Customer Ratings & Reviews

Amazon Echo The Amazon Echo is a great device with many benefits that can improve everyone’s day to day life, and only has a few minor drawbacks that does not take away much from the quality of the product. The Echo is useful for anyone who wants to initiate music, catch up on news headlines, and find out the weather for the day from simply speaking to the device. Within this review I hope to highlight the many benefits and few drawbacks so that you can make a smart purpose. The criteria for my judgement is as follows: Compatibility: The Amazon Echo is compatible with just about any device. Through the use of Bluetooth, both Apple and Android phones can connect to the speaker. There is also a 3.5 mm audio output for auxiliary chords to plug into in case the bluetooth is not working. All of these features and wide varieties of devices that are compatible with the Echo make this product available for almost all consumers. Convenience: Even though the positive attributes of the Echo outweigh the negatives, the convenience of the product is the only topic that you will find drawbacks in. The Echo is 3.5 in. wide by 5.5 in. tall, making it easy to transport around. Although it is easy to carry around, you still need internet connection to use a majority of the features. If internet connection is nonexistent, the Amazon Echo will not be very convenient for your needs. Sound Quality: Although the sound quality has not always been the best for the Echo, it has improved tremendously. The Echo being sold now is the second generation, which improved the whole device. With the new generation you will experience flawless sound flowing out of the speaker. The new generation of the product is arguably one of the cleanest sounding speakers on the market and you will never second guess the sound quality. Durability: The durability of this product is top notch. I can think of numerous times that the speaker has been knocked over, and fallen off of elevated surfaces, and came out without even a scratch on it. When you pick up the product you can feel the durability. It feels hard as a brick, and the outer shell of the Echo provides an extra layer of protection to absorb falls from raised surfaces. Rating When considering all of the different areas of the product, the benefits out number the drawbacks by a long shot. For a reasonable price of $89.99, the Amazon Echo can be all yours. It will cover many needs that you may not even realize you have! If the price is too high, you can consider getting one of the smaller Echo speakers for a lesser price, but you will be sacrificing quality for the price. Overall I would rate this product a 4/5 stars.

I have made home automation a hobby of mine as I find the whole process fascinating. That said I have a relatively large setup in my home, including lighting, home security, streaming devices, connected tv/harmony from logitech and other devices as well. The question was Amazon Echo, or Google Home to control everything with my voice. So first just to get the basics out of the way - I give them both 4/5 stars, either one will do you right, they both are great devices and I look forward to see them develop further over time. Also they both have a nice speaker for playing music, and good microphone. If you are picking one for just music purposes, it is going to be based upon Prime vs Google Music so to each their own. That said their are certain features to each device that may push you in one direction or the other. Here is my simple pro/con break down of both. Google Home Pros: Highly customizable -It's Mobile app is great and full of features for you to configure. -This is the big one -- you can program shortcuts! One of the hardest parts of using this, is making it user friendly. You have to say specific commands for the device to know what home automation process you are trying to kick off , for example, "Hey Google, tell my harmony to turn on the tv" What a mouthful. My family found ourselves sometimes struggling to remember the EXACT command to say to turn things on or off or mute. Especially as you add more devices to it. With Google, you can create short cuts in the phone app - essentially you can Map a command to something you would say naturally. So Hey Google Mute can be mapped to Hey Google tell harmony to mute the living room tv. If you take the time to set all of this up it makes it a highly usable device. I have several Shortcuts for each command to help ensure that speaking naturally to the device will allow it to perform the correct action -You can program it to recognize different peoples voices - so if you do not want the kids to be able to mess with it, or you have different short cuts for different people, it can be a neat feature Google Voice -- you can use it to call people, Hey Google call - and a number or contact and boom. As long as its domestic it is free. Ive used it to find my lost phone as well as place a call while I was working in the kitchen and my hands were tied up. If you use gmail/google Calendar, it can integrate into your calendar - ( this is one area where the voice recognition is nice, if more than one in the house hold is using it with their calendar) Cons: The lights on the top are a lot harder to see than the Echo ring. Sometimes I have had to repeat myself because it didn't catch my hey google and I wasn't aware until 3 seconds of akward silence. That highly customizable pro? Can also be a con - it can be customized so much, it leads to occasional buggines, or confusion It does not integrate to as many things , or have as many skills as the Echo, for me this has not been an issue, but Amazon seems to be ahead of the curve on playing well with others. *If you have Youtube TV for you cord cutters out their - with the correct device, the Google Home works GREAT at navigating live TV -- Hey google put on ESPN, Hey Google, put on CBS - My kids love it because they can put on the cartoon network and not need to figure out the remote. I love it just beacuse its cool. Amazon Echo Pros: -Easy to Use and to setup- the skills are easy to setup, the app is really straight forward. You do not need to be a tech savy person to do most of the basics on the Echo. -Ring on top lights up nice and bright when Alexa hears you. - Reponses to questions are much more natural and feel warmer from the Echo, The Google Home tends to ramble on and tell you non sense you didnt care about -Lots of extra devices that can all work together - We have the Spot in our bedroom as an alarm clock, it also can act as an intercom -It integrates with Skills to SO many products , you can have a security camera feed brought up on your Fire TV , or Show if you have one, really cool stuff Cons - -Not customizable for triggers -- You need to know what to say, and how to say it. Thats easy when its the simple stuff, but even things as simple as does she want turn on the living room tv or turn on THE living room tv, can be the difference between it working and not. If your goal is to have your family use it to, it needs to work, and work well, or they will just give up quickly. - Has a tendency to think it hears its wake word, and will answer questions you did not ask, or tell you she did not understand what you were asking. Creepy. * If you use a fire TV and you want to control your firetv - DO NOT GET THE GOOGLE HOME -- these two companies have made a cognizant decision not to play nice in the sandbox for the time being - so do not even bother. That is not to be said though of the Android devices. The Echo seems to do just fine talking to those. I personally am using both, Google for most of my home automation around lights, and thermostate, turning devices on and off, but use the Echo for hows the weather tomorrow and my Prime music Catalogue.

I gave a gift to my daughter She said she will use it for Her studies she likes it

I was ill right after purchase so did not open the box right away. It just doesn't work right. Not usable. Waste of money. I am no longer interested in using it because according to media there are issues with Privacy, eavesdropping.

Worked like it should, just had so many more google things switched to google home

The item constantly disconnects from the WiFi. Works whenever it feels like it.

I love it and was disappointed that it is so hard to set up with a zillion apps. Could be me!

awsome gift for chrismas , my daughter inlaw will love this. should help find info

Started out great, but after a while Alexa stops understanding song requests.

just okay but could be easier to put online and connect to the internet

Sound is muffled an becomes distorted at high volume.

Received as a gift. Don't like the way it streams music or change songs

Have been looking for a long time and know friends who have one as well... Why not?

It’s convenient but it also takes patience while Alexa is adapting to your voice

It’s a ok device but does a lot of random talking when not speaking to it

Just like any other speaker, just looks different in size and color.

Just like any other speaker, just looks different in size and color.

Just like any other speaker, just looks different in size and color.

Purchased this for myself was kinda hard at first to set up but finally got it.

This speaker is great more useful for the youth.we have two of them.