Echo Dot (5th generation, 2022 release) | Big vibrant sound Wi-Fi and Bluetooth smart speaker with Alexa | Charcoal

Product Information

Though it was possible to get it louder than the other two, that was only by introducing distortion as well. The small-knit speaker mesh, meanwhile, sits tight to the frame without any noticeable bulges, feeling even more premium than the rival (and more expensive) HomePod Mini.

The hockey-puck-shaped speaker has a more refined look thanks to the fabric finish - far better than the older all-plastic version. Putting the new model and the 2020 version side by side on my desk and switching the music between them using Spotify Connect, the difference is noticeable, but not as great as the change from third-gen to fourth-gen.A light ring runs around the flat base; it glows blue when you interact with Alexa and will focus a particularly bright point to indicate the direction from which it registered the voice command.

You can turn this off, by the way, and tell it to only track you around the house when you want it to. However, the running water sound trigger is a bit sensitive: it would start blasting the music whenever there was any sound in the kitchen. Meanwhile, in his preview of the Gen 5 speaker, CNET's Ry Crist said he found the tap feature to be a bit finicky and that it didn't respond to some taps.

Eero says each Dot can add up to 1,000 square feet of coverage and support speeds of up to 100Mbps and up to 10 devices. It features an upward-firing driver inside its mesh, giving our music a wider and taller soundstage in terms of height, and with support for 3D audio tracks, Dolby Atmos-enabled and Sony Reality 360 Audio-enabled tracks, it sounded just that much sweeter with its encompassing immersion. In fact, the fifth-generation smart speaker has even better sound than all the Echo Dots that have come before it (a mean feat given how hard it is to eek good sound out of a small device). No, we haven’t quite arrived at the point at which all aspects of our domestic existence can be governed by a series of brusque commands to Alexa or Siri like something from 2001: A Space Odyssey, but voice-controlled speakers hooked up to the wi-fi aren’t going anywhere any time soon. You can also use Bluetooth to stream from the Dot to other speakers or from your phone or other device to the Dot to use it as Bluetooth speaker.

If you do have an Alexa household, it's possible you also went all-in with Nest doorbells and Eero routers. But we’re going to start counting exactly how many times you have to hit “agree” to use devices when we review them since these are agreements most people don’t read and definitely can’t negotiate. When my laptop connected to the Dot, I got speeds of 25Mbps up and 12 down in an area of my house where I would usually get 70 / 26 from my 1. Just ask Alexa to play music, podcasts and audiobooks and enjoy a dynamic audio experience anywhere in your home. Compared to the 5th-generation Echo Dot, the Echo Pop features a smaller, more compact size, making it a perfect speaker for a small space.Expertise Ty has worked for radio, print, and online publications, and has been writing about home entertainment since 2004. Availability of Apps is not included within the terms of the manufacturer’s warranty, or the John Lewis 2-year Guarantee for audio visual products, or the 5-year Guarantee for TVs.

It won’t beat larger speakers, but for the money it sounds pretty good, edging out Google’s Home Mini. It’s not quite as fast as a dedicated motion sensor, like the Philips Hue one I normally use in both my kitchen and bathroom, but it’s only a beat or so behind, and it’s nice not to need a second device in the room. I’m an ISF-certified TV calibrator and a THX-certified home theater professional, and I’m here to help you understand 4K, HDR, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and even 8K (and to reassure you that you don’t need to worry about 8K at all for at least a few more years). On its round exterior, you'll find an action button, volume buttons, a mic-off button, a light-up ring, a power port, and a 3.

It’s supposed to be the central hub for all families, and looks like a 15in picture frame intended to be placed on the wall (that does it all). But where Alexa was the only game in town, it’s now a two-horse race between Alexa and Google Assistant.