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

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.

Updated: It’s a 5 out of 5 as a smart speaker/smart home hub, a 4+ out of 5 for music listening, and a 3 out of 5 for movies/TV. But that’s amazing for the size and price. Second update: I have been listening to a stereo pair of these in the near field as I work, and they’re excellent this way, and while I’d always prefer also having a subwoofer, these don’t really need one for most tracks. Increasing my rating. I have two Amazon Echo 4th Gen speakers in my office. They work great as a smart speaker and hub for automating lights, plugs, and for announcing weather and news, etc. They are well worth the money in that role, especially if you get them on sale. They pack a lot of functionality into a small package for a more than fair price. In fact I don't think any other smart speaker/hub provides as much value for the money that these do, and it has proven a reliable smart hub. (Updated: Music performance has improved possibly after an over-the-air update) For music they’re very good, almost but not quite great, it will depend on your expectations. If you’re used to good quality stereo gear and expect these to compete, even as a stereo pair, then I believe you’ll be disappointed. They come very close and sound very good for background and casual listening but if you want something for critical listening these fall a little short. To put things in perspective though, they sound much better, I believe, than any Bluetooth speaker at the same price point. I also use them, paired, as a “Home Theater” for a Fire TV Stick/TV and here they are OK for occasional secondary watching. There was surprisingly not much difference between using one speaker in this role and using the pair. I don’t regret getting the second speaker, it does improve music listening just not as much as I’d hoped. They aren’t loud enough for much beyond a small room in a home theater configuration. While they are a big improvement over the TV speakers, they aren’t a substitute for any competent Home Theater setup, whether that’s a soundbar or stereo set up (not fair to compare them to a 5.1 or more system). My biggest issue is the volume constraints, no doubt limited due to their (tiny!) 3 inch mid-woofers. They produce a surprising amount of bass for such small woofers. However, given that it provides ALL of this functionality at this price, I’m not complaining. Yeah, sound quality for music and TV/Movies is just not quite there, but it’s very close.

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.

I have had homepod mini, the original homepod, and most of the Echo first party devices, including echo studio. The echo 4th gen is definitely the best of all of these. I have even owned the bose portable, some really expensive Sony speakers. For the size and sound quality and reliable and fast voice recognition, these can't be beat. Issues with the homepods: The homepod had great sound quality, but it was big and you still dont get the stereo separation effect you can get with two speakers one on each side of the room, and after a firmware update the speaker developed a weird and terrible sounding issue and I had to throw it away. Apple discontinued it so I couldn't buy a replacement. The homepod minis used to be good, in fact better sound quality than probably the echo dot 5th gen (I didn't test it personally, just heard the sound in a review). However they started becoming unreliable as well, one would cut out midsong or there would be a weird echoing effect and the voice recognition was always slower than an echo device. And sometimes siri wouldn't recognize at all, or she would say 'something went wrong, this is taking longer than I expected'.... a lot. So switching over to two Echo 4th gens, in a stereo pair, was really great because the voice recognition is faster and she usually understands what I say and play it. I could say the same request to both and Siri wouldn't get it while Alexa would. However there was a major issue, at first they wouldn't pair in a sound pair. I had to web search and find out that what you have to do is plug in one speaker only, say 'alexa check for updates' and then wait until that speaker updates, then unplug it, do that for the second speaker, unplug it when done, then update the alexa app on your phone, then plug everything back in and try to pair them again in the app. That worked for me. Amazon really dropped the ball on this, and I had to remove a star, you shouldn't get a product that has a basic feature like the speakers working in a stereo pair that requires a bunch of googling to solve. I can imagine the frustration if you buy two and then they don't work in a stereo pair and your googling skills aren't good enough. Another knock on Alexa compared to Siri in general, is that lately Alexa has been spamming me asking me if I want stuff. Siri never does that. Alexa will say things like 'by the way (advertisement, would you like to try it/buy it?) However as far as I know there is no reliable Apple smart speaker that exists so this is your best option. Note that I didnt try the google products because I gave up on google made products, they all seem to break (chromebook, pixel 6, google wifi, etc. and then google always makes some excuse why they wont fix it- so not only do their products break but they also won't fix them- I gave up on them)

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.!!!

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 device Other 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.

We have purchased FOUR of the little Echo DOTS (a couple 4th gen & a couple 5th gen), and have been very pleased with them, enjoying them very much. Yet I have *always* wanted & wished for this "big one" for sooo long! Even when they've gone on sale at tremendous discounts for Prime Days and such, the money just simply wasn't there to make the purchase. Besides, I always sort of just thought to myself, "How much better could the full size Echo really BE, anyway?" (Probably just trying to make myself feel better about *not* being able to afford this big boy, lol). I finally took the plunge, purchasing this as an xmas gift for MYSELF. 😁 And, WELL!!!..... Please allow me to share with you,....the sound quality is **WORLDS** better! And yes, such a statement would seem self-evident, just due to the simple fact that it IS so much larger than the Dots, so I *did* expect there to be an obvious *difference* in sound quality and "loudness", but ohhhh myyyy GAW!!! Having to wait until the kids and all were asleep before busting this out and setting it up (lest someone be tempted by a bright idea of thinking they'd try to snag this baby from me, lol!), so therefore, it wasn't possible to take her for a REAL test drive at the volumes I'd have preferred, 😆, AND without changing any of the EQ or other sound preference options and settings, I asked her to play Given Up by Linkin Park, and the instant the song started, the sound superiority over the Dot was immediately obvious, but THEN, when that song kicks in after the initial build-up, HOLY MIND-BLOWN, BATMAN!! Even at a "normal" level, (being unable to turn the volume way up, as I really wanted to be able to do, lest I risk waking the beasts, HaHa), the BASS, the CLARITY, the FULLNESS of the sound, and just the OVERALL sound and *FEEL* of this full-size Echo slapped THE BIGGEST smile across my face instantly!!! With the Echo Dots, you can *listen* to music, but with this full-sized Echo, you are IMMERSED in and EXPERIENCE your music!!! Alexa does, of course, have myriad abilities and uses, and there is so much more that Alexa can do, in general, although I've not yet even taken the time to check out any of the other features and abilities to use/experience through this Echo, but for me personally, I just wanted this purely for playing music, anyway. Again, just the "direct, out of the box" settings, sound and quality are AMAZING, but I'm excited to be able to sit down and really test out the EQ and other personalized options to tweak the sound & performance. If there is anyone out there who, like me, has debated if it's "worth it", or has wondered how much of a difference there really IS between the Echo and the Echo Dot, it's almost a night & day difference! She's probably about 2½ times larger than the Dots, give or take, VERY heavy and appears to be incredibly high quality and well made, plus, setup was a BREEZE! With the Dots, it was always just a bit of a process to go through the steps to get them set up, connected (to wifi *and* Bluetooth pairing with phones and such), therefore, I was expecting the same; at least a *somewhat* slight, time-consuming pain in the rear, but Nope! With this full-sized Echo, I simply plugged it in, opened the Alexa app, and with just a very few simple clicks on the "buttons" that automatically popped up, it was DONE! Setup took *maybe* a whooping 30-60 seconds! Not sure why that is, or why there'd be such a tremendous difference in the length of time *and* multiple steps it *always* took to get the Dots fully connected, paired, set up and working (e.g. "hold this button down for 'this' long until the ring of color around the bottom turns 'this' color, and then do x, y & z when it turns 'that' color, etc.) vs. this Echo, but as previously stated, in under a minute, we were fully connected, up and running and off to the races with this fella! And, after seeing just how much larger and *heavier* this Echo is compared to the Dots, and wanting to protect it (and the financial investment), I immediately went back to Amazon and ordered a "stand"/shelf which screws into the wall and upon which the Echo itself will screw onto (so it can't get knocked off). I know this has been a long-winded review, lol, but I'm just SO happy with and excited *about* this purchase, and cannot recommend this item strongly enough! The ONLY thing I'd change if I could is the color; I wish the Echos were offered in the same colors as the Dots, as I'd much prefer that really pretty deep sea blue color offered in the 5th Gen Dots vs this very pale blue, (and I saw someone in the reviews who got a RED one, which would be super rad!), but all-in-all, the color isn't really a big deal. So again, for any fence-sitters who may possibly be debating the purchase of this Echo, be it for yourself or as a gift, I wholeheartedly recommend it! 🤗 (I'm trying to add photos of a really good side-by-side size comparison of the Echo & Echo Dot, but it's not letting me. Will try to add pics to this review at a later time, I guess).

I really have enjoyed both my second and third generation Echos and bought this one for its change of shape and it was on sale plus 5 payment option. First off the bad. If you're used to room enveloping sound with no sense of stereo this one will disappoint. Dual tweeters firing forward give it a true sense of direction so sticking it in a corner and have it fill the room will not be as satisfying. You'll notice where it's located more, especially if there's anything blocking your direct line of sight ( hearing ) . Where I keep mine only needed a slight shift to make it not be partially blocked by my sofa . Volume was still plenty loud in its old spot but it just didn't sound right. Easily solved but might not be that easy for others and some might actually prefer the directional sound more. The bass can be a bit boomy though while listening to YYZ live in Rio the bass drum didn't sound bad at all and overall everything was satisfactory though slightly lacking in the mid highs. The eq settings in the Alexa app are set to flat on all 3 choices . It's wider at the base than the previous generations by a lot. This could be a problem for some . Star Trek Self Destruct Skill doesn't work on this one or my 4th gen Dot but does fine on my previous generation ones for some reason . Instead of blowing up my den it searches for "zero zero zero" movies on my Fire Stick. I'm sure that won't last long though . Enough about the bad. The bass is no longer wannabe but real. No longer does it struggle with everything below mid level voices but as I wrote above , bass drums actually sound like bass drums and Ends of the Earth by Lord Huron excels at all of the music ranges considering its size. Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams also sounded very nice across the sound spectrum . Music For Tables extreme from the high notes in the keyboard to the lows didn't miss a thing whereas the cow bell was very slightly muddy but the wood blocks sounded right . Am I saying it's as awesome as my studio headphones ? Not by any means but they took a huge step forward over the 3rd generation , which I was quite content with . Response time seems noticeably faster and more accurate than the gen 3 I use . Only once did Alexa not understand my query and that was while setting up a traffic check routine. All I had to do was rephrase a little and now Alexa tells me the commute traffic and fastest way to get to work 5 minutes before I have to leave . 95 is terrible for accidents and Maps tells Alexa the best alternative if there's any. I think my favorite thing though is the new shape and I REALLY like the lights being on the bottom, especially once the lights go off . If you're still smitten with your gen 3 Echo or don't like the mini Death Star look of the new model skip this one as the performance improvements are readily apparent they're not earth shattering. Amazon will have to do something mind blowing next year to get me to part with my dough ray me for a gen 5. The more I listen to Fourplay on Echo the more I'm liking it for the music , nevermind all the super cool stuff I can do on it or my Dots or my Flex .