Amazon is a brand that you will most recognise for creating the likes of the Amazon Echo, and Amazon Echo Show but did you know they also have released a pair of Alexa-powered TWS headphones known as the Amazon Echo Buds.
First Impressions
The Amazon Echo Buds are 2nd gen as these are the upgraded version of the pair that was released in 2019. The Echo buds come with Alexa integration that allows you to use voice commands but also come with Bose’s active noise reduction technology that makes the buds stand out and really does help drown out unwanted noise.
The Amazon Echo Buds come in two colours black or white and there is also an option for the case to be compatible with wireless charging or you can just have the case that charges with a USB-C cable. The cost of the buds varies so the wireless charging case option is £129 or the case with wired charging case for £109.99.
Design
The Amazon Echo Buds feature a fairly simple design without any branding apart from the Amazon smile on the base of the case. On the rear of the case is a USB-C port and button that lights up a single LED to indicate the charge level these cases provide and Bluetooth pairing.
The charging case is about the same size as that of the Jabra Elite 5 and offers the user 3 full charges giving you 20 hours of playback in total. The case has that LED indicator light to show you how much battery life you have via a traffic light system.
Below is what that traffic light system looks like:
| Colour | Battery Level |
| Red | Low Battery |
| Yellow | Less than 40% |
| Green | Greater than 40% |
Moving to the buds they also keep to the no branding style and look very simple in design and won’t really stand out compared to other brands like the Jabra Elite 5 we recently reviewed. I guess the lack of branding can be a good thing if you do not want people to know what you are using. We were sent the black option and the buds are made of plastic and come in both matt and gloss black finish.
The buds are touch-sensitive buttons and can be customised via the Amazon Alexa app. This is useful as the touch control default commands are not the best and you will want to adjust the controls. The headphones only recognize double taps and long presses which prevents you from controlling everything you want that a single or triple tap might offer so you need to make choice on what you want to control from the following:
- Play/Pause
- Activating your phone smart assistant
- Toggling ANR and pass-through options
The lack of single and triple tap controls is a real negative when it comes to the design.
What Amazon has provided is a selection of eartips and silicone wings to provide stability when they are in your ears which is a benefit. The buds are also IPX4 rated which is useful when building up a sweat when working out.
Battery Life
The Amazon EchoBuds claim to offer 5 hours of playback on a single charge and when we tested the buds at 75% volume we found we got just over 4 hours of charge. The charging case does provide you with 3 additional charges totalling 20 hours in total so it’s under average if we compare them to the likes of Jabra Elite 5 (7 hrs in buds and 28 hours in the case), Edifier W240TN (7hrs in buds and 14hours in the case). So as you can see the battery life with the Echobuds will do the job but is rather average compared to its rivals of a similar price point.
Features
Amazon Alexa App
The Amazon Echo Buds will not shock you but you have Alexa integration and all you need to say is “Alexa” followed by your command it’s very responsive just be careful with others around you saying the keyword as it could trigger the buds.
What I also found really useful is if you prefer to use a different smart assistant like Siri or Google Assistant you can you are not tired down with Alexa. The Alexa app also allows you to view and adjust the following:
- EQ Controls
- Adjust tap controls
- ANC Settings
- Find my device
- Enable wake words
- Ear tip fit test
- Live battery stats for the case and buds
- Power saving mode.
Connectivity
The Amazon Echo Buds use Bluetooth 5.0 with a range of only 6 meters which is shorter than the average 10 meters. The buds also support the following codecs SBC & AAC and the echo buds perform really well and we had no performance issues at all. We did notice a slight lag on the audio when watching something on Youtube but it won’t affect your experience.
Active Noise Reduction (ANR)
The star of the show when it comes to these buds is the ANC which is different from the normal ANC we are so used to getting with a pair of TWS headphones. ANR does a good job of reducing the unwanted noise from the outside world instead of creating the sense of silence that ANC models try to provide.
We found this works really well paired with a good seal that creates its own level of isolation and the sounds of ladies on my train chatting fad dramatically and the low sound of the train moving completely fade into the background.
In addition to the ANR feature when you are listening to your favourite track and you need to remove a bud there is an optical sensor that will kick in and will pause your music right at that point and then when you place the bud back in your ear the buds reactivate the music as soon as you place them in. Now, this technology is not new but the Amazon buds do a fantastic job of using this feature.
Ear Tip Fit Test
Within the Amazon Alexa app is a feature some might not even realise they had. The fit is the most important element when listening to buds and how you can improve your sound quality.
The Ear Tip Fit Test will walk you through achieving the best fit and it’s a great way to double-check that you are getting the most out of your earbuds. When the test is complete not only will you gain a good level of isolation but also ensure you get the best sound as well. In addition to the test, the ANR will help you mask out any environmental noise like cars and unwanted chat around you. The overall sound quality could do with improving but the fact unwanted sounds are reduced will improve the sound quality.
Sound Quality
The Amazon Echo Buds will sound decent to most people but if your looking for more of a high-end experience you will need to look elsewhere. You will find the frequency response a little quirky but not a game-changer if you are used to a more consumer-friendly sound.
When listing to a wide range of music when listening to a more rock-based track you might struggle to hear the vocals within the lower guitar riffs but with buds like this is expected. You can use the EQ adjuster to make the sound better for you.
In terms of bass, you will say it’s very heavy-handed and muddy. The bass does not affect the mids too much but there is a lack of resolution across the frequency range. The highs are rolled off which prevents sound fatigue but it’s not ideal when listening to instrumentals it really does lose the sparkle.
The buds also allow you to make calls due to the internal and external beamforming mics they pick up my voice very well and when on a call I was told they could hear me fine but there is room for improvement as it sounds like being on a speakerphone there is a slight unwanted echo.
Verdict
The Amazon Echo Buds are a good option for someone who is looking for their first pair of TWS headphones and are looking for a smart assistant as a feature. The battery life is rather average compared to its rivals but with 5 hours in the buds and 20 hours of battery life charging case included in it will do you for your daily commute. The sound quality is decent but they are a bit bass-heavy what really does help that audio is the ANR feature which with a good seal really does reduce the unwanted outside noise. The feature I really did like and it stood out from the crowd is the ear tip fit test this allows you to get the perfect fit and it’s a really useful feature to have.
The controls are a little limited and will require you to open the Alexa app to customise the controls to better suit what the user will like. Overall they are a good pair if they are your first pair of TWS but if you already have a pair of TWS headphones I would look elsewhere as you can more value for your money from the likes of Edifier, Jabra and even Skullcandy.
Product Rating:
Design: 3.0 out of 5.0 stars
Battery Life: 3.0 out of 5.0 stars
Features: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Sound quality: 3.0 out of 5.0 stars
Value for Money: 3.0 out of 5.0 stars
Overall Rating: 3.4 out of 5.0 stars – 3.4 Stars
Thanks for reading this review, please continue to support us and check out our other reviews and follow us on Social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Linkedin don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter below.
Recent Comments