In its fourth version, Amazon’s iconic Echo connected speaker tries a new approach with its spherical design: a choice that finally allows it to raise the level, if not completely revolutionary.
Without fundamentally reshuffling the cards, the fourth generation of Amazon’s Echo has the merit of laying a more solid foundation than the previous versions. The manufacturer’s small smart connected speaker offers decent performance with, finally, decent sound reproduction (conditioned by a setting necessary to calm its energy in the bass), good quality voice pickup and intuitive use. Alexa users with a content budget will therefore find their account here. If your priority is to get your hands on the most capable smart speaker under the $100 mark, regardless of the on-board assistant, the Google Nest Audio will stand out as a better choice.
Strong points
- Round and warm restitution (which still requires prior adjustment to remain pleasant).
- Mini-jack analog input/output.
- Good manufacturing quality.
Weak points
- Very average sound precision.
- Particularly limited power reserve.
- Some errors in triggering the voice assistant at times.
NB: The reported price drop is calculated by comparing the lowest price of the day with the average of the lowest prices charged by all merchants for the product last month, with security rules to exclude prices from shops whose the VAT policy is not clear (known as “grey” shops, typically in the case of imports from China).
Alternatively
The Nest Mini safely renews the formula of the first model (Home Mini). Google’s small speaker still benefits from a neat design and offers very good voice recognition. Enough to take advantage of the features of Google Assistant at a low price. This model does the job well in terms of sound performance, especially given its size and primary function. We still recommend that you turn to other, slightly larger models if you want to enjoy your music; we think in particular of the LG ThinQ WK7, which can be found regularly around 100 €.