Amazon Echo Sub Review: Bass That Will Annoy Your Neighbors

INQUIRER.net US Bureau / 12:33 AM February 04, 2019

The Amazon Echo Sub has gone viral within such a short period after its release. And if you’re an ardent user, there’s no way to deny that the Echo Sub speaker has become a household name as far as the Echo range of products is concerned.

The brand recorded a lot of success with their previous releases, with a lot more people buying into the idea of having an Alexa-enabled Echo speaker. And as if the other Echos were just a mere test run, the brand was at it again with the release of the Amazon Echo Sub – the loudest of them all.

The Amazon Echo Sub brings comes with a much better sound quality, and that super-strong bass that has been missing in previous versions of the Echo line. It is very likely that the Echo Sub was inspired by comments from Pros as well as request for more from the customers, because this seems to be a direct answer to their call.

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Review Price: $129.99
6 inch woofer
Works with 2018 Echo Plus and second-gen Echo
Alexa

Discussion

The Amazon Echo Sub is in the same ranks as Google’s solution; Home Max, and Sonos’ Play: 5. However, in terms of size, the Echo Sub stands out of the pack. The Sub is a far more portable and compact smart speaker which can be easily put out of sight; something you cannot say for its Google and Sonos counterparts, which are considerably large speakers.

There’s one major disadvantage with using the Sub: it’s quite selective and doesn’t work with all Echo speakers, which limits its otherwise great use.

After unboxing the Sub, you’re advised to complete the set up before plugging it in. this makes the setup process way easier. The Amazon Echo Sub has a weight that’s quite substantial, which could be a little test for quality. Lighter Subs don’t turn out good most times.

The design of the plastic vents beneath the Sub allows you to at least catch a glimpse of the 6-inch woofer that powers the bass. To compliment this, Amazon installed in it what it claims to be a 100-watt amp (definitely digital) which is by itself a subwoofer more or less.

As far as features, that’s all there is. There’s a reset button to help you reset the Sub when you deem fit. Besides that, you won’t find any inputs or outputs.

The set up process for the Amazon Echo Sub is not worth your worries, because it’s quite easy. In fact, with the Alexa app, it’s a breeze. All you need to do is access the app from your device; android, iOS, or Fire, then tap on the new home icon located at the bottom right. After that, tap on the plus sign to enable you add new devices, then select Echo, then Echo Sub.

As soon as you plug it in, the Sub appears as a device, just click on “add”. Next step is connecting the Sub to your Wifi. And people with more than one Wifi should make sure to connect the Echo Sub to the same network as the other Echo speakers.

Finally, you’ll need to pair the Sub with an Echo speaker(s) to create a group. For the purpose of our Amazon Echo Sub review, we tried out the third gen Echo Dot, second gen Echo Plus and second gen Echo speakers, all in stereo.

Though the Amazon Echo Sub cannot be classified as a hi-fi device, it does sound that good to be considered one.

I’ll like to spell this out; the Echo Sub has a super-loud sound, loud enough to annoy your neighbors. Amazon went above and beyond to make the Sub a much deeper smart speaker. And at 50 Hz, it begins to deviate, at 40Hz, the Sub doesn’t play anything audible. This surpasses many computer speaker-style subwoofers, and this is no mean feat. Though this comparison is quite inappropriate, but it seems to be the only speaker that can fit into this conversation.

However, a computer subwoofer is no competition for the Amazon Echo Sub, although the sound of the Sub is not as refined as that of a home theatre subwoofer.

Our biggest concern was whether the Echo Sub would be able to cover the bass spectrum and go as high as the mid-bass region, enabling us to hear the Sub’s placement. Our everyday subs play at very low frequencies, and as a result, it’s difficult to know where the sound emerges from. But the Sub gave up its location, until we took it further away from the other Echo speakers that it was lined to. So keep everything together for the best experience.

The Echo Sub is a good value buy if you ask me, but the fact that it only allows you to connect with Echo speakers is very sad. This means that you’re limited to just music and podcasts.

Conclusion

Amazon did a great job with the Echo Sub, which is undoubtedly the choicest Echo speaker as far as sound production. Then again, its usage is limited to just music and podcasts which is a no-no for lots of Echo fans. Also, the design is great, but it isn’t exactly cheap.