There’s a lot more riding on Amazon’s latest batch of Echo hardware than usual. After all, these are the first devices arriving alongside Alexa+, the AI-powered revamp of the company’s signature voice assistant. And unlike the $220 Echo Studio, the new Echo Dot Max is a more affordable ($100) and compact entry point into using Alexa+. It’s also another example of how confusing Amazon’s hardware lineup can get: the older Echo Pop ($40) and Echo Dot ($50) are also getting Alexa+. The Echo Dot Max isn’t the cheapest Echo, nor is it the best-sounding speaker Amazon sells. So, where does it fit?
The best way to think about this new speaker is that it occupies the same spot in Amazon’s lineup as the venerable and discontinued device simply named “Echo.” For years, the Amazon Echo was the company’s main speaker, but it no longer sells one with that pleasantly concise name. The Echo Dot Max steps in at the same price point, though. And while my testing has shown that Alexa+ is a solid step forward, the Dot Max hardware itself isn’t as good as what it replaces.
Amazon 79 100 Expert Score Amazon Echo Dot Max The Echo Dot Max is a fine way to interact with Alexa+ and enjoy some tunes, but it doesn’t sound nearly as good as some of Amazon’s previous speakers. Pros Minimal and functional design
Alexa+ is a useful upgrade
Sound quality is better than the standard Echo Dot Cons Audio quality is not as good as the previous Echo speaker at this price
Front-facing buttons are sometimes awkward to use $100 at Amazon Explore More Buying Options $100 at Target$100 at Best Buy
Design
The Echo Dot Max feels immediately familiar if you’ve seen any of Amazon’s spherical smart speakers from the last five years or so, but there are numerous design changes here. The 2020 Echo and current Echo Dot have buttons on top for adjusting volume and muting the speaker’s microphone. Those buttons are now on a front-facing panel that is surrounded by the Echo’s signature light ring. While I liked how the light ring encircled the bottom of the Echo, it’s definitely easier to see in this new front-facing position and it’s particularly better at displaying the volume now. Overall, it’s a fairly refined and subtle device, which is exactly what you want from a smart speaker. I tested the graphite model, but you can also get it in white or a much bolder purple. I prefer the fully spherical, globe-like appearance of the Echo Dot, but there’s little to complain about here visually.
Amazon's Echo Dot Max speaker. (Nathan Ingraham for Engadget)
I do have some quibbles about the front-facing volume and mute buttons, though. The Echo Dot Max is simply so light that if I press the controls I’ll push the speaker around the shelf it’s on. This is easily solved by putting your hand around it and pressing the buttons with your thumb, but if you reach out to it with your index finger it probably won’t stay in place. I guess you’re supposed to primarily interact with the Echo Dot Max with your voice, but top-mounted buttons would’ve avoided this problem. I imagine this isn’t as much of a problem with the similarly-designed Echo Studio, simply because it’s much larger and three times heavier.
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