Unless you have a personal vendetta against Amazon ( you might), this is the best smart speaker you can get for around $100. Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day.Īmazon's fourth-generation Echo ( 8/10, WIRED Recommends) notably changed the shape of the cylindrical speaker into a speaker ball. com and our print magazine (if you'd like). Special offer for Gear readers: Get a 1-year subscription to WIRED for $5 ($25 off). Updated April 2023: We’ve added the latest Sonos speakers and the latest versions of the Echo Dot with Clock and Echo Dot Kids. We also have guides on setting up your Echo speaker, creating Alexa routines, and Alexa skills that are actually fun and useful to help you get started.

If you’re trying to decide which smart devices might be best for you, be sure to check out WIRED’s picks in our roundups: Best Smart Speakers, Best Smart Displays, and Best Bluetooth Speakers. The best time to buy any Amazon speaker is during a major sale event like Black Friday or Amazon Prime Day, as there usually are steep discounts. These are our favorite Echo- and Alexa-compatible speakers for every home and budget. These devices can answer your questions, help you order essentials, set timers, play all sorts of audio content, and even function as the control hub for your growing smart home. From the spherical Echo to the swiveling Echo Show 10, you can get Alexa into your home in many ways. Amazon’s family of Alexa-enabled devices is vast.

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