Compare what is it? Echo Plus vs Echo vs Echo Dot

Echo Plus, Echo, and Echo Dot are hands-free speakers that can be controlled via voice to perform various commands apart from playing high-quality music. These systems connect to Amazon’s Voice Service named Alexa that can play music, answer questions, make calls, send and receive messages, provide weather information, book a cab, and much more.

Echo Plus and Echo both have a 2.5” downward-firing woofer and 0.6” tweeter powered by Dolby to deliver powerful, crisp, and dynamic bass that can fill up a room. Echo Dot is a sleeker version that has a 0.6” speaker only.

Echo Plus comes with a built-in hub that allows setting up smart devices easily to convert any home into a smart home. It comes with a built-in ZigBee smart home hub that connects with compatible lights, locks, plugs, in-wall switches and more.

 

Compare what does it do? Echo Plus vs Echo vs Echo Dot

These speakers connect to a cloud-based voice service, Alexa that responds to a wake command from any corner of the room. It can play music from Amazon Music, Spotify, Pandora, and more. They can also be used to connect to multiple Echo devices in different rooms to extend the sound and provide personalized music for each room. Alexa also helps in making calls, setting alarms, reply to questions, check sports update, traffic, etc. Echo Plus has a built-in hub to connect with smart devices for controlling them externally. Echo and Echo Dot also can be configured with the help of an external hub. These speakers can also be used to sync with smartphones to pick calls and even dictate text messages for hands-free comfort.

 

What devices does it control?

All these wireless speakers are designed to respond to voice command requests by users to provide information from the internet. It also looks for songs on various apps for quick playback. The smart system keeps getting added with new features and skills that allows Alexa to control the TV, request a cab, order pizza, and more.

With the Echo Plus’s ZigBee built-in hub users can set up smart systems such as ZigBee lights, locks, and plugs by leading brands including Phillips Hue, GE, Kwikset, and more.

Even Echo and Echo Dot can connect to smart devices via Wi-Fi but it will require a smart home hub or interface for connecting with smart home devices.

 

Compare Technology: Echo Plus vs Echo vs Echo Dot

These three speakers, Echo Plus, Echo, and Echo Dot have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technology to connect to the internet and other smart devices. They also have a 3.5 mm jack to connect the speakers to other devices as well.

Echo Plus and Echo have a 2.5” downward-firing woofer along with Dolby powered 0.8” and 0.6” tweeters respectively. There are seven microphones tucked under the light ring to capture voice commands with ease. Each of these microphones has beamforming technology with enhanced noise cancellation for an improved wake-word performance even in the noisiest of environments.

 

Compare Special Features: Echo Plus vs Echo vs Echo Dot

All three Echo devices come with a powerful audio and Alexa App that is compatible with Fire OS, Android, and iOS devices. They can connect to other Echo devices in multiple rooms. These can also be connected to smart devices to create a smart home hub.

Echo comes with a room-filling sound and is available in different fabrics and finishes. Echo Plus is available with a built-in hub and includes a Philips Hue bulb as a startup kit. Both these speakers have better speaker quality with Dolby processing that offers a 360 degree, immersive room-filling sound.

 

What’s the Difference between the 3?

Even though all three speakers come with the same basic feature, Echo Plus provides better connectivity with a built-in hub for a simple setup of compatible smart home devices. Echo Plus and Echo have better speakers with Dolby Technology while Echo Dot comprises only of a single tweeter, giving it a sleeker, streamlined design. Price wise, Echo Plus is the costliest amongst the three due to additional features for the same.

 

Compare Price: Echo Plus vs Echo vs Echo Dot

Echo Plus
$149.99

Echo
$84.99

Echo Dot
$39.99

 

Compare Warranty: Echo Plus vs Echo vs Echo Dot

Echo Plus and Echo provide 1-year limited warranty and service while Echo Dot comes with 90-day limited warranty and service.

Compare Review: Echo Plus vs Echo vs Echo Dot

 

Echo Plus Pros

This speaker comes with a very good stereo system that provides a decent output. The configuration and management of Alexa are easy and works perfectly for most voice commands. The multi-room music plays in sync with multiple Echo devices. The drop-in feature also helped in creating a home intercom system. The system works very well for calling and hands-free messaging. Another advantage of Echo Plus that user’s applause is the availability of a hub to make connections easily with other smart devices.

 

Echo Plus Cons

Some users did find a problem syncing Alexa and making it work for many different devices. It is still in its nascent stage and would not respond to the commands as expected. Another issue that has been noted with Echo Plus is the quality of speakers and its bass output. The sound isn’t as good as several other Bluetooth speakers although there is an option to connect external speakers. Although there is an option to connect it with other speakers, the additional cost of having a Dolby Digital speaker makes it less worth in comparison with the more simplistic Echo Dot device.

 

Echo Pros

Echo has better sound over its predecessor and its Dolby woofer and tweeter design help in enjoying all genres of music. The assembly of buttons is accessible and its voice command identification over the air works well for all major tasks. The decorative, swappable shells help in customizing the speakers as per the interiors and mood. The connectivity option with other smart devices works decently. Also, Alexa works very well for setting alarms, reminders, playing games, making a daily schedule, search for answers, and more. With ever-growing skills and updates, users hope to achieve more with it in the future.

 

Echo Cons

A problem that is noted with Echo is the sound quality in comparison with other types of Bluetooth speakers. The bass wasn’t as good as expected and the sound started to distort at max volumes. It also had connectivity issues with Spotify and other devices where it loses connectivity in between.

 

Echo Dot Pros

Echo Dot is a sleek device that fits into any room with ease. With all the basic features that make the Echo series better, users have the flexibility to connect a Bluetooth speaker of their choice. It has a decent build quality and the 4-button system is pretty easy. The microphones work well even in a noisy environment and pick up the voice commands well. Connectivity setups using Echo Dot was easy and simple for most basic users. Overall, Alexa also functions decently to search the internet, play music, read reports, place calls, and write messages. With constant updates and upgrades, Alexa provides support for more and more apps going forward thus increasing the productivity using Echo Dot.

 

Echo Dot Cons

Few users have a complaint that the build quality of Echo Dot isn’t good enough and stopped working well after 6 months of use. On several occasions, Alexa could not pick up the command and triggered wrong ones upon request. Even though the drop in feature is a good addition to a room or home to home conversations, the microphones don’t have a very good quality pickup to make the calling pleasurable. On several occasions, few users had to unplug it and plug it back when Alexa started speaking in garbled gook words.