Setup, Features, and Controls
When Alexa is activated, or you have a notification, you’ll find the iconic halo LED ring at the top. The speaker can be controlled wirelessly via the Alexa app (which isn’t ideal), with voice commands using the “Alexa” hot-word, or with its physical buttons (Alexa/Action button, Volume Up, Volume Down, or Mute Microphone).
Who is the Echo Studio For?
Whether the Echo Studio is a good fit for you is going to depend on how you plan to use the speaker. For more casual listening sessions at volumes between 20-40%, I find sitting a couple of feet away from the Echo Studio helps you really appreciate its improved sound quality. Measuring 8.1 x 6.9 inches, it’s a little over twice as tall as the Echo (4th Gen), but not much wider. As such, it doesn’t actually need that much more floor space.
With its second 0.8-inch tweeter, the new Echo is already a solid upgrade over the previous generation. It lost its 360-degree sound, becoming more directional, but it’s louder, with richer audio quality. The Echo remains one of the best smart speakers you can buy for under $100 (our full review of the Echo). It regularly goes on deep sale, including during Prime Day, making it an exceptionally great deal and a cheaper way to fill your home up with Alexa-powered speakers.
Being larger, the Echo Studio can pack a lot more inside. It has three 2-inch midrange speakers, one forward-facing 1-inch tweeter, and one 5.25-inch downward-firing woofer. The standard Echo has an additional tweeter, albeit slightly smaller at 0.8-inches, but it also has a much smaller 3-inch upward-firing woofer. It also completely lacks any mid-range speakers and as such, the audio will sound more like it’s coming from a contained space.
When sitting close by and listening at the same volume, the Echo Studio isn’t necessarily louder, but it sounds more lively and dynamic. Instruments and vocals feel more separated, and you can tell that the sound is coming out of a larger space. Bass is also more refined without being overdone.
When the volume is turned up, you can definitely feel its bass, but it won’t shake your house. It manages to sound good when the volume is turned all the way up without any noticeable distortion. If you want additional bass, you can pair the Studio with an Echo Sub (our review) for additional performance. The pairing can be a little hit or miss, but when it works right, it’s a great combo.
Further away, at about 50% volume or less, I’d say the differences become less noticeable, especially if you’re not particularly listening for it. In a blind test, popping in and out of my living room where I had them both placed, it was difficult to tell which speaker was playing music and which was off. It wasn’t until I took a few moments to stop what I was doing and listen, that differences came through. This doesn’t speak poorly of the Echo Studio, as the Echo (4th Gen) is very impressive in and of itself, but it does highlight that if you’re mostly listening from further away at lower volumes, the Echo Studio may not be worth the upgrade.
Connectivity and Codecs
The Echo Studio supports FLAC, MP3, AAC, Opus, Vorbis, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Atmos, Sony 360 Reality Audio/MPEG-H, (16-bit), and Hi-Res (up to 24-bit). In fact, it’s the first wireless speaker to offer Dolby Atmos. Using its built-in microphones, the Studio works out where nearby objects are in the room. It then calculates micro-audio delays to bounce off these surfaces to give you the impression that the audio is coming from all over, surrounding you, rather than coming straight out of the speaker.
One of the Best Wireless Speakers at $200
If you think you’ll get the most out of it, the Echo Studio offers exceptional value at $200. Its two biggest competitors, the
Apple HomePod and Google Home Max, are more expensive and are generally not rated as highly. Provided you’re happy using the Alexa assistant over Google Home or Siri, it’s the Echo Studio is the more capable wireless speaker.
If you’re working with a tighter budget or don’t feel like you really need the extra sound quality, the Echo (4th Gen) is still a great option that saves you $100 on average. Depending on your setup, you could put that extra cash towards a second Echo, then pair the two in stereo. This could give you a better experience than a single Echo Studio. If you want the ultimate wireless Alexa experience, go for two Echo Studios and pair them with an Echo Sub to add some extra bass.
