The Best Amazon Echo for Your Smart Home
To play music, call or send messages, search the Internet or control other smart devices with your voice, here are the best Amazon Echo to buy.
Amazon Echo is an intelligent voice-controlled speaker which you can ask to perform actions or provide information without using your hands.
You can ask him what the day’s news is, the weather, or the result of the last football match.
You can ask him to remember your schedule for today, make a phone call, send a message, or play music by simply using the voice.
Also, suppose you have other compatible smart devices at home. In that case, you can ask them to turn on the light for you, change the temperature on the thermostat or start the cleaning robot, and check locks, switches, and security systems (see here the complete list of all compatible devices).
At any time, it will suffice to say ” Alexa,” followed by the command we want to execute, and Echo will activate to provide the answer or perform the requested action.
Amazon Echo is always connected to the Amazon Alexa Voice Service cloud service. It has seven omnidirectional microphones and can hear your voice from every direction, even if other devices like TV or radio are turned on.
Since it is a cloud-based device, like other smartphones like Google Home or the Apple HomeKit, it improves and updates progressively, as well as allowing a high level of customization thanks to the ” Skill, “a kind of additional application that allows adding features such as knowing television programming, playing games or cooking particular recipes.
Let’s see the Amazon Echo models, the differences, and how to choose which one to buy.
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How to choose Amazon Echo: Types and Characteristics
There are currently four Amazon Echo devices available in Italy. Except for some variations, the control functions are similar for everyone. The main differences are in the form, technical specifications, and display on the Echo Spot model.
All models are equipped with WiFi and Bluetooth and compatible with Android, iOS, and Fire OS, accessible from your web browser, and configurable with mainstream music services such as Amazon Music, Spotify, TuneIn, and other music services.
From the cheapest to the top of the range, let’s see them in detail to understand which Amazon Echo to choose according to their needs, budgets, and aesthetic needs.
Amazon Echo Dot
It is the smallest family, the easiest to use, and the cheapest. The best choice is if you want a device primarily for voice use. It is a round device of 3.9″ in height and 1.7″ in diameter, equipped with a 41 mm speaker, and can emit good spoken audio.
Control other compatible smart devices, and manage streaming music and audio calls between Echo devices and the Alexa App. The music playback function is possible, but the quality is not the best, given the small size. At the same time, it is more suitable for listening to the radio and alarms and answering simple questions.
It still has a 3.5 mm stereo audio output for external speakers, and if you have a Bluetooth speaker, it can be used as a voice remote control. It is also ideal for doubling or adding Alexa access in multiple rooms, easily fits anywhere, and takes up very little space.
Amazon Echo
It is the standard model of Amazon Echo, now the second generation, with elegant design and finishes designed to suit all furniture types. It is the best solution for value for money. It is particularly optimized for vocal content, radio, audiobooks, and answering questions, while for music, it offers enough sound quality to fill a medium-sized room.
It measures 5.8″ in height and 3.4″ in diameter. It is technically equipped with a double speaker with a Dolby processor, a 63 mm woofer for the low frequencies, and a 16 mm tweeter for the high, providing a sharper sound quality than the smaller Echo Dot. As a result, this Amazon Echo is the ideal choice for looking for a suitable device to play music, check recipes, set up alarms, and listen to the news while you do something else.
Amazon Echo Plus
The best Amazon Echo of the overall experience is a complete hub for intelligent home control and excellent sound quality. For music reproduction, it is qualitatively the best of the family.
It is equipped with a 76 mm woofer and a 20 mm tweeter. As a result, it produces clear and powerful audio throughout the room (even large) and a dedicated input and output for connection with external speakers.
It is also the best choice for those with other smart devices at home or who plan to buy them. The Echo Spot is designed to be a true smart home hub and simplify the control of other compatible smart devices.
In addition, the support of the integrated ZigBee technology, already used by many leading brands in home automation, such as Philips and Samsung, allows you to manage many more intelligent devices than other Echo models.
Whether you want to listen to music, search for information, sports results, weather forecasts, manage calls and messages, or control your home automation, Amazon Echo Plus is the most complete and indicated choice.
Amazon Echo Spot
Equipped with a color touchscreen display and a 36mm single speaker, it is the best choice for video calls, playback, and visual alarms. This model’s peculiarity is the possibility not only to listen to the answers to our questions but to see them.
For example: ask, ” Alexa, what’s the weather like today? “, We’ll immediately see symbols and weather graphics on the screen. We will view the text while resting if we listen to a song. In addition, it will display a simple clock.
The combination of touchscreen and voice control makes the Spot special, giving the best of both worlds. Technically, it is a super-compact device that measures 3.8″ in height and 4.1” wide and is easy to place almost anywhere.
It is equipped with 4 microphones and 3 buttons (volume + / – and on/off buttons for camera and microphone), and a 2.5-inch 480 x 480-pixel display. For its shape, functionality, and design, the Spot is probably the ideal speaker for positioning and use in the bedroom (and probably in the office). It is perhaps the most niche model compared to other Echo, but if the visual aspect is a feature that you consider important, it is the right one to buy.
The best Amazon Echo to buy
The best Echo is, in our opinion, the Amazon Echo Plus, the most complete and qualitatively superior of the series. Great for listening to music with good audio quality, researching, and managing all smart devices at home.
If you are looking for a basic model for voice functions only or want to expand the range to several rooms, Echo Dot is the most recommended and cheapest. Simultaneously, the second-generation Amazon Echo is the best solution for money value, combining good audio quality and intelligent functionality management.
If you are a visual lover and want to view your information, make video calls, and simultaneously satisfactorily manage your home automation, Echo Spot is the model to buy.
Below is a complete selection of Amazon Echo models with their technical characteristics and prices.
- Our best sounding echo dot yet – Enjoy an improved audio experience compared to any...
- Your favorite music and content – Play music, audiobooks, and podcasts from Amazon...
- Alexa is happy to help – Ask Alexa for weather updates and to set hands-free timers, get...
- Alexa can show you more - Echo Show 5 includes a 5.5” display so you can see news and...
- Small size, bigger sound – Stream your favorite music, shows, podcasts, and more from...
- Keep your home comfortable – Control compatible smart devices like lights and...
- Better inside and out – Entertainment is more immersive with spatial audio and an 8" HD...
- Vibrant sights, full sound – Content on Prime Video, Netflix, Fire TV Channels, and more...
- Smart home, simplified – Pair and control devices compatible with Zigbee, Matter, and...
- Echo Pop – This compact smart speaker with Alexa features full sound that's great for...
- Control music with your voice – Ask Alexa to play music, audiobooks, and podcasts from...
- Make any space a smart space – Easily control compatible smart home devices like smart...
- MEET THE NEW ECHO SPOT - A sleek smart alarm clock with Alexa and big vibrant sound. Ready...
- CUSTOMIZABLE SMART CLOCK - See time, weather, and song titles at a glance, control smart...
- BIG VIBRANT SOUND - Enjoy rich sound with clear vocals and deep bass. Just ask Alexa to...
- Premium sound: Rich, detailed sound that automatically adapts to any room. Supports...
- Voice control your music – Stream songs from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify,...
- Smart home hub – Built-in hub to voice control compatible lights, locks, and sensors....
- MEET THE ALL-NEW ECHO SHOW 15 - A stunning 15.6" Full-HD (1080p) smart display that's...
- FAMILY ORGANIZATION HUB - See your top widgets at a glance, like your family’s calendars...
- ALL YOUR FAVORITES, ALL RIGHT HERE - Built-in Fire TV unlocks endless entertainment, so...
- Enjoy an immersive audio experience - Echo Studio now features spatial audio processing...
- Voice control your music – Stream songs from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify,...
- Adapts to any room – Automatically senses the acoustics of your space, fine-tuning...
- Alexa can show you even more - With a 10.1" HD screen that’s designed to move with you,...
- Stay in frame - Video call friends and family or take a picture while the 13MP camera with...
- Smart home made simple - Set up compatible Zigbee and Matter devices without a separate...
- Our best sounding Echo Dot yet – Enjoy an improved audio experience compared to any...
- Enhanced LED display – Stay on track with an improved LED display that shows the time,...
- Alexa is your personal assistant – Ask Alexa for news, weather, timers, smart home...
Product prices and availability are subject to change. Therefore, any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to purchasing any products.