Description
The Echo (4th Gen) combines premium sound with a built-in smart home hub and Alexa voice control. Experience rich, detailed audio in a sleek charcoal design, while effortlessly managing your smart home devices and enjoying hands-free assistance with Alexa. Perfect for music, smart control, and more.
About this item
- Premium sound – Rich, detailed sound that automatically adapts to any room. Supports lossless HD audio available on select streaming services such as Amazon Music HD.
- Voice control your music – Stream songs from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, SiriusXM, and more. HD requires a compatible music streaming service.
- Smart home hub – Built-in hub to voice control compatible lights, locks, and sensors. Easily set up compatible Zigbee and Matter devices or select Ring Smart Lighting solar lights and bulbs.
- Alexa is ready to help – Set timers, reminders, and alarms. Alexa answers questions like “Alexa, what time is it?”
- Start your routines with motion – Turn on compatible lights, play your Flash Briefing, or turn on the coffee maker when you walk into the room.
- Fill your home with sound – With multi-room music, play synchronized music across Echo devices in different rooms. You can also pair your Echo with compatible Fire TV devices to feel scenes come to life with home theater audio, or extend wifi coverage with a compatible eero network so you can say goodbye to drop-offs and buffering.
- Connect with others hands-free – Call friends and family who have the Alexa app or an Echo device. Instantly drop in on other rooms or announce to the whole house that dinner’s ready.
Darrylstrong1 –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great buy!
Sounds great and is very responsive to any commands!
Lindsay –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Replaced Old Alexa
Volume kept dropping on older Alexa. Great to have Echo as replacement.
Carol S. Hill –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Don’t care for the Sphere
I liked the pucks and towers better. They were much easier to work with when you had a flat surface to turn up/down reset, whatever or see if you notifications. Really don’t care for this new product.
C. SmithC. Smith –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Alexa is there when needed
The sound is great, easy to set up, and perfect for my patio. The flexibility of music anywhere I want, because it’s portable needed only an outlet. I set reminders, appointments, get answers to questions. I thought about ordering a smaller version for my closet. It blends into the decor easily.
D. Blanco –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Huge improvement over old dot gen2/3
The sound out of this unit is 100x better than my old Echo dot 2 or 3 that I had. Much nicer, clearer sound and actual bass. One annoying thing is why is the unit black and the power brick, cord white??? b/c of that 4/5 stars
Lou Bartleson –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Surprising sound!
This little thing bumps. I’m very happy with this dot. Not only is it a nice little speaker but it’s also an Alexa and serves as my doorbell too.
Kindle Customer –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent sounding speaker
I love the Echo smart speakers with alexia. I have the echo dot 3rd generation, echo dot 5th generation, and now the echo 4th generation. My only regret is trading in my echo 3rd generation. In hindsight, I would keep the 3rd generation which was also a formidable speaker, and pay full price for the 4th generation.
spuds366 –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Works Great!
Very happey with the Echo 4th Gen! It is quite bigger then the Echo Dot’s but I actually like that. I’m considering replacing all my Echo Dots with this model in the near future. Not that the newer, smaller model’s don’t work but this model seems to be more responsive, controles Lights and Ect. beter and has a nicer sound output for listening to music. I wish they would come up with this same size in a newer version with more updates, like the clock display feature.
Roger P. –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great sound from a small speaker
This is my first Amazon smart speaker. It works well to control Alexa-compatible devices, and the audio quality is impressive for such a small speaker. (But be warned, no such inexpensive speaker can provide audiophile-level quality sound.) Still, I’m enjoying listening to music and podcasts over it while I work in my kitchen. I made the mistake of also ordering an Amazon Echo Dot for another room but the audio quality was nowhere close to the full-sized Echo, so I returned it.
Mary Jersey Shore –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Loving it!
I am over 60 and was hesitant to get one, but was limited to play music only on my iPhone. My granddaughter and friend frequently asked how I play music at home. so glad I broke down and finally got it. Sound is great. I did have friend help set it up and didn’t take long. You do not really need a separate music subscription to hear great music that is available for free. Highly recommend.
aidaliza morel –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excelente
Lo mejor
Happy Girl –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sound quality
The music and sound is amazing.
Es muy excelente 👌 –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Muy buen artículo con buen sonido
Es muy excelente el artículo para es uso con buen sonido
Amazon Customer –
4.0 out of 5 stars
4/5
Me salió evangélica Alexa 😂 no reza el Santo Rosario….Sonido 1000/10Tamaño: bastante grande.
michael mcqueary –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Keeps shutting off
Gen 5 sounds great and looks good. However, after an hour Amazon music stops playing. Then when I ask Alexa to continue it States there has not been “activity” so it shut down. Am I supposed to keep talking to Amazon? Kind of ridiculous that I must constantly fool with the Gen 5 or Amazon turns off the premium music I pay for. On rare occadion it continues to play music. Very irritating of Amazon.
Sheryl M. –
5.0 out of 5 stars
I truly do love this!
I use it as a timer, To make.Lists, as an alarm clock, And to listen to music. I would be lost without it now.
Bailey –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Echo device!
This Echo is perfect for our garage and back patio areas. It extends our WiFi (eero) and allows us to have better WiFi in the outdoor areas of our yard. The actual device was easy to setup with our Alexa app and is a great addition to our home for music and Alexa where we want it. The sound quality is much better than the first generation Echo we replaced. The color helps it fit right in. It is subtle and looks nice. The value is great with this device.
2 people found this helpful
Violinluv –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazon Alexa
I love my Alexa! I especially play all my favorite music on it and the sound carries around my whole house. The sound quality of the bass is great! I also like to play the fun games with friends and family and I like the other skills that are offered. Alexa is also very helpful in keeping me updated and informed about my deliveries or anything new it has to offer.
Manuel Muñoz –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lo que esperaba
Todo perfecto justo lo que estaba
ranger –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Big dot with a Bigger sound.
I purchased this echo during prime day sale. I’ve glanced at it before but the sale price made me pull the trigger. First off this is a big boy. I’ve been rocking the echo dot I received as a present a few years back and like the ease of use. Very handy device. I can listen to my streams like Amazon music , Pandora or iHeart radio, make phone calls or lullaby to bed by the soothing sound of rain falling with distant thunder in the background(it’s really a thing). I just wanted to hear a bit more quality sound. This does the job but don’t expect thumping bass and extra crisp highs. It’s still notches above the dot but I wish it went a bit more. Great value for a bit more premium sound.
Philip Olinger –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Better, clearer sound
I replaced an Echo 2nd gen that had become hard for me to hear distinctly and less responsive to voice commands. This one is louder and clearer and responds right away. Plus it has some secret bonus features – temperature sensing & who knows what else!
Penelope Penworthy –
5.0 out of 5 stars
HD music requires a compatible streaming music service, with an Amazon Music Unlimited subscription.
Amazon Echo 4th generation offers a potpourri of options and services. You would be hard pressed not to find something that is accessible, needed, educational, or fun on this device. I have found that the more that I use Echo, the more inticed I become to place others in my home. This item is just one of the many items that Amazon has to offer in this venue.
Purna Kammar –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great sound
I love the sound. Voice command process is so easy.
Henry calle –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Felicidad
Lo mejor que e podido tener en mi vida
Michael –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Echo
Liked the older version better.
Víctor carreño –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Me encanto
Muy buen producto
Amaz♡n C♡llins –
4.0 out of 5 stars
New & Improved Echo Dot-Worth the purchase
I use to use Echo a long time ago omg sooo much has improved on this thing I’m impressed. The performance on this thing is awesome. Lighting….idk much on that I guess I haven’t explored this enough on that. Alarm, reminders, as such it’s awesome I definitely use it for that! Image quality is amazing it’s cute cute. Value for money I believe it’s value is worth it this is definitely a purchase I’m satisfied with and okay with paying what I paid. Versatility I guess I haven’t too much explored that area either. All in all this New & Improved Echo Dot was worth my hard earned dollars. I enjoy all that it does and can do from playing music, reading Bible scriptures, setting up reminders, connecting with my phone, setting up shopping lists, reading my calendar, trivia games, I mean you name it, it probably do it! I’ve been enjoying this. Oh and it has a mute button for those that’s nervous about the outside world looking in 👀🤷🏽♀️ anyways I enjoy this and believe you would as well. Worth the purchase
Deborah –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Super easy setup. Set it up before it even arrived
Wow, I was able to set it up before it arrived. All i did was plug it in and it was ready to go, it even connected to my wifi as part of the setup. So cool. I love it… great sound quality, design, ease of use. I do wish the power cord was black, instead of white
Jesus moreno –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Get this if its on a sale.
The value was really good since it was during a sale. The amount of features keeps my kids interested its super easy to set up and the color and quality is amazing. My only problem is the brightness.
Timely –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sounds good
Ample bass from a small speaker r
Bri –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Loving this
The only thing I dislike is that Alexa only listens to me 7/10x. She isn’t consistent. I have to ask her to do stuff more than twice at times such as switching the light on or off, or switching music on or off. She is a rebel for sure. Two days ago she was in a Britney Spears kind of mood and refused to stop playing one of her songs, so I just let her do as she pleased. She winded up blasting a whole playlist while I washed dishes. I love how crisp the sound quality is. Awesome color, pretty light up colors, easy to use by most part, great value at 35% off!
Waverunner –
4.0 out of 5 stars
improvement on Echo
I like the stylishness of the new Echo, had one of the 1rst generation Amazon Echo which was a tube like cylinder. What I miss the most is the remote. It took a while to realize that I can control the volume from the Alexa App. Honestly I don’t notice that much difference in the sound quality, other than it might be fuller.
K. HIGA –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sounds greatn
I use this in master bathroom and no longer have to bring my phone in and connect to Bluetooth speaker. Love it, no complaints!
MT – Colorado –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Bigger than expected, easy setup, sounds great
Got this to replace an echo that has lost its wayI was able to set it up before it arrivedSimply plugged it in and it connectedI made a few tweaks and it is working greatThis is much larger than the spherical echo dots, it has additional speakers and fills the room with sound
Louis Hemmi –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Solid reliability and so useful!!
This echo is my partner in life – wakes me, puts me to sleep, peps me up, relaxes me. Just love it. Much better than the dots that I’ve bought.
malbytoast –
4.0 out of 5 stars
not exactly compatible with a non-smart TV setup
I was super excited to set these up (i got two to use as a stereo set with my older TV). I thought if I had the newest Fire stick, it would be okay, but not so much. one speaker jumps off connection often and it takes a few minutes to get it back online. when they play together, it does not sound great (i’m only speaking of the sound coming from the Fire stick signal). I also have an Echo Subwoofer connected to this stereo group.Others have had great results, so I am giving them the benefit of the doubt and blaming my old a$$ Plasma TV. Remember those? They don’t make em like they used to! Especially when the tech is obsolete… lol
BamaChick –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Makes things easier
I’ve been using Echo a couple months and really love everything about it. There is one issue however with sound quality. I play music to go to sleep by but the volume goes up and down all it’s on. I set the volume where I want it before going to sleep and when I get up through out the night you can either barely hear it or it’s blaring. I don’t know if others have this problem or if it’s just a problem with mine. It’s perfect otherwise
Robert Leon Owens –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Generally good, but no less glitchy than any other Alexa unit.
This unit has excellent sound fidelity, but several times now, it has refused to cancel music until it was unplugged. It also isn’t able to recognize and access playlists 100% of the time, but it almost always works when you repeat the command.
Chris Wille –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superior sound
My older Echohad great sound, the new one this one beats that by a mile. The baseline has been enhanced and everything else has much greater clarity. I listen this every day. I was amazed when I first connected to Alexa. I retired my old one to the shower so I could listen to music there. This one this new one Echo pI’d highly recommended.
Thomas –
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Powerful Echo – Great for first-time Echo users, unimpressive for those upgrading.
QUICK SUMMARY:—————————The 4th generation Amazon Echo brings welcome upgrades from previous generations. The device features a Zigbee smart hub, improved sound reproduction, and a temperature sensor. Alexa integration works as expected. I would recommend the 4th gen Echo to those who are in the market for their first Alexa device and who listen to music often at a casual level. I would not recommend this as an upgrade for those with previous generation Echo devices if they are functioning normally, or for those expecting a high-end audiophile experience.PREFACE:—————————I have owned the 4th generation Amazon Echo for 9 months and use it daily. I upgraded from a 1st generation Amazon Echo. As part of a Prime Echo trade-in promotion, I was able to purchase this for $25 off the $99 MSRP.Tasks I utilize Echo for:—————————• (Daily) – Adjusting power/brightness/color of 2 connected LIFX smart bulbs• (Daily) – Retrieving daily weather forecast information• (Daily) – Retrieving temperature of the room the Echo is in (room is hotter than the rest of the house)• (Weekly/Monthly) – Engaging with various media/games (Pandora, Amazon Music, Question of the Day, Jeopardy, etc.)• (Weekly/Monthly) – General search query for basic information/knowledgeEnvironment:—————————The Echo is 3 feet away from where I sit. It’s placed on a table in the corner of a 10×10 room, about 2 inches in front of a (silent) PC tower. It’s on a flat, level surface, and is within line-of-sight with no obstacles or materials between myself and it that would hamper its ability to hear me. On the opposite side of the room is a small air purifier at floor level that is always on and set to its lowest setting (40 dB of white noise).PROS:—————————• Sound Reproduction: The upward-firing 3” woofer and two, forward-firing 0.8” tweeters push out more sound than expected for a device of this size and price. Bass is surprisingly powerful, covers a lower frequency range than expected (it won’t rattle the room like a dedicated subwoofer, however), and is capable of filling small rooms with ease. Treble is clear and crisp without distortion. Mids are pronounced and dynamic, but can be overpowered if bass and treble are simultaneously working hard. Dialogue from movies, videos, and podcasts is clear and feels well-balanced. Casual audio tinkerers will be pleased with additional EQ settings in the Amazon Alexa smartphone app, although audio sounds excellent as-is and adjustments are likely not necessary unless specific listening needs require adjustments.• Temperature Sensor: This is an odd bonus to me, but a welcome one that I use often. It is self-calibrating, and routines can make use of its readings.• Line In/Out Audio Jack: There is a 3.5mm jack on the bottom of the device next to the power adapter port which can be toggled to send audio out to another device if you wish to use the Echo with external speakers, or to accept audio if you wish play audio from another device using the Echo’s speakers.• Build Quality: It feels sturdy and has heft but isn’t burdensome. The fabric mesh that covers the top-half of the sphere is a nice color, the buttons are pleasantly tactile but quiet, and the circular grip on the bottom ensure it won’t slide around while playing music or if gently bumped.NEUTRALS:—————————• Response Time: Marketing for this Echo focused heavily on the all-new AZ1 Neural Edge processor at the time of purchase, bragging of faster, smoother, and more natural Alexa voice interaction performance and processing times. The marketing was heavy, and over-emphasized what is an unnoticeable difference; there is, at best, perhaps fractions of a second saved compared to the 1st gen Echo, but it’s case-by-case. In most cases, the processing time is the same.• Alexa Features/Performance: Largely unchanged compared to previous generations due to Alexa being a multi-device AI ecosystem rather than a single, device-specific feature. It does what you expect of Alexa.CONS:—————————• Voice Recognition: Bad. The environment outlined above is how I’ve used this Echo since I purchased it. The previous, 1st generation Echo had no issue with white noise, background noise, etc. This 4th generation Echo struggles to pick up my voice if there is any level of white noise, or if I’m speaking to it from more than a few feet away. 90 – 95% of voice interactions require that I repeat myself with increasing volume (sometimes two, three, four or more times) for it to register what I’m saying correctly, if I’m heard at all. Voice commands are constantly misinterpreted (verified by reviewing the history in the app), and wake words are often missed. Voice recognition performance is so poor, I have considered replacing this device altogether with one from a different ecosystem. I shouldn’t need to be just beneath shouting volume to be heard, and I shouldn’t feel constantly inconvenienced by using voice commands versus smartphone apps to control smart home features.• Temperature Sensor Rate of Refresh: I have found no documentation or answers about how often the temperature sensor is refreshed. However, it often seems like the readings are delayed and take a long time to change, even when there is a noticeable increase/decrease in air temperature as a result of thermostat changes.
33 people found this helpful
Arthur –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Easy setup, great for what it is.
Well, I have to say I love that its a speaker that has Alexa on it. If I had to complain though it would be easy truthfully. The music function. I had the advertised Unlimited plus music feature, after it was advertised as the only way for my grandmother to play certain old songs she was looking for with ease instead of her asking and then getting a different song with an advertisement worked in. However, it worked out for 2 seconds because I thought, why not pay more and get an Amazon Echo dot too for her room ao she could listen through the house. So that apparently added almost 20 bucks a month to a free service we had before. Mind you, I already pay for Prime and I added the Music Unlimited. But because she wanted to play her music softly in her room for ambience and then play it differently in the livingroom, Amazon said she had to upgrade to another more expensive music package called Unlimited Family. Thats the only way to she can listen to music she wants on her devices throughout her home. Again, the service costs more than most video services and is more than spotify, xm radio, or well just about any radio service that allows the option to pick a song via voice recognition these days. They really like to nickel and dime you for the most basic things and it isnt riggt in my opinion. If you pay to have music options through Amazons library, why should you pay more and more for ease of getting to that music? I mean, Amazon music uses to have all the music I could ever look for free with my Amazon Prime membership. And I think they added the voice search feature before this fee on top of a fee thing happened. It is crazy to me that every time you want to actually use the products that come out to the desirable extent they are advertised, you get either microtransactions blown at you, or even worse now you get a hefty monthly additional bill. Again, after being a member with the company paying a monthly fee for over a decade. Why would they think this would keep customer loyalty? All it does is make customers hope for and await another option that has something similar or even a little less nice for a better price. Can you imagine if a competitor like Ebay or Facebook got together and created a decent music library access via buying something like soundcloud or spotify. It has to be easy for the CEOs to themeselves want another option on a platform built similar to the Echo. And people themselves in the public that for the middle class have to like me be eager to seek out that second option. Yes the supply chain and easy shipping options makes it the onlyntrue source to buy things quickly and easily and Prime is still a great deal for that reason. But the echo, the dot, etc… are all just waiting to be taken off the shelves at this rate. And it is awful, because the advertised version and or even the versions where you can use the full functionality after burning a million dollars on unlocking them each month proves the Echo and its component products can do and be great products that make amazon something worth keeping a membership with for years to come. However, selling a product to active prime members and then putting limiters all over the software with the intent to create more monthly revenue on a loyal cusyomer base that you could of just succeeded in making that much more reliant on keeping a membership. Thats jist greedy and dumb at the same time. The echo or other products of this line have zero need to have these extra upcharges is the point. Get rid of them before your customers get rid of the products tge moment a better option becomes viable. Yes we will keep prime for the shipping. But heck, prime video is just rediculous right now with advertisements, fees for decent shows and movies and then just nothing of real value for prime members. It used to be a great service with limited options. But we loved and used it all the same because it was free for Prime members. Same with Amazon music. I loved it and used it all the time. No its advertisements for every song or monthly fees. So tired of the fee onslaught that comes with buying anything that looks like its useful these days. Thats the summary here. Amazon, you dont need to do what your doing. Your products have the ability to be in every household and used regularly everywhere. You will make a killing just selling the next updated color of the echo. Imstead of closing up video and music access. Eat the costs on rights and give it to your prime customers. You already raised rates for that too. But your cutting services on top of raising rates. What are you thinking. Your monopoly isnt unbeatable. Its difficult to see past the day people choose something better knowing what your chains look like right now. But Im telling you, this way of pushing customers for everything you want just because you can at the moment will end up making you the myspace of well….you know. Thats just my and millions of other peoples opinion though right now. So take it for what its worth.
117 people found this helpful
Goofy Jessie –
4.0 out of 5 stars
TEMPTED TO RETURN IT
So my eight year old echo in my bedroom stopped working. And I did without Alexa in my bedroom for a couple of years. Finally, I gave in and ordered a 4th gen echo. I’ve always thought the best thing about the echo was Alexa. Especially with Halloween fast approaching.The sad reality it’s that Alexa is not as advanced as its competitors. I compared Alexa’s response when I inquire about the weather. Alexa provides the answer, but it’s not exactly accurate. Its competitors provide the actual temperature, but they go a step further and provide “how it actually feels” by accounting for humidity, which in some parts of the country can be a difference of over ten degrees. I also ask her to turn on or off a smart light bulb that worked just fine with my eight year old echo. The same bulb its competitors easily turn on or off. Alexa on this brand new Echo fails. Can’t do it. I was going to pack it up. Return it. But then, out of sentimentality, I ask Alexa to play some jazz music. State of Jazz, Part 80. Wow. Deep bass. Clean treble. Impressive highs. Sound even better than my stand alone Bose speaker. Kid. You. Not. Instead of returning it, I’ll keep it. I’ll order some Kasa light bulbs. Kasa never fails. Never. And hope I don’t regret keeping this Echo.And I’m really hoping the rumors about an upgraded Alexa in October are true. Because I love Alexa, but she’s getting a little long in the tooth. Not as sharp. But still my sweetheart. Hey, if anyone from Amazon/Alexa happens to read this review, you might consider sending me some complimentary Kasa light bulbs. Or maybe a discount code. Here’s hoping Alexa is soon rejuvenated. Gets a face lift. Please help me fall in love with Alexa all over again. I can’t wait.
Greg –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Effortless everything. I’m living in the future and that Future is here NOW!
I have 8 Echos in various rooms and from several generations. Yep, I have a big house… What attracted me to this generation was that onboard voice capabilities that makes response faster and sure, who doesn’t want even better sound quality? I also liked the design better than the looks of the previous generations and that I could see the activity ‘light ring’ when I was sitting down. The spherical designed has some real advantages and it’s apparent in the improved sound. And improved it is. Music is easily better, more complex and effortless. This is NOT supposed to be a blast the neighborhood out speaker, but it did fill a larger room with quality sounding music that is noticeably improved to past generations. Voice commands and responses are practically instant and tigger happy quickly improved… Me likes so much that I replaced 2 of my 8 for in the areas where I am most using them. I even returned my first gen to amazon to get 25$ off then new one. Understand, my old ones are in pristine condition with all the original packaging and boxes, but how great to be able to do this!My whole house is voice controlled, lighting, fireplaces (ceramic logs with LED ‘fake fire lights’), thermostat and as an early adopter of the Echo Voice Assistant, I’ve never looked back. Being able to ask any question, to ask about a stores hours before even driving there to make sure it’s open and then being given the option to phone DIRECTLY from the device, is sweet. And how about NEVER having to touch your alarm clock to hit snooze or turn it off again? Yes please. Get quick and accurate local weather reports instantly, air quality too! Need to be reminded, multiple timers or announcements and intercom functions. Just say the word. I have every news channel I want set in my flash briefing and LOVE these, hearing them most days. Here’s my line up: Daily scripture, this day in history, Fox news, BBC news, Management tip of the day and a few more. You can easily add what YOU want to hear and it’s a treat. I LOVE podcasts and there’s a series called “Hardcore History” with hundred of episodes. Some of which are 6 hours long! What’s cool is I can start one of these while I’m cooking in the kitchen, tell the device to stop when I’m finished and when I later (day, month, weeks or whatever) tell it to “Play Hardcore History” it will name the episode I left off on and pick it up for exactly the same spot! How sweet that??And guys, knock yourselves out because there are thousands of podcasts on virtually any subjects to enjoy and learn from. I love having this ability!!! LOVE, Love, love the ability to always be learning new things from this device while still doing what I do do in the background. There’s so much more and I could literally go on for hours with what a great enhancement this has been in so many ways, learning, security, information, entertainment, news, communications, etc. Being able to have my arms full, walk though my house and just TEll a light to turn on along the way without having to touch or find a switch is sublime! Yep, you need the right lights, but boy, talk about convenience and living in the future now. NEVER going back! Even my landscaping lights and sprinkler control system, my security cameras works with it. And if I want to make an announcement to the whole house, I just say, “Echo, repeat EVERYWHERE” and then tell it what I want to say. And all 8, in every room will go off: “Dinner is in 5 minutes!” So sweet!I also have 2 of the Echo Clocks that work with the device and they are awesome. The LED ring and countdown before the alarm going off is sweet.But guys, I even LOVE just telling the Echo to play rain/storm sound effects and it’s calming, deep and healing. What a wonderful, effortless device with so many capabilities. Even during one of my personal bible studies, I can ask Echo for some background on virtually anyone I reading about and background is forthcoming.Yes, I was an early adopter and man, these are a purchase I’ve never regretted making. I use them EVERY day and they have enhanced my life in ways that are special, rich and convenient. Like something out of a Dick Tracy comic from the 1930’s, this system is here, ripe, mature and developed. I’m such a fan!The only suggestion I have for Amazon would be to give me the option in a metal package. Who wants to dust fabric? Lastly, IF you built in even great Biblical knowledge capability, you’d sell even millions more. Give me a teaching assistant that has a data base to field just about anything biblical I could ask of it.LOVING this product and the direction it’s going. The future IS now and ECHO is the best, most supported, device with thousands and thousands of functions. Thank you Amazon and keep enhancing this baby because I’m upgrading all along the way. I returned on for a discount and the other 1st gen is going to a charity raffle. And heck, it’s in perfect condition with all the original packaging and boxes.Hot Dog!-G
229 people found this helpful
Jeff S –
5.0 out of 5 stars
These are like echo dots on steroids!! Twice as big but sound 5 times Better!!!
I have my apartment which is not a small apartment and it has a loft as well for my 12-year-old son so he has his own area he’s getting to that age so anyway I had I think 5 echo dots and one echo show that had the visual screen for pictures and things like that but without a subwoofer or anything I was fine with the multi room music and I used it for that and basically also used it so I could just tell any of my echo dots or just basically when I open the door I would say Alexa Turn on my apartment!! Immediately all of my lights would come on and some of them are dimmed to a certain level which you can do in the settings on your Alexa app that most people have on their phones. I even have a couple lightbulbs that are multicolored so I have them set to green and red currently for Christmas!! So the lights all come on when I tell Alexa to do that including my living room TV as well. You can add numerous other items that are compatible with Alexa and/or SmartThings app and you name it. If you don’t have something that is compatible or doesn’t have Bluetooth or wifi etc… as long as you use a plugin for that item you can at MINIMUM turn it off and on with your voice or touch screen on your phone or Alexa show and I bought 2 of these Echoes because my friends have one or more and it is a sphere. So even though it’s twice as big as the echo dot, in the newer generations at least, they started out looking like a hockey puck which is still good and people have them still but I started using Alexa products just a couple years ago so, mine are all round balls that you can talk to and play music and control lights and cameras for security while home or check on your home while you’re not there!!I bought 2 regular Echoes to replace 2 of the echo dots because they have 3 or 4 different speakers in each one!!! Crazy how much sound you get from the dot but the bigger one the regular echo, sounds like a huge floor speaker but it’s just a ball and you can get black or white or blue and more so I got 2 of them to pair together for stereo sound and to my Samsung TV that has an Alexa app built into it. So I can rock out or get surround sound when paired with my TV and Soundbar Sub woofer which I don’t use the soundbar anymore the echoes sounded better but I got them last month. They were 49.99 a piece!!! That’s like half price and why I hadn’t bought them before so for 100 bucks I have a completely wonderful set of speakers that you barely notice and they sound wonderful and you can buy them with a Studio speaker by Amazon or an Amazon Subwoofer bundled for even more awesome sound but I live in an apartment so I don’t want to get kicked out!!! They act as a hub for all of your Amazon devices also so you don’t need anything else but one echo honestly to run all of your lights just get the type of bulbs they suggest and they have bundles for those also and it’s truly amazing what quality of sound and other things that they can do but I have already typed far toooooo much. Start with 1 even for listening to music over the holidays and add devices as you go. That’s what I did and 2 years later I have it set up so we’ll that I can talk to my son when he’s at his Moms house on his echo and my echo here and there’s no need for buying him a cellphone!! Yet!!There’s just so much I could say about what these things do for 50 bucks to get one of them is a steal because you’re just keep adding things and finding different things like grocery list reminders and alarms. It helps you with many things you wouldn’t even imagine.So now, when I open my door to my apartment, I have it set to where the lights automatically come on with my TV. I don’t even have to talk. It’ll do that too so kudos to the designers of these things because they are very affordable and do so much.!!!
83 people found this helpful
Gene P. Louie –
5.0 out of 5 stars
A 30% Price Increase Paid for a Few Advantages
The biggest improvement over the previous 3rd generation Echo was the sound. It was clearer and not as “tinny.” The bass was deeper and lower. The reverberation was noticeable..The second advantage was easier installation via my smart phone. Everything was completed without any problems..The third advantage was fewer “bugs.” My previous generation performed many annoying things. For example, it turned ON for no reason. Also, the sound volume constantly turned down to LOW. So, I had to continually adjust. These problems were not noticeable on the newer version..Of course, there were disadvantages. The price was 30% higher. Also, the ball shape occupied more real estate on my night stand. The previous generation’s cylinder design was more space efficient.
5 people found this helpful
Kevin –
5.0 out of 5 stars
I have multiple and continue gaining more somehow.
I have one of each – a black one, a blue one, and a white one. I’ve been using them for about 3 years, and I absolutely love them.Pros:- Sound quality is amazing, I use mine to play music when I’m in the kitchen, in the office, or in the bedroom. Lots of bass, superb quality for such a small speaker.- As stated, small speaker. They take up so little space, yet do so much. I have the bedroom one positioned behind my TV, my office one is on my book shelf, and my kitchen one is just sitting on the counter. They fill the entire room with music, and do an absolutely amazing job of it.- Integrations with everything. My Alexa handles my lights, my thermostat, the TVs, the lights, it tells me when people are at the door, it reminds me of packages, it plays my music via Spotify just by asking, I get my morning news fix from it, sets my timers, wakes me up. It basically does everything for me that I would otherwise have to do on my own. Excellent little device.Cons:- They are sometimes terrible listeners. I’ll ask Alexa to turn the lights off, and it’ll take anywhere from one ask to 5 asks to get the lights to turn off. That could be an integration issue, but sometimes she’ll say “playing lighthouse by -” and I’ll have to scramble to tell her to stop (especially in the middle of the night).- Sometimes annoying to setup. If you ask her to do something on a schedule, you have to go into the app and dig around for the settings in order to make her stop, you can’t just request that she stop doing it. Currently my office Alexa will tell me the weather every day at 6:31pm, on the dot. I’ve asked her to stop, she doesn’t know how. I’ve looked in the app, can’t find it.Other than that, truly one of the best additions to my house. They get a fairly large amount of use around here.
22 people found this helpful
C –
4.0 out of 5 stars
New Shape, New Processor, Better Sound
The new Echo 4th Gen is a big change in aesthetics and design for the Echo line. The new spherical shape is wider and shorter than previous Echo versions, and now focus sound in one primary direction instead of 360 degrees. It adds an extra tweeter, and seems to produce more sound than previous versions. Here are my early thoughts so far, after using it for about 24 hours:THE GOOD:Setup was incredibly simple. I just powered the device on, and the Echo announced that it was ready for setup. I opened the Alexa app on my phone, and the new Echo was automatically detected and set up instantly. I didn’t have to enter any information at all. It can’t get any easier than this.BETTER SOUND. This new Echo has an extra tweeter, for a total of two 0.8 inch tweeters, and the same 3.0 inch Sub from the Gen 3 Echo. This new Echo is designed with the tweeters pointed forward, and the speaker placement seems to generate more bass also somehow, even with the same Sub as the Gen 3. All in all I think it sounds much better than Gen 3, with a little more bass and louder max volume. This could also be do to the sound-mapping feature that allows Echo to maximize the sound by detecting the acoustics and shape of the room. You can also pair two of these in stereo; and you are supposed to be able to use it as a speaker for your FireTV device, though I haven’t tested that out yet.Temperature sensor included. Yes, you can ask Alexa what the temperature is, and it seems very accurate so far. This is a nice touch, and I look forward to doing more testing, to see if I can set up routines based on temperature.AZ1 Processor. This new Amazon processor promises better voice recognition and faster Alexa responses. In my testing so far, I have barely noticed a slight speed improvement (for example turning on certain room lights) but there are supposed to be upcoming updates that will make an even bigger difference in speed.Zigbee + Sidewalk Bridge. This comes with a Zigbee hub, just like previous versions of the Echo Plus. It also contains the new Sidewalk Bridge, which allows the Echo to use bluetooth and radio connections to connect to some smart devices at long range, and push data to the internet.THE BAD:No 360 degree speakers. While I personally prefer the sound of this new version, some people might miss the 360 degree speaker setup of previous Echo generations. It certainly might lead to a situation where the ideal placement of the Echo in your room could be different.White power cord. This is minor, but a strange choice. No matter what color Echo you get, the power cord is white. Some people might find that annoying.Voice detection is not great while loud music is playing. This surprised me, as previous generations haven;t really struggled with this in my experience. I’m not sure if it is because this speaker is much louder, but Alexa hasn’t heard me a few times when I talked while the music was playing at max volume. This could be annoying if you often listen to very loud music.NEUTRAL: -Aesthetics. I think I preferred the look of the cylinder design, instead of this new sphere shape. This is totally personal preference of course. I also wish the entire sphere was fabric, instead of being plastic on the back side. Some people might prefer the ball shape though, so that is up to you.All in all, I’m keeping this new Echo because of the better sound and faster responsiveness, but it is not really a massive upgrade. Pretty decent so far, I’ll update this review and try to answer any questions in the future!
2,631 people found this helpful
ZoomZoom! –
5.0 out of 5 stars
HONEST REVIEW/COMPARISON FOR ALL INTELLIGENT LIFE FORMS.
This is an honest review and comparison of the new 4th Generation Echo (not Dot) vs. the 2nd Generation Echo Plus (the last Echo Plus that was launched with the 3td Generation Echo).I actually purchased two 4th Gen Echoes to create a Home Theater Group with the FireTV Stick 4k latest variant. I’ll include notes about that as well.Sound Quality Pros: I really enjoy music from different genres and I like to tinker with equalizer settings so that I get the fullest sound out of even a cheap speaker. I also like when a speaker(s) can pull double duty as a surround sound system for my television as well. That’s what attracted me to the new Echoes.Regarding music streaming from Amazon Music HD, I must say the sound is really smooth and crisp. I adjusted the equalizer settings for the individual devices in the Alexa app to boost the mid most, followed closely by the treble and a moderate bass setting (if they are paired in a stereo pair or Home Theater, adjusting one device automatically adjusts the other). I have my Echoes placed about 12 feet away in front of my primary seating spot on the sofa and the are spaced about 8 feet apart flanking the television. They are situated about 4 feet off the ground on book shelves. This positioning has been perfect for the accoustics in my 15×18 living room with tall ceilings. The speakers really fill up the space. And I am most impressed with how the sound bounces off of the walls and truly feel as if it surrounds me and immerses my eardrums into it.This holds even more true for when I watch a movie with the Dolby Atmos setting on. I can hear the channels fairly well and it really seems like I own my own private movie theater in my living room. There’s been times that there’s a sound affect so specific to one channel and reproduced so clearly that I’ve actually muted the show thinking that I was hearing some noise from outside or in the hallway of my apartment building.These two devices together get pretty loud without any noticeable distortion. Now I haven’t played much bass heavy music but I do love action and sci-fi movies that are sound effect laden and peppered with bass booming explosions etc. The new 4th Gen Echoes keep up very nicely.In contrast, though I thought I really loved the Echo Plus 2nd Gen, I now find that I really can’t enjoy music or movies as much on it. I think that this is because the main speaker fires downward and the rest of the sound is omni directional. This sounds good on paper but in practice, at least for my uses, that type of speaker just seems muffled and really a waste of sound waves. Let me explain. How often to you place the Echo device in the center of a room to benefit from an omni-directional speaker? Most people don’t have floor outlets under their coffee tables so it sits on an end table or bookshelf. It’s usual home in a bedroom is on the end table. Even in a kitchen, unless placed on the island, the Echo rests with it’s back to a wall. So, why then, would you want (let’s say) 40% of the sound waves to be directed to a big slab with no ears to appreciate it?The directional sound setup of the new Echo 4th Gen is ideal, really, for it’s positioning in most homes. Sound is really diminished if you are behind it or immediately to it’s side but comes barrelling at your ear drums when you are any angle in front of it. It’s louder, more clear, and much more advanced when it comes to being able to utilize Dolby Atmos playback. I definitely choose the 4th gen over the 2nd Gen Plus any day. I almost feel bad for unloading the Plus onto my parents when I bought the 4th Gen. I’ll upgrade them this Christmas. Lol.The omni-directional speaker would be a benefit if it were placed in the center of a patio for a gathering or party, but again, where’s your outlets? Not in the middle of the concrete or deck floor. So chances are, even on the patio, it will be placed backing up to an exterior wall. So the myth of the omni-directional speaker advantage is busted in my book.Voice Recognition:At first, I felt there was a noticeable difference with the Plus having the upper hand when I comes to summoning Alexa. However, I believe there have been some fairly large software updates recently that included fine tuning adjustments to the mics on the 4th Gen devices. They now clearly pick up my questions or commands from across the room and quickly cancel out the other Echo Dot I have on the far side open floor plan nearest the kitchen. Before, with the Plus, it was a toss up as to which one would respond because I firmly believe the best mics are still on the Echo Dot 3rd Gen with clock variant. Hands down. If only the echo show 5 in my bedroom would be even half as good, I’d be happy ( that unit is by far the worst with just 2 lack luster mics vs the 4 on the Dot and Plus).Alexa is also quicker to respond on the 4th Gen too. Now that’s a combination of the 450-ish gbps internet speed I am fortunate enough to have but I understand it’s also due to a better processor and improved software.And let me just say one thing… I don’t know anyone who buys their smart home devices with Zigbee compatibility being the #1 consideration. Who cares? I have bought the best reviewed for the price smart bulbs, TV, and plugs etc not giving a thought to Zigbee because the latest generation smart devices don’t require a hub.All of my smart home devices work just fine by enabling the skill on the Alexa app with that of the manufacturer’s chosen app and linking the accounts. The biggest issue I have is trying to remember what I named each lamp and group to turn on and off the lights. First world problems, I know.For what it’s worth, the big 3 smart home apps which seems to be used by these el cheapo devices are Kasa, Govee, and Smart Life. I have devices on all three and the Alexa integration is seemless. Except the darn ceiling fan speed control. Still haven’t completely figured that one out entirely.Setting up the devices and Grouping:Both the Echo Plus and 4th Gens are very easy to set up initially. The Alexa app, though not entirely user friendly regarding the UI, does all the work and guides you through the process fairly quickly. The oddball thing that’s a bit more challenging is knowing what the difference is between a stereo pair, a home theater and a speaker group.First, a stereo pair must be two identical models (I believe an Echo Sub woofer can be added as the one off) and the pairing is only for music streaming. Only one Echo will respond at a time when you are conversationally interacting with Alexa.In a Home Theater grouping, one or more Echo devices of the same model can be joined with a FireTV device such as the Stick 4k. A sub can also be added. The crummy part at first, is that you can’t include your existing sound bar into this Home Theater Group. Amazon devices only, folks. So you must choose which you want to listen to.Now, I’m not horribly disappointed because the sound quality of the two 4th Gens on each side of the TV is really great so the sound bar isn’t needed but I hate the thought of the wasted money sitting 32 inches wide in front of me producing no sound at all.IF, you have a smart TV like a Vizio, there is a way to activate the sound bar and have the Amazon Home Theater working at the same time. And here it is: the sound bar must be hooked up to an optical cable and the audio setting on the TV must be set to PCM not automatic. Auto defaults to whatever device you are streaming on ie a FireTV Stick. Then, while playing your FireTV Stick, choose the Home Theater as your audio source on the Fire TV menu. So in essence, the TV thinks it must send sound to the sound bar only while the Stick thinks it should be using the Home Theater. Through whatever glitch, I now have all three speakers working in tandem. BUT ONLY while using the FireTV device. It does not work if I am using the smart TV streaming apps from the Vizio home screen. Which I don’t do anymore except for a couple things that are not found on the Amazon App store.FYI, I don’t believe that the Fire Edition Insignia and Toshiba televisions sold here and at Best Buy have the capability to set up the Home Theater function with the Alexa app.Finally, a speaker group is the best way to get unlike models to sync with each other to play music. However, there’s a catch… You must ask for that group’s every time at the end of your request to play music etc.Meaning, with the stereo pair and home theater, music and movies are automatically played through those selected speakers by means of the Alexa app. You would simply make the standard request for Alexa to play a song or album with no extra added specification. But remember, you’re limited to only pairing the same models together for this to work like that.Now, with a speaker group, you can include your Echoes, Dots, Shows, Spots, Inputs, FireTVs, Tablets etc etc into that group and have them all going at the same time through out your home, so long as you name this all-Echo inclusive group something like “Every where” or “all speakers” or “whole house”. Be creative 🙂 “Echo Symphonic Orchestra”, “Live from the Love Shack”, or “on all decks of the Enterprise” (you can even call your individual room groupings for lights and sounds things like ” the Bridge” -Living Room, “Ship’s Galley” -Kitchen, “Ten Forward” – dining or rec room, “Shuttle Bay Two”-garage, ” Engineering”-utility room/basement, and “Captain’s Quarters”-master bedroom, “Risa” -backyard patio). Lol. Alexa groups can be named whatever you want! I digress though….The point is you have to tell Alexa to play music AND include the name of the speaker group everytime or else music will just play from the device you speak into. Ex: “Alexa play the song Starships on all decks of the Enterprise” or (boring) “Alexa, play Mr. Robot-o, everywhere” or “Play a lullaby in the dirty diaper factory (nursry)”. Get it?! I can sense your mind is starting to ignite like a solid rocket booster, now.I really hope this helps someone. I know it’s been a learning curve for me. And not always a lot of fun. Just wait til you first start exploring how to build your own custom routines or then decide to relocate devices into different rooms as you upgrade with new ones. It can be a labor of love…or regret.Bottom line, if you are looking to upgrade but aren’t entirely sure, try out the new Echo 4th Gen (especially in a pair for a Home Theater) and decide within 30 days if you really like them. Definitely explore the Alexa app and routines. And commit to replacing at least one bulb in each room with a color changing LED smart bulb to experience the fun you can have with this device. Also, I think you will be pleasantly surprised at what many people say is a drawback about being a directional speaker is really a benefit for most user’s needs, including yours.Some people will find fault in anything and some will find that they can’t have everything to their exact liking. There’s not a perfect smart speaker out there, so figure out what you must have features are, your nice to haves, and your deal breakers are and make the choice.Regardless, enjoy these little glimpses of the future. Heck, they’re even spherical shaped just like what the future devices and ships looked like in 2001: A Space Odyssey and Space Balls or a Borg scout ship, even. You gotta think that’s at least a nice nod for sci-fi fans everywhere. Or if you are a devotee of mod design or simply a believer in form following function, then this ball of joy is sure to please. So, enjoy your new Echo; It’s outta this world!-Picard, out. Hailing frequencies closed.
1,137 people found this helpful
Rustam AlikhodjaevRustam Alikhodjaev –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Impressive again!
This is my third Echo device and second kind of. First two, Echo Pops, were purchased for my daughter. Actually, after I got one for her, she loved it so much that I decided to get another one for stereo and better sound overall. So she is happy! But the thing is after playing with Alexa while setting up my daughters Pops, I kind of fell in love with this device myself lol. So I bought a 4th generation Echo (thank you for Amazon Prime day and better price lol) and I’m very happy now. So as you can see on one of my pics the Echo is definitely larger than Echo pop, therefore takes a bit of more room which might be Cons for someone, it’s more than twice expensive and still has a white power cord lol. Those were Cons. And other ten thousand reasons to buy it will be Pros. Well the first main advantage over the Pop for me is a noticeable sound quality improvement (which is understandable since the Echo is a way larger therefore a speaker itself is definitely larger). No, I’m not trying to say Pop isn’t good. It’s a great speaker for its size and price, I’m just talking about my preferences now. So for its size and price Echo is an amazing speaker, sound quality is more than just decent, has pretty nice bass, especially on lower volumes, excellent quality built, has a tripod thread (or wall mount or any standard mount screw hole I believe) and has different color choices. Alexa does its job exactly the same way as on Pops (no surprise lol). I’ve got the one you see on my pics (something like blue I believe) just in case, because I’m still dreaming about its larger brother/sister (whatever lol) – Echo Studio. So “just in case” means our kitchen cabinets color surprisingly matches my new Echo so I’m thinking to move this useful companion to our kitchen in the future. I still feel I’m a beginner in Alexa universe so she can’t stop surprising me with my smart devices. With my new Echo I also ordered a smart bulb to see how it works together and of course I’m pleasantly surprised – I don’t have to lift my lazy bottom out of bed anymore, my bedroom nightstand light is voice operated now. Alexa turns it on or off, Alexa dims it to my desired preferences, Alexa turns it on in the mornings thanks to my routine group setting. Love the feature how easy to listen to my favorite music around our apartment now – I just asked Alexa to play music everywhere and my playlist started to sound on all 3 Echo devices we have (had to create an “everywhere” group before by the way). Just Amazing! I’m not talking about thousands of other features Alexa offers like weather, news, history, songs etc… etc… etc… After my little experience with both Pop and Echo and all the features Alexa offers my point of view about Echo devices changes, and not to Alexa or AI side, they are not perfect yet, but definitely improving, and Alexa works equally on both devices, so here is a matter of future software updates. It changes towards the Echo devices now. I can clearly hear the sound difference, both, in my opinion, perfect for its size as I mentioned above, and especially its price range. Sorry for comparison, but my $200+ Bose speaker sound exactly the same as my new Echo (and Bose doesn’t have Alexa living inside lol (or who knows maybe there is something I’m not aware of yet, but Bose still can’t beat the price). So after my first Echo Pop purchase, I’m impressed again, now with even better sound quality. Even now, during my finger gymnastics writing this review I’m thinking again to buy a next Echo for our bedroom and then Echo Studio for our living room. Oh, then garage, laundry………etc. So pleasant to have that amazing feeling of satisfaction of spending money the right way lol. Hope someone will find my review helpful.
32 people found this helpful
S. Fox –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Buying this was a good decision. Update: Amazon replaced my Echo and it is working great now.
This was my first smart speaker purchase. Initially, I only wanted a portable Bluetooth speaker to move between my office and garage. I didn’t find anything with decent sound for under $100, so I started looking at smart speakers compatible with Amazon and Google. Per the many reviews I read, both the Amazon Echo and the Google Nest have good sound, but the Echo has better sound than the Nest. The Echo also has a 3.5mm jack while the Nest does not, so I chose the Echo. I wanted that jack as a way to connect my Walkman and listen to my playlists instead of using Bluetooth and draining Walkman battery.My Echo arrived a few days ago and here is my review. Other smart speaker brands like Sonos, Bose, and Sony were way too expensive for my application and many were not fully compatible with all of the Alexa and Google features. That was a surprise. Plus, they were still mono speakers like the Echo and Nest.Amazon immediately sent a link so I could start the setup process before receiving the Echo. That also gave me time to download and take a good look at the Alexa app on my Android phone. This initial setup process only took a few minutes. When the Echo arrived, I read the documentation, then plugged it in and finished the setup process using the app. There are a lot of possible settings, but many didn’t apply to me because I am not using any smart devices. This process also was easy.I plugged my Walkman into the 3.5 mm jack and didn’t hear any audio. Later, I figured out that the jack can be configured as an output to another speaker or as an input from devices like my Walkman and the default is as an output. Problem solved.The buttons on top of the Echo are clearly marked and are raised, so they are easy to identify and operate. The Echo has some weight to it that makes it stable when placed on my desk or workbench. It is light enough to make it portable. The Echo is not considered as a portable device because it must be plugged in, so I added a power supply ($15 on Amazon) in my garage and now I do consider it portable. The ring at the bottom turns blue when Alexa is connected. There is a button to turn the microphone off if desired. The sound is pretty decent; not Hi-Fi but certainly good enough for my purposes and better than the portable Bluetooth speakers I initially looked at. The Bluetooth connection between the Echo and my Walkman took less than a minute to create. That’s great because my Walkman has had issues trying to connect to external speakers in the past. The Echo also recognized a Bluetooth signal from other devices in my house, but I didn’t need to connect any of them.I had not planned to use the Echo as a smart device, but found it so easy and convenient that I am using it fairly often for weather forecasts, to find out what channel a game is on, for current news, and other things. It’s fun and Alexa answers almost immediately. Some reviewers complained that they have to repeat requests or speak loudly to get a response from their Echo. I have not had any issues at all, even with Amazon Music playing and the volume up.The best thing is that Amazon was selling the Echo for half price when I purchased it. I neglected to choose a color so my order defaulted to blue. It’s a soft blue and I like it. The only thing I don’t like, and other reviews have commented on this, is that regardless of the Echo color the power supply and cable are white. They should be same color as the Echo.So far, I am thrilled with my purchase. Easy to setup, easy to use, responsive, sounds good, portable, and looks good. I can operate the Echo either directly through the speaker and buttons or through the Alexa app on my phone. Both work well. I started with my phone during setup, but now only use the speaker.Update: Amazon replaced my Echo with a new one. The hum problem is now resolved. It is just as responsive and sounds just as good as the original echo that I returned had has no issues. Now that I have spent some time with the Echo I am glad I chose it over the Google Nest.
122 people found this helpful
JBF –
5.0 out of 5 stars
This big Echo works well for me
I try to update my Echos every 2 years or so to keep up with technology. This one is in the kitchen to use while cooking and eating dinner. No problems so far. Alexa is helpful many times when my hands are busy and I need to know something.
david downing –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Echo replacement
Good News, Bad News. Good news, switched to fiber optic wifi. Bad news, Amazon tech said Echo Tower was not compatible with new wifi. Good news, tech said there would be a 15% discount on order for new Amazon Echo. Bad news, ordered new Echo but no 15% discount appeared. Good news, Echo works fine and new Samsung TV has Alexa available. Bad news, somebody did a nice job of designing the Echo as about the size of a 16 inch softball in black, but for some unknown reason a white power cord was in the box. It stands out like a sore thumb in my living room but still works as well as the older model. Whew !
Richard Peres –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic sound an on sale
This echo is so convenient and sounds wonderful. Amazon rips the CD’s you buy and places them also in your library…amazing! No need to find a cd player anymore. I have gone through lots of technology in my life (I am 77) but you are never too old to take advantage.
AkarueKaAkarueKa –
5.0 out of 5 stars
She who must not be named snowball edition
A friend of mine recently gave me an echo. 2nd Gen. And I didn’t think I was going to wind up using it very much but being visually impaired I wound up using it a lot more than I expected.I came to find out that I could listen to my audible books and also my kindle books read to me which is great for my visual impairment it makes it a lot more enjoyable during the day when I become bored with trying to figure out what is actually on the television with my provision some things are just not watchable like they used to be.But the echo. 2nd Gen. Speakers are well they leave a lot to be desired and I had to add additional speakers so when I saw this item I was like I’m gonna go see what the reviews are like and everyone said they were awesome they’re awesome and so much better than the. 2nd Gen. So I decided to go ahead and get one for my birthday as a gift to myself and additionally I got the battery and the silicone carry case combination to go with it and I can take the thing all over my house in my yard and that is so cool.Since I’ve gotten this particular one though I have found there are so many other things that I can do with it other than just listen to my audio books and kindle books I can listen to podcasts I can get the daily news I can check the temperature in the room that the echo is in it is in which is really cool because I don’t have an interior thermostat in my house I run on a space here and a wood stove so I never know what the interior temperature of my house is but I do now.There are also cool games you can play play I’ve been playing prices right and Trivia and a choose your own adventure kind of game andAre you smarter than a 5th grader by the way I’m smarter than a 5th grader.I opted in for Amazon music and not only am I finding all the songs that I’ve forgotten from my past but I found some really cool new ones things things that I would have never found without this echo.I’ve created playlists that when I’m in the mood for one thing or another I just tell she who cannot be named what playlist I want to hear and all of a sudden there I am.She can also actuate my televisionI have a roku TV but I have also added a fireStick as well and she can actuate both of them and also my easy buzz camera that I have to keep an eye on my front porch and yard and be able to speak to people out there when I have guests without going to the door.Being visually impaired this thing is a real helping hand the only thing would be better is if she could clean my house maybe Amazon will get there eventually.But for now I’m very fond of this deviceOther cool additional thingsI like how much bass the speaker has I like to listen to binaural beats music and meditation music and some dance music for exercise and I can feel the music it’s pretty cool.The speaker is pretty darn decent.I chose the white version because because white is a color that I can see better with my vision the only concern I have is that the speaker cover might eventually get dirty but they get dirty I try to dust it on a daily basis just to make sure.We also are using it for well-to-do list for one, alarms, oh and I’ve set a household network up where the smaller echo. that I was gifted is now in my kitchen and I can play them as a group oop or someone in my kitchen can drop in on me and ask me if I want dinner or if I’m busy and vice versa I can drop in on them as well well additionally I’ve set it up so I can tell it to make phone calls directly from my cell phone and works as a great speaker phone I’ve tested it out a few times and everybody says that they can hear me just fine and clear.By the way for a little fun ask her to Beam me up Scottie. Just be careful of the tribbles.
141 people found this helpful
L. Hardy –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sounds good
So, I have a audiophile grade two speaker stereo main system, but I have Echos throughout the house to provide seamless sound from room to room. It all makes me happy. But wait, I just read that Amazon is going to start charging a monthly fee of $5 to $10 for Alexa AI and the current speakers won’t work. This makes me ungruntled, and mumbling about Amazon’s continuous bait and switch. From one day shipping shifting to multiday shipping, to creating faux TV channels that you have to buy or rent movies on rather than including them in their Prime package, to the creation of Woot to see their unsellable stuff (good luck getting a warranty on Woot junk). 3/4 of the stuff sold on Amazon is actually from China sold by China, not US sellers.
Brian Thomas –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent choice
This is my second Echo. I wanted one for my workbench. Two is, in fact, better than one. In addition to using this in a second location I have also on occasion paired it in the same space with my first Echo. The stereo of having two Echo’s in one room was awesome. Perfect for chilling to some good music. You can set these to play the same music in different parts of the house. If you upgrade your Amazon Music account you can play different music in different parts of the house at the same time. I use the basic Amazon Music because I only listen in one part of the house at a time. They can also connect through Bluetooth to the TV for an even better theater experience. I use this mode for watching football. Echo’s can also have macros. If I say, “Alexa, good night” Alexa tells me, “Good night” turns down to the lowest volume and plays the Ambient music station for 30 minutes. This was very easy to set up. I can’t say enough about why having an Echo will improve your life.
Pup Astro Azul Moon –
5.0 out of 5 stars
ALEXA IS EVERYTHING
I love Alexa – The Echo is a dream! It has helped become the greatest electronic in my home. It is a great piece of equipment that helps me stay ready for work with routines that I set up for them and the echo helps me keep track of my work (Wish there was a work echo), overall I love it. Pairing to some work, but it was immediate once I opened the app. These are my fourth and fifth over all.
Yakker –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not like my Gen 1 Echo
I like this product. Sound is good and was easy to hook up and get running on my router. However, the only reason I bought it was because I had updated my router and the Generation 1 Echo I had (that worked perfectly fine) would not connect to the new router. After many tries over several days I read on a page on the Internet that support of older products by Amazon is pretty much non-existent, so I just broke down and bought a new one. Waste of money really. I did this because we also have two of the Echo Dots in the house and wanted to maintain compatibility. Will think twice next time around.Also, as far as features on the new unit which is shaped like a large ball with the light ring on the bottom, it is a bad design. I say this because sitting across the room you cannot see the light ring which indicates notifications and other statuses of the unit. Generation 1 having a tall cylindrical shape with the light ring on the top was easy to see and thus know the status of the unit.
Pat M.Pat M. –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sorry, waiting for furniture
I gave her a view on the subwoofer and I have the two sides because left and right I think it’s excellent as I said before the Amazon support team was great. The woman who I spoke to actually was a big fan of it and had her own system and told me a whole rundown on it what to expect and what not to expect, really incredible. I think it’s very nice to have an open floor plan but it’s excellent. The quality is there and again very well wrapped. It’ll get to you if it falls off a truck or run over by a train. They’re very well wrapped a lot about the company when they wanted to get there in one piece I’m a big fan of that. I’m sorry I just think that that’s very important. Nobody wants to put in a claim and Amazon doesn’t want me to put in the claim wrap it right 🙂 🙂 10 stars
One person found this helpful
Ben –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Definitely love this speaker
Ok so when I learned about the echo (which was just recently, I know it took me a while to get in board with the smart speakers) I had already purchased 2 echo dots not knowing the echo even existed. I definitely love my echo dots (I have 6 of them now) but my new live is the echo! I plan on replacing all of my echo dots with the echos because I never knew a 3″ subwoofer could sound so good for sick a little speaker. I’ve basically transformed my day to day things at home because of this system and I would recommend this to anyone who has a hard time remembering things out anyone who wants to help automate there home to free up time to work on the things that really make you happy. I can’t say enough about how much I love my Amazon echo and how much it has transformed my life for the better! I can’t wait until the next generation of the echo comes out, I’m super pumped to hear it! Thanks Amazon!