Echo (Newest gen) | With premium sound, smart home hub and Alexa | Charcoal

Usually I listen to my music on speakers that weigh 100 pounds each or in the kitchen on a micro stereo unit because there's not much room for a bigger unit. However it would be most unfair of me to compare it with a really expensive system, so I'm reviewing it in view of what it costs and how small it is and it does perform astonishingly well. For such a tiny unit it produces very smooth very clear bass sounds, listening to various pieces of classical music the bowed double basses came out really clearly. The middle is quite clear and the treble is quite okay but it lacks a bit of detail and can go a little bit sharp if played too loud, but it's a low price budget unit. One thing I've noticed about it, it appears to boost the bass at lower listening levels, this is actually a considerable advantage because the ear is less sensitive to bass notes at low volume. I believe years ago it was called a loudness control as opposed to a volume control that had this feature. I've linked it by Bluetooth to my phone so anything happening on my phone including my alarms as well as music also comes out of this unit if I wish. I've also set it up to switch on and off one lamp and I'll set it up to do another one later on as well. I can also control it when not in the house I can turn lights on and off but I've not learnt how to set how bright they are so far, only when I'm inside. So what's not to like about it you may ask well setting it up what's a massive pain I had to ring up Amazon customer services helpline. I'll explain why I set it up linked it to the internet that wasn't very hard and it worked for about five seconds, it greeted me and then it invited me to ask it to question like what is the weather like and I did and it replied something's gone wrong and apart from remaining lit up it wouldn't do anything. The other thing I couldn't do is link it to my phone by Bluetooth but I can tell you how to do that my phone allows only the Echo unit to be linked at any one time so I had to disconnect the micro Hi-Fi unit which was also linked to my phone by Bluetooth then it linked straight away. Having Googled the problem it appears a lot of phones allow you to link only one item but my phone should allow seven but no success yet I'm working on it. As for it jamming up I switched it on and off to reboot it that didn't cure it however the lady at Amazon told me a different way to reboot it by pressing two buttons at the same time and holding them down. I think it was the microphone button and the Plus button but I am not 100% certain. Fortunately I didn't have to enter the Wi-Fi password again because it is a pain as it's so long and complicated with all sorts of characters and upper and lowercase letters. For an even better listening experience I believe a pair of them set say six feet apart would give a very nice proper stereo performance but I don't really need that because I have my main stereo system to listen to. It does perform rather better than the smaller version the Echo dot and it does justify being more money. I think that's about it I've said enough, for its size and price it is very highly recommended.PS I've also tried it on the floor on a carpet and raised up about two feet off the ground and it sounded fine under both conditions, possibly being on the floor gives it a little bit more of a heavy sound perhaps the bass is a bit weightier.PPS you might want to know how loud it goes, if you push it to maximum it goes a bit muddled doesn't sound as nice it's probably going a bit distorted but up to 80% it performs really really well and in the average size room it would be reasonably loud not loud enough to imitate a whole Orchestra but loud enough to be classed as quiteloud by most people that's the best explanation I can give.PPPS I was so impressed I bought a second one while the offer was still on and paired them. So now I have real stereo it's most impressive for relatively cheap items I'm listening to Mahler's Fifth Symphony, very spacious sound with the depth, wonderful double basses, as a stereo pair they seem to perform better on some classical music than they do on some pop music. For clean sound don't go above eight or nine at 10 the maximum it can get a bit muddled overloaded with slight distortions

This is a review of the Echo (4th generation) in glacier white colour that came complete with one Philips Hue white smart bulb.I have to admit I have resisted moving into the "smart" products market. I saw little point in them and was happy enough with my various computers, laptop, tablet, smart phones, hi fi, and so on. What more did I need to complete my life? According to my daughter, I needed to "smart-up"!I did read a number of the reviews on this Amazon sales page and I spent time reading the tech reviews online before making a decision. The fact that Amazon offered a good returns guarantee on this product tipped me over the edge and I ordered one.I was really pleased with the packaging, a lot of effort has gone into that and it immediately warmed me towards the product - and I was surprised that it is quite a weighty object that is not as small as I thought (I really should pay attention to dimensions and check with a tape measure). A quick look at the brief set-up instructions, find a spot for the Echo, download the appropriate app, plug in, follow the brief and very easy instructions, and all was done. Barely a few minutes and I was listening to one of my favourite radio stations - although had to rush to turn the volume down because the initial setting was enough to let my neighbours across the green hear me.To say I was amazed is an understatement. I had assumed all sorts of complications were in store for me but all it took was a few key presses and a spoken command, and I was ready.I listen to various radio stations almost all day (and night), interspersed with playing music from CDs and other sources. So I was interested to hear what the Echo's two tweeters and woofer could do. I didn't like the initial audio set-up so after a quick Google search for advice, I went into the Alexa app and decreased the bass a little, increased the middle a little, left the treble as it was and... to my ears, a tone that I could live with. Okay, it isn't hi fi quality but then it isn't meant to be, especially at this price, and at lower listening volumes, little hi fi quality can be detected anyway from an average hi fi.Over the week or so I have been using the Echo, I have played various radio stations - oldies, classical, rock, pop, and the Echo handled them all with no issues and the sound quality was far better than I could ever have imagined from such a small unit. Changing stations is a breeze, simply give the command and a second or two later the new station is playing. I have also given the command to play different kinds of music and different artists and, again, Echo accomplished this without a problem - mostly coming from the Amazon music library.There is so much more Alexa can do and I am only just exploring a few them - again, nothing difficult there either. I even set up the Philips bulb in just a few minutes and so Alexa can turn on that lamp, turn it off, dim, brighten, whatever I might need.Dislikes - there has to be some, obviously. Firstly, the huge price of Philips bulbs which, I assume, are the best quality. I see no reason for such prices - but then 20 years ago I was paying £11 for an energy saving bulb that soon went down to £1 and now are obsolete because we have LEDs. Hopefully, the same will apply with Philips bulbs, the prices will come down as more are sold - then perhaps I can buy more.Second dislike, and it is just a personal one - the Echo has various volume settings but they are numbered 1 through to 10. In an average sized living room for radio listening I find 2 is okay for late night, 3 is too loud if I am also working at my desk, but there is no way of asking Alexa to set the volume to a certain %, so I need to go into my phone app each day to set the volume % that suits me for daytime listening (26-27%). Believe it or not, there is a noticeable difference between the 27% and the 30% volume that is Alexa's volume 3. Alternatively, I can fiddle around with the volume buttons on the top of the Echo. I would, therefore, liked to have seen audio commands for percentages of audio volume rather than up, down, or a number 1 - 10 (if 6 can be heard across the green here, I dread to think what 10 would be like).All that being said, this is a purchase I am delighted with and I will get a lot of use out of. Already it is my go-to for radio listening and a simple command gets it all working when I turn on the light - yes, I have to manually turn on the living room light until I get a smart bulb with the wattage intensity I want for a main light and then Alexa can turn it on for me at the same time as turning on the radio. Don't say it - Alexa can almost make a cup of tea - well, it could start the kettle boiling if it is plugged into a smart plug.Should you buy one? I should say so. And given the growing number of accessories that can be added, this is a good start to acquiring a smarter home. I said at the start of this review the fact Amazon offered a good returns guarantee on this product tipped me over the edge to buy one - take note, Amazon, you are not having it back, it's all mine now.

The newest Echo is like having a tech-savvy bestie who never sleeps! With its sleek design and upgraded sound, it’s ready to fill your space with tunes, timers, and trivia. Alexa’s got your back for everything from controlling smart gadgets to cracking jokes (some better than others). The built-in temperature sensor is a nifty touch, and the tap-to-snooze feature is perfect for those groggy mornings. It’s small, mighty, and always listening—your home just got a whole lot smarter! 🎶📡

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(This thing also has a WiFi MESH) You will need an Eero, and my internet has never been better.This is my third Echo, and no, it’s not because I’m collecting them like Pokémon cards. The sound quality is just right for everything we need... loud, clear, and bassy enough to make my inner DJ happy without requiring speakers the size (or price) of a small car.So here’s why I love it... ready, steady... go > > >Calls from Anywhere: I can now yell “Hi child!” from my phone through the Echo while I’m out, and no one even needs to pick up. Perfect!DJ Mode: I mix tunes (from my laptop) like a pro without cluttering my space or breaking the bank with additional speakers.Shopping Hero: Forget what to add to the list? Shout it at Alexa. Problem solved ha!Reminder Queen: Birthdays? Done. Food timers? Covered. Time checks? Ask Alexa. I’ve officially outsourced my brain.Smart Home Boss: Lights on? Lights off? Motion sensing? Alexa’s got it.Basically, I bought this Echo to replace myself. Now I can sit back, relax, and enjoy life. Thank me later. 😉P.S. The charcoal colour? Matches everything.