The Best Amazon Echo Models To Buy

This is the Amazon Echo to buy if you care about sound quality. You still need to subscribe to a music streaming service that offers ‘HD’ music and, not coincidentally, Amazon’s own is the current one to go for.

The Studio doesn’t only do hi-res audio: it also supports so-called 3D audio. Currently it can play Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio, which can be both music and video soundtracks.

Best of all, it’s way cheaper than rivals from Apple and Google. It also sounds even better when paired with the Echo Sub, but do be warned that the sub only works with streamed music, not via Bluetooth from your phone.

The Amazon Echo 4 looks completely different to the Echo 3 in terms of design, and its sound quality is also noticeably better, with extra bass.

As you’d expect, it can’t compete with the Echo Studio in that respect but it’s much cheaper. If you’re after an inexpensive Echo with great sound, hunt around for an Echo Input on ebay (Amazon discontinued it) and connect it to a speaker of your choice.

The fourth-gen Echo is one of the best-value smart speakers because it now has the smart hub from the Echo Plus, allowing it to connect to and control Zigbee devices such as Philips Hue lights. 

The light ring can be harder to see than previous Echos because it’s right at the base, but it really depends upon where you put it in your room and where you’re sitting or standing.

The Echo Dot 4 also has the newer Amazon AZ1 processor which enables a more natural-sounding Alexa voice as well as the ability to process some commands without needing an internet connection.

The Echo Dot has always been an affordable way to get Alexa in your home. The latest model has better bass, looks better than the third-gen Dot and, when you factor in the more powerful processor, is great value at this price.

You can even pair two Dots for stereo sound.

We think it’s well worth spending the extra £10/$10 to get the clock version as it’s so convenient to see the time, as well as how long is left on a timer. In fact, we’re not quite sure why Amazon doesn’t offer this on the larger fourth-gen Echo.

The Echo Dot 4 is a great option if you’re about to explore the world of Alexa and want a smart speaker to listen to radio, podcast and music as well as ask queries. You can have one, or put several about the house. 

The Echo Show 10 is Amazon’s flagship smart display, or certainly one of two, as it costs the same as the Echo Show 15 (below). Both are considerably more expensive than the 5- and 8-inch Echo Show smart displays, but the Echo Show 10 largely justifies its cost with a good quality sound and the fact the screen can follow you around the room. (You may disagree that this is a benefit, though.)

It sounds a bit gimmicky, and seems a bit creepy at first, but it is a useful feature on, say, a kitchen island where you’d otherwise have to turn the screen manually to see it as you move around.

You can also use its ability to rotate to keep an eye on your room when you’re away, swiping the screen of your phone to turn the camera remotely and see – and hear – what’s happening.

Other than that, the overall experience is much like other Echo Shows.

The Show 15 has biggest screen on any Echo at 15.6 inches. You can buy an optional desk stand, shown here, but it’s designed to be hung on the wall.

Unlike other Echo Shows, you can pick widgets which display useful information such as your calendar, favourite smart home device controls and a weather forecast. Thanks to ‘Visual ID’ Alexa can recognise who’s in front of the screen and display personalised information in those widgets.

Companies can make their own widgets, and these should make the Show 15 even more useful, but currently there aren’t many to choose between.

It’s great as a digital photo frame, but as with other Echo Shows, images can only be pulled from Amazon Photos or Facebook, which is quite limiting.

And, because of the thin picture-frame design, sound quality isn’t the Echo Show 15’s strong suit: you’ll want to choose the Echo Show 10 if you plan to listen to a lot of music.

You can use the Show 15 for video calls, but it’s a shame that the camera doesn’t keep you in the frame like the Echo Show 8 and 10. Also note that there is no built-in Zigbee hub.

It may not have the Zigbee hub that’s included in the more expensive – and larger – Echo Show 10, but this model offers the best compromise of features, screen size and audio quality.

And at this price, those aren’t compromises you’ll ever regret making: Alexa is just as capable here as she is on the Echo Show 10, able to show the video feed from compatible cameras; lyrics for many songs from Amazon Music and much more besides.

Plus, this second-generation model has a 13Mp camera which has plenty of resolution for digital zoom. This is used in video calls to keep you in the middle of the frame even if you move around the room – just like the Facebook Portal and latest iPad Pro’s Centre Stage feature. It’s not as versatile as the 360° Echo Show 10, but it’s a great addition nonetheless.

Thanks to the fact you can watch Netflix on all Echo Show models, they’re a good choice for entertainment. Just note that unlike on Amazon’s Fire TV devices and Google’s own Nest Hub smart displays, YouTube isn’t easily available on any Echo Show.

The third-generation Echo Dot is still being sold alongside the 4th-gen model, at a lower price. We’re not really sure why it’s still part of the range, but it sounds pretty good for its size – especially when listening to the radio.

It lacks the newer processor you get in the fourth-generation Dot, and there’s no ‘with clock’ model available any more. Only the non-clock version is sold.

Really, we’ve kept the Echo Dot in here because Amazon regularly offers big discounts Echos and we’ve seen the Dot sell for much less than the usual $39.99 / £34.99 price. If the difference in price between third- and fourth-gen Dots is only a few dollars or pounds when you look, then it’s worth spending the extra on the newer model.

The Echo Show 5 costs less than the fourth-gen Echo, yet has a 5.5in screen and camera for video calls. It’s a little small for watching videos from Amazon Prime (or Netflix), but it’s a great size for popping next to your bed.

Sound quality isn’t as good as the Echo 4 or the Echo Show 8, which is the only real drawback. This latest second-gen model has a higher-resolution camera (but not as good as the 8’s) and can also be used a kind of security camera as you can view the camera feed remotely.

Essentially, it’s a good choice if you have a tight budget but want an Echo with a screen and don’t need music to sound amazing.

The Flex is a different type of smart speaker: it’s a utility device, not one for listening to music or the radio, and is designed to plug directly into a wall socket in your hallway, garage or other area where you just need basic audio.

It’s brilliant for asking Alexa for information, and controlling your lights, switches and plugs. You can plug in a motion sensor (or night light) to make it even more useful.

You can listen to music on it, but it sounds terrible.

The Auto is an unusual Echo because it is the only option – from Amazon’s range – for putting Alexa in your car. This means you can’t really compare it to other Echo models.

There are alternatives if you’re considering a device that adds Alexa to your car such as the Roav Viva (which is now discontinued) or dash cams from Nextbase’s current Series 2 range.

The Echo Auto is the easiest to set up of these options, but the Viva is the more discreet option as it plugs directly into your car’s 12V socket, and you might be able to pick one up from ebay.