Knowing that you want an Amazon Echo is easy. They are an incredible product that has truly taken the world by storm over the last few years.
Knowing which Amazon Echo product to get is an entirely different matter. Different options are ultimately going to suit different budgets and lifestyles.
Because of all of the choices that they now have it can be hard to choose.
And of course, their product line is ever expanding, which can make the matter of choosing even harder.
Today we are going to do you a favor and take a comparative look at two of their hottest products. Read on for a review of the Amazon Echo Sub versus Echo Plus bundle.
Our Recommendation
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For those that like spoilers, we can tell you that we do favor one of these options over the other. Though both offerings are good, the Echo Plus (2018) comes out a little bit on top.
Why? You get everything that you need to enjoy the Alexa experience right out of the box. The sub woofer is a good product, but it is also an accompaniment, which means that you already need an Echo to use it.
Still, if you do already have an Echo, it may well be worth the investment.
Of course, these are just our thoughts on the matter. You can form your own opinion as we now dive into the review.
Echo Sub 2018 – Powerful subwoofer for your Echo
First up we will look at the Echo Sub—a powerful speaker that is sure to enhance your listening experience. Let’s dive into the features of this impressive product to give you a better idea of what we are talking about here.
All About That Bass
Like any sub-woofer, the Echo Sub is all about that bass. The objective here, as you might imagine, is to add lots of depth of bass to the sound output of your Amazon Echo products.
This woofer is able to deliver 100w of powerful bass that will serve to enrich your listening experience on all of your favorite songs.
Many Echo users complain that certain music lacks richness on the Echo. The Echo Sub more than makes up for that issue.
Pairs With Single Echo
So, by extension of our last point, it follows logically that the Echo Sub can pair easily with any Echo product. This is not a traditional Echo unit that will feature Skills, and Alexa. This unit is meant only to enhance the capabilities of the Echo that you already have.
If you have a single Alexa, you can easily pair it with this speaker for an enhanced listening experience.
Pairs With Two Echoes
The nice thing is that if you have a couple of Echoes, the product will work all the better. The Echo Sub can also pair with multiple units to create an even richer, more comprehensive sound experience that will engulf your entire room.
The bundle option for the Echo Sub actually comes with two Echoes, which means that you can take full advantage of the Sub right of the bat.
The only real issue with this speaker is the matter of value. For the price, you could purchase just about any of the Echo’s flagship products. You could even buy several dots.
Even the Echo Sub came with the full range of Alexa functions, this would not be such a big deal. However, since this product is just a speaker that is meant to enhance the range of another speaker, there are value concerns to keep in mind.
Still, if you are willing to spend the money, it is a great buy.
Echo Plus (2nd Gen) – Premium sound with built-in smart home hub
Next we have the Echo Plus bundle. This unique package comes not just with a high end Echo product, but also with a smart lightbulb.
That’s right, we live in an era of intelligent lightbulbs now. Let’s take a look at this bundle to see if it is right for your needs.
The Phillips Hue Bulb
Let’s start by addressing the bundle component of this deal, shall we? Needless to say, the Phillips Hue Bulb is not a standard part of every Echo purchase. That is actually a shame though, because the products do pair very well together.
The lightbulb, on the surface, is just like any other similar product. It’s a lightbulb. Turn the lamp on and it illuminates the room. Simple, right?
But with this product there is a twist. Being a smart lightbulb, it is able to communicate with your Echo. That means that once you sync these two products up, you can control the lightbulb settings with your voice.
It’s a nice feature to have if you want to feel like one of the Jetsons.
The nice thing here is that the inclusion of the lightbulb doesn’t really ramp up the cost of the product. You are paying almost exactly what you would ordinarily pay for an Echo—you just get a nice little bonus product in the process.
Smart Home
Our last point plays into this next feature to keep in mind. Moving on from the lightbulb and to the Echo, it is important to keep in mind that turning off lamps is not all that the Echo can do.
This speaker really does serve as a gateway product into the world of smart homes. Of course, all of the other smart products do need to be bought separately. However, if you do have some smart products, you will quickly find that most of them are compatible with the Echo.
Because of this, you can use the Echo to do anything from dim the lights in your home, to locking your front door.
Alexa isn’t quite the robot butler that you fantasize about every time you watch a Sci-Fi film, but actually it is getting pretty close. And, of course, the range of smart home functions that the Echo can facilitate is constantly growing.
It’s a Good Speaker
And of course, we can’t forget the general purpose of a speaker. The Echo can also connect you with virtually all of your favorite audio content. From listening to the radio, to playing your favorite songs, podcasts, and audio-books, there is very little in way of audio content that the Echo can’t access.
Of course, paid subscriptions do broaden the access to audio content. For example, if you have an Audible account, you can enjoy loads of audiobooks. If you have an
Amazon Prime membership, you will get endless access to music.
Still, even without those things, there is lots that the Echo Plus can do.
How Echo Plus and Sub are Similar
The similarities between these bundles begin and end with the Echo products that they come with. Even in those cases, the speakers are not exactly the same. The Echo Plus features a slightly different appearance than the two Echoes that you get with the Subwoofer bundle.
However, these products will be able to perform the same functions. If you just want access to Alexa, you are going to get that with either option.
Both options are going to connect you with your favorite music and audio content, and perform a wide range of smart home functions.
What is the Difference between Echo Plus and Echo Sub?
Naturally, the differences are what really inform a buying decision, right? That in mind, we will now take a look at all of the ways in which these two bundles differ.
Sound: The Subwoofer package clearly wins out in the department of sound. As mentioned earlier, a common complain about Echo products is that they often are a little lacking in the sound department when it comes to listening to loud music.
If you use your Echo to mostly listen to NPR that isn’t really going to be a concern. However, if you like rock or hip-hop music, you will probably appreciate the enhanced
sound that you get from the subwoofer.
Price: As you might guess, the subwoofer bundle also costs a good deal more than the Echo Plus Bundle. If you are hoping to get a subwoofer and two Echoes, it is actually a really good deal.
However, if you are looking for a more modest set up, the sticker price is probably going to be too much for you.
The Echo Plus bundle is just about the same price as a regular Echo, which makes it much more enticing in the price department.
Smart Home Optimization: In terms of smart home optimization, a lightbulb is admittedly about as basic as it gets. Certainly, there is no denying the fact that there are smart products out there that are a little bit cooler than a lightbulb.
Still, if you are hoping to use your Echo as a hub (so to speak) for your smart home, but you haven’t accumulated a collection of smart devices yet, it is nice that the Echo Plus comes with one.
For as basic as a lightbulb is, there is still something exciting about having the opportunity to activate one with the power of your voice.
Size: The Echo Sub is substantially bulkier than the Echo. While you probably will not have trouble making room for it on a counter top, or table, the fact does remain that the dimensions are not quite as sleek as that of most Echo products.
For most shoppers, this difference will be negligible. However, if you are the type of person that needs all of the extra space that they can get, the bulk of the Sub could be a little burdensome. This is especially true when you factor in that it has to be used with a traditional Echo, thus taking up more space.
A Match Made in Heaven: The Echo Sub as an isolated product is the perfect match for the Echo Plus. The truth of the matter is that they are not competitive products in the same release line: they are complementary units that exist to enhance one another’s functions.
Whether you decide to bundle the Echo Sub, or simply buy the Sub and the Plus separately, the fact of the matter is that many shoppers will benefit from buying both of these products.
The Echo Plus is smart, and incredibly versatile. The depth of its skills increases literally daily, and the company is constantly revamping its software so that it can do newer and better things.
The Echo Sub is just a subwoofer. They have existed for many years, and with good reason. They make speakers sound better.
The Echo product line has always been incredibly smart and clever. The inclusion of a subwoofer just brings out the best qualities of the Echo’s most basic purpose: serving as a speaker.
Echo Sub Bundle with 2 Echo Plus: Have all the Best in a System
It is also worth mention that the Echo Sub can be bundled with other Echo products should you find yourself wanting to do that.
If you want to enjoy a more comprehensive sound experience right of the bat, you can enjoy your Echoes to the fullest by investing in the Echo Sub Bundle.
With this bundle, you enjoy two charcoal Echoes, and the sub-woofer. Let’s quickly look at the benefit of this bundle as well.
Value
Despite being the most expensive product that we will see today, there is actually a lot of value to this bundle. Buying two Echoes and a Sub separately would cost substantially more than you end up paying. If this is the sort of setup that you are looking for, this is a good way to get it.
Alexa
In going with the Sub bundle you get access to the full range of features that Alexa is capable of. We will go over some of the things that you can do with an Alexa empowered Echo a little bit later on, but suffice it to say the product is versatile.
Better Sound
And of course, you also get the upgraded sound component of the Sub. If you want you speakers to be not only smart, but also bopping, you can have both with this deal.
Finaly Comparison
As you can see, Amazon makes choosing from the line of Echo products tough. The good news is that the products we have seen today are different enough to make the decision a little bit simpler. Do you already have an Echo?
If so, the Echo Sub is going to enhance your experience significantly.
On the other hand, buyers looking to purchase their first Echo are going to want to go with the Echo Plus bundle. This is simply for the fact that the sub-woofer needs to be able to hook up to an Echo in order to be effective.
And of course, big spenders can always bundle the Sub with a couple of Echoes.
Now that you have a comprehensive overview of these products, you can make your own informed buying decision.
