Now that the latest Amazon Echo is as powerful as the hub-equipped Echo Plus, the door is open for a bigger, louder Echo. The Echo Studio is Amazon’s biggest, loudest and most advanced Alexa speaker. It has five drivers and offers not only stereo sound, but Dolby Atmos-compatible surround sound in a single, voice-controlled package. It’s as big and loud as the Apple HomePod and Google Home Max, with more advanced sound processing and better audio, and it’s far less expensive than either.
Continuing the design language of previous Echo speakers, the Echo Studio has a cylindrical shape and is covered in a charcoal gray fabric fabric. It is significantly larger than any previous Echo and dwarfs the Sonos One and Apple Home Pod. Its souped-up exterior contributes to its 330W output, which drives two 5cm midrange drivers positioned on the left and right, a 25mm tweeter in the center, and a 5cm midrange radiating upward. Bass is provided by a downward-firing 5.25-inch woofer.
[content-egg-block template=offers_logo hide=price]There are volume buttons on the top, as well as a button to mute the microphone and wake up Alexa. And yes, the blue light ring remains so you know when Alexa is listening. The location of the drivers allows the Echo Studio to use a feature of Amazon Music Unlimited, which is the library of “hundreds” of songs available in Dolby Atmos Music. This uses the audio format to mix tracks with greater control over different elements and the positioning of different elements in the sound field.
Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group offer tracks in the Dolby Atmos Music format, while there is also a competing format in Sony’s 360 Reality Audio, which is also supported by the Amazon Echo Studio. Otherwise, the Studio has all the typical features of Echo devices. You can set timers, reminders and alarms, control smart home devices, play music, learn facts and trivia – all by asking Alexa questions or barking commands.
When you first turn on the Echo Studio, Alexa tunes the sound to the acoustics of your room by emitting a series of different test tones and responding to the readings. The whole process takes no more than a few seconds, but you’ll need to recalibrate the speaker if you move it. You can access sound control, manually change the volume, and pair another Echo Studio or manage and group other Echo speakers you own via the Alexa app for Android and iOS.