NOTHING HOLLOW ABOUT THIS ECHO

If there's been one bit of tech that's genuinely changed my life this year, it's the smart speaker.

And of course, in saying that, I don't really mean just one bit of tech at all.

That's because a decent smart speaker is your portal into the world of all IoT devices, granting you access to the infinite possibilities created by connecting everything to the Net.

Yes, you can control your lights or security system from your phone, but it's so much more satisfying to do it by simply saying it. Nothing makes you feel more like you're living in the future than being able to turn on your TV just by asking Alexa to do it.

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of all this smartness is now Alexa isn't just smart, she sounds fantastic too...

There's something about a nice, solid, heavy speaker. Although you can see right through it, the Amazon Echo Studio definitely has a bit of beef to it. I remember my first real stereo system, I inherited it from my brother. (He didn't die... he just moved away and left it behind) Not only did it have an actual turntable and the ability to play chrome cassettes (please don't say, "What are chrome cassettes?" I feel old enough as it is) but it had wooden speakers. Well, wooden speaker boxes anyway and not actual wood, but particle board with a seriously tacky woodgrain veneer, but you get the point. These were speakers with heft, with a rich, full sound.

In short, so, so analogue.

A lot of cheap plastic and flashing lights have gone under the bridge since then and in many ways I feel like I've been chasing that warm, full, real audio experience to this day.

The lesson: good speakers are hard to find so if you find one, hang onto it.

The Amazon Echo Studio is a good speaker.

Apart from being bigger and heavier, the Echo Studio isn't dramatically different in appearance to the latest generation Echo. Same subtle fabric covering, no unnecessary flashing lights or displays, the usual four (and only four) control buttons on the top. The obvious difference, apart from the size, is the large slot at the base that lets you see right through the speaker.

Of course, this isn't just to make the Echo Studio look cool, the space has been specifically designed to help the downward-firing, 5.25" sub-woofer do its thumpy thing. And the result is lovely. One of the biggest challenges for small form smart speakers is generating a rich, but not overpowering bass response. The Echo Studio achieves this effortlessly. Using the Alexa app, you can adjust the EQ settings to wind the bass up even more if you need to.

Other than making the Echo Studio sound full and powerful itself, what this extra performance in the lower-range frequencies then offers is an enhanced listening experience from any other Echo speakers in the vicinity. As I've pointed out in earlier reviews, one of the most useful features of Amazon Echo speakers is how easy it is to set up multi-room audio. In my case, that also means multi-speaker audio in the same large room. Right now, you can pick up an Echo Dot for under $50, so you can fill every corner with perfectly synced audio, teamed with non-directional bass support from the Echo Studio. Just such an elegant audio solution.

In saying that, the Echo Studio is well capable of filling a whole room all by itself. There's a lot more going on inside than just the woofer. There's a front-facing tweeter, left and right mid-range speakers and an upward firing cone as well. The Studio is pumping out sound in all directions, tuning itself to whatever space you've put it in thanks to a combination of Dolby Atmos technology and an impressively sensitive array of far-field microphones.

If you're worried about just how sensitive those mics are, you can always just turn them off with a simple button push.

By now, I think we're all pretty aware of Alexa's wide range of skills and functions and indeed, I've previously gone into her ever-expanding set of special abilities at some length. Here, I really want to focus on how good the Echo Studio sounds.

So good in fact, apparently you can even use it as a soundbar. There's an optical mini-jack port to connect with, or if you happen to be running a Fire TV Cube, Fire TV or Fire TV Stick (which would be pretty unusual in New Zealand, but possible) you can use the Echo Studio to stream the soundtrack from your video wirelessly. I haven't been able to try this as I don't have Fire TV or a mini-optical cable, but if what I've heard from my music streaming experience is anything to go by, I'm sure it's pretty awesome.

The Echo Studio really does live up to its claims of an immersive, three-dimensional aural experience, especially if you're using a high definition service like Amazon Music HD, which plays at twice the bitrate of standard streaming apps. This is not the cheapest smart speaker around, but it's far from being the most expensive either. It looks great, sounds incredible and brings with it all the Alexa options we've come to know and love, making it fantastic bang for buck.


Click here for more information and pricing on the Amazon Echo Studio.