Amazon Echo Input + Speakers

Amazon’s Echo Input is the latest addition to the Echo family featuring their voice assistant Alexa. Released during this past Christmas season, the input is now the cheapest Echo on the market, replacing the Echo Dot, at $34.

Amazon Echo Input

The unboxing was unique. When opening the main box you slide out an organizer which includes the Echo and the accessories. The first thing that slides out is the Echo Input and the documentation that is tucked away on top. Inside there are two cables a micro-USB to connect to the included 12w power adapter and a 1-meter aux cable for connecting to external speakers.

This compact little Echo is the size of a little disk and can fit in the palm of your hand. It really is the perfect size to put anywhere. There are some major changes over the Echo Dot thought. For instance, instead of having four buttons, there are two: a microphone on/off and an action button, lacking the volume up and down buttons like found on the rest of the Echo line. There are four microphones, one in each corner, which, in my opinion, do a fantastic job. Since it’s not very tall there is no LED ring around the edge, instead, there is a little-colored dot in the middle that lights up just as you expect any other echo too. Inside there is dual-band WIFI and Bluetooth. Going around the back there are two ports: a micro-USB and an aux. Other than that it will work just like any other Echo, you have access to the same music sources, skills, calling and messaging, and access to smart home accessories.

So what makes the input so much cheaper? The lack of internal speakers, making you have to acquire your own speakers. You can either use the provided 3.5mm aux or connect to a wireless Bluetooth speaker. This may, oddly enough, be the best feature. If you’re someone who wants to add smart capabilities to any speaker, instead of paying the $50 for an Echo Dot and not using the speakers, this may be the one for you. Even if you don’t already have speakers, you may find it to be cheaper or more reasonable to acquire your own.

So with my Echo Input, I got the …

Logitech Z313 Speaker System

For $36.99 you get two desk speakers and a subwoofer for a complete audio setup. They are perfect for your desk and the sound quality perfectly.

There are two parts main parts out of the box that you have to connect, being the subwoofer to the smaller desk speakers. The desk speakers plug into the 3.5mm headphone port of the back of the subwoofer. Then rearrange where every you want them to go. Hard wired into the subwoofer is the power cable and a cable that extends to a little adapter. The little adapter is where you can find audio controls, a headphone jack, a power button, and an incoming audio aux in which you plug into your Echo. There is also a green LED on the top which illuminates showing the power is on.

The setup, although simple, is a little tedious. The downfall with the speakers is that there are so many cables. You’re going to need some crazy cable management. If your one who is all for the wireless modern world and hate having to deal with cables then it may be in your best interest to get a wireless Bluetooth speaker like a Sonos or Bose.

Logitech Z313-16

So, in conclusion, the Echo Input is a fantastic addition to the Echo family. It’s affordable and gets the job done with flexibility. The Logitech speakers are a great accessory to the Input and provide the perfect audio quality for listening while sitting at your desk.

Buy Here:

Click the links below to learn more and buy one for your self.