I connected a Zigbee door sensor to the Echo via the Alexa app in seconds.Ĭombined with Alexa Guard, this makes the Echo an ad hoc home security system you can program your lights to turn on if a window sensor is opened, or have Alexa send you an alert if it hears your smoke detector or glass breaking. Zigbee allows you to connect compatible low-power smart home devices-think door and window sensors and lightbulbs-directly to the Echo, rather than needing a separate smart home hub. Amazon Echo (4th Gen) Amazon Echo review: Alexa and smart home skillsĪmazon has retired the Echo Plus, its smart speaker/smart home hub, and placed the Zigbee radio in that device into the new Echo. However, the Echo lacks a TOS/optical line in.
One difference, though, is that in the Alexa app, you have to switch the Echo’s aux from line-out to line-in the Echo Studio can do this automatically.Īlso like the Studio, you can use the Echo as an audio output for Fire TV devices, so if you use one of those streaming sticks, this could be a good cheap alternative to purchasing a soundbar - especially considering that you can pair two Echos for stereo sound. So, if you have an old-school record collection, you can plug your turntable directly into the Echo and jam out to your LPs. Sonos One (left) and Amazon Echo Dot (right) (Image credit: Tom's Guide)Ī 3.5mm jack on the rear of the Echo acts as both a line in and line out, so you can not only connect the Echo to an external speaker, but you can also connect audio sources directly to the Echo, just like with the Echo Studio. That’s not to say that the Echo was bad, but if you prioritize audio above all else, it’s worth spending the bucks for the Sonos One. Vocals were not nearly as compressed, and everything just sounded crisper on the Sonos. However, when I played the same tracks on a Sonos One, the Sonos’ higher quality was immediately apparent. Overall, the Echo sounded very good, with deep resonant bass and a general warmth to the songs. I played a variety of songs on the Echo, from JoJo Siwa’s Boomerang (my child’s request) to Van Halen and the Hamilton soundtrack. It’s a feature that’s also found on the Sonos One and the Apple HomePod, but not the HomePod mini. Like the Echo Studio, the Echo uses its array of six microphones to determine the acoustic properties of the room it’s in, and adjust the sound output accordingly.
Inside the Echo is a 3-inch woofer that faces upward and two 0.8-inch tweeters that face forward. Amazon Echo review: Audio performance and features 15 Watts) the Echo has the same size power brick as the smaller Dot. Despite having double the power requirement 30 Watts vs. Measuring 5.7 inches in diameter, the Echo is larger than the Echo Dot and the Apple HomePod Mini, both of which are 3.9 inches in diameter. Amazon Echo (left) and Echo Dot (right) (Image credit: Tom's Guide)