Amazon Echo - Review 2022

Editors' Annotation: This is not the most current model available. See our review of the 2022 Amazon Echo. Amazon released its Repeat Bluetooth speaker/smart dwelling house hybrid over two years ago, and since so both it and the Alexa vocalization assistant that powers it have taken the earth past tempest. We've seen new Alexa-powered devices from Amazon, and Alexa is being added to everything from driving banana apps to smart light switches. The original $179.99 Amazon Echo speaker, however, is still going stiff.

Equally a speaker, The Repeat isn't perfect, but it's perfectly functional. Only what's more compelling is that Amazon is continually expanding Alexa's abilities with new features being added all the time, both with first-political party services as well equally 3rd-party "skills." Because Alexa is ever getting better, so is the Echo. Information technology'southward a better product today than it was a couple of years ago, and the same is likely to be true of it next year. And even up confronting the Google Assistant-powered Google Domicile, Alexa remains the vocalization assistant to beat. As such, the Amazon Repeat earns our Editors' Option.

Design

The Echo measures 9.25 inches loftier and 3.27 inches around. Information technology might exist a little tall for some bookshelves, though nosotros can imagine it fitting just about anywhere else in your home just fine. It's basically a plain black or white tube that won't clash with your home decor, but it likewise won't stand out as a design slice. The Google Home, past comparison, is a fleck smaller, at v.62 by 3.79 inches, and more than visually interesting, thanks to its gourd-like shape and fabric base with various color options.

The lower one-half of the Echo is covered in tiny round perforations, with a greyness Amazon logo at the very bottom. The top one-half is completely unadorned, save for the book band, which occupies the uppermost one-half-inch of the device. The ring twists left or right to control volume, though y'all can also control that by phonation or with the optional remote control.

On the very top of the Echo y'all'll find two buttons: 1 that turns the microphone off, and a multipurpose Activity button. A sleek translucent console lining the perimeter is a ring that lights upward when you're decision-making the speaker. It sits right next to an array of 7 microphones. One of the coolest parts nigh the light band is that when y'all're talking, the cluster of lights nearest the microphone that picks upwards your phonation will light upwards, meaning the lite typically responds in your management (though this wasn't always true when nosotros tested in a smaller room with a lot of echo). You don't even discover information technology at first, merely it helps add a homo element to the device.

You tin can purchase an optional microphone-equipped remote ($29.99) similar to the one that comes with the Fire TV Stick. Information technology measures 5.5 by 1.5 past 0.v inches (HWD) and has a rubberized, grippy feel. If y'all're in a noisy surround, yous can agree downwardly the Microphone button at the top of remote and speak to the Echo, rather than shouting across the room. The remote also lets you control volume and playback on any music yous're listening to through the Echo companion app with concrete buttons. It comes with a magnetic holster that lets you deeply attach information technology wherever you think y'all'll utilise information technology the most. Without the remote, the Repeat'due south congenital-in microphone works very well for far-field vocalization recognition, even when music is playing.

Y'all won't find a display, like you lot get with the new Echo Show. The Prove features a 7-inch touch screen that can brandish search results and play movies. It also has a 5-megapixel camera for video chat. That device is still in its infancy, and may not be worth the extra $l to you right now, only it'll be interesting to see where information technology goes.

Setup and App

Setting upward the Echo is very unproblematic, with instructions spelled out clearly in Amazon's documentation: Plug in the Echo, download the Echo app, and follow the app'southward instructions from there. The Echo app is available for Android and iOS smartphones and tablets. You can also admission the app via the Spider web from a supported browser. Y'all don't actually need your mobile device or estimator on-hand for the Echo to connect to the deject after initial setup; after information technology's hooked into your Wi-Fi, it'due south proficient to go.

The app displays a history of all of the questions you ask Alexa, letting you roll down through weather reports, music, measurement conversions, and anything else you throw at it. You tin can tap on the results of any asking to become more than information, like a detailed weather report from AccuWeather or a Bing search for boosted answers to your question. It looks and feels similar to the Google At present screen on stock Android phones.

Borer the carte icon on the meridian left opens the sidebar, which lets you access specific Alexa functions like Music & Books, Shopping & To-do Lists, Timers & Alarms, Smart Home, and Skills (tertiary-party Alexa features you can individually actuate). The menu besides lets you change Alexa settings and bank check all Alexa devices currently linked to your business relationship. Alexa command history tracks across all linked devices, including the Echo.

Once you're fix, yous can starting time talking to Alexa. It sounds less robotic than Apple's Siri, but nowhere near equally fluid and natural every bit the OS voiced by Scarlett Johansson in Her. You tin't change the voice, merely it'south fairly amusing.

Vocalisation Control

The Echo uses on-device keyword spotting to detect a wake word, so as soon every bit you lot say "Alexa," or one of three other words y'all can choose from, the light turns on and the Echo springs into action. Out of the box, voice recognition is pretty fantastic. We didn't have problem with Alexa misunderstanding anything, and the vocalism services should get fifty-fifty improve over time, equally the Echo uses your own vocalization recordings to improve its results. Or you lot can do it yourself by using Vocalization Training in the Echo app.

In add-on to the commands you learn in the introductory video and Things To Endeavor, Amazon includes a handy, bookmark-size, double-sided list of things you can ask Alexa. The topics range from everything in the app, such equally alarms, lists, and music, to facts, weather, and general commands like "Repeat," "Stop," and "Abolish." The app features additional suggestions of vocalism commands to try, and several new features have been added to the Echo since its launch.

Alexa had no problem telling us the New York weather forecast for the day or weekend, besides for other cities around the earth. You don't need to wait for Alexa to catch upwardly either; y'all can pretty much just say "Alexa, what'south the conditions?" without skipping a shell. Alexa can also tell you if there are any traffic issues in your commute in one case you lot enter your work location in the app, and can bring up sports scores and schedules. Other things Alexa has no trouble with: state capitals, word definitions, holidays, and measurements.

All Most Alexa

Amazon has been steadily upgrading Alexa since the Repeat first launched. It's packed with music, smart dwelling house, and information features. You can ask uncomplicated questions and get answers, like converting fluid ounces to cups. Alexa tin fix timers and alarms by voice; all you need to do is say, "Alexa, set timer for 60 minutes," or "Alexa, fix alert for 6:40 a.g." You can also enquire Alexa to add items to shopping and to-do lists, which are automatically added to the Repeat app. Of course, you can as well apply Alexa to buy products right from Amazon. Google Banana has the same functionality in this regard, letting you lot ask for information and perform very simple tasks.

Alexa syncs with your Amazon music library and, if you accept Amazon Prime, all of Prime Music. You lot can as well play music from iHeartRadio, Pandora, Spotify, and TuneIn, though you need to manually link your accounts to Alexa through the app. You can even have Alexa read you books, either in text-to-speech communication mode for whatsoever Kindle titles you own, or Audible audiobook playback. Google Domicile only works with Google Play Music, Pandora, Spotify, and oddly enough YouTube.

Voice control aside for a moment, the Echo likewise functions equally a typical Bluetooth speaker. The Google Home doesn't currently, though an update is in the works. Equally of this writing information technology only works as a Wi-Fi speaker y'all can cast to like a Google Chromecast Sound, making information technology a chip less versatile.

If yous utilise whatever home automation devices like smart lights or thermostats, you can probable use the Echo to command them. Alexa supports If This Then That (IFTTT), Belkin WeMo, Philips Hue, Samsung SmartThings, and Wink, to name some of the big ones, with 66 smart home skills from various manufacturers available at the fourth dimension of writing. If yous have a Logitech Harmony Elite, you tin can fifty-fifty control your home theater through Alexa (not to mention the extensive list of products the Harmony platform can control). Google Home only supports Nest, Philips, and Samsung direct command, though it can besides utilise IFTTT recipes.

Alexa supports thousands of 3rd-party skills (voice apps) across simply smart domicile support. You tin gild a pizza from Dominos or coffee (to pick up) from Starbucks, get news direct from the NPR Hourly News Summary, play your favorite podcasts, walk through relaxing breathing exercises, and fifty-fifty become obscure facts about Pokemon. These skills need to be found in the app or on the Web and individually enabled, just the sheer amount and variety is truly impressive, as is the fact that more than are existence added regularly. You can check out the highest-rated Alexa skills hither.

This is the biggest advantage the Repeat has over Google Home, because anyone tin make skills for Alexa, while Google Assistant doesn't have an API for tertiary parties to develop new features for it at all. Google may take come belatedly to the party, but it isn't making it piece of cake for developers to catch up.

Alexa isn't quite as smart equally Siri when handling personal information. It tin tell you what'due south on your Google Calendar schedule and add events, but it can't read your email or text messages or ship any to other people. The Google Home shares these limitations, which is surprising, given that it's a Google production.

Audio Functioning

The Echo doesn't have a built-in battery, so even though it's small-scale, it's non exactly portable. Sure, you can just pull the power adapter out of the wall and plug information technology in somewhere else, but this, coupled with the optional remote, Amazon is sending a articulate message that the Echo is meant to remain stationary. Want a portable, battery-powered version? Get the Amazon Tap.

Allow's not forget, the Amazon Echo is get-go and foremost a speaker. And equally far as speakers go, it's fine. We tested it side-by-side against the Bose SoundLink Colour, an Editors' Pick for midrange Bluetooth speakers. In that location's no question the SoundLink Color is a better speaker than the Echo, equally it provides deep bass without distortion, ii things the Repeat struggles with. Compared with Google Home, the Echo gets a bit louder, simply Google Home produces a slightly richer, fuller sound. It'south about on par with the Repeat Prove.

On tracks with heavy sub-bass content, like The Pocketknife'due south "Silent Shout," the Echo lacks any resonant low terminate, and starts to distort as you lot approach maximum volume. Dialing back the volume helps cutting the baloney, but the Repeat still lacks any substantial low cease presence. On the positive side, the high stop is crisp, and there's just enough bass that music never sounds cold. Most of the tracks nosotros listened to, from Ani DiFranco's acoustic "Garden of Elementary" to D'Angelo'due south jazzy "Ain't That Like shooting fish in a barrel," felt warm, with plenty book to fill a small-sized room with sound.

If you lot're primarily looking for a speaker, the Echo does a decent task, but for $179.99, information technology's competing against options with significantly more power and better audio quality, not to mention built-in batteries. And in that example, you're better off with the Ultimate Ears UE Nail 2. Heck, y'all can even plug information technology into an Echo Dot for superior audio performance and Alexa.

Conclusions

If you're just looking for a speaker, chances are y'all wouldn't have read this far. Certain, there's really cipher yous tin practice with the Amazon Echo that you can't do with the smartphone in your pocket. Yet there's something here that feels infinitely more approachable.

Ultimately, this is a boxing of voice assistants far more it is of hardware. The Google Home has a different await and a slightly warmer sound signature that might entreatment to you, but Google Banana just can't compete with Alexa's superior library of skills. If you lot don't love the look or audio of the Repeat, there are enough of Alexa-powered alternatives coming down the throughway (and they're non all speakers). Merely we like the way it looks and sounds, and coupled with the steady menstruum of updates that Amazon keeps pushing out, the Echo has get a far better device today than nosotros ever would accept imagined ii years agone. That makes it worthy of our Editors' Choice.

Source: https://sea.pcmag.com/speakers/1463/amazon-echo

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