I still remember testing the first Echo Studio. Even though it’s been almost six years, I still remember my surprise that Amazon had finally made a smart speaker that actually sounded good. It certainly helped Amazon create a device that reproduces spatial sound well, enhancing movies in the living room (if you’ve bought any).
I was also surprised to see the redesigned Echo Studio when Amazon introduced it a few weeks ago. Could the company offer the same audio performance with a 40% smaller speaker? The Echo Studio 2025 ($220) combines three 1.5-inch full-range speakers with a 3.75-inch woofer in a small space, all powered by the company’s new AI-enabled processor. The studio’s big reboot after such a long time certainly has a lot of positives to offer, but for now there are also some caveats.
What’s so great about Echo Studio?
Amazon has completely redesigned the Echo Studio, opting for a much more compact spherical appearance compared to the previous large cylinder. For me, this is an improvement; It looks less like a speaker and more like a piece of furniture. Amazon also introduced its signature ring light, which lights up when you talk to Alexa, so you can see it better when you’re right in front of the speaker. The lights also show the volume in white when you make a setting, flash red when you mute the microphones, and light blue in Bluetooth pairing mode. If you use the Drop-In feature, a kind of intercom on the Echo, the ring lights up green while you monitor what’s happening in the room from another location.
The company also moved all controls. The volume and mute buttons, which used to be on the top, are now on an angled panel on the front, allowing them to move nicely when pressed. And those are the only three buttons you have on the Echo Studio, as Amazon wants you to use the Noice controls for everything else when playing music or podcasts. Or, you know, you can pick up the phone.
There are optional touch controls that let you snooze alarms, stop timers, and end calls and inputs. To do this, simply tap the top of the Echo Studio. Additionally, you can enable “advanced” touch controls, which allow you to play/pause media with the same action.
Amazon promises “powerful bass and crystal clear vocals” for the new Echo Studio, and I’d say the latter is true. The sound here is very clear and the mood clearly favors the highs and mids in almost all genres. For example synths and voices. THRONE: Ares Nine Inch Nails’ soundtrack is more distinct than the drum machines or the bassline. I did hear an immersive quality to these songs though, but not as much as I noticed with headphones or earphones. It has three times as much bass. Horizons/Westand overall the instruments offer a fuller quality than most other albums I’ve tried. All I know is that there are many differences from album to album and genre to genre.
Just like the original Echo Studio, this model supports spatial audio content, Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio. They are available on several streaming platforms, including Amazon Music Unlimited. Amazon only sent me one of the new speakers, so it’s hard to review the impressive Atmos sound here, but I did my best. The Echo Studio works slightly better with Amazon Music’s Dolby Atmos tracks, as those songs have more depth and a wider soundstage. However, the bass is still quite muffled, so even the spacious sound and increased Ultra HD quality cannot save the sluggish bass and distinct vocals.
A few words about Alexa+
The new Echo Studio offers early access to Alexa+, Amazon’s next-generation virtual assistant. The company has been revamping its partner in recent years, and my colleague Cherlynn Low provides a detailed overview of what you can expect if you use it. When testing this speaker, I spent about a week talking to the new Alexa and to my surprise, this AI-powered assistant has improved significantly.
The biggest change I’ve noticed is continued conversations with more follow-up questions or comments. Echo Studio’s new AZ3 Pro chip is sure to keep everything running smoothly, so there are no awkward pauses. One afternoon I asked Alexa+ to remind me to make pizza dough and they agreed without hesitation. Following Cherlynn’s lead, I quickly asked her about my mood, to which Alexa responded that, based on my voice, I seemed to be in a “good Monday mood.”
However, it was not Monday, but Tuesday. When I corrected Alexa, the assistant acted indifferent, thanked me for my help and apologized for the mistake. He then recalled the original pizza order, noting that it seemed like he had everything figured out that day, including the dough recipe and the assignment. It was the most intense personal interaction I’ve ever had with a virtual assistant, and I felt that the promise of casual conversations with such technology was finally being fulfilled. And I have to say it scared me a little.
However, my week-long relationship was not without surprises. Although the Echo Studio has a built-in temperature sensor, Alexa+ cannot retrieve data from it. When you ask about the temperature in your home, the assistant will check if there is a connected thermostat that you haven’t synced with the Alexa app. There are still moments like this where you encounter startling limitations, but overall the new Alexa feels more human than ever when you interact with it. And sometimes it’s quite disturbing.
After the early access period ends, you’ll need a Prime membership to continue using Alexa+ for free. If you don’t have one, Next Generation Assistant will cost you a whopping $20 per month. And currently the preview is only available in US and US English.
What is wrong with Echo Studio?
While the Echo Studio’s clarity and reasonably immersive audio performance is a strong point, the lack of detail in the bass tuning is primarily a hindrance. When a song calls for it, the bass is clearly present, but the bass has a dull, almost muffled sound with no nuance. This makes songs like Water From Your Eyes’ “Born 2” sound much flatter and more reserved than what I heard with the second-generation Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones and AirPods Pro 3.
Amazon spent a lot of time at its recent launch event talking about Alexa Home Theater, a feature that lets you link up to five Echo Studio (or Echo Dot Max) speakers to a compatible Fire TV Stick. The company promises that all you have to do is plug in your devices and Alexa will automatically do the setup and pairing for you. Unfortunately, Alexa Home Theater isn’t available yet; The company says it will be released “in the coming weeks.” Of course, that means I didn’t get to try it out, leaving one of the Echo Studio’s best features, at least on paper, for a future review.
The company also removed the 3.5mm input from the original Echo Studio. While I can appreciate that this was a much larger speaker and that 2019 was a much different time, I appreciated that Amazon gave us the option to connect by cable for this device. With this new model you only have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Even though I enabled touch controls in the Echo Studio settings in the Alexa app, at first I could only get a few of them to work (snooze alarm, close timer, end call, and stop ringing). I also made sure to stand directly in front of the speaker so the proximity sensors knew I was there and brushed awkwardly across the woven 3D fabric. Amazon has clarified that for music play/pause to work, you need to ask Alexa to play music directly through the speaker, rather than via Bluetooth from your phone or other device. Otherwise, you’ll be writing pointlessly, as I’ve been doing for longer than I’d like to admit.
Summary
The second version of the Echo Studio is a refined smart speaker designed specifically for Amazon’s next-generation AI voice assistant. The device is a wonderful home for Alexa+, and the new design is certainly an improvement over the aesthetics of the 2019 original. While I admire some aspects of the Echo Studio’s sound, the vibe doesn’t pack as much punch as the first speaker. This is largely due to the lack of bass detail, although the overall soundstage is pleasantly engaging. One of the speaker’s key features is still in development and the touch controls have yet to be perfected, meaning the new Echo Studio currently has significant untapped potential.
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