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Amazon Echo Reviews and Buying Guide

Published In Electronics , Gadget , Tech

Amazon's Echo provides a simple way to make your home smarter, and is also good for entertainment. As there are many models of these gadgets, our reviews and guide below aim to make it easy to pick one.

amazon echo

Comparison

 

There is always something cool to buy on Amazon, but if you are working towards making your home smarter or enhancing your entertainment system, there are some particular gadgets that you will need to buy.

For starters, an Amazon Echo will be a great buy as there is a lot that you can use it for in the house thanks to its wide compatibility.

These devices will pair with everything from smart bulbs and smart plugs to motion sensors and many other things.

But like with everything else good from Amazon, there are many models of the Echo to choose from, and they are always bringing new ones into the market. And while this is a good thing because it means you will have many options to choose from, it can also make things a little confusing.

If you are shopping for your first Echo and are not sure which one to buy, we have you covered as we review 5 of the most popular ones and also explain a few points to consider when making up your mind.

01

Echo 2nd Generation Smart Speaker by Amazon

Our Pick

Pros

  • Allows for multi-room music playing
  • Convenient hands-free calling and
  • Multiple microphones with noise cancellation
  • High-quality speaker with crisp sound and dynamic bass
  • 360-degree omnidirectional audio
  • Controls other compatible devices like smart lights and thermostats
  • Easy to set up and use
  • Many colors and texture choices

Cons

Sound does not seem loud enough for certain applications such as listening to audio books.
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Echo 2nd Gen makes our top choice as it is just a great device that will make your home smarter and even easier to run.

It is designed to be compatible with Alexa so that you can easily control it with your voice, and it uses 7 top notch quality microphones with noise cancellation to ensure it never misses anything. Also, the bilt-in speakers are designed to also offer crisp sound quality and with a dynamic bass, and they are also loud enough for most applications and will deliver 360-degree omnidirectional sound.

Another impressive aspect of this device is that you can use it to play music in multiple rooms. And it is an easy Echo to set up and use, and you get to chose from different color and texture options.

This is a great device that delivers great sound quality, is easy to set up and will allow you to control almost any smart home device.

If you’re interested in reading customer reviews of Echo 2nd Generation Smart Speaker, you should check from Amazon Now. If this is what you're looking, Check current price and Buy Now on Amazon

02

Echo Dot 2nd Generation Smart Speaker by Amazon

Pros

  • Unable to play music from a variety of sources
  • Hands-free calling and messaging
  • Far-field microphones never miss anything
  • Built-in speakers will deliver bigger and clearer sound
  • Controls most smart devices in the house
  • Highly affordable

Cons

Loading and remembering skills names can be tedious.
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You do not have to buy the priciest Echo Dot to get impressive features because this highly affordable 2nd generation model is also as good as they can get.

It is a compact device that is designed for ease of use and convenience. And you can use it to play music from several sources which makes it quite flexible.

Also, it has 7 far-field microphones that will hardly ever miss anything even when in a noisy room, and the built-in speakers are also designed to deliver louder and clearer sound.

Also, besides giving this speaker simple Alexa commands, you can also use it to control various smart devices like lights, thermostats, and locks.

This Echo is the perfect choice for those shopping for a smart speaker but don’t want to spend a lot of cash.

You know what’s the most important feature of Echo Dot 2nd Generation Smart Speaker? One customer wrote details about this on Amazon. If this is what you're looking, Check current price and Buy Now on Amazon

03

Echo Spot with a Screen by Amazon

Pros

  • Compact design fits anywhere
  • Far-field voice recognition
  • Connects easily with speakers via Bluetooth
  • Convenient hands-free calling and texting
  • Includes tens of thousands of skills
  • Controls various devices conveniently
  • Easy setup and use

Cons

Font size not very good for people with problematic eyesight.
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The addition of a screen takes the performance of this Echo to a whole new level as it will make it more interactive and convenient to use.

Besides the screen, this is also easy to set up and use speaker that comes in a compact size that will work for any room. And like most other Echo devices, you can use it to control almost any smart home device from electric switches to thermostats.

With the far-field voice recognition, it will also not miss any command, and it also has a good built-in speaker that you can pair with other speakers via Bluetooth, and it includes tens of thousands of skills.

If you prefer something with a screen, this compact and stylish Echo will impress you.

You know what’s the most important feature of Echo Spot with a Screen? One customer wrote details about this on Amazon. If this is what you're looking, Check current price and Buy Now on Amazon

04

Amazon 2nd Generation Echo Plus by Amazon

Best Sound

Pros

  • Quick and simple set up and use
  • Dolby powered speakers with 360-degree audio
  • Easily pairs with a second Echo Plus device
  • Built-in temperature sensor
  • It will hear you from any direction
  • Superior sound quality

Cons

A little pricier when compared to other models.
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If you do not mind spending a few extra dollars on your Echo Dot, this will be a perfect buy for you.

Like most others, it is designed to be quick and easy to set up and use, and you can use it to control almost any smart home device. Although the sound quality is superior to what you get from many others, you can also pair it with a second Echo Plus to make it even better.

The Dolby powered speakers that deliver 360-degree audio are responsible for the great sound and they will ensure that you enjoy music and anything else you listen to. Also, it has 7 top notch quality microphones that are designed to hear you from any direction, and they have noise cancellation an beam forming technology.

Although all the Echo Dot’s produce great sound quality, what you get from this one seems to be a notch higher.

For more about Amazon 2nd Generation Echo Plus, check out customer reviews on Amazon. If this is what you're looking, Check current price and Buy Now on Amazon

05

Echo Dot Kids Edition by Amazon

Best for Kids

Pros

  • Great for storytelling and comedy
  • Easy to use controls for parents
  • Allows kids to control compatible devices easily
  • Automatic filtration of explicit songs
  • Relatively more affordable

Cons

A little too restrictive for calls when in child settings.
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Your kids will also love to have an Echo Dot as there is a lot they can do with it.

This particular model is specifically meant for kids, and it will provide everything from a kid-friendly DJ to storytelling and comedy to keep your kids entertained. And it also has easy to use controls for the parents to make it easy to monitor everything that your kids use the device for.

But, it still allows the kids to control the compatible devices such as lights, switches and many other devices.

You can also be confident that your kids will not listen to explicit songs as it filters them out, and this is a relatively more affordable model when compared to others.

If you want your kids to also enjoy the services or the fun that comes with a smart speaker, this is what you need to buy them.

For more about Echo Dot Kids Edition, check out customer reviews on Amazon. If this is what you're looking, Check current price and Buy Now on Amazon

Key factors to consider when buying

Every Echo device that you buy will have some great features and capabilities.

But because you will often just need one, it is important to know how to choose the best one for you.

However, this should also be simple, and this is because you will only need to consider the following things.

Compatibility

The compatibility of the Echo Dot device that you have is one of the key factors that you will need to consider when shopping. And this is because it will determine how useful, flexible and convenient it will be.

Luckily, Amazon takes this fact into account, and so most of their Echo devices are compatible with most smart home devices and appliances.

But, before you make up your mind, you still need to make sure that what you buy will be ideal for our particular set up.

Size

Size also matters a lot as you do not want something that takes up a lot of space. Also, some people will prefer to keep their Echo Dot’s in a more concealed location, and so the larger models might not make this possible.

A small and compact one that is still feature-rich and widely compatible will in most cases be your best pick. Luckily, most of these devices are low profile and compact enough.

Sound Quality

Because you will probably ask Alexa to play some music on these devices at some point, it is important to make sure that you pick a model with some good quality speakers or at least a good sound.

The sound should be crisp clear and loud enough for you to hear from across the room. Also, good sound quality ensures that any feedback from the device is audible enough so that you do not miss anything.

Price

When it comes to the price, Amazon tries to cover all kinds of buyers, and so the Echo Dot devices will come with varying price tags.

You can get some models that retail for under $50 while other feature-rich and more advanced ones will sell for over $200.

Hence, you need to decide how much you are willing to spend when shopping for these handy gadgets.

Conclusion

An Echo Dot smart speaker is always a great gadget to have in your home. And with this guide to help you out, finding one should be a quick and simple process.

As for recommendations, the Echo dot 2nd Generation Smart Speaker is our cheapest option and the Echo 2nd Generation Smart Speaker is our top pick overall.

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01 Echo 2nd Generation Smart Speaker image large Echo 2nd Generation Smart Speaker
by Amazon
This is a great device that delivers great sound quality, is easy to set up and will allow you to control almost any smart home device. Buy now on Amazon
02 Echo Dot 2nd Generation Smart Speaker image large Echo Dot 2nd Generation Smart Speaker
by Amazon
This Echo is the perfect choice for those shopping for a smart speaker but don’t want to spend a lot of cash. Buy now on Amazon
03 Echo Spot with a Screen image large Echo Spot with a Screen
by Amazon
If you prefer something with a screen, this compact and stylish Echo will impress you. Buy now on Amazon
04 Amazon 2nd Generation Echo Plus image large Amazon 2nd Generation Echo Plus
by Amazon
Although all the Echo Dot’s produce great sound quality, what you get from this one seems to be a notch higher. Buy now on Amazon
05 Echo Dot Kids Edition image large Echo Dot Kids Edition
by Amazon
If you want your kids to also enjoy the services or the fun that comes with a smart speaker, this is what you need to buy them. Buy now on Amazon
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