Most of the albums I sampled had a mix of 3D and stereo tracks.
That’s fine for most people-who can name a Red Rider hit other than “Lunatic Fringe,” for example-but no band’s hardcore fans will be satisfied with what’s available. The record labels have picked hit singles for remastering, but they’ve left lesser-known tracks untouched. I can tell you that you’ll find few entire albums encoded this way-apart from some recent releases from major artists. Amazon says it has “more than 50 million songs in High Definition (HD),” but it doesn’t disclose how many tracks are encoded in 3D. You’ll also want to know that the number of tracks encoded in either 3D format is limited. Michael Brown / IDGĪmazon delivers the Echo Studio with the trappings of a high-end device, including this cloth pouch that you’ll encounter on unboxing.īut before you jump on the 3D bandwagon, be aware that the only way to hear 3D audio with the Echo Studio today is with a subscription to Amazon Music HD, which costs $14.99 per month ($12.99 per month for Amazon Prime members).
Microphone with echo plus#
This review is part of TechHive’s coverage of the best smart speakers, where you’ll find reviews of competing products, plus a buyer’s guide to the features you should consider when shopping. Amazon achieves this in two ways: First, through the speaker’s hardware design (more on that in a bit) and second, by way of its support for the object-based audio formats Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio. The feature that sets the Echo Studio apart from not only most smart speakers but most powered speakers in general (soundbars excepted) is its support for 3D audio. Yes, it’s more expensive, but its slightly superior audio performance justifies the price bump.īut this review is about the Echo Studio, so let’s discuss its attributes.
Microphone with echo full#
It would be a fantastic speaker for the money even if it didn’t have a digital assistant (Alexa) and a smart home hub (Zigbee) onboard.īut what if you don’t have a house full of Amazon Echos? If you’re in the market for a high-fidelity smart speaker, and you’ve already settled on the Google Home ecosystem, stick with it and buy the Google Home Max. If you have a house full of Amazon Echos, and you’re looking for a smart speaker that delivers higher fidelity, the $200 Amazon Echo Studio is a no brainer.