The audio output has a little bit more detail, and instruments don’t sound as crowded as they would on earlier technology. If you enjoy hip-hop or bass-heavy trap music, the upgraded Echo Dot also sounds much better. Expect no miracles in this situation; the speaker’s higher loudness is probably to blame. The significantly improved wireless connectivity of the fourth-generation Echo Dot caught my attention as another feature. When placed in the same location as a third-generation Echo Dot that would frequently lose its Wi-Fi connection, the more recent model performed noticeably better. Although “Roundabout” by Yes sounds a little bit better on the Echo Dot, the bass response is still lacking. The initial acoustic guitar pickings have some string texture but also come off as somewhat empty and tinny. When the track starts off properly, the mix sounds rather well-balanced, but any bass is overshadowed by the vocals, which are firmly in the foreground. There isn’t much in the lower frequencies to balance out the sound signature’s emphasis on the highs. The new Echo Dot doesn’t sound bad, like the previous model, but it lacks the strength and range to truly provide a listening experience that can fill a room with well-balanced audio. The Echo Dot is made to bring Alexa’s voice assistance skills to your workplace, kitchen, bedside, or any other area of your house, but that isn’t the main goal. One Dot cannot be in two groups at once, but you can command Alexa to play David Bowie across your home by saying “Alexa, play David Bowie everywhere.” Stereo pairing is also possible, but only when two identical model Dots are used. On the Alexa app, you may explore “skills” to enable on your Dot under the Home tab and create an announcement (like “I’m home”) to be broadcast to your speakers under the Communicate tab. It’s unexpected that the $49.99 Echo Dot smart speaker took this long to begin to resemble a dot. The fourth-generation Echo Dot has changed to a sphere in order to match the design of the new fourth-generation Echo, though it is smaller and costs less. Which voice assistant you decide to instal in your house is primarily a matter of personal preference. The HomePod Mini offers Apple-focused features and an improvement in sound quality over the Echo Dot, even though it comes at a significant price premium if most members of your household use iPhones.
