Amazon - Echo Buds (2nd Gen) True Wireless Noise Cancelling In-Ear Headphones - WHITE

I just picked up these new 2nd gen Amazon Echo Buds, and I am fairly impressed so far. The earbuds are true wireless and are capable of active noise canceling or passthrough mode. These earbuds claim to be sweat-resistant, and I believe them thus far, as I have had no issues even when running in the rain. I love how these buds connect to Alexa with ease, and you can just say the magic wake word “Alexa” and she is there to assist. Setting up the Echo Buds was a breeze. I already had the Alexa app, but once you open the earbud case, and the app, my phone instantly recognized the new device, and pairing the buds with my phone took seconds. So, the set-up was simple. Fitment is great, as these buds come with a fit kit that includes four different size rubber earpieces and three different size rubber wings. After you get those buds feeling just right, the app has a fitment test to ensure you are getting the most secure fit that will ensure the best sound. The case is a great size, small enough to put in your pocket, but not too small where it can become lost easily. Speaking of getting lost, the Alexa app lets you find your buds if they were to go missing, with a map and directions on how to get to their location. The sound quality is pretty good, not the best earbuds I have ever used, and definitely not the worst, these are right in the middle. I am glad the app has an equalizer which greatly improved the sound quality. The bud’s connectivity feels very strong, not once did the devices disconnect, or cut in and out, the connection worked flawlessly. I like the size of the buds where they are small and discreet and matte black, and not huge like some other buds out there. Overall, I think these are a decent pair of ANC true wireless earbuds. The sound quality passes for a water-resistant, ANC, and smart earbud that doesn’t break the bank. The fitment of these buds is perfect. The portability and battery life are great. The price point for these buds is on point. I would recommend this pair of earbuds, sure they are good, but I would also look around and see what else is out there.

THE BREAKDOWN: The Echo Buds(GEN 2) are easy to get setup and sound great. The initial setup was done by downloading the Amazon Alexa app via the Apple store or Google play store. Once you get the app, just follow the instructions and within a couple of minutes you are connected and ready to use them. They do include some really nice instructions that are easy to read and follow. The Echo buds come with 3 different tips, (small, medium and large) and also some wing tips which is like a little silicone sleeve for the main body of the earbud. I have tried all of the tips and for me the best is one tip being medium and one tip being small. These earbuds include Alexa which I find a nice feature. Just by speaking to your assistance you can do a ton of things. One thing that I find helpful is the shopping list, I can just tell my assistant to add….milk and bread to the shopping list and poof like magic it is done. Very helpful in my option. The audio quality was very good with these earbuds. They are not the top of the line in sound but they definitely sound good on call, music and video. The ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) works very well as long as you have the right size tips selected. The battery life was good around 15 hours with case and 5 hours per charge on each of the earbuds. If you charge for 15 minutes you get 2 hours of battery life. PRO’s: - Alexa enabled - USB-C - Good battery life - Compact and easy to carry CON’s: - Not stellar on the bass - Had trouble getting the earbuds in the case properly SUMMARY: Overall, this product worked as intended, and I would recommend this to a friend if they are in the market for device like this.

I wasn't expecting much, as Amazon is not really known to be in the TWS space but still... A company with that much resources and funding I expected a more polished and competitive product. Sadly, this is not the case the sound quality reminds me of some lower end budget options that you can pick up at Amazon. The controls are easy to use, the app is straightforward and the ANC is actually decent. The Sound is just the deal breaker for me. Save your money, spend more on something better

INITIAL SET-UP Set-up of the Echo Buds is accomplished with your Amazon Alexa app available via the Apple Store or the Google Play Store. Folks that already have another Alexa device in their household will have no trouble setting up the Echo Buds with their Amazon account. Set-up is very similar to other Amazon devices, and I had no issues linking and setting up the Buds with either my iPad or my Android smartphone. The included directions are simple and covered all aspects of initial configuration. USE The Echo Buds have performed flawlessly since initial set-up. These Echo Buds had one thing going for them, that I haven’t experienced in some time. That is a product without the immediate need for a firmware update prior to use. Wow, that alone is particularly impressive. Amazon claims battery life of up to 5 hours of music listening and 4 hours of phone calls. But, those times vary depending upon volume levels, active noise cancellation, etc. The Echo Buds include 3 different sized tips (Small, Medium, and Large) to help fit nearly anyone’s ear. A unique feature to the Buds’ app is a custom test to ensure you have selected the correct tip size for your ear, thereby ensuring you get the best possible sound and noise cancellation properties from the device. The sound test works extremely well. In addition to the ear tips, Amazon includes a product in the box they refer to as: Wing Tips. The wing tips are a silicone sleeve just like the ear tips, but go around the actual Echo Bud itself making for a “grippier” surface in your ear. This helps to prevent the Bud from falling out during exercise or if sweaty. Though, it feels quite odd at first, the Wing Tips really do work well and make the Buds much more secure during workouts. Well done! The main attraction to the Echo Buds, as opposed to other products on the market, is the inclusion of the Amazon Alexa assistant that is built into their functionality. Microphones built into the Buds not only work for answering phone calls, but with the Alexa app running on your phone, allow you to speak to your digital assistant anytime you say her name. I find this much handier than my other home-based Echo products. It’s much more intuitive to add stuff to your shopping list, ask Alexa to play music, make a call, etc. If Alexa is not your choice of virtual assistants, Amazon wisely allows your Buds to be able to access either Siri or the Google Assistant, should you so choose. Audio quality is very good with these new 2nd generation Echo Buds. While I don’t find the audio quality as good as I do with my Jabra ear buds, the Echo Buds still have very good audio quality. Whether I’ve used them for music, movies, or phone calls, I have not found a situation where the Buds don’t produce clear and intelligible audio. The Echo Buds are manufactured with 3 microphones built into each ear bud and they do a great job of picking up audio for calls, but also at detecting the Alexa wake word. In quiet environments, you don’t have to speak much above a whisper to active Alexa. I must also give a shout out to Amazon’s implementation of their Active Noise Cancellation. The ANC works extremely well, better than most ear buds, some at even much higher price tags. The Echo Buds can nearly eliminate the noise from the fan on my nightstand in a completely quiet bedroom. This is something that most all my other ear buds or actual headphones struggle with. The Echo Buds handle the cancellation superbly. NEGATIVES I haven’t found a lot to dislike about the Echo Buds, but there are some areas where I think they could be improved upon, some I’m sure would be as easy as a firmware update. First – Noise Floor. While the Echo Buds do a very good job at audio reproduction, there is quite a bit of noise during quiet passages in movies and music. While not a deal breaker by any means, I do notice that ever so slight hint of hiss in quiet environments. Something not present in my Jabra’s. To be fair to Amazon, this is nearly inaudible in most environments, but when it is quiet time, you can hear it. However, I think it could be remedied with a simple firmware update. Second – Bass Response. While not totally lacking in this department, it isn’t the most bass heavy of ear buds. You do get some bass response from the 5.7mm drivers, but it won’t leave your jaw dropping. Again, this isn’t a deal breaker and should I not have ear buds from different manufacturers, I would probably not have given it a second thought. However, similar products from other manufacturers do give a fuller, more dynamic response. Lastly – Privacy. If you are concerned about your privacy and what Amazon hears and retains, this may not the product for you. Amazon states they do not sell your private information and supposedly does not record any information until you say the magic Alexa word. Amazon allows you to mute the microphones in the Alexa app should you want total privacy and the app also allows you to view, hear, and delete any recordings. CONCLUSIONS At the end of the day, these are a very good set of ear buds at an attractive price. The audio quality is very good whether it be for music, movies, or phone calls. The Echo Buds are light weight, and the inclusion of different sized tips ensure they are comfortable and appealing to a wide range of people. In addition to the audio quality, the addition of the Amazon digital assistant is just an added win for the users already invested in the Amazon ecosystem. As much as I like the audio quality and performance of the Echo Buds, there are rivals out there that have better audio and call quality. While some are much more expensive, some are similarly priced. Like I mentioned earlier, should you not have the option to hear them back-to-back with a competitors’ product, the difference is minimal enough that you would be hard pressed to notice. I give the Echo Buds a solid 4 stars. Anyone that is looking for a good set of ear buds at a reasonable price and already invested in the Amazon ecosystem, these would be a no-brainer. Though other products do a better job at being a true ear bud, none I’ve found offer the convenience of the Echo Buds with Alexa built-in. Recommended.

I own the Gen 1 Echo Buds and they fared well. Are the 2nd Gen Echo Buds an improvement? Short answer: Definitely. But are they worth the asking price? The physical design is not extraordinary. The case is smaller than the original which makes it much more portable, and I appreciate the matte black finish which repels smudges, fingerprints, and has some scratch resistance. There is a battery/charging LED indicator on the front and inside. Thankfully, Amazon implemented USB-C charging this time. The buds are magnetically kept securely inside, but I do wish the top would not be as wobbly. The buds are also noticeably smaller than the last gen. The bud’s touchpads have a matte finish that feels good to the touch. The bottom is glossy, which unfortunately attracts a lot of smudging and skin grease. I don’t mind the Amazon smile logo, as it is rather subtle. When it comes to comfort, they are OK. They fit much better than the last version, but I found them still a bit uncomfortable after 4 plus hours of continuous use, which I hardly ever do. It takes a bit of fidgeting for me to get the proper placement and seal, but once they’re set, there’s no need to mess around. Amazon included several tips and ear wings to enhance fit and security, but after trying them I found them unnecessary, since I was able to run, jump, and even cartwheel without them. Being Bluetooth 5.0, they were easy to pair. I would highly recommend downloading the Amazon Alexa app as it makes pairing easier and kind of cool. I was able to maintain a decent connection when walking around my medium-sized apartment, even through a corner or two. I did not notice any sync issues when watching videos, but I did notice a slight lag when playing certain games albeit you really must pay close attention. Sadly, there is no multi-point connection, auto-device switching, which would be nice since several of my devices have Alexa activated. By the way, you can listen to a single earbud if you like that option. I was a little disappointed by the battery life. I clocked them at a little over 4 hours at 70% volume, ANC on, and constantly asking Alexa stuff. I do appreciate the quick charge feature where 15 minutes in the case adds 2 hours of playback. The version I have does not support wireless charging, but Amazon does offer a slightly more expensive one that does. This time, the Echo Buds feature full active noise cancellation, instead of noise reduction. Testing the ANC in several environments, I found it to be acceptable. They do block low, rumbling noises, and some degree of traffic. However, there’s a lot of higher-pitched noises that get through -especially individual voices and things like keyboard typing. Getting a good seal helps a bit. The Passthrough Mode works fine and is convenient, although I thought the sound coming through was a bit harsh, so I am glad that this can be reduced in the app. The call quality is decent. While I was told that I sounded a bit tunnel-like, I was heard loud and clear, which is really what you’d expect. Even in loud or windy conditions, making calls was not an issue. One nitpick I have is that controls feel limited. While you can customize them, one must choose what to assign, and use the device or voice assistant for the rest. Out of the box, the Echo Buds 2 have more of a flat, sort of reference sound signature. The bass is there, and it is tight and punchy. However, it lacks a little “oomph” for those that might like that subwoofer effect. The midrange comes through nice and clear, and the treble is slightly enhanced without being harsh. Listening to several genres of content, I found the sound enjoyable -especially classical and live music, since channel separation and soundstage were very well done. Selecting the right ear tips ensures a better listening experience. In case you want a different sound, you can go into the app and adjust bass, midrange, and treble to suit your preferences. Speaking of the app, which is indispensable if you are deep into the Amazon Echo ecosystem, helps in making these buds more versatile. From there, you can add the buds to your account, customize controls, change EQ settings, ensure a proper seal, turn off mics for privacy, and other functions. So, if you are invested in Amazon Echo and use Alexa a whole lot or liked the original and they’re showing their age, these may be a no-brainer. I might even recommend checking the wireless charging version. For the price, although a bit average, The Echo Buds 2 are an excellent value.

The Amazon Echo Buds are a solid in-ear headphone. Over the past few years, Amazon has worked to integrate various aspects of the home together with Alexa technology and this is a smooth addition to the family. The echo bud set up was simple, having opened the Amazon Alexa app and simultaneously opening the echo bud case the app asked to pair the device. This was a quick and seamless process. Since setup, the echo buds will quickly phase between asleep in the case and being on and ready to be used. I have not had issues having them reconnect with my phone, which is an absolute blessing! The set-up process was accompanied by finding the proper fit for the echo buds to enhance noise cancelation and overall comfort. There are covering pieces to provide a better fit in the outer ear, along with the tip pieces for a more comfortable fit within the ear canal. There is an accompanied “test” function within the Alexa app that will allow one to determine how well the fit is. I was not able to score the highest level with any combination I tried; however, I did find 1 pair of coverings+tips that provided a “good” fit. This combination does feel naturally comfortable within my ear, and I have been using it accordingly without issue. The overall sound is clear, and when active the Alexa function is not overpowering in the ear. There is an equalizer built into the Alexa app. This is not extensive, but allows for some customization. If I could change one sound aspect of these buds, it would be to have a more intense base; however, this is a feature often times limited within in-ear headphones anyway. The ear buds themselves will last for at least a couple hours (claim of 15 total hours including available charge within the unplugged case). I have yet to have the echo buds die while using them; however, I keep only one earbud in at a time and alternate between them. This is a habit I have with headphones in general, as I do not like to be locked away from the sounds around me. However, with that in mind… a feature of these buds is that they are noise cancelling and you can lock away from the world around you. The noise cancelling feature when both echo buds are in place is efficient. Having noise cancelling technology for in-ear headphones can be difficult; but amazon executed this feature well. When active, I still hear noises around me, but they are significantly dampened and not clearly heard. I am unable to make out what my wife is attempting to say, but can recognize there is noise present. When noise cancelation is turned off, you are able to reasonably hear the world and noises around you while still having the headphones actively playing. The best “feature” of the echo buds is Amazon Alexa. The echo buds will listen for “Hey Alexa” and subsequently follow commands or answer questions. I am not a huge user of “hey” command functions, except in one aspect of my life.... My home with Alexa. Throughout my home, most rooms are smart bulb/switch enabled. These headphones allow for quick access and activation of my home lighting while in use without interruption, avoiding the need to activate other Alexa enabled devices. Having a command response localized to in-ear is also fabulous at night while others may be sleeping! All in all, these headphones not only provide a comfortable wireless in-ear bud with noise cancellation but are “echo buds” which come with the perks of Amazon Alexa. I would not suggest these to a user who does not have a desire to have Alexa a part of their everyday life, but if you are like myself and already talk to Alexa quite frequently, these echo buds are quite the find.

The Amazon Echo Buds gen 2 headphones are a decent entry into an already saturated wireless earbud market. These look like your average in-ear buds. Black, nondescript, except for a very light Amazon "A to Z" logo on the earbud that you have to really look to see. For me, the fit is just OK. There are a number of fit options, including four different sizes of ear canal tips, as well as what they call "wingtips" which fit over the earbud and attempt to keep the earbud from falling out. I tried three different sizes of the tips and used the ear tip fitment test in the Alexa app to get the top fitment rating of excellent, I was able to get excellent on one ear and good on the other - but overall they seemed pretty stable in my ear and I have not had one come out unexpectedly. I did have to sometimes push them in after a while to get the best sound quality. The sound quality is good - good enough for casual listening. In this price range and with bluetooth audio in general, you aren't buying for audiophile quality. When the eartips are sealed in your ear canal, they deliver the best sound, and as I would walk, talk, chew, etc.. the earbud would slightly move around and not seal in the ear canal as well and I would notice a loss of fidelity, typically in the bass region. Noise cancelling on these is good, but if you're not used to noise cancelling or the noise cancelling level that these headphones use, you may find it a bit uncomfortable at first. When I first put on the headphones and activated noise cancelling, I was met with an uncomfortable pressure-like sensation. It largely went away after turning up the music, but it is still something that takes getting used to. My primary set of buds also has noise cancelling, but apparently the amount, style, or configuration of this noise cancelling is different and gave me that pressure like feeling. Usually after a bit it will go away - so don't give up immediately! I did try these on my recent flight and they did a good job at blocking out most airplane noise in the cabin. Another thing to note, noise cancelling will eat through the battery faster than without it on - so that does subtract from the listening time. We are an Alexa household, which is what made these buds attractive. The headphones are really responsive to the "Alexa" wake word, and what is cool is that if I am in an area of our home with Alexa coverage (which is basically everywhere), I will hear the headphones make the response tone, as well as the Echo device that covers that area, but the Alexa platform is smart enough to take commands from the headphones and ignore the command that came through the Echo device. With that being said, it takes a bit of getting used to - if I'm in my office with the buds on and say "Turn on the lights" - nothing happens. Without the buds, the office Echo show is associated with that room and turns on the office lights - so the buds are not room/group aware and you will need to get specific with your Alexa voice commands to control your smart home. These do require the Alexa app to set up, and as such the Alexa app wants a ton of privileges on your device like access to your location, use the mic, etc.. For someone who just wants a set of decent buds, I can see where this would raise a brow - "Why do I need to give location and mic privileges to an app just to use these headphones?" but such is life in the smart connected device world. If this is a show stopper issue for you, you may want to look at buds without a voice assistant built in. Setup was fairly straightforward - open the Alexa app, add a device, open your buds, and in a few seconds they show up on screen and you click the name to pair. You are then walked through some basic instructions and the ear tip fitment test. Overall, the setup experience is good and easy enough for even the most tech un-savvy to follow along with. One downside I found of the reliance on the Echo app is that some features like getting battery status and changing noise cancelling modes on the earbuds via the phone is done via the Alexa app. Unfortunately, when I was on the plane and did not buy the in-flight wi-fi I was not able to interact with the earbuds via the app because the app refused to function without connection to the Alexa services via the Internet. You can still activate and de-activate noise cancelling via pressing the side of the earbuds, but this is kind of a miss. An update to the app to allow interaction with the buds when not connected would be a welcome addition. Charging the buds is done by placing them back in their case. The case is nice and small, so it fits well in your pocket. It does charge via USB-C, so if you haven't made the switch to USB-C, this will be another cable you're carrying around. There's also a wireless charging case version available for a slightly higher price, so if you're a Qi charging person, that may be for you as well. Overall, these buds get the job done. If you're not in the Alexa ecosystem already, I'd probably look at other options - but if you are an Alexa user - this is a great way to take Alexa on the go as well as get good sound from noise cancelling buds.

The Echo Buds are fairly impressive so far. Setup was very simple. Add the Alexa app to your smartphone, open the app, open the lid to the ear bud charging case and they will find each other. If they don't, just click add device in the app and it will find them. Super simple. These buds are definitely intended to work with Alexa app. You will really enjoy these if you are heavy into Amazon smart products. You can pretty control anything using voice commands once you get the hang of it. The app is where you do all of your configuration. Bud tap options (which is important if you want to use a different voice assistant rather than Alexa), EQ settings, etc. I like the fit and the fact that they are lower profile than some other products. I really don't like to draw attention to my buds, and these check that box for me. If you get the right sizing ring on them, they are comfortable and seal well. A good fit is important on these buds because they relay on a physical barrier to keep competing sound out of the ear canal rather than fancy software. The general sound is on par with other buds in this price range. I own better sounding buds, but they were twice the price. I also have worse sounding buds that were about the same. Overall, I'm pleased with the sound. I definitely had to play with the EQ settings to get what I wanted, but I eventually dialed things in. I found that dropping the top and mid range a bit helped balance things out. The noise cancellation works pretty well. Most normal ambient sounds are largely filtered out as expected. The pass through mode lets just enough sound through to alert you to your surroundings. it's not great, and still find it a bit gimmicky on most devices, but it does make some different. The mic is just OK. I find that mic's aren't great in general on truly wireless buds, so this is pretty much par for the course. It gets the job done. You can definitely control the buds and make calls without issue. I don't love that the default settings of the tap buttons on the buds don't include volume controls. I don't really like having to reach into my pocket to adjust volume on my phone, or talk to my earbuds when I just want to turn things up or down. Maybe that can be changed in the settings...I haven't really dug into that just yet. Battery life seems fine to me. They've never died on me, and the charging case keeps them topped off when I'm not wearing them. I do like that they charging case is fairly compact and the lid stays closed. I have another much more expensive pair, and the case is too big and the lip flops oven if they get turned upside down. These are well sized and secure. If you are an Amazon geek you will love these. They are also great for workouts since there are very easy to use audio track controls. If you don't love Amazon products and don't really want to use voice assistants, then you might not be as impressed. You can certainly use them as simple earbuds, but that's really not what they were designed for.