Amazon Echo (2nd gen. 2017)

Excellent value ; Easy to set up ; Expandable range of skills ; Clean audio and simple voice control

Similarly priced speakers offer better sound

It doesn’t have the audio prowess to take on the best Bluetooth speakers. However, clear audio, great looks and a significantly lower price than the original make this smart assistant a winner.

Cheaper than predecessor ; Attractive, interchangeable shells ; Powerful microphones ; Alexa keeps getting smarter

Subpar audio quality

Cherlynn is reviews editor of Engadget. She led a mostly unexciting life in Singapore, her home country, until she came to New York in 2012. Since then, she's earned her master's in journalism from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism...

Interchangeable shell allows you to mix up design ; Updated Alexa features include individual voice recognition and routines ; Compact ; Audio output Jack

Sound on calling feature was more muffled than with original Echo ; Acoustics better with firmware upgrade, still hoped for bigger sound

We’re glad the Echo is more affordable and more compact than before, but a little disappointed sound quality took a turn for the worse. Overall, the new Echo is more approachable and will likely be extremely popular.

Less expensive and better-looking than previous Echo. Alexa is the best voice assistant ecosystem. Adds 3.5mm out. Loud.

Not much bass.

Alexa and Google Assistant are neck-and-neck among our favorite voice assistants, with Alexa getting a bit of an edge especially for its wider smart home support but Google Assistant edging it out in natural langauge recognition. Apple's Siri has some...

New look ; Low price ; Great new Alexa features

More of the same ; Alexa app could be better ; No more rotating dial

While the smarts stay the same, the new Amazon Echo has been given a much-needed makeover with a price just too compelling to resist.

Lets you use an Amazon Echo speaker as a land-line speakerphone.

Buggy. No hold function. Lacks call logs. No way to enter DTMF tones.

Bottom Line: Using your Amazon Echo speaker as landline phone is a great idea, but the company's Echo Connect, which lets you do just this, works poorly.

Alexa voice control ; Improved hearing commands ; Smart design ; Affordable

Average sound quality

Everything from the price to the microphone performance has improved. Unfortunately, sound quality hasn't

Lower cost ; Smaller, more attractive design ; Customizable appearance

Below average audio quality for music ; Decorative shells don’t look great

The new Echo’s best feature is its price

Alexa is a wonderful smart home controller ; Compact design with changeable skins ; Lots of third-party compatibility ; Affordable price

Sound quality isn't great ; No physical volume control ring ; Software is occasionally buggy

If you want to dip your toe into the world of Alexa, the Echo might seem like the obvious choice. However, with the Plus better for music and the Show and Spot better for visuals, Amazon's principal speaker seems squeezed by its surrounding Echo...