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Amazon Echo Gen 4 Review

Kenn Muguna Avatar
Updated Jan 25, 2024 6:26 PM

True Score

85
85
15

Experts

94
147.6k

Consumers

Product Awards

Top 5

GR Certified

Customer Favorite

Expert Rankings

The Amazon Echo Gen 4 pleased testers with its spherical design and easy-to-use companion app. They were satisfied with its sound quality and deep bass levels but felt its missing battery made it much less portable. They also felt its max volume was low and wasn’t ideal for outdoor use.

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Table of Contents

Product Snapshot

Overview

The Amazon Echo Gen 4 is a spherically shaped, mid-tier smart speaker that was first released in 2020. The speaker supports both Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity, and since it is an Amazon product, it also features built-in support for Amazon Alexa as a voice assistant. It is one of the best speakers in its range for a strong bass output, and it also has an LED ring along its bottom edge that lights up to register a command through Alexa. On its top, there’s also a volume up and down button, as well as an Action and Mic off button. Like most highly rated Bluetooth speakers, the Echo Gen 4 can also be controlled through a companion app (the Alexa app) and configured to work as a speakerphone.

Consensus

our Verdict

Top-tier product testers lauded the Amazon Echo Gen 4 for its spherical design and user-friendly Amazon Alexa app. During their experiments, experts from Rtings could easily make both bass and treble adjustments and noted that it was possible to pair two Echo Gen 4 speakers for stereo output. They also stated that the Gen 4 looked quite similar to the Echo Dot Gen 4 and felt that its sound quality was satisfying for music and videos. Testers from PC Mag were also delighted with its bass levels. Check out our Amazon Echo Studio review if you’d be interested in a speaker that supports Audio and other sound formats.

However, testers complained that its lack of a battery made its portability a bit difficult since it had to be plugged in at all times. They also complained that it doesn’t get very loud and isn’t suitable for outdoor use.

ReasonS to Buy

  • Supports Bluetooth and WiFi
  • Deep bass levels
  • Supports Alexa voice assistant
  • Controlled through the Alexa app
  • Has a subwoofer

Reason to Avoid

  • No battery included
  • Poor portability
  • Low max volume

Amazon Echo Gen 4 Specs

Battery LifeBattery Life5 hrs
Built In MicrophoneBuilt In MicrophoneYes
Charge TimeCharge Time1 hrs 45 min
SizeSize5.30" (h) x 5.69" (w)
Smart AppSmart AppRing
Speaker PairingSpeaker Pairingn/a
Water ResistantWater Resistantn/a
WattageWattage15W
Wireless RangeWireless Range1000 sq ft

All Specs

Test Results

Battery Life (Hours)0
Volume Output (dB)0
Low End Roll Off (Hz)63.496
High End Roll Off (Hz)6,834.38

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    Product Comparison

    Amazon Echo Gen 4 Review

    True Score

    85
    82
    NR
    NR

    Ranking

    #

    4

    /

    109

    #

    35

    /

    109

    #

    /

    #

    /

    Market Context

    The Amazon Echo Gen 4 is a spherically shaped, mid-tier smart speaker that was first released in 2020. The speaker supports both Bluetooth and WiFi…

    The Amazon Echo Gen 4 is a spherically shaped, mid-tier smart speaker that was first released in 2020. The speaker supports both Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity, and since it is an Amazon product, it also features built-in support for Amazon Alexa as a voice assistant. It is one of the best speakers in its range for a strong bass output, and it also has an LED ring along its bottom edge that lights up to register a command through Alexa. On its top, there’s also a volume up and down button, as well as an Action and Mic off button. Like most highly rated Bluetooth speakers, the Echo Gen 4 can also be controlled through a companion app (the Alexa app) and configured to work as a speakerphone.

    The Amazon Echo Gen 4 features an AUX input while the JBL Flip 5 does not, and it also supports a WiFi connection while the…

    The Amazon Echo Gen 4 features an AUX input while the JBL Flip 5 does not, and it also supports a WiFi connection while the Flip 5 does not. On the flip side, the Flip 5 supports a remote smartphone connection while the Echo 4th Gen does not, and it can also be used wirelessly while the Amazon Echo cannot.

    The Amazon Echo Gen 4 is the fourth iteration of Amazon’s Echo line of Bluetooth Speakers, and it has a spherical design compared to the…

    The Amazon Echo Gen 4 is the fourth iteration of Amazon’s Echo line of Bluetooth Speakers, and it has a spherical design compared to the Amazon Echo Plus 2, which has a cylindrical shape. The Gen 4 also has a mute function that the Echo Plus 2 does not.

    The Amazon Echo Gen 4 also has three drivers while the Amazon Echo Gen 3 has only 2, but the Gen 3 has a subwoofer…

    The Amazon Echo Gen 4 also has three drivers while the Amazon Echo Gen 3 has only 2, but the Gen 3 has a subwoofer while the Gen 4 does not. However, the Gen 4 has a detachable cable while the Gen 3 does not, and it also features an AUX input that is missing on the Gen 3.

    Battery Life

    5 hrs

    12 hrs

    Built In Microphone

    Yes

    No

    Charge Time

    1 hrs 45 min

    2.5 hrs

    Size

    5.30" (h) x 5.69" (w)

    Smart App

    Ring

    JBL Portable

    Speaker Pairing

    n/a

    Yes

    Water Resistant

    n/a

    Yes

    Wattage

    15W

    20W

    Dig Deeper

    JBL Flip 5 Review →

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      Free Shipping

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      Free Shipping

    Score Card

    E

    Expert Score

    85

    *.75

    We place a 75% weighted value on Expert Test Scores

    C

    Customer Score

    94

    *.25

    We place a 25% weighted value on Customer Scores

    True Score

    85

    Any product with a True Score above 80 is a Absolutely Fresh

    Expert Scores

    • Rtings
      100.6

      Category Trust Rating

      66
      The Amazon Echo is passable for music. Out-of-the-box, its sound profile is a bit boomy,… Read More

      By:

      Alistair Charlton
    • Sound Guys
      81.17

      Category Trust Rating

      78
      The Amazon Echo (4th gen.) is a great smart speaker for the price as long… Read More

      By:

      David Nield
    • DXO Mark
      97

      Category Trust Rating

      68
      Amazon’s fourth generation Echo delivers a fairly good audio performance considering its size, with decent… Read More

      By:

      David Murphy
    • PC Mag
      43.6

      Category Trust Rating

      90
      The fourth-generation Amazon Echo speaker takes the sound quality and smart home hub capabilities of… Read More

      By:

      Erika Rawes
    • Tom’s Guide
      65.58

      Category Trust Rating

      90
      The Amazon Echo is the most well-rounded smart speaker, and I’m not just talking about… Read More

      By:

      Parker Hall
    • Trusted Reviews
      45.5

      Category Trust Rating

      100
      Although the same price as the old version, the Amazon Echo (4th Generation) gives you… Read More

      By:

      Adam Molina