The Echo has gone spherical.
A ball.
Round.
A ball.
No matter how you want to define it, the fourth-generation Echo has a new design but is also packed with new features, and for the same price of $ 99.99.
Amazon really wants the Echo to be an all-in-one smart home device.
And from what we've experienced, it has.
A reliable set of speakers inside powers a rich and vibrant audio experience.
Alexa is on board, of course, with all her smarts, along with a custom chipset made by Amazon.
And just like on the Echo Plus (which this Echo is replacing), there's support for the Zigbee home automation standard inside that allows the Echo to be a true smart home brains.
So for less than $ 100, is it worth it?
It's a whole new look
It is true that we were a bit skeptical about the new spherical design.
When it was announced, it was unlike any other smart speaker we've seen.
But the Echo is not a giant orb that feels out of place.
In the last few days, we've used it on our nightstand, desk, and even kitchen counter.
Like previous Echo speakers, it has a cozy design with a fabric outer shell.
It is available in twilight blue, glacier white and charcoal.
No matter where you place it, the Echo will blend in perfectly with your home décor.
It is close to a grapefruit in size;
It's wider than previous Echos and shorter so it will take up a bit of space.
The top features physical buttons, which rest above the fabric shell, and which work to activate Alexa, mute the microphones, and set volume levels.
On the rear is the proprietary power port and a 3.5mm audio jack.
We'd also be remiss if we didn't mention that the rear is plastic, so the fabric shell is only partial.
The bottom of the fourth-gen Echo contains a mounting port and a rubber grip for proper positioning.
There is even a small rectangular button to reset the device if necessary.
Amazon includes a 30-watt wall socket with the cord attached in the box.
Regardless of the color you choose, the power plug will be white.
Amazon did not remove the circular ring of LEDs, but instead moved its location.
In all previous Echos, it was at the top;
it is now at the bottom.
For starters, it's still easy to see when Alexa is listening while it's glowing blue, or if you have a notification while it's glowing yellow.
When the microphone is off, it will glow red.
But it doesn't just shine on the ring, it shines on the surface the Echo sits on.
The outer shell of the fabric is made from 100% recycled fabric, the aluminum used is 100% recycled die-cast, and the plastic is 50% recycled.
So it is quite sustainable.
The Eco also has a low power mode.
If you don't hear sound at home, you will conserve energy.
You'll be able to monitor how much power your Echo uses in the Amazon Alexa companion app for Android and iOS as well.
Can throw a party
Last year, we discovered the improvement in sound quality of the third-generation Echo, thanks to a 0.8-inch tweeter and a 3-inch woofer inside.
With the fourth generation, Amazon packed an extra tweeter (so there are two 0.8-inch tweeters along with a 3-inch woofer).
And the placement inside a spherical shaped speaker is different.
Since it is wider.
Amazon has the ability to place both tweeters facing forward, with one tilted to the left and the other to the right.
The woofer is parked at the top and has more room, both in height and width, for the bass to settle and be pushed hard.
This makes for a very robust experience, but it is no longer a 360-degree omni-directional experience.
On this Echo, the sound is pushed out the front, so you'll want to consider that when installing.
The old corner hack for amplification is still useful here.
Essentially, when a 360-degree speaker is placed in a corner of the room, the design of that corner amplifies the sound.
It is especially useful for Bluetooth speakers, as it is a free way to increase the volume.
This also happens, although given the directional nature of the sound, it is less pronounced.
However, volume really shouldn't be an issue.
The fourth-gen Echo is considerably powerful for a speaker at this price - it really outstrips the Nest Audio in terms of volume.
The Echo, like the Echo Studio, will also study the acoustics of the room to get an idea of the space.
Essentially, you will listen to how the audio sounds and determine how close you are to something that could impact that sound, such as a wall.
You can also customize the mix through an equalizer.
And since Alexa is built in, you can do it with just your voice.
As a whole, we are very happy with the audio experience.
With a volume set to 10 on a song like "Helter Skelter" by The Beatles, the speaker fills a moderately sized bedroom.
The track alone can be a bit muddy, but even with a wide range of instruments the Echo handles it quite well.
Similarly, Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run" comes through with clarity.
With a pop track like Taylor Swift's "Paper Rings," the bass is punchy with the beat of the opening drums, and their vocals come cleanly high in the audio spectrum.
On Billie Eilish's "Bad Guy" you can clearly hear the widest range of bass and feel like the woofer really shakes the surface the Echo is on.
Overall, Amazon managed to deliver a wide soundstage with the Echo that works for a variety of genres.
Alexa, smart with all your might
It may be hard to believe, but the Echo was first released in 2014. In the tech space, that means Alexa is getting old.
But with age comes wisdom, and Alexa is arguably one of the smartest assistants in our tests.
And, in this Echo, it shines with its own light.
You can get a flash briefing every morning to get the latest news (which matters to you, of course), get the latest weather report, and if you're traveling somewhere, even get traffic alerts.
If you have other Echo smart speakers, you can use them to announce messages to other speakers in your house.
And if a family member or friend has an Echo, you can even call them.
All of this works not only with the smarts of Alexa, but also with six far-field microphones inside and the AZ1 Neural Edge processor made at Amazon.
The latter is a first-generation chipset that can speed up voice recognition and deliver Alexa responses in a faster way.
In use, we didn't notice any slowdowns on the fourth-gen Echo.
Alexa was able to quickly answer questions.
Our only qualm was that with the music blasting, we had to raise our voices for him to hear the words.
Other smart speakers, like the older Nest Audio, HomePod, and Echos, performed better when listening to the command word, loud music and all.
From a smart home perspective, the fourth-gen Echo is loaded with connectivity.
Along with Wi-Fi connectivity, you get Zigbee, Bluetooth Low Energy, and Amazon Sidewalk.
Sidewalk is the only standard owned by Amazon as well.
It is used for connectivity in Ring Smart Lighting, so with this Echo, you would not have to buy a device to bridge.
And for a Bluetooth or Zigbee smart home product, you won't have to buy a separate hub or bridge.
We, for example, were able to pair some Ring bulbs, a Philips Hue Bluetooth bulb, and even a door sensor that uses Zigbee.
Finding devices that work with Alexa is also very easy.
conclusion
After nearly a week with the fourth-gen Echo, we can safely say that the move to a spherical design is a double win.
It is a new design that is more unique and, at the same time, fits better in more places.
But it also allowed the audio team working on Echo to really improve the sound on this device.
Year after year, it's not only louder, it provides a fuller mix with a wider soundstage.
Upgrading from a first- or second-gen Echo will offer an even more impactful sound experience, without sacrificing the core of this product: Alexa.
At $ 99.99, the Echo brings a tremendous amount of value.
Compared to Nest Audio, it is the clear winner.
(We'll be testing the updated Echo Dot and the Echo Dot with a clock soon.) The fourth-gen Echo does what you ask of it and more, it's an all-in-one smart home device that integrates nicely into the Amazon ecosystem.
Note: The above prices reflect the price at the time of publication of the article.
