Smart Speakers

The Amazon Echo (4th Gen) has Good overall sound quality. The unit is monophonic. Bass has decent impact but is a bit boomy and deep bass is lacking. Midrange is fairly even but is a somewhat hazy and rough. Treble is somewhat prominent, is smeared, and upper treble is muted. Does a so so job of recovering room ambience is a somewhat congested and lacking in detail. There was no significant difference between Wifi, Bluetooth and Aux sound quality. Provides a decent volume level in a medium sized room but gets compressed sounding at louder volumes. Can be combined with a second unit to form a stereo pair. As a stereo pair they can be placed to provide better stereo separation than many other models. Note: The unit has a bit more treble and bass than the last generation Echo.

Versatility is Excellent. It's a monophonic speaker, with multi-room support and can stereo pair with another Echo (4th Gen). Wireless: WiFi supports dual-band and this unit has Bluetooth and can output to another speaker but lacks speakerphone functionality. Communications: Has support for calling and messaging - called "Drop In", but lacks SMS texting capbability. Digital Assistant Muting: Has a dedicated button to disable the digital assistant by muting its microphones. Audio Connections: Has a switchable audio port in app settings for analog audio input and output. Audio Tailoring: Has Bass, Mid and Treble user tone controls; also claims to have auto audio calibration (but lacked a method to defeat feature after adjusting EQ settings). OS Support: Fire OS, Android and iOS. Other connections and features: Lacks a USB device port. Smart Home Hub: Has an integral ZigBee hub. Streaming by voice command: Supports voice command of many common streaming services such as Amazon Music, Apple Music, Pandora, Spotify, Tune-In, and iHeart Radio. Voice ID: Supports voice identity - a feature which allows the account holder with their "voice print" to access personal information.

Overall ease of use of the Amazon Echo (4th Gen) is very good. Wireless setup: Setup requires an app downloaded to a mobile device, easy and intuitive, may or may not involve inputting WiFi network password and account setups. Console controls: Volume controls are prominent +/- control buttons with non-persistent graphical position (but graphical indicator is somewhat obstructed ring of light lowest part of unit) markings of volume level is easily repeatable via verbal commands and easy to actuate. Audio mute: Lacks a physical mute control. Microphone mute: Dedicated control but the marking is not the most obvious, clear indication when it is engaged. Source selections: Requires app to be installed, app installation is straight forward. Once app is installed switching between wireless sources is fairly intuitive within the app. Can't select Bluetooth but Bluetooth can be connected by verbal command to previously paired device - ready to play. App remote: Volume control symbol, then volume slider, lacks index markings so not easily repeatable, but easy to actuate. Shown for currently playing streamed WiFi music. Mute: (Remote) Well marked, well placed, clear indication when it is engaged and mutes the line input. Voice transport controls: Natural language control of transport (Play/Pause/Skip/Mute), volume controls and source selection was easy and intuitive.