Vebos floor stand Amazon Echo Studio black - Compatible with Amazon Echo Studio

Product Information

Editors' Note: This is still the most recent version of the Echo Studio. Read our original review from November 6, 2019 below. As ever with virtualized surround sound, we're not of the mind set to consider it more impactful than having discrete physical speaker channels above and behind you, hooked up to a AV receiver. But that's a huge expense, and not practical for all living room arrangements, making the powerful Echo Studio an impressive value option. Thankfully, the answer is a resounding "yes". For its size, the Echo Studio delivers a really full soundscape. There is a hefty amount of bass from the speaker, but it's not overwhelming. You don't need to worry about it distorting everything else, like you get from most Beats-branded Bluetooth speakers. Well, this is what the Echo Studio is really about. Sure, it looks pretty good. And of course, it's capable of all the amazingly clever stuff you've become accustomed to from Alexa over the years – but does it sound any good?

Fire up the Echo Studio for the first time and Alexa will tune its sound for your room's acoustics by firing out a number of different test tones and reacting to its readings. The whole process doesn't last longer than a few seconds, but you will need to recalibrate the speaker if you move it around. The Echo Studio can also upmix other music to 3D on its own, but the effect isn't nearly as prominent or capable. And, of course, there are still limits to what a single speaker can do, even if it has drivers pumping out sound in all directions. (unknown) Performance

The Amazon Echo Studio squeezes in loads of smart audio tech into a single affordable speaker, with mostly-great results.

It’s an open, airy presentation that suits the 3D environment well. The speaker sits you in the jaws of a tall soundstage, where there's a good amount of detail to percussion and high frequencies. Getting directional audio to work and be immersive is difficult. Doing it from a single speaker source is even more challenging. Like all previous Echo devices, you'll still find the trademark ring of LEDs around the top of the Echo Studio. And since the Echo Studio has a line-in and optical-in port, it can be used with televisions as a sound bar regardless of the streaming device you have.

Alternatively, as pictured above, you can create a stereo pair with two Echo Studios, placing them either side of your TV and creating that standard central sweet-spot between them. Producing immersive, directional audio is always going to be difficult, but doing it from a single speaker source is even more challenging.So how does it fare? Its size means you’re going to have to think about where you’re going to place the Echo Studio – it won’t fit quite so discreetly onto a shelf as other Echos have.

Mounting and cable routing

Update: now the device has officially 'launched' there's an option to turn off the upmixing by going into Device Settings > Echo Studio > Audio Settings and then flipping the toggle. Be ready for a jump in volume when you do.] The Echo Studio also features a built-in Zigbee home automation hub, like the Echo Plus, which allows you to use the speaker to control compatible devices. 3D Sound As with 3D Music, it’s a good idea to moderate your expectations when it comes to the Echo Studio’s performance in this regard, however. Though can generate more of a sense of space than you’d expect of a single speaker unit, it certainly couldn’t compete with the Vizio 5.1.2 Home Theatre Sound System we were testing at the same time, either in terms of detail or immersiveness. It’s a decent upgrade on your TV’s speakers, for sure, but don’t expect miracles.