Amazon Echo Dot Max: The Biggest Little Speaker
▼ Summary
– The Echo Dot Max is a $100 smart speaker praised for its excellent sound quality, compact design, and support for smart home protocols like Thread, Matter, and Zigbee.
– It features improved physical controls, a sleek fabric-wrapped look, and color-matched accessories, making it more user-friendly and aesthetically pleasing than previous models.
– The device includes Alexa Plus in the US, offering better natural language processing but facing issues with slow responses, inconsistency, and incomplete smart home command execution.
– As a smart home hub, it functions as a Thread Border Router and Wi-Fi extender, though its new motion and temperature sensors had mixed performance in testing.
– Positioned between the Echo Dot and Echo Studio, it is considered Amazon’s best all-around smart speaker but is held back by the unpolished Alexa Plus software.
The Amazon Echo Dot Max stands out as a powerful and versatile smart speaker that delivers impressive audio quality and advanced smart home integration. This compact device, available in stylish colors like a vibrant purple, features a sleek knit fabric design and improved physical controls. It serves as a capable hub for Matter, Thread, and Zigbee devices, while also functioning as an Eero Wi-Fi extender. Although it comes with Alexa Plus enabled in the U.S., the AI assistant’s performance can be inconsistent, which is a notable drawback for an otherwise excellent speaker.
Priced at $99, the Echo Dot Max is positioned between the budget-friendly Echo Dot and the premium Echo Studio. It replaces the fourth-generation Echo, offering a more modern look and enhanced features. The speaker produces rich, clear sound with a surprising amount of bass for its size, filling open-plan spaces easily. Its separate tweeter and woofer contribute to a crisp audio experience, and it supports stereo pairing and Alexa Home Theater setups.
One of the Max’s strengths is its improved microphone array, powered by Amazon’s new AZ3 chip. It picks up voice commands accurately, even over loud music, and responds more quickly than previous models. The front-facing controls and subtle LED indicator ring make it user-friendly, especially when placed on shelves or mantels. The color-matched power cord and compact brick add to its polished appearance.
As a smart home hub, the Dot Max supports local control of compatible devices via Thread, Zigbee, and Matter. It worked reliably in tests, though its occupancy detection features were not always precise. The built-in temperature and motion sensors offer potential for automation, but performance can vary.
Alexa Plus, included with the Max in the U.S., aims to provide more natural conversations and handle complex commands. It understands nuanced requests and can manage multiple tasks at once. However, it often struggles with execution, such as controlling smart home routines or responding promptly. While the promise of ambient computing and edge-based AI is exciting, these capabilities are not fully realized yet.
For those seeking a high-quality smart speaker with robust sound and smart home features, the Echo Dot Max is a compelling choice. It represents a significant upgrade from older Echo models and holds its own against competitors like the HomePod Mini. Amazon has clearly invested in refining the hardware, but the accompanying software still has room to grow.
(Source: The Verge)
