In its fourth version, Amazon’s iconic Echo connected speaker attempts a new approach with its spherical design: a choice which finally allows it to raise the level, if not being totally revolutionary.
Without fundamentally reshuffling the cards, the fourth generation of Amazon Echo has the merit of laying more solid foundations than previous versions. The manufacturer’s small smart connected speaker offers decent performance with, finally, decent sound reproduction (conditioned by a necessary adjustment to calm its energy in the bass), good quality voice capture and intuitive use. Alexa users on a budget will therefore find what they need here. If your priority is to get your hands on the most capable smart speaker under €100, regardless of the on-board assistant, the Google Nest Audio will be 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 triggering the voice assistant at times.