Hello everybody Yesterday I took delivery of my new Echo+, which has relegated the previous generation Echo to my bedside table, and my Echo Dot too my studio. Both will still be used a lot, so I’m not worried about that.
Downstairs, here in the lounge, the Echo+ now sits beside my multimedia equipment. So here are my initial impressions of the Echo+. If you got your hands on an Echo+, and sat it beside an Echo, you wouldn’t be able to tell them apart. Not, at least, without examining the silicone sheet that they both sit upon. The power connectors are the same, but orientated at right-angles to one another. In the case of the Echo, the power connector protrudes from the back of the case, indented from the outer rim of the case. On the Echo+, the power connector is mounted on the rim of the case, and the indentation does not even exist. In every other respect, the appearance of the two devices are absolutely identical. Another difference is that the Echo previous generation had 7 discrete microphones. The new generation of Echo and Echo+ has 8. Tests have proven that this is quite an important addition. Even with music playing at a considerable volume, the Alexa interface can still detect your voice and comprehend your commands. The processor in the new generation of Alexa-based devices has been upgraded. It now seems to be somewhat more responsive. This shows up most when you compare the new Echo and Echo+ to the second generation Echo Dot. But that doesn’t particularly worry me. There are two reasons why I opted to go for the Echo+ rather than the Echo. Firstly, I’m not convinced that an upgrade, new for old, would have been particularly advantageous. The Echo+ has an integrated Smart Hub, meaning that it’s no longer necessary to “bridge” an external hub to support those smart devices that need a hub. Not all of them do, of course. But the real reason why I upgraded was the quality of the audio. The speaker system has been upgraded, and the audio is now much more rich at the top end, and deep at the lower end of the spectrum. Setup was a piece of cake. Because I already have an Amazon account, the device was pre-registered for me. All I had to do was to set up the WiFi, Bluetooth® and Voice Remote, the latter of which I have hijacked from the Echo Dot, where it never really worked too well anyway. I’ve only had the device for just over 24 hours. But really, configuration was like home from home. It took me no more than 2 minutes in the Alexa app to get the thing set the way I wanted it set. I’m not about to start raving about how good the device is. Yes, as I said, there are advantages. However, unless the quality of the audio in the previous generation Echo really grates you, (and I can’t imagine why it would), and unless you are particularly in need of a smart hub, it’s probably not worth upgrading. In actual fact, I’m not really sure why Amazon bothered with the Echo upgrade. As in the Echo, not the Echo+. Upgrading from the previous generation Echo which, I think, was the second generation to the current generation Echo is, to my mind, completely vacuous. I had originally planned to go for an Echo Sow. But I bottled out because of the possibility that some of the more used commands might have been visual. But that is apparently not the case. Amazon tell me that although their quick start guide discusses setup using the touch screen, it can in fact be performed using the Alexa app just like any other echo. Thereafter, the Touch screen is an optional extra. The primary use of the screen is just to display video content. There is also a 5MP camera which can be used for video calls and chat. The Show has twin 4.9-Inch woofers, and twin side-facing tweeters which, if memory serves, are 2.6-inch. It also uses ambient audio, meaning it adjusts the audio to suit the characteristics of the room in which it is in use. This is one facet which it shares with the Google Home Max. Whether I decide to go for a Show at a later date is, at this time, very much in the lap of the gods. But I would doubt it. I think that their are other options which, were I in the market for another speaker system, I would opt for in preference to the Echo Show. Just my thoughts, for whatever they’re worth. ======================================== My compliments and kindest regards Gordon Smith: <gor...@mac-access.net> Accessibility & Information Technology Support Specialist.. This Message Was Created Using 100% Recycled Electrons. If you can avoid printing it, please do so. Think of the environment, save a tree! Contact: • UK Free Phone: 0800 8620538 • UK Geographic / Global: +44(0) 1642 688095 • UK Mobile/SMS: +44 (0)7804 983849 • Vic. Australia: +61 38 82059300 • US/Canada: +1 646 9151493 ----------------------------------------
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