While there are plenty of third-partyAlexa speakers– some of them among the bestsmart speakersanywhere – most people are liable to start with Amazon’s Echo lineup, and not without good reason. They offer decent or even excellent sound quality relative to their price, which is major when they’re supposed to be the cornerstones of asmart home. Those savings can be put towards other accessories, such as lights, locks, plugs, and thermostats.
There are a few notes to make before we begin. First, while we’re focusing on pure speakers, we’ve got an Echo Show for those who need a smart display. Next, the best speaker for you is going to depend not just on your budget, but how and where you intend to use it. An Echo Studio might be excellent in many rooms, for example, but not in a nursery or a tiny bathroom.
Finally, it may be worth waiting a few months if you don’t need a speaker right away. Amazon is long overdue for a refresh of the Echo lineup, which could mean new devices arriving as soon as September 2024, possibly with support for an enhanced Alexa using generative AI. If you don’t care about generative AI, current Echo models should be supported for a few more years at least.
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Our picks for the best Amazon Echo speakers
Amazon Echo (4th generation)
Amazon’s flagship Echo 4th-genoffers loud and pleasing audio, without a huge footprint or pricetag to match. It supports Matter and Thread, and includes a thermometer for use in Alexa automations.
Amazon Echo Studio
If you’re prioritizing sound quality over your budget,the Echo Studiois Amazon’s top of the line. Its sound is amazing after a recent software update, and it offers Dolby Atmos when using compatible music and video services. It’s the only Echo we’d suggest for home theater setups.
Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen)
TheAmazon Echo Dot 5th-gensounds better than you might imagine. Its main advantages, however, are size and price, as well as its internal temperature and motion sensors, which can improve your automation options. There’s even a version with an embedded clock/status display.
Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen, 2023)
Until Amazon updates or replaces the Show 10, theShow 8is where it’s at for Alexa smart displays. It has decent sound, and its screen is big enough to be usable at a distance, whether you’re watching Netflix or checking your doorbell camera. There’s even Thread support.
Amazon Echo Pop
TheAmazon Echo Popis okay at most for music and podcasts, but it’s an affordable way of adding Alexa to a room when you care more about voice control than fidelity. Most shoppers should upgrade to an Echo Dot if they can.
Echo Dot 5th Gen Kids
Fundamentally this is the same thing as the regular Echo Dot, but with unique artwork and a bundled year of Amazon Kids+ content such as games and audiobooks. Be careful – if you activate the subscription, it’s set to renew automatically.
What’s the best Amazon Echo speaker overall?
The best Echo speaker for most people remains the4th generation flagship Echo. It may be four years old, but it offers solid (if unspectacular) clarity and bass, and its footprint is small enough that it can fit on most surfaces. It includes a built-in thermometer for Alexa routines, and it serves as a hub for bothMatterandThreadaccessories – even though those protocols were launched later. Not bad for something costing $100 or less.
If you want impressive fidelity with deep bass and a wide soundstage, it’s worth spending extra on theEcho Studio. Software updates have made it competitive with Sonos speakers, and it supports Dolby Atmos for compatible music and video services, even if you’ll want to pair it with a second one for the full effect. In fact, you may want to choose Studios if you want wireless speakers for a Fire TV device, since you may link them via Alexa.
How we chose the best Amazon Echo speakers
At Pocket-lint, our team has extensive experience choosing and testing tech products. We select Echo speakers primarily on their sound quality, given that every speaker Amazon makes is going to offer the same core Alexa-based functions, such as grouping and voice control. Extra features do make a difference – Matter and Thread may be vital for futureproofing a smart home, for example, and Dolby Atmos will dramatically improve your immersion in movies and TV shows. All of these factors have to be weighed against cost, which is why something like the Echo Dot still has a place.
How to set up a Matter device with Amazon Echo for Alexa voice control
Control your Matter smart home devices just by asking Alexa.
Q: What is Matter?
Matter is a universal protocolthat allows accessories from one platform (say, Apple HomeKit) to be paired to another (like Alexa) without hardware makers having to code direct support. Those accessories do need to be Matter-compatible, and for each platform you want to use, you’ll need a device that doubles as a Matter controller. Most recent Echo devices can act asMatter controllers.
