When talking about smart speakers, one often hears that as a standalone device for music, the audio output isn’t a deal-clincher. Amazon wants to disprove this perception with its Echo Studio.
The speaker has a design aesthetic similar to other Echo devices except that it is significantly bigger — eight inches high and seven inches wide.
The Echo Studio is a powerhouse that can deliver 330 watts of output at its loudest. There are two side-mounted mid-range speakers, a one-inch front-facing tweeter and a five inch downward-facing sealed woofer. In other words, Amazon has put all the big guns to amplify the sound. The result of this multitude of speakers is considerably higher than any other Echo device you will come across. Play it at full volume and the neighbours will complain. The bass is top-notch as was evident when we asked the Echo to play Michael Jackson’s ‘They Don’t Care About Us”. Even Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody, which has some great guitar riffs, piano tunes and bass and Freddie Mercury’s wide vocal range, sounded great.
The Echo Studio also stands out for its directional audio and it smoothly passes the test of providing an immersive experience.
Amazon has also put Atmos Music and 360 Reality Audio to enhance the device’s sound quality. Combine all these and you get a speaker that delivers audio that stands shoulder-to-shoulder with high-end regular speakers.
ADVERTISEMENT
So, is it as good as a Bose? Not really, but only a true audiophile will be able to point out the difference.
Amazon has placed the volume buttons on the top along with a mute button. The signature Echo ring is also on top. The microphone placement ensures that your conversations with Alexa flow smoothly and the smart assistant keeps gathering more skills.
Smart home products like bulbs and plugs work without a flaw with the Echo Studio. However, that’s something we have seen with other lower-priced Echo devices as well.
At Rs 22,999, this is the most expensive Echo you can buy. Is it worth the price? If you care a lot about great audio, the answer is yes. Else, the sub-Rs 10,000 Echo devices or a Google Home Nest can easily fulfill your need for a smart speaker.
ADVERTISEMENT
(The writer is with gadgetsnow.com)
From Boombox To Wireless Speakers: How Tech Evolved Over The Last Decade
1/8
Needless to say, the 2010s have been one helluva decade as far as tech is concerned. This decade has seen monumental and significant changes in terms of gadgets and everyday technology that we use in our daily lives. Be it the transformation of flip phones into wide touch screen smartphones or the world collectively moving on from digital cameras to high-res DSLRs, we have come a long way since 2010.
To show you just how major and significant these changes have been, we have compiled a list of gadgets which shows how tech looked back in 2010.
Needless to say, the 2010s have been one helluva decade as far as tech is concerned. This decade has seen monumental and significant changes in terms of gadgets and everyday technology that we use in..
Read More
iPhones have undergone a massive change in the last decade. In 2010, iPhone 4 was launched which ran on iOS 6.1.3. It came with a 5 MP rear camera and a 0.3 MP front camera, a one-core processor with 512 MB RAM.
Fast forward to 2019, and the iPhones have changed for good. They no longer come with a home button, a small screen size, latches or chins. iPhone 11 Pro comes with a 12 MP triple rear camera and a 12 MP front camera. Add to it the powerful iOS 13, a 4 GB RAM along with 64 GB storage and Apple A13 Bionic Chip, and there you have it, a phone that is miles ahead of the old iPhone 4.
iPhones have undergone a massive change in the last decade. In 2010, iPhone 4 was launched which ran on iOS 6.1.3. It came with a 5 MP rear camera and a 0.3 MP front camera, a one-core processor with..
Read More
If there’s anything in the field of tech that has witnessed the most tremendous change, it is probably the way we listen to music. The era of the traditional Walkman with wired headphones and a socket to place the magnetic cassettes is long gone and has now been replaced by wireless, portable Airpods.
The once elaborate setup of dangling wires and a pocket device has now been replaced by the simplistic and minimalist design of the Airpods with rich, high-quality voice and quick access to Siri, the personal mobile assistant.
Isn’t it interesting how far technology has come in the last 10 years?
If there’s anything in the field of tech that has witnessed the most tremendous change, it is probably the way we listen to music. The era of the traditional Walkman with wired headphones and a socke..
Read More
Now that music has undergone a significant change, why should the mobile networks stay behind? Back in 2010, the most commonly used mobile network was 2.5G, or as it is commonly called GPRS (General Packet Radio System). The maximum speed of GPRS, in theory, was 115 kbps, however on most networks, it ran on a speed of 35 kbps.
In 2008, India entered the world of 3G which provided superfast speed of 3.1 mbps. In 2012, Airtel launched 4G services and dongles with a maximum speed of 21 mbps.
Finally, with the advent of 5G, an application, should be able to transmit data at the rate of 10 Gigabytes per second as per ITU. While the deployment of 5G has begun in some countries as of 2019, some people have also raised concerns about the adverse effects 5G can have on health.
Now that music has undergone a significant change, why should the mobile networks stay behind? Back in 2010, the most commonly used mobile network was 2.5G, or as it is commonly called GPRS (General ..
Read More
Gone are the days when our lives ran on the hour hand and the minute hand of the same old analogue clock. With the advent of smartwatches, the way we look at time has changed forever.
Smartwatches not only allow us to track the amount of calories burned during workout but also help us stay connected while we perform various activities. From receiving calls and messages instantaneously, to getting social media notifications, smartwatches perform all the tasks that an odd smartphone does.
What’s more? Several tech giants have ventured into the world of smartwatches and have whipped up amazing gadgets.
Gone are the days when our lives ran on the hour hand and the minute hand of the same old analogue clock. With the advent of smartwatches, the way we look at time has changed forever.Smartwatches not..
Read More
Each time one looks at a flip phone from back in the day, one is instantly filled with feelings of nostalgia. Flip phones were an instant hit back in 2009/2010. The world has now moved on to far wider and highly innovative touch screen phones but flip phones have permanently become a sweet memory.
Each time one looks at a flip phone from back in the day, one is instantly filled with feelings of nostalgia. Flip phones were an instant hit back in 2009/2010. The world has now moved on to far wide..
Read More
Among the monumental changes we witnessed in tech in the last decade, it was the way we store our data that changed for the better. From carrying 64 GB hard discs and 8 GB pen drives around to transfer files, we moved on to cloud storage, which gave us instant, remote access to data.
The last decade, however, saw a lot of scandals and private information being leaked from the cloud and serious concerns were raised about security. Nevertheless, with security enforcements in place, cloud storage has become one of the easiest and most-used ways of storing information.
Among the monumental changes we witnessed in tech in the last decade, it was the way we store our data that changed for the better. From carrying 64 GB hard discs and 8 GB pen drives around to transf..
Read More
2010 was probably the last year when huge and heavy boomboxes were commonly used. Come 2016, and there came compact but robust wireless speakers that were light-weight, easy to carry around and were easy on the eyes. The pill-shaped speaker by ‘Beats by Dre’, became a force to be reckoned with and became insanely popular.
However, as the world moved on from huge boomboxes to lightweight speakers, their love for music stayed the same. As they say, the more things change, the more they stay the same.
2010 was probably the last year when huge and heavy boomboxes were commonly used. Come 2016, and there came compact but robust wireless speakers that were light-weight, easy to carry around and were ..