Echo (4th Gen) | smart home hub with Alexa

QUICK SUMMARY: --------------------------- The 4th generation Amazon Echo brings welcome upgrades from previous generations. The device features a Zigbee smart hub, improved sound reproduction, and a temperature sensor. Alexa integration works as expected. I would recommend the 4th gen Echo to those who are in the market for their first Alexa device and who listen to music often at a casual level. I would not recommend this as an upgrade for those with previous generation Echo devices if they are functioning normally, or for those expecting a high-end audiophile experience. PREFACE: --------------------------- I have owned the 4th generation Amazon Echo for 9 months and use it daily. I upgraded from a 1st generation Amazon Echo. As part of a Prime Echo trade-in promotion, I was able to purchase this for $25 off the $99 MSRP. Tasks I utilize Echo for: --------------------------- • (Daily) - Adjusting power/brightness/color of 2 connected LIFX smart bulbs • (Daily) - Retrieving daily weather forecast information • (Daily) - Retrieving temperature of the room the Echo is in (room is hotter than the rest of the house) • (Weekly/Monthly) - Engaging with various media/games (Pandora, Amazon Music, Question of the Day, Jeopardy, etc.) • (Weekly/Monthly) - General search query for basic information/knowledge Environment: --------------------------- The Echo is 3 feet away from where I sit. It’s placed on a table in the corner of a 10x10 room, about 2 inches in front of a (silent) PC tower. It's on a flat, level surface, and is within line-of-sight with no obstacles or materials between myself and it that would hamper its ability to hear me. On the opposite side of the room is a small air purifier at floor level that is always on and set to its lowest setting (40 dB of white noise). PROS: --------------------------- • Sound Reproduction: The upward-firing 3” woofer and two, forward-firing 0.8” tweeters push out more sound than expected for a device of this size and price. Bass is surprisingly powerful, covers a lower frequency range than expected (it won't rattle the room like a dedicated subwoofer, however), and is capable of filling small rooms with ease. Treble is clear and crisp without distortion. Mids are pronounced and dynamic, but can be overpowered if bass and treble are simultaneously working hard. Dialogue from movies, videos, and podcasts is clear and feels well-balanced. Casual audio tinkerers will be pleased with additional EQ settings in the Amazon Alexa smartphone app, although audio sounds excellent as-is and adjustments are likely not necessary unless specific listening needs require adjustments. • Temperature Sensor: This is an odd bonus to me, but a welcome one that I use often. It is self-calibrating, and routines can make use of its readings. • Line In/Out Audio Jack: There is a 3.5mm jack on the bottom of the device next to the power adapter port which can be toggled to send audio out to another device if you wish to use the Echo with external speakers, or to accept audio if you wish play audio from another device using the Echo’s speakers. • Build Quality: It feels sturdy and has heft but isn’t burdensome. The fabric mesh that covers the top-half of the sphere is a nice color, the buttons are pleasantly tactile but quiet, and the circular grip on the bottom ensure it won’t slide around while playing music or if gently bumped. NEUTRALS: --------------------------- • Response Time: Marketing for this Echo focused heavily on the all-new AZ1 Neural Edge processor at the time of purchase, bragging of faster, smoother, and more natural Alexa voice interaction performance and processing times. The marketing was heavy, and over-emphasized what is an unnoticeable difference; there is, at best, perhaps fractions of a second saved compared to the 1st gen Echo, but it’s case-by-case. In most cases, the processing time is the same. • Alexa Features/Performance: Largely unchanged compared to previous generations due to Alexa being a multi-device AI ecosystem rather than a single, device-specific feature. It does what you expect of Alexa. CONS: --------------------------- • Voice Recognition: Bad. The environment outlined above is how I’ve used this Echo since I purchased it. The previous, 1st generation Echo had no issue with white noise, background noise, etc. This 4th generation Echo struggles to pick up my voice if there is any level of white noise, or if I’m speaking to it from more than a few feet away. 90 – 95% of voice interactions require that I repeat myself with increasing volume (sometimes two, three, four or more times) for it to register what I’m saying correctly, if I’m heard at all. Voice commands are constantly misinterpreted (verified by reviewing the history in the app), and wake words are often missed. Voice recognition performance is so poor, I have considered replacing this device altogether with one from a different ecosystem. I shouldn’t need to be just beneath shouting volume to be heard, and I shouldn’t feel constantly inconvenienced by using voice commands versus smartphone apps to control smart home features. • Temperature Sensor Rate of Refresh: I have found no documentation or answers about how often the temperature sensor is refreshed. However, it often seems like the readings are delayed and take a long time to change, even when there is a noticeable increase/decrease in air temperature as a result of thermostat changes.