The Amazon Echo Studio is a home speaker with a big sound and smart home compatibility due to Alexa built-in. Let’s take a closer look at the 2022 edition.
First Impressions
Amazon has quite a range of smart speakers such as the Amazon Echo Dot, Amazon Dot & Amazon Echo Show and the recent Amazon Echo Dot Kids we reviewed. They are all budget-friendly and since I have had an Echo Dot in my kitchen it covers a number of different tasks such as answering your questions, controlling your smart home devices, setting timers or just playing Christmas songs they have a wide range of uses.
In addition to what Amazon produces, you can get a wide range of smart speakers on the market like Sonos, Apple, Bose, JBL, and Google Smart Speaker. In this review, we are focusing on Amazon Echo Studio which is available in either Charcoal or Glacier White and is available for £159. The key features include-
- 3-dimensional soundscape with Dolby Atmos
- Compatible with all your favourite audio streaming sites.
- Smart home compatible
- Spatial Audio Processing
- Frequency range extension
Design
The Amazon Echo Studio design-wise is like-for-like compared to the 2021 model. It’s quite big measuring 206x 175mm (HxD) and weighing 3.5kg so consider where you place it in the home.
The Echo Studio is covered in mesh fabric that wraps around all the edges of the speaker. With a gap stretching across the width of the base as well as a big circular panel around the top that has the controls located. There is also a LED light ring on the inside which can barely be seen when not in use.
Jumping back a step the controls just like other Amazon devices are very much the same they consist of 2x volume buttons, a microphone mute button and an action button.
When you press the buttons the LED ring does the following:
- Mute the mic- Red
- Volume level – White
- Setup mode- Orange
- When Alexa is listening – Blue
Take a look inside the Echo Studio and you will find a 1-inch tweeter with 3x 2-inch mid-range speakers and a 5.25-inch woofer delivering 330 watts of power. Also included is additional custom-built spatial audio processing technology and a frequency range extension paired with Dolby Atmos and sony 360 reality audio.
Image Credit: Amazon
You will notice each element is strategically positioned so sound can come out in all directions so you will hear the same level of sound regardless of where you are in the room. You also have that frequency range extension that will automatically analyse the acoustics of the space where the Echo Studio is placed. What you get as a result are a room-filling and immersive sound.
Set-Up
Just like any Amazon smart speaker you have in the house simply plug in and open the Alexa app and click new device. Then follow the instructions and it’s then all ready to go. Simply say the word Alexa followed by your command when you want to use it.
Features
The Amazon Echo Studio provides everything you normally expect which an Alexa-supported device. I found when making commands my voice was heard clearly and even when music was playing the Echo Studio always heard us.
I found Alexa when listening to music via the likes of Spotify or Tidal would not pick up the name of the song or artist but this could be down to my accent. If this is the case simply just use your phone to select the song as it will be quicker to do so. If you ask for more popular artists such as Adele or Sam Smith the Echo Studio will pick them up with ease.
Audio Quality
When listening to music on the Echo Studio I found the audio quality was clear and precise and delivered crispness and clarity along with a deep rich bass and distinct treble although the mids could sometimes get a little lost which means some of the track detail will be lost. When you move around the room the echo studio uses that spatial audio feature to make it feel like you have a pair of stereo speakers with just a single unit.
Overall, the sound quality was great but if you’re looking for more Hi-Fi quality audio you may need to look at the Sonos option. If not you will have no complaints when it comes to the audio quality. It provides better audio compared to the Echo dots or the Apple HomePod. If you want to increase the sound even more buy a second Echo Studio for a fuller audio quality.
Verdict
If you already have an Alexa base smart home set up or you are looking for your first smart speaker for your house and are a little budget aware this is an excellent option.
The Echo Studio will provide you with room-filling sound but with some room for improvement still, The lack of Hi-Fi audio quality is something I would hope to include in next year’s model. That aside you will get a good audio experience and the use of spatial audio and frequency range extension will make the listening experience perfectly fine for most users.
Overall, The Amazon Echo Studio (2022) is a powerful home speaker with Alexa smart assistant making this Amazon’s best smart speaker mainly due to its immersive sound.
Product Rating:
Design/Fit: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Audio Quality: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Features: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Value for Money: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Overall ranking: 4.8 out of 5.0 stars – 4.75 Stars!
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