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

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.

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.

The music quality is excellent. Love the highs (treble) and the lows (bass) One of the best buys I've made. I love the volume control on the unit itself as well as the on/off button for Alexa. The size is also nice having a speaker with clarity and style that's not too big. Love the voice activation and ease of use. Great value for money. Excellent purchase would buy again.