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Echo Dot (3rd Gen) with LED clock – Full review

The Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Generation) With Clock is, for the most part, exactly the same as the Echo Dot (3rd Generation). As its name suggests, there’s one big difference here – the digital clock display on the front-facing part of the device. The variant with the clock is available in only a single colour – white – and has an LED display that shows classic digital numbers.

Once set up, the device will display the time, and can also be used to show the outdoor temperature, timer status, and the volume level as it’s being adjusted. This changes contextually depending on how you interact with the device; for example, if you ask Alexa to set a timer, the display will show the timer counting down.

The brightness of the display can be adjusted through the Alexa app on your smartphone, but it can also be set to adjust itself automatically based on ambient light. The display doesn’t do a lot, but it does make the device more useful if placed at your bedside, even when not actively being used as a speaker or for voice commands. It is priced at Rs. 1,000 more than the variant without the clock, but we feel that the additional features provided by the display are completely worth it.

Like the Echo Dot (3rd Generation), the Echo Dot With Clock has a single 1.6-inch full range speaker driver, and has the same familiar four-button top panel and light ring. If you use the Echo Dot With Clock as your bedside alarm clock, a tap on the top will snooze alarms, while switching them off needs a press of the action button.

 

Features

  • Size: 3.9” x 3.9” x 1.7” (99 mm x 99 mm x 43 mm)
  • Weight: 499g
  • Wi-Fi Connectivity: Dual-band Wi-Fi supports 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 and 5 GHz) networks.
  • Bluetooth Connectivity: Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) support for audio streaming from your mobile device to Echo Dot or from Echo Dot to your Bluetooth speaker.
  • Audio: Built-in speaker for voice feedback when not connected to external speakers. 3.5 mm stereo audio output for use with external speakers (audio cable not included).

Echo Dot vs. Echo Dot with LED

When compared with the previous-generation Echo devices, the Echo (3rd Generation) is a significant step up in terms of audio capabilities. It’s larger, has a dedicated woofer and tweeter, and is capable of getting much louder. However, this isn’t a new sound experience by any means, and we found that audio quality was largely on par with what we’ve already experienced on the Echo Plus (2nd Generation).

The speaker can get quite loud, largely driven by the big woofer, which translates into a punchy, aggressive sound with strong bass. It’s more than adequate for even a large room, and sound quality is decent enough for casual listening. We listened to music using streaming content as well as a Bluetooth-connected smartphone, and we found the sound quality to be adequate in both cases.

Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Generation) With Clock performance

The sound of the Echo Dot (3rd Generation) With Clock is exactly the same as that of the variant without the clock. It’s naturally a lot softer than the larger Echo (3rd Generation), working well for small rooms, or if you’re within a short distance of the speaker itself. That said, it is particularly loud for a device of its size, and works well for personal listening when it comes to volume.

The quality is comparable to what you’d hear on a small wireless speaker such as the Sony SRS-XB12. We did find our music feeling dull at times, and there wasn’t much detail to be heard. However, given that this is an Alexa-powered smart speaker with the voice assistant’s full capabilities, we found the sound quality to be acceptable for what’s on offer, although it’s important to remember that this device doesn’t have a battery and therefore lacks the portability offered by competing options.

The device was easily able to pick up voice commands when we were close to it, but moving even about 10 feet away from the Echo Dot reduced our chances of getting a response from the device.

Technical Details

How To Setup?

Verdict

Although technically new products, the Amazon Echo (3rd Generation) and Echo Dot (3rd Generation) With Clock aren’t radically different from what has been available for some time now. The larger Echo has the same capabilities as the Echo Plus (sans the home automation hub) at a lower price, while the smaller device adds a digital clock on the front. The Echo (3rd Generation) does, of course, sound better than the Echo Show 5, if sound quality is a higher priority to you.

The more affordable Echo Dot With Clock is, in our opinion, definitely worth buying over the regular Echo Dot (3rd Generation). We found the clock to be very useful, and is definitely worth the additional Rs. 1,000. While they still aren’t the best sounding speakers in their respective price ranges, these new Echo devices remain among the most versatile thanks to the ever-expanding capabilities of Alexa.

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