It was in the summer of 2016 when Alexa entered my home. It quickly became a household landmark and a rather nifty virtual assistant. Over a year ago, the Echo’s price was perhaps the only detriment to such an innovative concept. While AI assistantship is far from being fluid and humane, the Echo and Alexa are certainly the foundations for a future where humans and AIs interact organically.
Nonetheless, as much as I loved my first generation Echo, I felt an upgrade was due. I was hesitant at first to upgrade to the 2nd generation Echo mainly because of the slew of negative reviews it received at launch. One of the main selling points for the 2nd generation Echo was undoubtedly the improved audio experience. I was surprised in two instances: 1) early adopters claimed that audio was subpar and 2) Amazon quickly fixed the issue in ways I never thought possible, hence my self-denomination as amateur techie.
So, after having my new Echo after almost a week I can say I have experienced, perhaps, the best version of this particularly product. Audio is significantly improved from the previous Echo and the form factor is just exquisite. The aesthetics please me to a certain extent, however. I truly do miss the butter-smooth volume ring from the previous Echo. The buttons seem a little rough upon clicking them and from time to time the Echo will make a harsh clicking noise after requesting a command and while talking back to me. This is particularly annoying at higher volumes and before playing any music. Furthermore, tracks don’t properly start from the beginning, instead they’ll skip 1-3 seconds in to the song. It doesn’t happen all the time, but it happens more than enough times to merit a certain discomfort. I expect these annoyances will be fixed in the coming software updates.
Subsequently, the 2nd Generation Echo had the intent to bring us a nice update by simply upgrading the Echo Dot and making it a direct competitor to the Google Home’s concept of form factor and interchangeable hardware functionality. In paper it sounds like a great update, but in practicality the 2nd Gen Echo simply falls short — it simply couldn’t live up to its own legacy. I didn’t buy the Echo Plus simply because of its form factor, although it is significantly better than the previous Echo. I have just been infatuated with the idea of this 2nd Gen Echo. It truly possesses improvements, but not enough. However, the two biggest improvements that truly matter and truly deliver are 1) price and 2) audio. Let these two factors guide your decision when adopting Alexa, especially if you’re new to the concept of home automation and virtual assistantship.
For those seeking to adopt such lifestyle, this product is the best option by far. Try to obtain one during this holiday season with the substantial price cut. Furthermore, try to get this device in (RED) — it simply is stunning!
After having this for a little over a month, I've really come to rely on it to give me the morning news and weather, control smart plugs and bulbs, play music and answer my 6-year-old son's many scientific questions! I bought two Dots so we can listen to music throughout the house and enjoy the features in the bedrooms and bathroom (Listening to podcasts while soaking in the bathtub? Yes, please!). It's been relatively easy to set up and connect to my Google Calendar, but its reminder functionality and ability to schedule a task such as: "Alexa, please turn on the space heater every day at 6am" and it turns the space heater on immediately instead of waiting until 6am. I assume that these "bugs" will be worked out in the upgrades that Amazon continually sends out, so I look forward to improvements in that functionality. Overall, though, I love this gadget and use it every day.
This is my second Echo. I have one of the first original Echos and love it. Now that Amazon supports multi-room music I decided to get this one. I am so glad I did. The sound quality is great and it sounds so good having them playing throughout the house. Red is my favorite color and I see it's no longer available so I am really glad I didn't wait any longer to buy this!
Additional Info: Prior to buying this I had some questions I couldn't find answers for in the forum or when calling Amazon Customer Service. I wanted to know if the Dot would support multi-room music if connected by audio cable to my Bose Wave III. I finally decided to buy a Dot locally and try it. It does work but connecting using the audio cable does not produce good quality sound. The audio only came out one side of the Bose. I read a couple of other reviews stating similarly that when Dot is connected by audio cable to a stereo system, the sound only came out of the left speaker. In order to use it for multi-room music it cannot be connected using blue-tooth, therefore, I returned the Dot and ordered the Echo. Best decision! Hopefully this info will help someone else who might be pondering this.
New Echo is pretty much like the old echo. It is fun and interesting. We have a large family & big house so we gave an Echo to each kid and we can use the "Drop in" feature to communicate like an intercom. "Hey kid, come down to dinner!" and this works well. In general we use it mostly for music although the sound is just so so. It is not intended to be premium sound quality and it is not. If you want great sound quality look elsewhere. Please note that with a large family, you will need Unlimited Music service as Amazon has gotten very greedy with the prime music service. You can only play Prime Music on ONE device at a time now so if you have 4 kids & many Echo's, that means music can only be played on ONE device and not simultaneously on the others. With Prime you can play the same song on ALL devices at the same time if they are all on the same account but this is useless for families. The Unlimited music Family plan is $150 per year for 6 people. So Amazon knows the Echo is the "hook" to the $$$ music plan. But we love our music & we feel music is important for the kids so we feel it is worth it. Also, my kids probably listen to the music more thru their phones & headphones on the Amazon Music app than thru the Echo.
I had a 1st gen Alexa when they first came out. I did an amazon trade in of the old one to get this. It works much better than the first gen. The sound quality is superior and it responds more quickly. I enjoy so the things it helps me with as a disabled person. My only complaint is the swearing. The original would let you sass it, for instance i could say your mom is a whore and it used to respond with things like that's not nice lol. I'm a adult, you have parental controls. Make swear words part of that, for adults that are trying to bring on a robot revolution, the lack of being able to harass my robot greatly disappoints me. If they fix it, I'll switch to 5 star. Let me cuss, let the robot cuss!!
Feature Product
- $10 from every purchase of this product will support (RED)'s efforts to fight AIDS through the Global Fund.
- Echo connects to Alexa to play music, read the news, set alarms and timers, answer questions, control compatible smart home devices, and more.
- Just ask for a song, artist, or genre from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, SiriusXM, and more. With multi-room music, you can play music on compatible Echo devices in different rooms. Echo can also play Audible audiobooks, radio stations, news briefs, and more.
- Powerful speakers with Dolby technology play 360° audio with clear vocals and dynamic bass response. You can also use your voice to adjust equalizer settings or pair with another Echo (2nd Gen) for stereo sound.
- Call and message almost anyone hands-free. Instantly drop in on other rooms in your home or make an announcement to every room with a compatible Echo device.
- With seven microphones, beamforming technology, and noise cancellation, Echo hears you from any direction-even while music is playing.
- Use your voice to turn on lights, adjust thermostats, lock doors, find TV shows, and do more with compatible connected devices.
- Alexa is always getting smarter and adding new skills like tracking fitness, playing games, and more.
Description
I've had Echo Dots for about a year now, and have enjoyed them. I bought two of this new model when they were on sale 2 for $120, and I happened to have a $20 coupon, so I got two for $100 sometime in December. When I finally got around to connecting them, I was shocked at how loud they are, particularly in the area of bass. I do think they're a little TOO bass-y, but I'll sort out how to adjust that as soon as possible. That said, while using the rain sounds feature at bedtime, I have to say that the thunder sounds are really impressive and full!
The microphones are surprisingly good at hearing commands correctly, even from across the room and with a quiet voice. Much better than the Echo Dot second generation I already own.
The real value of Alexa, though, is in the thousands of skills you can add to her via the smartphone app. I do wish they'd extend that capability to their remarkably lackluster Windows app, but I guess Jeff Bezos has some hate for Microsoft, so probably not likely to happen, even though the vast majority of Amazon customers use Windows PC's.
Familiarize yourself with the app and learn to use skills. You'll be surprised at how much she can really do!
My husband bought this as a gift to himself. He chose the red because of the $10 donation to charity. He absolutely loves him Sirius XM radio and boom box that it comes with. He recently discovered that there are more channels on the live streaming Sirius Xm that he can’t get on his actual boom box and radio. When he found out the he could stream Sirius Xm through Alexa he borrowed my Echo and was extremely impressed. This was a game changer for him as he was able to subscribe to an auto and home streaming package for much less than he’s been currently paying. The day the echo arrived he was like a child at Christmas. He is so excited and has been having frequent conversations with Alexa! We had to change her name to Echo as he was also setting my echo off each time he spoke to his. My only wish would be if Amazon Echo allowed you to select your own name for the device. There are currently four choices, echo, Alexa, computer or amazon.
1. Design
The Amazon Echo looks great. Its rival (Google Home) looks like an air freshener in comparison. The fabric shells are interchangeable so you can buy multiple shells. The holiday edition shells are nice to have during the Christmas season. My favorite by far has been the Product Red Echo shell. The Red looks fantastic and is only available for a limited time. At the time of writing it has been discontinued.
2. Features
Alexa is a fantastic assistant. It can play music (from Amazon Music, Spotify, Pandora, or Apple Music) answer basic questions, make phone calls, read your emails, check your calendar, set timers and alarms, give you the weather, tell a bad joke, give you news and stock updates, lets you check in with your favorite sports teams, can play Jeoparady with you, can make your own questions and answers and games with it, create your own custom routines, and much much more.
3. Sound Quality
Overall, the Echo sounds great. There's enough bass and can fill a room with music. It's not perfect, but great for casual listening. It tends to get tinny at high volumes. It gets pretty loud and it can be used as a Bluetooth speaker and if you have a higher quality sound system it can connect to them via a 3.5 mm audio jack.
4. Smart Home
Amazon Alexa currently has many more services that work with it compared to Google Home. It works with Philips Hue, TP-Link, and SmartThings to name a few. The Wemo smart plug is the best in my experience. Always pay a little more for more reputable brands. Bought a $13 Gosund plug and it was awful. Although I've never tried the Amazon Smart Plug, I think it would be great. Amazon Echo Plus has a built in smart home hub that is beneficial. The Amazon Echo Show works good with smart cameras and video doorbells.
5. Conclusion
Amazon Echo and Alexa re-defined what a digital assistant could be. The next iteration of a game changing product does not disappoint.
I worried purchasing one of these was going to be a little frivolous but I am shocked at how much I utilize it and how convenient it is having it around. The obvious use is for music which I listen to on it regularly. The next best thing is easily starting a timer when cooking or setting a reminder while your hands are covered in seasoning but you need to remember to buy more garlic seasoning because you are almost out. I have family members who have introduced me to some of the games you can play and I love being able to ask about the news and the weather while I am getting ready in the morning. Can you live life without one of these, sure. But would I want to now that I know how easy it is to take advantage of the conveniences that come along with having one of these? No way. Do yourself a favor and get one. I now have this and an Echo Dot for another room in my house ;-)
I’m actually annoyed I like it. I got it as a “oh let’s just see I bet it sucks ill return it”. Let me tell you how wrong I was. It’s one of those things that friends can’t really explain well why they like it. When it comes to asking it things it’s not like Siri. So if you say “Hey Siri are bagels healthy?” She brings up web pages. If you say “Alexa are bagels healthy?” It goes into a full explanation of why it may be. I didn’t know the echo could control my lights and still have them on HomeKit. I thought it was one or the other so it makes controlling my house easier. I love the order notifications. I have my routines set up. “Alexa good morning” and it tells me the weather, traffic to work, and goes into the news.
Anyway so I got this and three days later I got the echo dot for my room and I bought this echo for friends for Christmas so yea.
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