Amazon Echo VS Amazon Echo Plus – Which One Better?
Smart speakers are on of trending music device you should have. These speakers stand out from normal stereos in various ways. They are very portable in that you can carry them around. Interestingly, they project quality sound, despite being small in size. Most smart speakers are fitted with the latest sound technology. Amazon Echo and Amazon Echo plus are examples of smart speakers fitted with latest technologies.
Today, we are going to determine which one is powerful between Amazon Echo and Amazon Echo plus. This entails checking out their features, specifications and outward appearance. Note that these two smart speakers are produced by the same manufacturer. That’s why you may see some resembles among the two speakers.
After comparison, you will be in a position to make a prudent choice whether to go for Amazon Echo or Amazon Echo plus.
 |  |
|---|---|
| Amazon Echo | Amazon Echo Plus |
| BUY NOW | BUY NOW |
| PROS | PROS |
| It has Alexa voice assistant. It is affordable. It has a smart and modern design. It is portable. | It has in-built Zigbee hub. It produces quality sound with high and high-mids. It has Alexa voice assistant. It has a powerful Alexa voice assistant. |
| CONS | CONS |
| Its sound gets distorted on full volume. Its bass is weak. | Its Bluetooth doesn’t work with some stereo. |
Amazon Echo
Amazon echo is among the first smart speakers to be fitted with a modern technology. It can be controlled by Alexa application that should be downloaded on the phone. It gives users and easy time playing music. The application is designed in a manner anyone has an easy time using it. Most people use phones that support only Bluetooth. Amazon Echo smart speaker can be paired with phones that have Bluetooth. Any paired device will be in a position to play music on the speaker.
Amazon Echo speaker doesn’t have a battery. Therefore, it should be connected to power anytime you want to play music. Its power cord is favorably long. This allows you to use Amazon Echo speaker in various rooms within the house.
This smart speaker can be connected to internet and specifically wireless internet connection. Your Amazon Echo will automatically update its software if connected to the internet. Consequently, you will be in a position to stream music from variety of media platforms.
Amazon Echo speaker has Amazon Alexa voice assistant that makes it interesting to use. Alexa makes it easy to use this speaker through voice commands. This speaker can also be used among the multi-room sharing speakers if you want to enjoy the same song in various rooms. Amazon Echo speaker also supports calls and messages.
Amazon Echo Plus
Amazon Echo Plus is an enhancement of Amazon Echo. It doesn’t have a battery. This means it can only be operated when connected to a socket when you want to use it. The power cord is long enough to avoid straining the speaker. You can also connect Amazon Echo Plus to a Wi-Fi connection. This allows you to play variety of music from different streaming platforms.
Amazon Echo plus speaker has Amazon Alexa voice assistant that allows users to operate it by issuing voice commands. This makes it easy to stream your favorite songs. This smart speaker allows you to make both calls and send messages to contacts saved on the contact list while still connected to Bluetooth.
You can pair your mobile device or headsets to Amazon Echo plus thus Bluetooth. Any paired mobile device can be used to play music on the speaker. Amazon Echo plus speaker also supports multi-room sharing. There is also an audio output jack you can connect with your various devices.
Design
Amazon Echo (2nd) smart speaker looks like a round cylinder. That is the reason it is only stable when set down in an upright position. It is also bigger in size when compared to the first generation one. That’s why it is more stable when it is settled down. It rarely falls down.
Amazon Echo plus smart speaker is covered with a fabric around the sides. The fabric comes in different colors. It can be dark gray, light gray and black, among others. Choose the color that impresses you as you have variety to choose from.
When the speaker is on, you will notice some blue light glowing at the top. This indicates that Amazon Alexa assistant is listening to voice commands. You will also see physical buttons at the top of the speaker. They are action button, mic mute button and volume buttons. These buttons should be manually operated.
There is an output audio jack at the back of the speaker. It is next to the power connection. The audio jack can be connected to other devices. Amazon Echo smart speaker has in-built tweeter and a woofer. They have an upgraded sound projection than the first generation. Dolby processing is one of the upgrades.
This smart speaker also has in-built microphones. These microphones help Alexa clearly hear voice commands.
Similarly, Amazon Echo plus also has a cylindrical look with rounded edges. It also should be set upright for stability when playing music. This smart speaker sides is covered with fabric. The fabric can either be white, gray or black. Choose a color that impresses.
You will see some well arranged buttons at the top of your smart speaker. These buttons are action button, two volume buttons and microphone mute button. The ring at the top of the speaker may also glow. The blue glow symbolizes that Amazon Alexa is listening to your voice commands. There is both a power adapter and an audio jack out port at the bottom of Amazon Echo plus. This smart speaker has in-built microphones. Amazon Echo plus smart speaker also has a tweeter and a woofer.
Audio
Amazon Echo smart speaker is powerful to project quality sound. It has Dolby processing feature that makes its sound stand out when playing music. This speaker also has in-built integrated amplifier. The amplifier will automatically turn on when connected to power. That’s why you will always hear quality sound when playing music with Amazon Echo smart speaker. You can play different audio formats with this smart speaker. OGG, AAC, MP3 and FLAC are some supported formats.
This smart speaker also allows multi-room sharing by being connected as one of the speakers. Multi-room sharing allows you to play the same song in different rooms at any given time. This feature also helps project stereo like sound. The speaker of Amazon Echo smart speaker is designed in a way it distributes sound 360 degrees. This ensures a room is evenly filled with sound at any given time.
The crossover channel quality of this smart speaker is 2 way. Amazon Echo smart speaker has two drivers, namely tweeter and woofer drivers. The tweeter driver can produce a frequency of between 2,000 -20,000 Hz. Also, the driver uses down-firing dome technology.
This smart speaker also has in-built microphones that help Alexa assistant to easily hear voice commands. The microphones can filter any noisy background for commands to be clear.
The sound of Amazon Echo plus (2nd) smart speaker is also impressive. It is designed in a manner it projects sound 360 degrees. The integrated amplifier that is active boosts the sound quality. You can use Amazon Echo plus in a medium sized room. The crossover channel quality of this speaker is 2 way.
Amazon Echo plus smart speaker can be used as one of the speakers for multi-room sharing. Multi-room sharing projects stereo like sound. This speaker also has two driver types. They are woofer driver and tweeter driver. These two drivers positively influence the sound projection of Amazon Echo plus speaker. The tweeter driver’s frequency ranges between 2,000 to 20,000 Hz.
Neodymium is the driver magnet type used in this smart speaker. The driver technology used in Amazon Echo plus is down firing dome. This technology is one of the reasons you will hear quality sound when playing music. Amazon Echo plus also supports various audio formats. MP3, AAC, OGG, FLAC and MP4 are some audio formats supported by this smart speaker.
Battery
Amazon Echo (2nd) smart speaker use an AC power adapter to connect to power. This speaker must be plugged to power anytime you want to use because it doesn’t have a battery. The power input voltage of Amazon Echo (2nd) ranges from 100-240V, 50/60Hz. This speaker also has an output voltage of 15v, 1.4 A.
The power cord of Amazon Echo (2nd) smart speaker is 5 feet long. This makes it easy and more comfortable to use your smart speaker in any room. Amazon Echo smart speaker is recommended for home usage as it should be plugged into a socket anytime you want to use. It is portable, so it can be carried from one house to another.
The power adapter is designed from quality materials that are resistant to bending. This assures you of long term service.
Similarly, Amazon Echo plus (2nd) smart speaker doesn’t have a battery. This means it should be connected to power anytime you play music. Amazon Echo plus speaker uses an AC power adapter. The input voltage of this speaker is 100-240 Voltage and frequency of between 50-60 Hz.
Amazon Echo plus speaker has an output voltage of 18v, 1.67A. The consumption power of this speaker when operational is 30 watt. This showcases that Amazon Echo plus doesn’t use a lot of power. The length of the power cord is 1.8 meters long. This makes it comfortable to use your speaker without straining it.
Connectivity
Amazon Echo smart speaker can be paired to other devices through Bluetooth. Most people use devices with Bluetooth. This makes it easy for users to connect their mobile devices with Amazon Echo smart speaker. Afterward, they will be in a position to play music from their devices.
You can also connect this speaker to a wireless internet connection. Amazon Echo smart speaker can stream music ranging from 16kbps to 384kbps. Once connected to the internet, you will be in a position to play from different platforms. Audible, Amazon music, spotify, iheartRadio, TuneIn and Pandora are some platforms you can stream music from.
Amazon Echo smart speaker also has an audio output jack. Home theater, speaker and sound bar are some devices you can connect with the audio output jack.
Amazon Echo plus smart speaker also can be connected to mobile phones and compatible speakers through Bluetooth. Phones connected to Amazon Echo plus speaker through Bluetooth can be used to play music.
This smart speaker also comes with audio output jack that can be connected with speaker, home theater and sound bar, among others.
You can also connect Amazon Echo plus to a Wi-Fi internet connection. A minimum speed rate of 512kbps is required to stream music from different platforms. Pandora, iheartRadio, Amazon music, TuneIn and spotify are some platforms you can access and play music from.
Control
Amazon Echo smart speaker can be controlled through Amazon Alexa voice assistant. You can use Alexa to play music from different platforms. Amazon Alexa can also be used to get the latest news, weather updates and provide answers to different questions.
You can also control Amazon Echo (2nd) smart speaker through the Alexa application. This application is compatible with phones with android and iOS operating systems. Alexa application has an easy to understand and use interface.
Amazon Echo smart speaker has physical buttons at the top which can be used to operate it. The buttons should be manually operated. They are also easy to understand as they are only four.
Similarly, you can control Amazon Echo plus (2nd) smart speaker with can be controlled through Alexa application. This application can be downloaded with phones that have iOS and android operating systems.
This smart speaker also comes with Amazon Alexa voice assistant that takes voice commands. Amazon Echo plus smart speaker has in-built microphones that help Alexa take voice commands. This voice assistant gives you full command of the smart speaker.
You can also operate this smart speaker through physical buttons. These buttons are well highlighted and should be physically operated.
Weight
The dimensions of Amazon Echo smart speaker is 6*3.5*4. This represents height, width and depth respectively. The weight of this smart speaker is 2.1 lbs. This makes Amazon Echo smart speaker portable. You will find it stable on the hands thanks to its dimensions.
On the other hand, the weight of Amazon Echo plus (2nd) smart speaker is 1.7 lbs. This gives users an easy time carrying it around. The dimensions of this speaker are 5.8*3.9*3.9. This represents the height, width and the depth respectively.
Mobile Usage
You can use your mobile phone to make calls and send messages while still paired to Amazon Echo smart speaker through Bluetooth. However, the contacts should be on your contact list.
Similarly, Amazon Echo plus smart speaker also supports making calls and sending messages to contacts saved on their phones while still connected through Bluetooth.
Verdict
Amazon Echo plus (2nd) smart speaker has emerged the top when compared to Amazon Echo (2nd) smart speaker. It is equipped with various features and modern technology that make it project quality sound. You will really enjoy using it.
