{"id":7971,"date":"2020-09-01T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-09-01T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aviancetechnologies.com\/blog\/amazon-echo-plus-2nd-gen-review-good-sound-plus-zigbee-for-the-win\/"},"modified":"2020-09-01T10:00:00","modified_gmt":"2020-09-01T10:00:00","slug":"amazon-echo-plus-2nd-gen-review-good-sound-plus-zigbee-for-the-win","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aviancetechnologies.com\/blog\/amazon-echo-plus-2nd-gen-review-good-sound-plus-zigbee-for-the-win\/","title":{"rendered":"Amazon Echo Plus (2nd Gen) review: Good sound, plus Zigbee for the win"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\u00a0\u00a0<br \/>\n[responsivevoice_button rate=&#8221;1\u2033 pitch=&#8221;1.2\u2033 volume=&#8221;0.8\u2033 voice=&#8221;US English Female&#8221; buttontext=&#8221;Story in Audio&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2>Amazon Echo Plus (2nd Gen) review: Good sound, plus Zigbee for the win<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"drr-container\" itemprop=\"reviewBody\">\n<p>Amazon released the first Echo Plus smart speaker\/smart-home hub in 2017, and this second generation arrived a year later. What makes it \u201cPlus\u201d is simple: A built-in Zigbee radio. That eliminates the need to also have something like a Samsung SmartThings or a Hubitat Elevation on your network\u2014at least to control other smart home devices that use Zigbee. We\u2019ll get deeper into that in a bit.<\/p>\n<p>The second-generation Echo Plus has one other minor new addition: An ambient temperature sensor, so you can ask Alexa what the temperature in the room is, in addition to getting a weather report that includes the current temperature outside. It\u2019s worth noting that if you use any Echo device to control a smart thermostat, the thermostat will also tell you the ambient temperature\u2014though it will report the temperature where the thermostat is located, and temps might be slightly different where the Echo is at.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>This review is part of TechHive\u2019s coverage of the best smart speakers, where you\u2019ll find reviews of competing products, plus a buyer\u2019s guide to the features you should consider when shopping.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2>The new Echo Plus is an audio upgrade<\/h2>\n<p>A big part of the Echo Plus\u2019s evolution involves audio. This new model features a considerable jump in performance thanks to a larger 3-inch woofer (the first-gen Echo Plus had a 2.5-inch woofer). Both models are outfitted with 0.8-inch tweeters, but when you listen to the new and older Echo Plus side by side, the difference is striking, with the new model sounding clearer, louder, and with more enveloping bass.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"emo emo-sb\">\n<h6 class=\"nav-title\">Mentioned in this article<\/h6>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Higher frequencies sound better too, and Alexa\u2019s voice is easier to understand. I do miss the rotating volume dial that was at the top of the first-generation Echo Plus. Using the + and \u2013 buttons on top of the speaker to control the volume just isn\u2019t as much fun. But that part of the user experience is now more consistent across the entire product line.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"large \"><img border=\"0\" alt=\"echo plus 2nd gen architecture\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" data-imageid=\"100856172\" data-license=\"Supplied Art\" data-original=\"https:\/\/images.idgesg.net\/images\/article\/2020\/08\/echo-plus-2nd-gen-architecture-100856172-large.jpg\" class=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><small class=\"credit\">Amazon<\/small><figcaption>\n<p>Amazon made significant improvements to the Echo Plus (2nd Gen)\u2019s audio performance. The beefier Echo Studio sounds even better, though, and it has a Zigbee hub, too.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Amazon\u2019s excellent far-field microphones and voice-recognition system hasn\u2019t changed appreciably; the Echo Plus still relies on seven microphones to pick up the \u201cAlexa\u201d wake word from anywhere in the room. Whether you want to control music or play a trivia game, the Echo Plus uncannily seems to pick up even the most mumbled phrases.<\/p>\n<h2>The Alexa app is awkward<\/h2>\n<p>Smart-home enthusiasts know that Alexa products have long taken a prominent position in the marketplace by letting you connect your Echo to other manufacturers\u2019 smart-home products via the Alexa Skills library. The Skills system is awkward to use and unfriendly to novices, in part because it requires you to install the relevant Skill (similar to a plug-in) on your Alexa app, sign in using your credentials for the third-party control system, and then discover compatible devices on your network.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"medium right\"><a class=\"zoom\" href=\"https:\/\/images.idgesg.net\/images\/article\/2020\/08\/2-100856171-orig.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img border=\"0\" alt=\"Alexa app adding Zigbee smart switch\" width=\"300\" height=\"534\" data-imageid=\"100856171\" data-license=\"IDG\" data-original=\"https:\/\/images.idgesg.net\/images\/article\/2020\/08\/2-100856171-medium.jpg\" class=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/a> <small class=\"credit\">Christopher Null \/ IDG<\/small><figcaption>\n<p>Add Zigbee products via the app, not just via voice, and you\u2019ll find it\u2019s much easier to configure them.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>This must be done with each manufacturer\u2019s product you decide to use, and every time you add a new device, you need to re-discover it within the Alexa app. The upshot: Connecting a device to Alexa can often double your overall setup time, just so you can use voice control. That said, I haven\u2019t found Google\u2019s solution for its smart speaker line to be any more intuitive.<\/p>\n<p>One caveat with using Skills on the Echo has always been that you can only use it to connect to Wi-Fi-connected smart-home devices. You can connect to Zigbee or Z-Wave devices, but only through a hub which works as a bridge to your Wi-Fi network. It\u2019s not the most elegant solution, and Amazon was certainly aware that it could clean things up by doing the obvious: Adding a smart-home hub to the Echo hardware.<\/p>\n<p>The catch is that the Echo Plus contains a Zigbee radio only and does not support Z-Wave technology, which is\u2014at least in my experience\u2014more widely supported. Ring, for instance, favors Z-Wave over Zigbee in its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techhive.com\/article\/3285725\/ring-alarm-review.html\">Ring Alarm system. I struggled to find retail Zigbee hardware for testing the Echo Plus, and ultimately ended up with only a smattering of smart switches and smart plugs to work with.<\/p>\n<p>And while ubiquitous Philips Hue smart lighting products use Zigbee (and Amazon often bundles a Philips Hue smart bulb with the Echo Plus (2nd Gen), you\u2019ll still need the Philips Hue Bridge to get the absolute most out of that ecosystem, even with the Echo Plus. The smart-home market is constantly evolving, however, and support for Zigbee technology could pick up\u2014especially given Amazon\u2019s decision to support it so strongly in the product Echo family. In addition to the Echo Plus, the Echo Studio and the Echo Show (2nd Gen) smart display all have built-in Zigbee smart-home hubs.<\/p>\n<p>Using the Echo Plus to install and control Zigbee gear just isn\u2019t as smooth as it is with Samsung SmartThings, Amazon\u2019s biggest competitor in this space. Pairing a typical product to SmartThings is done by scanning a QR code on the back of the device with your phone\u2019s camera, after which the process is normally a seamless affair. With Alexa, you can pair via the app or, enticingly, via your voice, by simple asking Alexa to search for new devices. The latter method is convenient, but if you do it that way, you miss out on the configurability options you get by pairing through the app, namely giving the device a unique name and assigning it to a room.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"large \"><a class=\"zoom\" href=\"https:\/\/images.idgesg.net\/images\/article\/2018\/10\/amazon-prime-video-landing-page-100775739-orig.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img border=\"0\" alt=\"amazon prime video landing page\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" data-imageid=\"100775739\" data-license=\"IDG\" data-original=\"https:\/\/images.idgesg.net\/images\/article\/2018\/10\/amazon-prime-video-landing-page-100775739-large.jpg\" class=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/a> <small class=\"credit\">Michael Brown \/ IDG<\/small><figcaption>\n<p>The Amazon Echo Show (2nd Gen) also has a built-in Zigbee smart-home hub.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>I was repeatedly stymied in my attempts to add an Enbrighten Plug-in Dimmer to my device list, receiving numerous notices that no new devices had been found after Alexa\u2019s lengthy search process. Finally, after days of troubleshooting, Alexa did find the dimmer and placed it under the \u201cswitches\u201d category under the enigmatic name of \u201cFirst Light,\u201d where it was assigned to no room. If you have numerous smart-home devices, this can quickly get confusing; adding new devices through the app lets you better see what\u2019s going on and lets you change the device name and assign it to a location. On the whole, the Alexa interface just isn\u2019t the cleanest or most elegant; I have to assume that a redesign is somewhere on the horizon.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"nativo-promo nativo-promo-2 tablet desktop smartphone\" id=\"\"\/>\n<h2>The price can\u2019t be beat<\/h2>\n<aside class=\"emo emo-sb\">\n<h6 class=\"nav-title\">Mentioned in this article<\/h6>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Until recently, pricing for the Echo Plus (2nd Gen) was set at $150, while the standard Echo (3rd Gen) was $100. The $50 upgrade was at least cheaper than the $70 you\u2019d pay for a SmartThings hub\u2014though again, SmartThings supports both Zigbee <em>and<\/em> Z-Wave. Lately, however, the price equation has changed. At press time, Amazon was selling the Echo Plus for just $75\u2014less than the price for a <em>refurbished<\/em> Echo (3<sup>rd<\/sup> Gen).<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, the fact that Amazon lists the Amazon Echo (3<sup>rd<\/sup> Gen) as \u201ccurrently unavailable\u201d in new condition could be a hint that an entirely <em>new<\/em> Amazon Echo\u2014a fourth-generation model\u2014could be about to surface (it could also just mean that COVID 19 has disrupted Amazon\u2019s supply chain). Finally, and at the risk of further confusing your buying decision, it\u2019s worth remembering that Amazon\u2019s <em>best <\/em>smart speaker\u2014the Echo Studio\u2014hosts a Zigbee smart-home hub, too. And it is also currently discounted, from $200 to $170. Click here to read TechHive\u2019s opinion of that product.<\/p>\n<div class=\"end-note\">\n<p>\t\t<!-- blx4 #2010 blox4.html  --><\/p>\n<div id=\"\" class=\"blx blxParticleendnote blxM2010  blox4_html  blxC24070\">Note: When you purchase something after clicking links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Read our affiliate link policy for more details. <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"post-item-metadata entry-meta\">\n<p class=\"has-background has-very-light-gray-background-color\">Disclaimer: Content may be edited for style and length.\u00a0<a class=\"newsium-categories category-color-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.techhive.com\/article\/3573588\/amazon-echo-plus-2nd-gen-review.html#tk.rss_all\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Story Source<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u00a0\u00a0 [responsivevoice_button rate=&#8221;1\u2033 pitch=&#8221;1.2\u2033 volume=&#8221;0.8\u2033 voice=&#8221;US English Female&#8221; buttontext=&#8221;Story in Audio&#8221;] Amazon Echo Plus (2nd Gen) review: Good sound, plus Zigbee for the win Amazon released the first Echo Plus smart speaker\/smart-home hub in 2017, and this second generation arrived a year later. What makes it \u201cPlus\u201d is simple: A built-in Zigbee radio. That eliminates &#8230; <a title=\"Amazon Echo Plus (2nd Gen) review: Good sound, plus Zigbee for the win\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/aviancetechnologies.com\/blog\/amazon-echo-plus-2nd-gen-review-good-sound-plus-zigbee-for-the-win\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Amazon Echo Plus (2nd Gen) review: Good sound, plus Zigbee for the win\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7972,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7971","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pc-laptops"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Amazon Echo Plus (2nd Gen) review: Good sound, plus Zigbee for the win - Aviance Technologies<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Amazon Echo Plus (2nd Gen) review: Good sound, plus Zigbee for the win - Aviance Technologies\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u00a0\u00a0 [responsivevoice_button rate=&#8221;1\u2033 pitch=&#8221;1.2\u2033 volume=&#8221;0.8\u2033 voice=&#8221;US English Female&#8221; buttontext=&#8221;Story in Audio&#8221;] Amazon Echo Plus (2nd Gen) review: Good sound, plus Zigbee for the win Amazon released the first Echo Plus smart speaker\/smart-home hub in 2017, and this second generation arrived a year later. What makes it \u201cPlus\u201d is simple: A built-in Zigbee radio. That eliminates ... 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Aviance Technologies","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Amazon Echo Plus (2nd Gen) review: Good sound, plus Zigbee for the win - Aviance Technologies","og_description":"\u00a0\u00a0 [responsivevoice_button rate=&#8221;1\u2033 pitch=&#8221;1.2\u2033 volume=&#8221;0.8\u2033 voice=&#8221;US English Female&#8221; buttontext=&#8221;Story in Audio&#8221;] Amazon Echo Plus (2nd Gen) review: Good sound, plus Zigbee for the win Amazon released the first Echo Plus smart speaker\/smart-home hub in 2017, and this second generation arrived a year later. What makes it \u201cPlus\u201d is simple: A built-in Zigbee radio. That eliminates ... 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