Get what Alexa has to offer without having to put up with an Echo’s subpar sound.
If you want everything that Amazon Alexa has to offer, but don’t actually want to put up with the Amazon Echo’s mediocre sound, you can get other speakers with Alexa built in!
Here are our top picks.
- Sonos One
- Sugr Cube Minimalis
- Eufy Genie
- Libratone Zipp
- VAUX Cordless
Sonos One
Sonos is the number one name in wireless home audio, with great sound and ridiculously easy setup, and the Sonos One is the first of its speakers to have Alexa built in. Six mics mean it can hear you from far away, but at its core, it has the Sonos signature — which means it sounds incredible. Get it for $200.
See at Sonos
The Sonos One is the best Alexa-powered speaker you can buy. It sounds amazing, with awesome deep bass, smooth highs and blissful mids. Sonos has added AirPlay 2 to the Sonos One, too, and Google Assistant support is coming soon, too, but it works best with Alexa. Pair it with a second Sonos One for a true stereo pair.
Sugr Cube Minimalist
Get this one mainly for the looks, because at $230 it’s expensive and doesn’t sound all that great. But it’s beautiful in either cherry or maple wood, and that is more than enough for most people. There’s also a massive battery, making it portable.
See at Amazon
Despite the mediocre reviews, Sugr Cube Minimalist is exactly as its name suggests: minimal. It looks great, and operates as an Alexa-powered Wi-Fi or DLNA speaker that can take with you throughout the house.
Eufy Genie
While it looks a lot like the Echo Dot, this tiny speaker has better sound and a lower price tag. Eufy is an upcoming name in smart speakers, and the Genie is a great option.
See at Amazon
If you want something that’s more like an Amazon Echo Dot but comes in even less expensive, then you need to check out the Eufy Genie. It’s currently listed at a mere $35 — or about half the cost of an actual Echo Dot. And you get a pretty good experience from it. I still think I looks better than the Dot, and it performs reasonably well despite having fewer microphones with which to listen for you.
It’s a really inexpensive way to get into the whole Alexa thing, and it’s worth checking out.
Libratone Zipp
Libratone’s Zipp sounds incredible, and while it came to market as a Bluetooth or AirPlay speaker, it has since been gifted Alexa support. You’ll need to pair it with an Echo speaker, but it’s worth it — just look at it! Grab it for $299.
See at Amazon
Libratone is a brand that focuses as much on design as it does on performance, the Zipp speaker has both in spades. While its main function is a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth speaker — it has DLNA and Spotify Connect support, as well as AirPlay compatibility — it pairs with an Echo or Echo Dot for Alexa.
VAUX cordless home speaker
This thing is genius. It uses an existing Echo Dot’s AUX port to improve its sound quality by a lot. Essentially it swallows the Dot and its Alexa integration and makes it into a better-sounding Echo. Grab it for just $40.
See at Amazon
VAUX is a name you’ll see associated with innovative solutions to improve existing products. Why buy a separate speaker with Alexa installed when you can spend just $40 to add a great speaker and a 6-hour battery to your existing Echo Dot? Win-win!
Amazon Echo
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=videoseries?list=PLiVEdvCVf979181KIvo_qO_WN5OM40Ee5&rel=0&autoplay=0&wmode=opaque&controls=2&autohide=1]
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See at Amazon
