After a couple of weeks with the new Amazon Echos, two things are clear and straightforward. The visible, the design, is more attractive, and in the invisible is the progress and the great difference. And that is so because, if we talk about the new Echo and its new appearance, the spherical and fabric design with its led ring at the base makes it more innovative and even elegant to have it in a visible place in the preferred room. And if what we highlight is the interior (see photo) the Amazon device carries in its guts some speakers that detail a sound in high definition so that music lovers, like the one who writes, can feel in detail the tones, rhythms , settings, … of your favorite themes.
The truth is that configuring the new Echo, and also the new Echo Dot, is very simple, especially for those who already have some equipment or previous range. From the Alexa application, always from the latest version, and with bluetooth activated on the smartphone, the connection of the new Echos is very fast. For those who have some difficulty, just touch the + sign in the mobile application to add their new device. Once the new Echo is configured, you can see how the speakers are automatically adjusted to optimize the sound quality according to the characteristics of the room and the location of the device.
Woofer y tweetters
As I mentioned at the beginning, what is most striking about the new Echo, in addition to the new design, is the interior. The sound emitted by the device has been significantly improved thanks to its incorporation of a 3.0-inch woofer, two tweeters and a Dolby processor that offers stereo sound with clear highs, dynamic mids and deep bass. It’s like having an Echo Studio at home, but more compact and ‘prettier’. Quickly, who is able to differentiate the quality sound, the new Echo automatically detects the acoustics of the environment and adjusts the audio reproduction. I always like to try these types of devices that also have the addition of Dolby technology, with classical and jazz music, in which the instrumentation and the sounds in the foreground and background are clearly distinguished. And I can tell you that the new Echo is made for great music.
The premium sound, they say on Amazon, is also due to the new sphere shape, as it gives more flexibility to speaker placement and sound projection, maximizing stereo and spatial audio quality within a single device. The spherical shape also provides more rear volume for a deeper, fuller bass. Echo is compatible with all music services such as Amazon Music, now also HD, Apple Music, Spotify, … The recommended distance for an optimal listening experience, they point out from the company, is approximately 3 meters from the device, with a minimum of 1 , 80 meters. I usually do it at about two meters. And the equipment should be located directly in front of the user and approximately at ear level. The device automatically adjusts to any distance from nearby walls or corners. Something that I have not had time to try is the multi-room music function, for example to see how all the Alexa devices that I have in different rooms of the house sound at the same time, listening to the same music in all of them.
Sustainability
They say on Amazon that the new Echo is built with 100 percent post-consumer recycled fabric, 100 percent recycled die-cast aluminum, and 50 percent recycled plastic. Additionally, 99 percent of the device’s packaging is made from wood fiber materials from responsibly managed forests or recycled sources. It is certified by the Carbon Trust and carries on its “CO2 Reduction” label a certification that demonstrates the reduction of the carbon footprint of products, year after year. This is measured by creating a life cycle assessment for both the current product and its previous generation (or the previous year) and evaluating the greenhouse gas emissions of each.
In addition to using sustainable materials, the new Echo has a ‘Low Power Mode’ to reduce energy use throughout its useful life, consuming less during periods of inactivity and thus offering savings, depending on the configuration of the device. device. Later this year Amazon will introduce a new Power Dashboard that will help understand the power consumed by compatible smart home devices in the Alexa app. It is also building new wind and solar farms to produce clean energy equivalent to the electricity used by each user’s Echo device.
Protect privacy
Especially delicate in this type of device is always the protection of privacy. In Amazon they say that the Echos with Alexa, also the new ones, are designed with multiple protection measures and privacy controls, be it from the electronic disconnection of the microphones, to the possibility of viewing and erasing voice recordings. All this to give transparency and control over the user experience with Alexa.
We’ve tested it by saying to our new Echo and Echo Dot, “Alexa, how can I check my privacy settings?” , to get a direct link to my privacy settings in the Alexa app; “Alexa, delete everything I said”, to delete all your voice recordings, “Alexa, delete what I just said”, to delete the voice recording of my last request; and “Alexa, delete everything I said today” to delete my voice recordings for the day.
Smart Home is easier
We have also tested, although I don’t have a lot of sensors and smart bulbs at home, the Zigbee and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) compatible Digital Home Controller in the newer Echos. Just pop in a compatible bulb or sensor and say, “Alexa, find my devices” and Alexa will automatically detect them and set them up so they can be used and controlled just by voice.
One of the Alexa applications or functionalities that I like the most, also with the new Echos, is to communicate with my family members thanks to Drop in, especially when each of us is in a different room and it is time to eat or dinner, or leaving the house all together. Also with this function I can call any other Alexa user, wherever I am anywhere.
Echo Dot and Echo Dot with clock
Finally, I’m going to talk a little bit about the new Echo Dot. They say on Amazon that the previous version of this device has been the best-selling smart assistant of all time, although it does not provide figures for them. The new Echo Dot has the same spherical design and fabric finish as the Echo. It includes a powerful 1.6-inch front speaker that produces crisp vocals and balanced bass, all for full sound to enjoy in any room in the house. There is also a new Echo Dot with a clock, with the same functionalities as the Echo Dot, but that adds a simple LED display to see the time, temperature, timers and alarms. The new Echo Dot devices are made from 100% post-consumer recycled fabrics, 100% cast recycled aluminum, and 50% post-consumer recycled plastic. Additionally, 99 percent of device packaging is made from wood fiber materials sourced from responsibly managed forests or recycled sources. They are certified by the Carbon Trust and will carry their label “Reducing CO2.
The configuration and enjoyment of the features of the new Echo Dot, with or without a clock, is identical to that of its older brother, the new Echo, although logically it does not have the same sound quality for listening to music. However, these new computers are an interesting option for those users who want to have an assistant in a bedroom to help them manage communications, listen to music, track purchases on Amazon or ask for the latest news of the day.
