Voxx International Bluetooth Alexa Speaker for Smart Home

This is a solid built machine. Very sturdy and no dust cracks, while retaining its simple form. One of the few times I can say you’re getting exactly what every picture on the web is showing.• I had the basic black design, but I do appreciate that Amazon is offering more colors rather than there basic set (even if it’s only a few generic colors).• The mute option is the most appreciative tool. When you activate it the classic blue glow will fall into the red, giving you the visual display that your privacy is being protected.• The sound performs exactly what it’s built for. I found no issue in testing in an open living room. The volume goes to great levels as once again, for a 360-degree smart speaker, Amazon reigns supreme.• Testing all ranges of music, I found that that bass to be rich and powerful. My colleague has the previous Echo Plus and she states that there is an improvement in the bass with this Echo. An overall rich sound when a piano came in and a warmer outcome when acoustics came into play (You’ll get the bass experience when you hit those hard beats).• Like any other model, the Bluetooth connectivity between a third party stereo works flawlessly. I tested this out with some Bose surround sound, and nothing but clear music. You can also pair the Echo if you have smaller / weaker speakers. Both together will pump up the experience.• The connectivity is so flawless that buying two of these devices (or use Echo’s previous versions, if you have one) and put them in separate locations doesn’t make this a bad idea. You’re going to get great quality in music without paying an am or a leg for it.• I have to appreciate Amazon for not pushing their music platform. They offer the usual Spotify (which I used) but also Apple Music, Deezer, TuneIn, even BBC sounds. You’re getting a lot more features than just a basic smart speaker.• Using Google Home for over a year I can say that just saying “Alexa” felt more natural than saying “Ok Google.” Not to mention having Alexa listen to me every time I said: “Alexa” (Google Home users will understand this).• Like before, smart applications fit like a glove in this system. I only used it for lights and the Echo was spot on. This feature is more common than ever on any smart speaker, and the Echo does what it’s supposed to do.• I admire the organization of the app because it’s your remote control on anything you want the Echo to do. Turn off lights, switch music, mute volume, install new features, and so forth. We all carry our phones like carrying our driver licenses when going outside. This day in age I’ll always prefer an app than a physical remote.• I did some Alexa calls on this and found only clear responses and answers (this will depend on your Wi-Fi).• I would give 70% of Alexa sounding more human.• Everything is in the cloud so, you don’t need to worry about manual updates. All taken care of.• As I mentioned before, everything else is the same in a smart speaker. Ask for the weather, traffic, upcoming appointments, and all other general questions. I didn’t test all of them because…well is the same technology as last year.• The biggest difference in my book is the price. Newer and cheaper.