Amazon Echo

Gillor

I’m considering the purchase of an Amazon Echo exclusively for playing music.

As I intend to play it through an external source, either via Bluetooth, wi-fi or cable, the sound quality of the Echo speaker itself is not that important.

In which case, can I go for the cheapest Echo model or will the sound quality improve through external speakers if I purchase a more expensive one? 

MattMattMattUK

Gillor said:

I’m considering the purchase of an Amazon Echo exclusively for playing music.

As I intend to play it through an external source, either via Bluetooth, wi-fi or cable, the sound quality of the Echo speaker itself is not that important.

In which case, can I go for the cheapest Echo model or will the sound quality improve through external speakers if I purchase a more expensive one? 

The Echo devices only off audio out via a 3.5mm jack, they cannot stream to another device over Bluetooth or Wifi. The output of all of them over 3.5mm jack is not great, but depending on what you are listening to you may be fine with it.

A few questions that might allow us to help a bit more.
What will the primary source for the music, streaming, files you already have on another device, something else?
What is the other device that you want to have the sound come out of? Will it go into an amp, what is the setup?
What kind of music are you listening to?

flaneurs_lobster

Are you wanting to use the Amazon Music streaming service? 

There's no need to purchase or use an Echo device if this is the case.

Please answer @MattMattMattUK's questions and others may be able to help.

ButterCheese

I have used many types of sources, Amps etc and streaming services in the past.  Ranging from a 30 year old Amp and a £10 BT receiver.  I've also used a high end Pioneer Amp and a cheapo chinese Amp.

For the gear I have (decent Amp, £100 Tannoy speakers) I have never noticed a difference in sound quality across any of it.  Unless you have a £1k amp and £2k speakers I doubt if sound quality is going to come into it - especially if you are streaming from Amazon, Youtube or Spotify which is a heavily compressed source compared to Tidal, FLAC etc. 

So, if whatever echo you are using has an output, it should work fine into anything else i.e. 3.5mm headphone jack into your Amp, or get a BT receiver as an input into your Amp and BT your music to that.  I won an echo dot once and in my opinion it is just a vice recognition system....which I don't care for anyway. 

To put it bluntly, if you need voice recognition like Alexa or Echo then fine, but I don't understand why you'd want it for playing music otherwise.  If you're happy with sub-optimal quality streaming (which as I said is more than fine to my ears) then you can simply stream from your phone to your Amp

Vitor

I have a subscription to Amazon Music Unlimited Ultra HD tier so stream lossless, generally better than CD quality.

After studying how to make best use of this, I bought a WiiM Pro which can take that stream, contains it's own DAC and plugs into my hifi.

NB Don't overlook that a pair of Echo Plus (or similar) setup as a stereo pair with an Echo Sub can produce a very acceptable sound.

Gillor

Thanks for all the replies but in trying to keep it simple I seem to have made it more complicated than it is.

I already have a dedicated high quality hi-fi system for serious listening via my CD collection, comprising components from Meridian, Quad, Cambridge Audio and Acoustic Energy with Kimber Cable interconnects and speaker cable. 

However, so that we can listen to any (old/nostagic) song at any time with a voice recognition system like Alexa I want rig up an Amazon Echo and play it through my Audio Cambridge TV1 Soundbase which has Optical and RCA inputs as well as Bluetooth. 

I am not expecting audiophile quality. What I am simply trying to ascertain is whether the audio quality playing the Echo into the Soundbase is improved by using a more expensive Echo model or will going for the cheapest yield similar results.

GDB2222

Gillor said:

Thanks for all the replies but in trying to keep it simple I seem to have made it more complicated than it is.

I already have a dedicated high quality hi-fi system for serious listening via my CD collection, comprising components from Meridian, Quad, Cambridge Audio and Acoustic Energy with Kimber Cable interconnects and speaker cable. 

However, so that we can listen to any (old/nostagic) song at any time with a voice recognition system like Alexa I want rig up an Amazon Echo and play it through my Audio Cambridge TV1 Soundbase which has Optical and RCA inputs as well as Bluetooth. 

I am not expecting audiophile quality. What I am simply trying to ascertain is whether the audio quality playing the Echo into the Soundbase is improved by using a more expensive Echo model or will going for the cheapest yield similar results.

I have an Echo streaming to Bluetooth speakers. It is a really cheap Echo Flex, which is no longer available, and the sound quality is good enough for the speakers. I have connected the same speakers with a 3.5mm cable and I can’t tell the difference. 

These speakers https://www.amazon.co.uk/SHARP-CP-SS30-BR-Bookshelf-Speakers/dp/B0BQ3CZDT1

GDB2222

I know that Amazon were making a loss on these devices, but the prices are 2 to 3 times higher than they used to be!  I was wondering why you didn’t buy a Dot for £15 and see how it goes, but it looks more like £60 now. 

You might want to check out Sonos. 

RumRat

Wait until Tuesday (25th).  The Amazon Spring sale starts then and there will be big discounts on all their gear....

flaneurs_lobster

You might want to check how you would connect an Echo device to your other tech, the latest Dots don't have wired output.

You could buy a used early-gen Dot on Ebay for not much money.

My solution to this is a Google Home speaker being told to stream to a Google Chromecast Audio (RiP) plugged into my amp. Good because I can cast audio from speaker, laptop, phone, tablet. Bad because Google have just killed it.

Gillor

Many thanks for all the helpful replies.

I have decided to to go for an Echo Show 5 for track information and Ring 3 doorbell integration and connect via Bluetooth to my TV soundbase.

@RumRat thanks for the heads-up on the forthcoming Amazon Spring Sale.