Author: Eric Ravenscraft / Source: reviewgeek.com
Amazon dropped a positively massive new batch of Alexa-enabled and smart home devices, from subwoofers to microwaves. Here’s all the new hardware and everything you need to know about them.
An Updated Echo Dot Gets a New Look, Better Speakers
Amazon started off by announcing a new Echo Dot to replace the previous, second-generation version.
This new Echo Dot will sport a fabric shell, similar to the Google Home Mini, and it will come in a variety of colors. Amazon also said that the new version should have a more powerful, better speaker. As you’ll see, that’s something of a theme for Amazon. The new Echo Dot will cost the same $50 as the old version, which makes us think the 2nd Gen version will be discontinued in the near future.The Echo Input Connects To Your Existing Sound System
The Echo Dot is often touted as the Alexa-enabled device you can plug into your own sound system, but now Amazon is introducing an even cheaper device for that very purpose. The Echo Input has no speaker of its own. Instead, you can plug it into your existing sound system—or any device with an audio input—to turn it into an Alexa device. The Echo Input costs a measly $35, which is almost as low as we usually see Echo Dots for when they go on sale. Whether you buy this at the normal price or wait for an even further discount, say during the holidays, this should make it super cheap to turn your devices into smart speakers.
The Echo Sub Brings Powerful Audio to Your Existing Echos
While Apple and Google have their own super-powerful smart speakers, Amazon is taking a different approach. The new $130 Echo Sub is a standalone 100W subwoofer that you can pair with other Echo devices to improve your audio. Pair it with a single Echo and you get robust mono sound. Pair it with two Echos and you get stereo audio.
That might make it a little expensive to create a full audio system, but it’s also more flexible. Especially if you already own some Echo devices in your home already. A second Echo costs $100, plus $130 for the subwoofer, and you’ve got a sound system that might just rival, say, a Sonos One for just $30 more than that device costs. That gets a lot more attractive if you can use the Echo Input to turn other speakers into compatible Echo devices. The Echo Sub will cost $130 when it drops on October 11th.
The Echo Link and Echo Link Amp Are Clearly Gunning For Sonos
Echos and Amps are fine for the average person, but Amazon wants to come after the affluent audiophile. The Echo Link connects to your existing receiver and amplifier to control music volume, playback, and even play in multiple rooms.
While the Link is just a pass-through device, the Echo Link Amp comes with its own 60W, dual-channel receiver and amplifier, to connect directly to your speaker. Both devices support ethernet, coaxial, and optical inputs. The Link costs $199 and should be out later this year, while the Link Amp costs $299 and will be out early next year. No solid release date has been announced for either. Both are pretty clearly aimed at the higher end audio market.
The Upgraded Echo Plus Sounds Better, But Still Isn’t Super Appealing
When the original Echo Plus came out, it sounded promising. An Echo that also works as a hub for all your smart home gadgets. In practice, it wasn’t very good. It lacked support for the Z-Wave protocol, which meant a good number of devices were left out. You could get your own Z-Wave hub, but then that sort of ruins the point.
The new Echo Plus is technically an improvement over its predecessor. It has that neat-looking fabric design, a new temperature sensor, and better…
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