Buying an Amazon Echo Made Easy

Recently, the term “smart home” has emerged as a buzzword in the technology industry. But what exactly is a smart home?

A smart home is a living space that is equipped with various electronic devices that are connected to the Internet and work in a cohesive and integrated manner to enhance the quality of life for residents. These devices can be controlled remotely through apps installed on smartphones or other audio devices such as Amazon Echo and Google Home.

Examples of smart home devices include remote-controlled LED lights, smart air conditioners, heating and cooling systems, security devices such as security cameras and alarms, audio controls, TV and other audio devices, and smart doors, among other remote-controlled devices. These devices are designed to interact intelligently with each other, providing residents with convenience, security, energy savings, and an overall improvement in their quality of life.

If you’re thinking of buying an Amazon Echo, our guide explains the capabilities of the different Echo versions and the difference between them. Everything you need to know before you buy.

What are Amazon Echo devices?

Amazon Echo is a series of voice-controlled smart devices developed and marketed by Amazon. The devices use modern technologies such as superior sound technology and artificial intelligence to provide a wide range of different services and functions.

Amazon Echo is available in several different sizes and shapes, including Echo Dot, Echo Show, Echo Studio, and Echo Dot Kids, each with different features and suitable for different uses.

Amazon Echo works by responding to the voice commands that users can send to it, and allows it to perform a variety of actions such as playing music, answering questions, controlling smart home devices and many more.

In addition, users can connect with their Amazon Echo to receive news, weather, and reviews, play games and perform customized voice commands, and make phone calls and send text messages.

Amazon Echo can be an ideal choice for those who want to make their daily lives easier and more enjoyable, thanks to its advanced features and ability to provide a lot of different services.

What makes Amazon Echo special?

• It is not the technical specifications that distinguish these devices, as there are better high-fidelity sound quality speakers that can perform the basic functions of the Amazon Echo more effectively. Instead, what makes these devices special is their simplicity and seamless integration into Amazon’s ecosystem.
• The device is operated with voice commands, and Alexa uses artificial intelligence to recognize the user with every interaction.
• The few buttons on the device are self-explanatory, and additional Echo devices can be automatically connected and easily tuned. With Amazon HD Music, users can stream high-quality audio files without interference, and the microphone can be easily muted if privacy concerns arise.

What can Amazon Echo devices do?

• Personal Assistant: Amazon Echo can perform many tasks such as playing music, making phone calls, reading the news, setting reminders and alarms, and answering general questions.
• Home Automation: Amazon Echo can be used to control various smart home devices such as lights, thermostats, and security systems.
• Entertainment: Amazon Echo can stream music, podcasts, and audiobooks from various services like Amazon Music, Spotify, and Audible.
• Communication: Amazon Echo can make phone calls and send messages to other Echo devices or to people who have the Alexa app on their smartphones.
• Information: Amazon Echo can provide information on a variety of topics such as weather, sports scores, and traffic updates.
• Shopping: Amazon Echo can order products from Amazon with just a voice command.
• Skills: Amazon Echo has thousands of “skills” or third-party apps that can be enabled to perform a wide variety of tasks such as playing games, ordering food, and controlling smart home devices.

What are the different types of Amazon Echo?

There are several different types of Amazon Echo, including:

• Echo Dot: the smallest and cheapest device with built-in microphones and a speaker.
• Echo: the most popular device with built-in microphones and a speaker.
• Echo Plus: similar to the Echo, but with a larger speaker and a Zigbee hub for controlling smart home devices.
• Echo Show: an Echo with a high-resolution screen that displays news, weather, videos, and allows for video calling.
• Echo Spot: a smaller version with a round display that shows the time, date, and other information.
• Echo Flex: a device designed to be plugged into areas with limited space such as bathrooms and kitchens, with built-in microphones and a speaker.
• Echo Auto: a device that turns the car into a place where users can control their smart home while driving.
• Echo Buds: wireless earbuds with built-in microphones for remote voice control.

These are some of the available types, and Amazon may release new types regularly.

What should I think about before deciding which Amazon Echo is right for me?

The audio quality :

All Echo devices are smart speakers that output music, videos, and the voice of Alexa. However, it is important for users to consider the sound quality of the Amazon Echo before making a purchase.

While the Dot can never produce the same sound quality as the Echo Studio due to its size, it may suffice for those who just want to hear the news.

Here is a list that ranks the different Echo devices based on their sound quality, from adequate to very good.

• Spot
• Dot
• Show 5
• Show 8
• Echo
• Show 10
• Studio

Connect to other devices

Connection options for Amazon Echo devices to other devices such as speakers are limited. All Echo devices allow connection via a traditional aux jack. Except for Show 10,

This allows the user to connect any device with an AUX cable to play their own music. In addition, the Amazon Echo can be turned into an auxiliary input interface, allowing the buyer to use it as a speaker for a TV or computer.

The Display

Unlike other Amazon Echo devices, only Echo Show is equipped with a display screen that visually displays content.

However, tablets are better suited for the same functions since they have higher resolution cameras, more available apps, larger and clearer screens. In addition, all smart home functions can be controlled with the tablet, and the voice control function is also integrated. Therefore, an Echo product with a display screen may not be necessary if the household already has a tablet.

What if your home was really a smart home?

If you already have an analogue system in your household that provides the desired sound, you don’t necessarily need to buy a conventional Echo speaker. In this case, it’s worth considering purchasing the Echo Input instead. The Echo Input is a small device that can be connected to your analogue system via the jack connection, making it smart.

The Echo Input acts as a bridge between your analogue system and the Internet, enabling you to control your system via voice commands through Alexa. With the Echo Input, you can play music from streaming services, make voice calls, set alarms and timers, and control your smart home devices, all without the need for a standalone subwoofer or woofer.

The Echo Input also comes with a built-in microphone array that can pick up your voice from across the room, even if music is playing. This means that you can control your analogue system with ease, even if you’re not close to the device. In summary, the Echo Input is an excellent choice for those who already have an analogue system and want to add smart voice control to it.

Can I use an Echo speaker outside?

Garden parties, evenings on the balcony, or outdoor workouts are incomplete without music. As some Echo speakers offer exceptional audio quality, they are suitable for playing music outdoors. However, users must ensure that the device is well-protected against moisture, and the internet connectivity is strong enough. As Echo speakers are designed only for indoor use, they lack certification for water or dust resistance, making them vulnerable to rain or water splashes.

Moreover, it’s crucial to note that Echo speakers can’t operate on batteries and require a power supply. Therefore, they aren’t suitable for activities like camping or visiting a lake where no power source is available. Instead, they are ideal for use in the garden, terrace, or balcony, where a power socket is available.

What about privacy?

Is Alexa always listening?

In the past, some technology companies did not take customers’ privacy seriously, which made users having a device that could record their private conversations a worry.

However, with the implementation of strict data protection regulations and laws, this is not the case. All voice assistants, including Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri, require a “wake word.” For Amazon devices, the wake-up word is “Alexa.” Once the user says the word, the voice assistant starts listening and processing the request. The user can tell Alexa is listening by the glowing ring that moves and lights up. Once the request is completed, the device switches to alarm mode and waits for the alarm word again.
If the user has concerns and doesn’t want Alexa to be constantly listening, they can mute the microphone using the microphone button. This will prevent your Echo from responding to voice input and recording any data.

A comparison of some of the Amazon Echo devices on the market

What are the different Amazon Echo speakers available and how do they differ from each other?

Since its launch, the range of Amazon Echo devices has expanded significantly, now including devices with displays. The following products are available to buyers and differ in the following ways:

Amazon Echo Dot Kids

The Echo Dot Kids, which has only recently become available in Germany, is technically the same as the Echo Dot (5th generation), offering good sound quality and all the features you’d expect from a smart speaker. However, it comes with a child-friendly design and 1 year of Kids+ for free, making it a great choice for families.

Here are some reasons why you might want to consider the Echo Dot Kids:

• Design: You can choose between a friendly owl or an adventurous dragon, both of which are lovingly designed and available in colors that fit into any children’s room.
• Kids+: This is one of the many services from the Amazon universe, offering audiobooks, series and movies, books, tablet games, music, children’s radio stations, various Alexa skills, and child-friendly answers. With Kids+, you can use the command “Alexa, start Kids Plus!” to activate an audiobook, music, or skill game spontaneously selected by Alexa. Even if the parents don’t have Audible access, the child has access to hundreds of Audible audiobooks.
• Easy setup: Once you have connected the Echo Dot Kids to the mains, setting it up via the Alexa app is child’s play, and the free year of Kids+ is activated with just one click. After that, you can create your child(ren) as a user, enter their age, and set usage times and content limits.

While the Echo Dot Kids costs 10 euros more than the regular Echo Dot (without an illuminated clock), we think it’s worth the extra expense for the colorful design and free year of Kids+. After the first year, Kids+ becomes chargeable, but you can cancel it at any time. The Echo Dot Kids is a great addition to any children’s room, offering lots of exciting and child-friendly content.

Amazon Echo Dot

• The Amazon Echo Dot is the most affordable speaker in the Echo range, available in white, deep-sea blue, and black, and with or without a digital clock display.
  On the top, there are two volume buttons, an action button, and a button to turn the microphone on and off.
• On the back, there is the power connection and a 3.5 mm jack connection for the analog connection of a music player or smartphone.
• The sound of the latest 5th generation Echo Dot is clean and round, with significant improvements compared to the 3rd and 4th generations. It is enjoyable for listening to music, although noise and crackling can occur at high volumes.
• The Echo Dot is now spherical, similar to the slightly more expensive Echo, but some users prefer the 3rd generation’s flat design for its simple functionality.
• If the device is not connected to a smart home, it switches to power-saving mode after a long period of non-use, making it particularly energy-efficient.
• This model of Amazon’s Echo devices is an all-rounder for those who seek a good balance of smart home features, sound quality, and affordability.

Amazon Echo Studio

• The Amazon Echo Studio is the most expensive and powerful smart speaker among the three without a display.
• It comes equipped with several tweeters, midrange, and woofers, as well as a distinctive slot that better reproduces the bass.
• Another unique feature of the Echo Studio is an optical input that allows CD players or other hi-fi devices to be connected to it without losing sound quality.
• During setup, the speaker scans the room and adjusts the sound accordingly, resulting in fantastic sound quality in a small form factor of 175 mm by 206 mm.
• The Echo Studio offers a true sound experience that can compete with high-priced systems, making it an excellent option for those who want more than just smart home control or weather announcements.

Amazon Echo Show

Amazon Echo Show 5 and 8:

• Amazon based the product variety of smart devices on the display size of the devices, with the number denoting the screen diagonal and not the version number.
• The Show 5 is the cheapest variant with a five-inch display and a front camera for video conferencing and phone calls. It’s particularly useful in the kitchen, as the display shows recipe ingredients while the speaker indicates work steps.
• The Show 8 has a larger display and richer stereo sound but is otherwise similar to the Show 5.

Amazon Echo Show 10

• The latest smart speaker from Amazon is the Echo Show 10, which is the top-of-the-line smart speaker with a display.
• The device features a 10-inch swivel display, a 13-megapixel front camera, and a separate speaker that resembles a Dot.
• The camera provides not only the best video quality, but it also has software that recognizes faces and aligns the display accordingly via object tracking.
• This feature is especially useful during video conferences with several people or when watching movies, as the display can change its position based on the viewer’s sitting position.
• The only drawback of the Echo Show 10 is that there are no analog connection options. If the user wants to pair the integrated speaker with a smartphone, only WLAN and Bluetooth are available.

Amazon Echo Show 15

• The Echo Show 15 is more of a tablet than a smart speaker with its 15.6-inch screen diagonal and digital image-like appearance.
  It can be hung vertically or horizontally or set up using a stand (not included).
• The Full HD touchscreen display can be used to display a variety of individually selectable widgets and can be operated manually.
• It can be used for all Alexa commands, watching movies, and video telephony as well as for room surveillance and as a picture frame.
• The front camera is not good enough for video telephony and the sound quality is not on par with the Echo Dot or Echo Studio.
• The size may be too big to put down and it may get lost when hung.
• At a price of 275$, one should carefully consider whether the display and video functions are necessary, or whether a smaller Echo Show or even an Echo Dot is sufficient.

How to connect multiple devices to each other? 

To pair Echo devices with each other, follow these steps:

1. Open the Alexa app on your phone.
2. Log in with your Amazon account credentials.
3. Select the plus symbol in the main tab.
4. Create a new group and give it a name. For example, name the group “Kitchen Speakers” to distinguish them from the living room speakers.
5. When naming the group, make sure to use a short and concise name to prevent misunderstandings when using voice commands.
6. Save the group after naming it.
7. Now both devices are paired with each other.
8. You can also perform the same steps on a computer, within the Amazon account.

Conclusion

Amazon’s range of smart speakers, known as the Echo products, provides a variety of options for users with different technical requirements. All of these devices have Alexa, but they differ significantly from each other in technical specifications, making them accessible to both audiophile enthusiasts and non-tech-savvy individuals who seek an effortless way to control their smart home.