It’s what Echo fans have wanted for a long time: better sound quality. Rivals have achieved this without resorting to a separate subwoofer, but are larger and more expensive. For example, the Google Home Max sounds great, but costs £399 and takes up more desk or shelf space than an Echo. The Sub will go on sale 11 October but it’s available to pre-order the moment it (re)appears on the website. The Sub costs £119.99 / US$129.99 if you buy it separately. There’s but one colour: black. But if you don’t have have compatible Echos, or this is your first foray into Echo and Alexa, a bundle deal including two second-gen Echos and the Sub costs £239.99 / US$239.99. That’s £60 less than if you bought them all separately. There’s also a new Echo Plus, and you can buy a Sub bundle with a pair of these for £299.99 / US$329.99.
6in wooferWorks with 2018 Echo Plus and second-gen EchoDoesn’t work with Echo Dot
The Sub offers 100W of room-shaking bass from a down-firing 6in woofer. It must be paired with a second-gen Echo or Echo Plus, a simple process that’s done wirelessly via the Alexa app. Sadly, it doesn’t work with earlier Echos, including the first-gen Echo, Echo Plus and Echo Dot. Nor is it compatible with the Echo Spot or Show or the new Echo Dot 3.. Stereo pairs are a great new feature for the Echo. Apple recently introduced this for the HomePod and now Echo owners will be able to do the same. Adding an Echo Sub and two compatible Echos means you can have a 2.1 setup. To be clear, you don’t need two Echos: the Sub works with just one Echo as well. The Sub is 202mm tall and has a diameter of 210mm, so it should fit comfortably in just about any room. Jim has been testing and reviewing products for over 20 years. His main beats include VPN services and antivirus. He also covers smart home tech, mesh Wi-Fi and electric bikes.
