Want to use an Amazon Echo for its Alexa Voice Service features, but find the audio from the speaker underwhelming? Now you can pair an Echo with a Bluetooth speaker or Bluetooth headphones.
That’s a feature that had previously only been available for the smaller, cheaper Amazon Echo Dot. But Pocket Lint notes that Bluetooth speaker support is rolling out in a software update for the original Echo.
Amazon notes that any speakers that support A2DP should work, although you can also check out a list of certified products if you want to buy something that’s pretty much guaranteed to work.
Amazon recommends you place a speaker at least three feet away from an Echo device so the audio from the speaker doesn’t interfere with the Echo’s ability to recognize voice commands. Then you can follow Amazon’s instructions for pairing the Echo with a speaker to get started.
Once everything is set up, you should be able to speak to the Echo while listening to music or other audio from the speaker. You can also adjust the volume of the speaker using voice commands (or using the physical volume controls on the Echo or your speaker).
First off, the speaker in the Echo is as good as, if not better, than most of the sub $50 bluetooth speakers that are out there. That’s just my opinion, your’s might be different.
Second, while the bluetooth speakers do sync fine to both the Dot and the Echo for playing audio, you might be disappointed to learn the microphone in the bluetooth speaker does not work for issuing commands. So if I am in the backyard streaming music from my Dot to my bluetooth speaker, the only way to issue commands of any kind is to walk back into the house where the Dot can hear me. It would be SO cool if the Dot would use the microphone that is built into most built into most bluetooth speakers.