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Amazon Echo (newest model), Alexa speaker with premium sound, Ideal for large bedrooms, living rooms and kitchens, Charcoal

Brand: Amazon

151,195 ratings

Amazon's Choice

1 sustainability feature

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with Wall Mount

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with Battery Base

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Purchase options and add-ons

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.
Privacy controls– Designed to protect your privacy – Amazon is not in the business of selling your personal information to others. Built with multiple layers of privacy controls including a mic off button.

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HD music requires a compatible streaming music service, including an Amazon Music Unlimited subscription.

eero Built-in – add up to 1,000 sq ft of wifi coverage to a compatible eero network.

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Top Brand: Amazon

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Meet Echo

Talk about well-rounded. Echo combines premium sound, a built-in Zigbee smart home hub, and a temperature sensor. Powerful speakers deliver clear highs, dynamic mids, and deep bass for rich, detailed sound that adapts to any room.

Just ask Alexa to play music, answer questions, make calls, and tell you the news, sports scores, weather, and more.

More music in more rooms

Use your voice to play a song, artist, or genre through Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, and others. With multi-room music, you can fill your whole home with music, radio stations, podcasts, and Audible using compatible Echo devices in different rooms. You can even pair your Echo with compatible Fire TV devices to feel scenes come to life with home theater audio.

Built-in smart home hub with simple setup

The built-in smart home hub lets you easily set up and manage Zigbee and Matter compatible smart devices. Just power on compatible lights, plugs, sensors, and locks and say, “Alexa, discover my devices.” The hub also works with select Ring Smart Lighting solar lights and bulbs. Learn more about the different ways you can connect your smart home device.

Alexa is happy to help

Make your life easier at home. Set timers, ask questions, add items to lists, and create calendar events and reminders. Check the traffic and weather, or play the news. Access tens of thousands of Alexa skills. You can even bring new life to game night with Song Quiz, Jeopardy!, Common Knowledge, and more.

Stay connected and in sync

Instantly drop in on other rooms in your home or make an announcement to every room that has a compatible Echo device. Let everyone know dinner is ready, or remind the kids that it’s bedtime. You can also stay in touch with friends and family with hands-free calling.

Alexa for kids
and family

Alexa can help kids learn and grow—while having fun along the way. And with free parental controls from Amazon Kids, Alexa will automatically give kid-friendly responses, filter explicit songs and block shopping. Children’s privacy is important to us. Discover how kids can use Alexa, watch helpful how-to videos, get answers to FAQs, and more.

Haven’t tried Amazon Kids+? Click here to start your 1-month free trial. Amazon Kids+ is an all-in-one subscription that unlocks thousands of hours of kid-friendly videos, interactive games, educational skills, and Audible books starting at $5.99/month.

Designed to protect your privacy

Alexa and Echo devices are built with multiple layers of privacy protection. Echo smart speakers have a microphone off button that electronically disconnects the microphones. You also have control over your voice recordings and can view, hear, or delete them at any time. Alexa uses ultrasound motion detection with select features, such as Occupancy Routines. Ultrasound does not emit on your device unless a feature is enabled that uses motion detection to properly function. You can turn motion detection off at any time. Learn more about motion detection.

Simple to set up and use

1. Plug in Echo and connect to the internet with the Alexa app.

2. Just ask Alexa for music, weather, news, and more.

3. For simple setup with compatible smart home devices, say, “Alexa, discover my devices.”

Every day is an earth day

You don’t have to be an environmental scientist to make sustainable choices. We considered sustainability in the design of this device. Here’s how:

Materials

50% post-consumer recycled plastics
100% post-consumer recycled fabric
100% recycled die-cast aluminum
Device, cable and adapter included

Clean Energy

Amazon is building new wind and solar farms to produce clean energy equivalent to the electricity used by this device.

Low Power Mode

To reduce its energy consumption, this device will enter Low Power Mode when it is idle. Low Power Mode is not available for certain user configurations. To learn more, see Low Power Mode Restrictions.

Compare Echo devices


DEVICE	Echo Pop	Echo Dot (5th Gen)	Echo Spot	Echo (4th Gen)
PRICE	$39.99	$49.99	$79.99	$99.99
RATINGS	4.7 (89,869)	4.6 (162,532)	4.6 (26,662)	4.6 (151,195)
AUDIO QUALITY	Full Sound	Big Vibrant Sound	Big Vibrant Sound	Premium Room-Filling Sound
SPEAKERS	1.95” front-firing speaker	1.73" front-firing speaker	1.73" front-firing speaker	3.0" neodymium woofer and dual front-firing 0.8" tweeters
AUDIO SUPPORT	Lossless High Definition	Lossless High Definition	Lossless High Definition	Lossless High Definition, Dolby Audio
LINE IN/OUT	-	-	-	3.5 mm line in/out
SCREEN	-	-	2.83” with 320x240 resolution	-
IDEAL ROOM PLACEMENT	Small spaces	Bedrooms and small spaces	Bedrooms and small spaces	Communal spaces like the living or family room
RELEASE YEAR	2023	2022	2024	2020
WORKS WITH ALEXA+			Coming soon
HANDS-FREE WITH ALEXA
MOTION DETECTION	-
TEMPERATURE SENSOR	-		-
BUILT-IN ZIGBEE SMART HOME HUB	-	-	-
EERO BUILT-IN			-
CAMERA	-	-	-	-
PRIVACY CONTROLS	Built-in microphone off button and in-app privacy controls	Built-in microphone off button and in-app privacy controls	Built-in microphone off button and in-app privacy controls	Built-in microphone off button and in-app privacy controls
DIMENSIONS	3.9”W x 3.3”D x 3.6”H	3.9”W x 3.9”D x 3.5”H	4.5"W x 4.1"D x 4.4"H	5.7”W x 5.7”D x 5.2”H

Technical details

Echo (4th Gen)

Size	5.7” x 5.7” x 5.2” (144 x 144 x 133 mm)
Weight	34.2 oz (970 g) Actual size and weight may vary by manufacturing process.
Wifi connectivity	Dual-band wifi supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 and 5 GHz) networks. Does not support connecting to ad-hoc (or peer-to-peer) wifi networks.
Amazon Sidewalk	Sidewalk uses Echo and Ring devices to securely keep other devices connected and help find lost items by reporting their approximate location to the owner. Sidewalk can enable supported devices to remain connected even when wifi is lost or the supported devices are outside the range of their home wifi. Sidewalk uses a small portion of your internet bandwidth and the approximate location of your devices to provide these benefits to you and your neighbors. Sidewalk is turned on for your device unless you have previously turned it off. You can turn off Sidewalk at any time. Learn more about Amazon Sidewalk.
Smart home hub	Zigbee + Sidewalk + Matter + Thread Border Router
eero Built-in	Your wifi network must use a compatible eero router and your Echo device must stay in range of a compatible eero device. You will need to link your eero and Amazon accounts and manage eero Built-in from the eero mobile application to use this feature. eero Built-in compatible Echo devices support up to 1,000 sq. ft. of additional coverage, speeds up to 100 Mbps, and 10 or fewer connected devices. Actual performance can vary and certain eero, Echo, or Alexa features may be incompatible with eero Built-in. Learn more about eero Built-in performance, availability and compatibility. Use of eero and eero-related products and services, including eero Built-in, requires creation of an eero account and agreement to eero’s Terms of Service. Review eero’s Privacy Notice.
Bluetooth connectivity	Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) support for audio streaming from your mobile device to Echo or from Echo to your Bluetooth speaker. Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP) for voice control of connected mobile devices. Hands-free voice control is not supported for Mac OS X devices. Direct control of BLE Mesh. Bluetooth speakers requiring PIN codes are not supported.
Audio	3.0” (76.2 mm) neodymium woofer and two 0.8” (20 mm) tweeters.
Alexa app	The Alexa app is compatible with Fire OS, Android, and iOS devices. Supported operating systems.
Accessibility features	To enable features that personalize Alexa to your abilities, go to Settings → Accessibility in the Alexa App. • Adaptive Listening provides customers more time to finish speaking before Alexa responds. • Preferred Speaking Rate allows customers to control how fast or slow Alexa speaks. To enable, say “Alexa, speak slower” or “Alexa, speak faster.” • Request Sound will play an audible tone in addition to the visual indicator when you speak to Alexa. To enable, say “Alexa, turn on Start of Request Sound.” • Kindle Read Aloud will have Alexa read your Kindle books aloud. • Notify When Nearby will play notification sounds when you’re detected near your Echo device. • Alexa Accessibility features also include several other settings for customers with accessibility needs related to vision, hearing, mobility, and speech.

Warranty and service	1-year limited warranty and service included. Optional 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year extended warranty available for U.S. customers sold separately. Use of Echo is subject to these terms.
Setup technology	Amazon wifi simple setup enables customers to connect smart devices to their wifi network in a few easy steps. Wifi simple setup is another way Alexa is always getting smarter. Learn more about wifi simple setup.
Included in the box	Echo (4th Gen), glacier white power adapter (30W), and Quick Start Guide.
Generation	Echo (4th Gen) - 2020 release
Privacy features	Wake word technology, streaming indicators, microphone off button, the ability to view and delete your voice recordings, and more. Visit the Alexa Privacy Hub to explore how Alexa and Echo devices are designed to protect your privacy.
Language	Alexa speaks English and Spanish
Alexa Skills & Features	Alexa makes your life easier, more meaningful, and more fun by letting you voice control your world. Alexa can help you get more out of the things you already love and discover new possibilities you've never imagined. Discover and learn what Alexa can do.
Software Security Updates	This device receives guaranteed software security updates until at least four years after the device is last available for purchase as a new unit on our websites. Learn more about these software security updates. If you already own an Amazon Echo, visit Manage Your Content and Devices for information specific to your device.

Sustainability features

This product has sustainability features recognized by trusted certifications.

Carbon impact

Carbon emissions from the lifecycle of this product were reduced compared to similar products or previous models.

As certified by

Reducing CO2

Customer reviews

151,195 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the Echo speaker has good sound quality, is easy to set up and use, and appreciate its sphere design. They consider it worth the upgrade and love Alexa's capabilities. The connectivity and voice recognition receive mixed feedback - while some report good connectivity, others experience connection issues, and while voice recognition is great for some, others find it not as good. The size also gets mixed reactions, with some finding it nice while others note it takes up more shelf space than expected.

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Functionality Ease of setup Look Echo quality Voice recognition Connectivity Size

4,769 customers mention "Functionality"4,027 positive742 negative

Customers find that the Echo Dot works great and is worth every penny.

"Sound is incredible. Great product" Read more

"Works great" Read more

"...I do like the ball shape better and it works great. Setup was easy...." Read more

"Good product! Fast Service" Read more

2,010 customers mention "Ease of setup"1,720 positive290 negative

Customers find the Echo Dot easy to set up and use, describing it as user-friendly and convenient.

"...heavy could weigh atleast 9 pounds connects immediately to my WiFi easy to set up because I set it up before I ordered it connectivity is good like..." Read more

"...So far, I am thrilled with my purchase. Easy to setup, easy to use, responsive, sounds good, portable, and looks good...." Read more

"Easy to use" Read more

"...Easy to set up in a few minutes just plug it in and use the Alexa app." Read more

1,225 customers mention "Look"1,061 positive164 negative

Customers like the appearance of the Echo Dot, particularly its sphere design.

"...It also looks great with its modern, round design and fits nicely with any decor...." Read more

"...Easy to setup, easy to use, responsive, sounds good, portable, and looks good...." Read more

"Looks great. Seems to fill the room with more sound. Very easy set up especially if you have other Alexas. Just plug and play...." Read more

"Nice and powerful sound. I recommend it!!!!" Read more

794 customers mention "Echo quality"702 positive92 negative

Customers love Alexa's capabilities, finding her smart and fun to interact with, with one customer specifically praising the Echo Show 15 model.

"Great upgrade, sound fills our large room very well and a lot more responsive. Win.. win." Read more

"...Not only is it a nice little speaker but it’s also an Alexa and serves as my doorbell too." Read more

"Love the new Echo, sound quality was greatly improved. Able to control all devices in our home." Read more

"I love the sound and the voice is clearer. Work very well. Good upgrade" Read more

1,965 customers mention "Voice recognition"1,090 positive875 negative

Customers have mixed experiences with the device's voice recognition: while some praise its great voice recognition and find Alexa makes life easier, others report issues with the device not picking up their voice commands.

"...I'm still learning, experimenting and loving this lil thing. Voice recognition..." Read more

"...The issues I am experiencing involves the voice recognition...." Read more

"...Great voice recognition and easily linked to my Kasa wall switches. The sound is much better on this unit as well...." Read more

"Did not meet expectations for a new generation model. Poor voice recognition as compared to previous models...." Read more

934 customers mention "Connectivity"372 positive562 negative

Customers have mixed experiences with the Echo Dot's connectivity, with some reporting good performance while others mention issues with devices not connecting properly.

"...my 4 diverse and enjoy but with my this echo and having some connectivity issues and don't know if is the app bad behaving or the firmware on the..." Read more

"Alexa is great but she responds to my TV which is somewhat annoying." Read more

"...of it, but was very surprised and disappointed to find it was not wireless. I may return it." Read more

"Not wireless . Other than that is amazing toy." Read more

697 customers mention "Size"451 positive246 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the Echo's size, with some finding it nice and great for small rooms, while others note it's larger than expected and takes up more shelf space.

"...The sound is very impressive for such a small device...." Read more

"...I can't give 5 starts because the design is not good for me, is too big. Definitely love the prior design...." Read more

"...For something of its size and compact footprint I wouldn't have thought the balance to the sound across the listening spectrum would be so robust,..." Read more

"...It’s small but surprisingly powerful. The sound quality is great, especially for its size, and Alexa makes life so much easier...." Read more

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Top reviews from the United States

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Carolina lopez
Amazing Device!
Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2025
Color: Glacier WhiteConfiguration: EchoVerified Purchase

I absolutely love my new Echo Dot! The design is sleek and modern, and the setup was incredibly easy—just downloaded the Amazon Alexa app and plugged it in. Within minutes, I was playing music, asking questions, and setting reminders.
The sound quality is impressive for such a compact speaker, and the voice recognition is super responsive. I also really appreciate the built-in privacy features, like the microphone off button.
If you’re looking for a smart assistant that fits seamlessly into your home, this is a fantastic choice. Highly recommended!

Read more

Carolina lopez

Amazing Device!

Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2025
I absolutely love my new Echo Dot! The design is sleek and modern, and the setup was incredibly easy—just downloaded the Amazon Alexa app and plugged it in. Within minutes, I was playing music, asking questions, and setting reminders.
The sound quality is impressive for such a compact speaker, and the voice recognition is super responsive. I also really appreciate the built-in privacy features, like the microphone off button.
If you’re looking for a smart assistant that fits seamlessly into your home, this is a fantastic choice. Highly recommended!

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Leah
It listens so well. Alittle to well
Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2025
Color: Twilight BlueConfiguration: EchoVerified Purchase
5 words. Best purchase I ever made.
Oh also it listens to all my conversations and even if I whisper Alexa she still hears my whisper and will say yes? Functionality is perfect the quality is amazing it’s heavy could weigh atleast 9 pounds connects immediately to my WiFi easy to set up because I set it up before I ordered it connectivity is good like I said connects immediately to my WiFi

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ZoomZoom!
HONEST REVIEW/COMPARISON FOR ALL INTELLIGENT LIFE FORMS.
Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2021
Color: Twilight BlueConfiguration: EchoVerified Purchase
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 15x18 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.

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C
New Shape, New Processor, Better Sound
Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2020
Color: CharcoalConfiguration: EchoVerified Purchase
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!

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peter cawthorne
Stylist and Sounds Very Good.
Reviewed in Canada on December 13, 2020
Verified Purchase

The Echo 4 is actually beyond my expectations. It is physically fairly heavy, the quality of manufacture and finish is good. There is a standard screw thread tripod socket on the bottom of the Echo 4 and the power cable is about 2 metres long. I have two Echo 4’s which I easily paired using the Alexa app on my iPhone into a stereo group with left and right channels. I was also able to choose several streaming programs, including Amazon Music (default) and Apple Music. You can also use TuneIn, Spotify and Deezer. The amount of bass is very impressive and a bit heavy out of the box but you can adjust the bass, treble and midrange using the app or by asking Alexa. The communication ring light on the base of each unit is easily visible, it’s very ‘Gort’ in operation, especially in a darkened room. I had seen in some influencer reviews complaints about putting the ring on the bottom but it works well in this location. Alexa, hears my voice even over fairly loud music about 90% of the time and when the music is playing at low levels all of the time.

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peter cawthorne

Stylist and Sounds Very Good.

Reviewed in Canada on December 13, 2020
The Echo 4 is actually beyond my expectations. It is physically fairly heavy, the quality of manufacture and finish is good. There is a standard screw thread tripod socket on the bottom of the Echo 4 and the power cable is about 2 metres long. I have two Echo 4’s which I easily paired using the Alexa app on my iPhone into a stereo group with left and right channels. I was also able to choose several streaming programs, including Amazon Music (default) and Apple Music. You can also use TuneIn, Spotify and Deezer. The amount of bass is very impressive and a bit heavy out of the box but you can adjust the bass, treble and midrange using the app or by asking Alexa. The communication ring light on the base of each unit is easily visible, it’s very ‘Gort’ in operation, especially in a darkened room. I had seen in some influencer reviews complaints about putting the ring on the bottom but it works well in this location. Alexa, hears my voice even over fairly loud music about 90% of the time and when the music is playing at low levels all of the time.

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Highway420
I expected better. Get screen Echos
Reviewed in Canada on January 7, 2021
Verified Purchase
It kills me to only give 3 stars for this product because I love the entire Echo/Alexa series but this Echo 4 is just nothing special compared to the other ones and can never hear me when I call it. Sometimes I call it 7-9 times before giving up and asking Google Nest or another Echo device. The ring light on the bottom is a poor design choice as well. There's just nothing new or exciting (besides colour) about Generation 4. Yes she's a bit quicker but sometimes that's a negative because she closes out before you get a chance to say anything/finish your question. Too much hassle to send back but will be last Amazon smart device until they come up with something new/exciting.
I can't even find any use or even mention of the zigbee hub. The one thing I love which is probably unimportant to most is the indoor temperature feature. Love knowing the temperature in my room by asking. This is extremely hard of hearing and never wakes up when I ask it to, yet wakes up when its dead quiet. Very strange experience this purchase. Hopefully Amazon can release a fix (OTA) for the hearing issue as its a major issue and walking to control the echo 4 defeats its purpose.

Update- no firmware updates have fixed anything yet, I love my echoes but I wish I had of bought another one with a screen as I find those ones 1000 times more useful. A Red ball is cool looking but that’s about it. Having a screen has spoiled me.

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Mir
I can't even tell you everything she does.
Reviewed in Canada on July 27, 2021
Verified Purchase
Replaced my decade old alarm clock with this and couldn't be happier. She hears me from the hallway. She is like having a personal assistant, which is super helpful for me while recovering from a concussion I got a month ago. I can turn music on/off, volume up/down, set verbal reminders and alarms. With buying a smart plug I can turn my A/C on/off verbally or through the app. I can ask her questions, she's very responsive and hasn't gotten confused by my voice or wording yet. I dont know how I got through the last month without one. I think my Ma needs one for Christmas, dont know what youre missing til you have one.

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Arawnka Shkola
Good sound for the money
Reviewed in Canada on March 7, 2021
Verified Purchase
I love the design, the size and feel. The sound is adequate for my night music needs.
The voice recognition is poor, making me repeat Alexa often. Whisper mode works well, so I don’t understand why it does not wake when I say Alexa normal voice often.
It lost my Sengle smart light just after a month of working perfectly...also a mystery why. Now it will not recognize the light at all. I will have to talk to the nice amazon techies soon.

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Arawnka Shkola

Good sound for the money

Reviewed in Canada on March 7, 2021
I love the design, the size and feel. The sound is adequate for my night music needs.
The voice recognition is poor, making me repeat Alexa often. Whisper mode works well, so I don’t understand why it does not wake when I say Alexa normal voice often.
It lost my Sengle smart light just after a month of working perfectly...also a mystery why. Now it will not recognize the light at all. I will have to talk to the nice amazon techies soon.

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Paul
Different shape has pros and cons
Reviewed in Canada on October 16, 2021
Verified Purchase
number 1 pro is it is unique looking being a red ball

number 1 con is the manual controls are harder to use compared to the previous-gen

sound is about the same to my ears

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5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Device!

Amazing Device!

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5.0 out of 5 stars It listens so well. Alittle to well

5.0 out of 5 stars HONEST REVIEW/COMPARISON FOR ALL INTELLIGENT LIFE FORMS.

4.0 out of 5 stars New Shape, New Processor, Better Sound

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5.0 out of 5 stars Stylist and Sounds Very Good.

Stylist and Sounds Very Good.

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2.0 out of 5 stars I expected better. Get screen Echos

5.0 out of 5 stars I can't even tell you everything she does.

4.0 out of 5 stars Good sound for the money

Good sound for the money

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4.0 out of 5 stars Different shape has pros and cons

Alexa for kids
and family

Amazing Device!

It listens so well. Alittle to well

HONEST REVIEW/COMPARISON FOR ALL INTELLIGENT LIFE FORMS.

New Shape, New Processor, Better Sound

Stylist and Sounds Very Good.

I expected better. Get screen Echos

I can't even tell you everything she does.

Good sound for the money

Different shape has pros and cons