Amazon’s Echo units have been with us for a very long time now. And whereas they’re meant as digital assistants before everything, let’s face it: most of us use them for music listening earlier than the rest. The issue? Most Echos have been sort of common the place it involves audio high quality.
Then got here the Amazon Echo Studio: Lastly, a professional-level speaker (up to some extent), that mixes an Alexa/Echo with wonderful audio system and really spectacular bass ranges, 3D and Dolby Atmos sound help, AND the power to function a soundbar in your TV.
And essentially the most spectacular trick the Echo Studio pulls is the value – whereas not as budget-friendly as different Echo units, you get A LOT in your cash on this case, with three totally different use-cases in a single system.
In fact, not the whole lot is ideal – as a soundbar, it solely works greatest when linked to Amazon’s personal Hearth TV units. It’s huge, heavy, and might’t be simply positioned below your TV. And its 3D audio guarantees are considerably of a gimmick (as is usually the case with these digital encompass applied sciences). So, is it definitely worth the value? Let’s take an in-depth look, on this Amazon Echo Studio overview.
Fast Look – Amazon Echo Studio
What’s it: A high-quality Alexa good speaker with 3D Sound and Dolby Atmos, which will also be used as a soundbar.
Options
Audio High quality
Worth for Cash
Total
Execs
- Highly effective, room-filling sound with wonderful bass
- Alexa might be the perfect voice-assistant round
- 3D music is gimmicky, however sounds good with some songs
- Works properly as a wi-fi Dolby Atmos soundbar
- Can be utilized to manage Good House units
Cons
- Massive and heavy (troublesome to place in entrance of your TV)
- 3D songs choice is small, and accessible solely on some platforms
- As a wi-fi soundbar, it solely works greatest with Amazon’s Hearth TV
Options and Specs
- Dimension: 206 x 175 mm
- Weight: 3.5kg
- Audio system: Three 2” (51 mm) midrange audio system, one 1” (25 mm) tweeter, one 5.25” (133 mm) woofer with bass aperture
- Audio Codecs: FLAC, MP3, AAC, Opus, Vorbis, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Atmos, Sony 360 Actuality Audio/MPEG-H
- Ports: 3.5mm audio, Mini-Optical In / Energy port / Mini USB (for service utilization solely)
- Wi-fi: WiFi / Bluetooth
- Music Streaming Companies Supported: Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, Deezer, TuneIn and extra by way of Alexa
- Further Options: Zigbee good residence hub / Computerized room evaluation (for optimcal sound output) / Will be wirelessly paired with Hearth TV
Abstract
A superb music speaker at this value vary, it’s an ideal mixture of an Alexa voice assistant and a high-quality music listening system. And the very fact you need to use it as a wi-fi soundbar provides much more to its value-for-money. Nonetheless, as is usually the case with Amazon, some options work greatest solely inside the Amazon ecosystem of providers and units.
Who Is The Echo Studio For?
Alexa, Amazon’s digital assistant, most likely wants no introductions at this level: it nearly single-handedly created and popularized the voice assistant market with the primary Echo units.
The early Echo units, nonetheless, weren’t superb audio system. Positive, they have been superb for listening to Alexa’s helpful (and typically quippy) solutions, and so they have been sort of OK for listening to some music within the kitchen – however they weren’t actually an excellent substitute for hi-fi audio system.
That being mentioned, that’s what most individuals did with them – sure, Alexa is helpful for setting timers, for getting trivia solutions and for controlling good mild bulbs – but when I’ve a speaker sitting in my lounge, that connects on to my cellphone or to Spotify – I’m going to make use of it for music.
And although subsequent Echo generations have been higher (the newest Echo 4th Generation is a giant enchancment within the music division), they have been nonetheless smallish audio system with the music high quality sort of feeling like an afterthought.
The Amazon Echo Studio, nonetheless, is a complete totally different story. With 5 audio system hidden inside its huge (and hulking) physique, and the most effective bass implementations I’ve heard in a speaker of this dimension (and definitely at his value), the Echo Studio places music entrance and centre – with Alexa being, properly, nearly a bonus characteristic.
Then there’s the soundbar component: when you’re going to place this huge factor in your lounge, why not use it in your TV’s sound as properly? And with Dolby Atmos help and that highly effective, room-filling sound, that is miles higher than nearly any set of audio system constructed into modern-day flat TVs. It’s even higher than many low-cost soundbars (and most, at this value stage, don’t help Dolby Atmos).
All that’s to say that the Amazon Echo studio is greatest for individuals who need to improve this trio of units: An Alexa voice assistant, a high-quality music speaker, and a soundbar.
Even when you’re not available in the market for a soundbar, that is nonetheless a superb system only for music – however, at a prompt retail value of £189.99, there ARE different choices on the market that may serve your music wants properly.
Lastly, it’s vital to emphasize out that the Echo Studio is supposed for people who find themselves prepared to go all-in on Amazon’s eco-system. Positive, it’ll work superb with Spotify, however you gained’t get the 3D Sound you will get on Amazon Music Unlimited.
And sure, you need to use the Mini-Optical line-in to attach it on to any TV or streaming system, however then it gained’t be wi-fi and gained’t help Dolby Atmos – which you solely get whenever you join it to an Amazon Fire TV device.
And even Alexa, in my expertise, works greatest whenever you pair it with different Amazon good units – whereas third celebration units are typically flawless, after which typically current points.
With all that out of the way in which – what’s it like to truly use the Echo Studio? Let’s dig in…
Utilizing The Echo Studio
If you take the Echo Studio out of the field, the very first thing you’ll discover is how huge and heavy it’s, at 3.5kg.
It’s particularly huge when in comparison with different Echo units – it’s greater than twice the dimensions of the 4th Era Echo, for instance, and appears like a hungry monster close to an Echo Dot.
This implies it may be difficult to discover a appropriate spot for it. The “3D Sound” impact (extra on that later) works greatest when the Studio is in entrance of you within the centre of the room, but it surely additionally wants area on all 4 sides for max impact.
Then there’s the soundbar query – if you wish to use it as one, it ought to ideally be below your TV, close to its centre – however in contrast to a large soundbar, when you place this below your TV, it’ll block part of the display screen – so you want to be extra imaginative together with your placement.
There’s additionally an choice to purchase a second Studio, and use two audio system together with your TV for true stereo (and digital encompass) sound – however then you want to spend extra, AND discover area for TWO heavy audio system on BOTH sides of your TV.
For most individuals, nonetheless – in case your TV isn’t on the wall – the Studio would most likely have to face beside your TV as a substitute of below it – which takes some getting used to.
Establishing the Echo Studio is pretty simple, even when that is your first Echo system. When you plug it in, Alexa greets you and instantly asks for its lifeline – a WiFi connection.
At that time, you want to obtain the Alexa app in your smartphone, and full the set-up course of by way of the app. You’ll usually discover that, for such a sensible system, the Echo isn’t all that stand-aloneish with regards to settings and configurations – and you want to revert again to the smartphone app rather a lot.
On prime of the Studio, you have got 4 buttons – the Mute Microphone button tells Alexa to cease listening to you – so when you begin discussing delicate points together with your cat, you may stop anybody from listening.
Then there are the handbook Quantity Up and Down buttons (which it’s also possible to do together with your voice, after all), and at last, the Motion button, which is used to activate Alexa (with out calling out her title), or to reset the system.
The highest half additionally has the sunshine ring, which pulsates with a blue mild when Alexa is listening to you (or talking).
Current generations of Echo units moved that mild ring to the underside of the system, which is far more helpful – however with the Studio, that mild remains to be on prime – which makes it a bit laborious to see when you place the system larger than your head (whenever you’re sitting down, that’s).
I gained’t go an excessive amount of into Alexa itself (herself?), because it’s been round lengthy sufficient for many of you to be aware of it. However in a nutshell, you may ask it questions (“How’s the climate?” “How outdated is Rowan Atkinson?”), you may arrange cooking timers and alarms, you may take heed to the information (or to the radio, by way of broadband), and you’ll management different Good Gadgets you personal – like lights, Smart WiFi Plugs and extra.
There are literally thousands of Alexa Expertise accessible nowadays (abilities are the Alexa equal of apps – and so they’re all aimed toward getting used together with your voice), so you may have loads of enjoyable with this.
The microphones on the Studio are fairly delicate, typically even an excessive amount of – it’ll nonetheless hear you say “Alexa” even when there’s loud music taking part in. However it should additionally hear somebody on a YouTube video you’re watching when he says the magic phrase – and begin performing up. To not point out folks in your TV saying “Alexa”… (However you may change the “wake phrase” to at least one of some choices – together with Laptop, Amazon and Echo).
Lastly, for music, you may both arrange streaming music providers like Spotify and Amazon Music to work instantly with the Echo Studio, or you may “solid” music (or any sound) out of your smartphone, by connecting it to the Studio by way of Bluetooth.
Connecting The Echo Studio To Your TV
As talked about, the Studio can be utilized as a soundbar – and a fairly succesful one at that. However for that to work, you want to join it to your TV.
There are 3 ways to do this. The primary, which is the least beneficial, is by way of Bluetooth (in case your TV or streaming system helps it).
However whereas Bluetooth is okay for music, it’s notoriously unreliable with regards to video, due to lag and potential lip-sync points.
The second manner is by way of the Mini-Optical port you’ll discover on the again of the Studio. You’ll want a particular cable (Optical to Mini-Optical), and also you’ll want an Optical-Out port in your TV (most standalone streaming units don’t include one).
It’s doable, however you lose two options this manner: the Studio’s connection is not wi-fi, as you want a cable working between the TV and the system. And, you don’t get Dolby Atmos – because it’s not supported on Optical connections.
Lastly, there’s the WiFi methodology – which works greatest, is wi-fi, and helps Dolby Atmos – however is ONLY appropriate with Amazon’s Hearth TV units.
And even when you have a Firestick (or Fire TV Cube), remember the fact that the Studio would then solely play sound from the Hearth TV system. In case you have different units linked to your TV (a gaming console, for instance) – these will preserve utilizing the TV’s audio system.
So, in that regard, this isn’t the proper soundbar. Should you’re planning to attach and use different units along with a Hearth TV stick, or when you’re within the Roku camp – don’t rely on the Studio in your TV’s audio wants.
Should you DO have a Firestick, nonetheless, connecting the 2 units is fairly easy – although it’s accomplished on the Alexa smartphone app, and never instantly on the Hearth TV, for some cause.
Impressively, as soon as the 2 are linked, the whole lot works flawlessly, and all of the sound coming from the Hearth TV goes to the Studio, with none lag or lip-sync points.
Echo Studio Audio High quality
As I’ve repeatedly talked about, the audio high quality is the Studio’s greatest characteristic. Should you’re upgrading from a “common” Amazon Echo system, you can be blown away by the sound.
It begins with the bass – it’d even be a bit too highly effective for some, however as a giant bass fan, I used to be thrilled by how deep and body-shuddering the bass right here can go.
It’s helped by the aperture on the backside of the system – the bit that makes it appear like a smiling face. Air could be pushed out from there, so in a manner, it capabilities just like the holes you see on subwoofers.
That being mentioned, the default bass setting was a bit too weak for me, so I hurried up and elevated the bass ranges by way of the EQ on the Alexa App. Two notches ahead, and my room was booming.
Within the EQ, it’s also possible to modify the treble and mid-range ranges to your liking, plus flip the “Stereo Spatial Enhancement” on and off.
That spatial audio characteristic is meant to “add area, readability and depth to stereo audio content material” – in different phrases, it’s considerably just like the digital encompass that many soundbars and audio system promise.
The Studio additionally makes use of its built-in microphones to analyse the room its in and the partitions round it, so it will possibly higher utilise that spatial enhancement.
In apply, I can’t say I heard a lot of a distinction with the Spatial Audio on or off. Sure, it makes the soundscape sound a bit of wider, however that’s additionally because of the highly effective quantity the Studio can push out with none distortion.
Then there’s the “3D Sound”: the Spatial Enhancement tries to boost present stereo songs. However when you play precise 3D variations of songs that have been particularly blended in that manner – the impact is stronger.
The difficulty is that for 3D songs (often known as Dolby Atmos songs or 360 Actuality – two competing codecs), you want a subscription to Amazon’s Unlimited Music service, the place you can see a not-so-big collection of 3D songs (Apple Music additionally has a restricted choice, and within the US, Tidal does too – however not within the UK, for some cause. Spotify and YouTube music don’t help any 3D sound codecs in the mean time).
3D Audio songs are distinctive mixes of those songs – so some do sound fairly totally different from the unique. However once more, that is because of the new combine, and never essentially because of the impact the Studio is creating.
Whereas the variations have been considerably extra evident right here than with the spatial “upscaling”, it’s nonetheless only a wider soundscape – I by no means felt as if the music was behind me and even throughout me – it’s nonetheless fairly clear the music is coming from a speaker in entrance of you. That being mentioned, the impact additionally relies on the room you’re in and the partitions across the system – so your mileage could range.
3D tips apart, let’s speak concerning the music itself.
We began by listening to Shawn Mendes’ Educate Me How To Love. The audio was fantastically tight and wealthy, and the lead vocals have been crystal clear, with a pumping kick that gave the Studio’s woofer a run for its cash.
The general soundscape crammed the room properly, with an excellent steadiness of frequencies. We might clearly hear the reverb tail of the vocals hanging within the air, which made the listening expertise not solely exact but additionally very fulfilling.
Transferring on to Los Angeles by The Midnight, the Studio’s audio system shined but once more.
With lushing synths and harmonized vocals, the whole lot sounds ‘proper’. The high-end frequency might use a bit of increase, however that was nothing a easy EQ tweak couldn’t repair.
There was no distortion with the quantity raised, and the sound stayed wealthy and secure. The pure sound complemented each acoustic and digital devices, whereas sustaining wonderful separation of frequencies and spectacular bass for an all-in-one speaker.
Nonetheless, utilizing the Studio as a soundbar is a little bit of a blended bag. The sound is correct and loud, and the deep bass helped in effects-heavy movies.
However – you’re nonetheless getting the sound from only one speaker (until you purchase one other one and use two audio system), which all of the sudden seems to be small in comparison with precise soundbars.
And there’s the added difficulty of not having the ability to place it proper below your TV (until the TV is up on the wall), with the sound of the film then coming at you from the SIDE as a substitute of the centre of the display screen – which is a bit disorienting.
All that being mentioned, that is nonetheless a significantly better speaker than what you get constructed into most TVs, so when you don’t have a superior soundbar, it’s best to undoubtedly use the Studio to exchange your TV’s audio system (however, as talked about above, you’ll get the perfect efficiency when you do that wirelessly by way of an Amazon Firestick).
Backside Line: Is The Echo Studio Value It?
That is by far the perfect sounding Echo system with regards to music – there’s no query about that. And for the value, it’s merely a superb speaker, not simply as an Echo system – but additionally when in comparison with equally priced common audio system.
With the ability to use this as a soundbar is a giant bonus, and let’s not overlook – you’re additionally getting the perfect voice assistant round, Alexa.
All that being mentioned – you may, after all, discover higher standalone soundbars and superior audio system – however a tool that serves three capabilities, at this high quality stage, for below £190 – provides unbelievable worth for cash. I gained’t say “a cut price”, as that’s not a CHEAP system – however you do get lots for the value.
Notice: The producer equipped the Echo Studio for this overview. As all the time, this didn’t affect my unbiased opinion of the product.
