice Preview Edition
Description
Home Assistant Voice Preview Edition – the private voice assistant for Home Assistant
Home Assistant Voice Preview Edition is the open-source, privacy-focused voice assistant built to integrate seamlessly with Home Assistant and give you a preview of the future of voice control today. The advanced audio processor and dual microphones hear your commands and control your devices, while the touch buttons, injection-moulded enclosure and LED ring give it a premium look that blends discreetly into your home.
Note: Voice Preview Edition requires Home Assistant to work. Less powerful Home Assistant hardware can lead to slow voice processing; in that case, moving voice processing to Home Assistant Cloud is recommended.
Learn more on the manufacturer's website
Full device documentation
Key features
- Made for Home Assistant – the first voice device designed by the team that develops Home Assistant, built from the ground up for Home Assistant.
- The future of voice control, today – Home Assistant is rapidly developing an open-source, private voice assistant; Preview Edition lets you take part and use it right now.
- The easiest start with Assist – power it via USB-C (cable and power adapter not included) and it connects to Home Assistant through an intuitive setup wizard. No assembly required.
- Private voice assistant – with capable Home Assistant hardware it can run fully locally, or it can send audio processing to the privacy-focused Home Assistant Cloud. The hardware mute switch physically cuts power to the microphones.
- Advanced audio processing – the dual microphones and XMOS audio processor filter out noise so your voice is heard clearly.
- Visual and audio feedback – the multicolour LED ring shows when it is listening, the volume level and more; you get sensor readings, timers and other responses through the speaker. For music, connect an external speaker to the 3,5 mm jack.
- Physical controls – the dial adjusts the volume and LED brightness, while the multi-function button starts Assist or can be customised in Home Assistant.
- Multi-room audio – connected to speakers and combined with Music Assistant, you can synchronise playback across several Voice Preview Edition units throughout your home.
- Expandable – based on ESPHome, it supports sensors via the built-in Grove port.
- Fully open – open software, firmware and hardware, backed by an active community that adds features.
- Language support – Assist aims to cover more languages than other voice assistants, but support is still in development; check the list of supported languages.
Practical use cases
- Local voice control of lights, plugs and thermostats, without sending your commands to commercial cloud services.
- Voice control in several rooms, with one Voice unit in each room, all connected to the same Home Assistant.
- Whole-home audio: several units connected to speakers, synchronised via Music Assistant.
- Voice-triggered scenes, for example “evening” switches on the warm lights and lowers the blinds.
Technical specifications
| Processor | ESP32-S3, 16 MB FLASH, 8 MB octal PSRAM |
| Audio processing | XMOS XU316: echo cancellation, stationary noise removal, automatic gain control |
| Power / data | USB-C, 5 V DC, 2 A (cable and power adapter not included) |
| Connectivity | 2,4 GHz Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0 Low Energy |
| Audio output | 3,5 mm stereo jack; TI AIC3204 DAC, 48 kHz |
| Microphone and speaker | Internal speaker, dual microphone array, dedicated I2S lines for audio input and output |
| Physical controls | Multi-function button, dial for volume and other controls, mute switch that physically cuts power to the microphones |
| Expandability | Grove port for sensors and accessories; opens easily (screws only, no clips); exposed pads on the PCB |
| Software | ESPHome pre-installed; fully open-source firmware for ESP32 and XMOS |
| Requirements | Home Assistant set up on another device. For fully local voice processing, a Home Assistant system with an Intel N100 or more powerful is recommended; on less powerful hardware, Home Assistant Cloud is recommended. |
| Operating conditions | Indoor use only, 0–30 °C, non-condensing humidity |
| Dimensions / weight | 84 x 84 x 21 mm, 96 g; packaged 94 x 94 x 30 mm, 120 g |
| Enclosure | Injection-moulded polycarbonate, white and semi-transparent |
Home Assistant Voice Preview Edition is the right choice for anyone who wants local, privacy-focused voice control within their own Home Assistant ecosystem.
Frequently asked questions
Does it require Home Assistant?
Yes. Voice Preview Edition is a voice assistant that works together with a Home Assistant server.
Does it work without the internet?
It can work locally: the “focused local” option recognises a limited set of common commands, while full local processing requires powerful hardware (on the level of an Intel N100). Home Assistant Cloud is optional; local support varies from one language to another.
Can it play music?
The internal speaker is designed for voice responses. For music, connect a speaker to the 3,5 mm jack; with Music Assistant you can synchronise playback across several units.