Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Echo Input – Bring Alexa to your own speaker- Black

Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2019

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Until recently, the price for this unit cost more than just a regular echo even though it has a simpler light display on top (single dot rather than the animated ring of lights) and no speaker. It didn't make sense that you wouldn't just buy the cheaper option with the speaker that also output audio since if you ever wanted to disconnect it from the speaker you could and use it separately. So when they dropped the price of this, I bought two. I have an old Philips speaker that I bought to do Airplay but it regularly loses its internet connection and has to be manually re-setup, so it was heading toward the trash heap even though the speaker is great quality. Now that the speaker is connected to the echo input, it has a brand new life! And it's now much more feature rich. It not only now responds to voice commands, but using the multi room audio, it becomes part of a synchronized music experience where all the speakers in my house are putting out the same song. I have the other echo input connected to my TV's sound bar so I just change the input over to the echo and can listen to audiobooks or multi-room music on a really nice system and have all of my speakers playing together. If you have a "dumb" but high-quality speaker laying around, this will make it smart. Love it!

Note: I do agree with some of the negative reviews about the low audio output levels. With the dedicated speaker of mine that has no other input (in the video), it's fine since I just crank the volume up, leave it and it's great. But with the one connected to the TV soundbar, switching from the Echo Input back to TV means you need to drop the volume from 75% to 25% or you'll wake everyone in your neighborhood up. I do wish there were controls for the default output levels or just default them much higher. Other people also commented on it not supporting 'drop-in' or that they had issues with Bluetooth losing connection, both of which don't apply to me so my review doesn't cover that. If you're not going to drop-in on this device or have it connected via bluetooth, then those issues can be ignored. Having any of the Echo devices connected via Bluetooth rather than wired connection means multi-room music doesn't work because bluetooth audio has a slight delay which makes it sound terrible when you also have a bunch of devices without the delay.

Update: you can now adjust the volume by voice command and it will remember it. I did have issues when they first rolled that update out where it defaulted the sound level to 0 and I had to figure out to give a command to increase the volume level even though that feature wasn't there before.

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RKE17

Echo Input works great for casting my music

Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2019

Verified Purchase

I'm just adding this before my copied review for the Pyle PFA300 that I paired this Echo Input with.

I don't plan on ever using the voice feature on this Echo Input and I've muted the mic immediately once turned on since I have an Echo about 5 feet away and I guess I could have just ran a long 3.5mm cord from the Echo but I wanted a clean look. I just needed the Echo Input so I could cast music from the Amazon Music Unlimited app on my phone to the Pyle receiver to then play the music in three separate rooms in my house with my in ceiling speakers. Luckily the Input was on sale for $9.99 or else I would have bought a Dot so this saved me $15! Thanks Amazon!

Pyle PFA300 review:

I've been going back and forth between this little guy and one of the bigger Pyle amps. I just need to get a signal to my built in ceiling speakers that are circa 2009 when my house was built so that means speaker wire connection. However I needed a way to get the music into the Pyle and I looked at a Chromecast but those are $35 and I use Amazon Echoes and Dots throughout my house so I wanted to stay with Amazon but didn't want to buy one more $25 Dot. Luckily I came across the Echo Input on sale for $9.99. Ordered everything and luckily everything showed up on the same day. Set up the Echo Input and connected the speaker wires to the back of the Pyle PFA300, plugged in the 3.5mm jack (that came with the Echo Input - score!) from the Echo Input to the Pyle and powered it on. I then turned on a song in Amazon Music Unlimited app, connected the Echo Input as the device to play music on in the app and nothing...no sound through my speakers. Go to the wall and turn the volume all the way up and I finally hear the music but it sounds like the volume is only a quarter of the way up. I immediately start thinking I should have bought a receiver with more power etc...but before I take it all apart and return it, I check the Alexa app on my phone and look at the Echo Input and see there is a volume control slide feature and it's at 10% for some reason. I cranked it up to 100% and the speakers get so loud it is now garbled, but hey it works. I turned the volume in the app down to 85%, my wall volume to 50% and it's at a perfect normal listening volume and if I turn the wall controller volume up all tge way it's nice and loud but with no distortion! Now I have no idea what kind of in ceiling speakers I have, but the music has nice highs a little bit of bass and it sounds great to me and the patio speakers work and so do the ones in the Master bedroom so I am a happy camper, thank you Pyle for not making me spend $50 to $300 on some needlessly expensive equipment for what I needed.

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Rich S.

WAKE UP AMAZON!!

Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2019

Verified Purchase

Amazon does it again.

Discontinued? Probably, and the failure is caused by Amazons programmers and marketing teams.
If they had advertised this feature earlier they would have sold a lot more.
I have 3 with an Auto and a Gen 3 Dot still in the boxes.

It's a BT receiver from any host device (think phone, tablet, TV or PC), listens to streaming services and talks to Alexa all at the same time. That's a lot of bang for the buck.

For most people the Dot 3 on sale is is a better choice since it can initiate communications where the Input can't.

No fancy lights, no built in speaker, very small and uses very little power.
At $15 a steal and can be used in your car instead of the Auto (great hardware crippled by privacy invading requirements, HORRIBLE firmware, audio routing problems and needing to have the Queen of bloatware Alexa app active at all times.

A well thought out physical design including mounting to a magnetic base as it has a steel disc in the bottom.
Since my CX-5 has the AUX input in the front of the center console with a USB power jack one Input sits there with the phone mounted on the air vent in front below the radio/ NAV system.

The second sits under a 75" Samsung TV driving a Lexicon pre amp -> Adcom 535/555 -> VMPS Tower II SEs
and a Geek Pulse DAC / Headphone amp next to it feeding Focus headphones and another input on the Lexicon if better quality is wanted.

The third is under the computer monitor in my bedroom / office suite where I use the BT in to play music from my phone or tablet. That has a SMSL Q5 (being upgraded to a NOBsound 60 w/ch continuous amp with a sub out and BT 5.0 Apt-X,) driving Acoustech PL-980 speakers. with a VMPS Very Large subwoofer powered by a Dayton 1000 Watt rack mount app.

There is a slight hiss when listening to any piece of music that has a quiet transitional stage such as orchestral or opera. You can also hear the hiss snap in as soon as the audio output activates when asking Alexa a question.

Better with a different power adapter though it may be an impedance mismatch or firmware problem.
I was told the Input uses the same firmware as the Gen 3 Dot so maybe it will be fixed someday.

I bought a HD BlueTooth audio transceiver with 3.5mm analog and Toslink optical ins and outs for $20 that sounds better, and drives my earphones without an amp, but with the Input I get a lot of other benefits including control of other electronics using Amazon or IFTTT and the audio quality is acceptable for casual listening.

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Richard H.

Much better than expected. What a deal.

Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2019

Verified Purchase

I've read the reviews about the original pricing of the Echo Input versus the cost of a Dot. With the current (7-5-19) sale price of the Echo Input at $15, that's no longer an issue.
We have seven Echo gen 1's, two Echo gen 2's, and six Dot 2's. I was using two of the Dots as sources for a home stereo system, and a Rock Ola CD jukebox. (When the CD's stop playing, it reverts back to whatever is plugged into the AUX input.) So I really don't even need the speakers in the Dot's as they are by-passed when the 3.5 mm output plug is utilized. I've replaced the two Dots with two Echo Inputs and now have two freed up Dot's for other locations if needed.
And the Echo Inputs work great. Exact replacements for the Dots, in my case. Even use the same power supplies and 3.5 mm plugs as the Dots.
I've read complaints that the Echo Inputs have a lower audio output than the Dots. Doesn't seem to be the case in my set-ups. May even be slightly stronger in the current ECHO Input versions. Had to run the Dots wide open to get a comparable signal to other audio sources. I can lower the Echo Input's volume to achieve the same output as other sources. Not an issue for me.
The remote. Some people have said the remote control (currently $9 at WOOT) will not pair up with the Echo Inputs. Not true. It wasn't easy since both of my remotes were paired with other Dots. But once I figured out I had to use the Alexa App and told those other Dots to "Forget" the paired remote, that remote then would then pair with the selected Echo Input. Took a while in the beginning, but it will work successfully. Note: Each remote had to "update" itself for five minutes before it would work. (It'll tell you it is going to update. You don't have to do it yourself.) Don't get impatient (like me) and rush the update.

So over all I'm very happy with the Echo Input. Both Inputs have run several hours since their installations without a hiccup. I purchased a third Echo Input to use with an older Bose speaker system I rarely use, thus extending it's lifetime.
And if you are concerned that there are only four microphones in the Echo Input as opposed to the Echo's or Dot's six microphones, trust me. The Echo Inputs will "hear" you VERY well.
One note to Amazon: How about giving us a couple more "Wake Words" than just the four? I use "ALEXA" for all the Echo's and Dots. "ECHO" for the two Amazon Wall Clocks (to reduce confusion), and "COMPUTER" for the Echo Inputs and the Cube. "AMAZON" isn't viable for me as I seem to say that word fifty times a day. Guess I'll have to use it for the Bose setup since it's in the same room as ALEXA, ECHO, and COMPUTER wake words. Help ?
Functionally these Echo Inputs work as described/desired. If you are NOT using the speaker in your Dot, using the Dot simply as a source for some other sound system (or amplified speaker), try the Echo Input and free up those Dots for use elsewhere. The Echo Inputs work perfectly for me. Give them a try. Good luck, RIC

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Mrs. T

What a way to create an interactive speaker/Alexa device from one you already have at home!

Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2019

Verified Purchase

I love that the echo input is small...about the size of my palm. I bought one in black because I knew I would have it up above a cabinet and I wanted it to be discreet - which it is! And even though it is up and off to the corner, Alexa hears us well and follows almost all commands the first time.

I bought it primarily to play our music handsfree...and what I love...love...is that I linked all my other devices so the music plays throughout the house!!

So..small, simple, saved money...uses a speaker I already had...and works well!
I connected it via blue tooth to the speaker. and used the speaker charging USB to keep the Echo Input powered. The USB charging option for the Echo Input is key because I only have the speaker charger cord to place discreetly (rather than have one for the Input and speaker power).
I also use Apple Music on my Alexa app.
Need: Speaker with aux or blue tooth.
Comes with USB charger (my speaker had a USB charging port so make everything portable)
Smart phone with the Alexa app

Downside: I tried to use the aux cord, but it seems like that just gave feedback into the speaker. The sound sounded staticky and hollow...not sure wise.

Totally reccomend for use with current speakeres.

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Nate

The entire Echo system has changed for the worst...

Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2019

Verified Purchase

I changed my review from 5 stars to 1 star because of a software update that now forces me to specify which light, power strip, and/or other devices I want to turn on/off. All of my rooms, lights, power strips, etc... are in various groups for a reason. Each light, outlet, and other devices have a unique name (IE: The upstairs hallway lights are named UH-Light, UH-Light2, and UH-Light 3, my smart power strip has unique ports like TV, Monitors, etc..).

YESTERDAY (9/18/2019) I was able to walk into a room and say "Alexa, turn the light on" (in my home office for example) and it turns the light on, Today (9/19/2019) I'm sitting in my home office and I say "Alexa turn the light off" and I get the response "There are multiple devices that share that name, which one do you want".

The master bedroom - Setup with only lights (MBR-light, or something like that so I can identify it later when adding other stuff), the wife used to say "Alexa, turn the light off" because that's what she has always said before going to sleep. Today she can't do that because of Amazon's development team.

So I say "Alexa turn the office light off" and it turns the ENTIRE OFFICE GROUP OFF. So now I have to go to the app to turn the light off.

I reached out to Amazon customer support who tells me I have to be specific when asking the echo to turn the light off as in "Alexa, turn the office light off/on" and that it has always been this way. When I tried to tell them that yesterday I was able to say "Turn the light off" they said it wasn't possible and I have always had to be specific.

I set up groups for a reason, that being I can go into a room, say "Alexa, turn the light on" without having to remember each light bulb name or what I named the room/group. Yes, I know what the group names are, I don't expect everyone in my house to remember the group names.

There was a software/firmware update overnight that broke all of my Echo's and Amazon's customer support will not acknowledge it.

I will not recommend this device to anyone else until they put it back to the way it was.

I gave this one 3/5 stars because the sound quality is much better when adding a BOSE system.

Update 12/15/2019 - So they fixed the "Alexa, turn the light off" for a few days, then it was broken again... Now they've changed the APP so it's more difficult to find the voice responses to give feedback. I tried saying "Alexa, turn the light off" got the same response as before "There are multiple devices with the name light, which one did you want" If I say "Alexa, turn the office light off" it still turns EVERYTHING IN THE OFFICE GROUP OFF" but Amazon customer support can't seem to get it when I explain that it shouldn't do that. So, like the APP says, I tried saying "Alexa, turn the lights off" it responds with "Sorry, what device" but I can't say "Alexa, turn the office lights off" because it will turn all of the plugs off too, so now Alexa has no voice control over lights if there is anything else in the room.

I feel as if I have wasted hundreds of dollars setting this system up for Amazon to come along and ruin it all...

Amazon, you should fire your developers and hire people who will do it correctly.

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Daniela Lathey

You should get this while you have the chance it is a very good product and it works well too.

Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2019

Verified Purchase

I love my echo and put I do not mind the price tag of $19.99 it was a perfect price point for me to buy. I like it a lot because it’s simple and easy to start up with the Alexa app for android or Apple. I also like the functionality of Alexa over Google or Siri to. I’ll like the price point at $19 because the Echo Dot third generation was a little bit too hard for me to purchase it might be a better speaker but if you connect it with Bluetooth or the added cable to your own speakers at home it’s only going to sound as good as your speakers. So the echo input would be a good choice for some people if you have fantastic speakers that have that added jack or is compatible with Alexa. I also think for some people that cannot afford the Echo Dot it is a good value but the people that can afford the Echo Dot and don’t have good speakers yeah make the extra purchase to get the Echo Dot three. Overall everything you can do with the Echo Dot three you can do with the Echo import as well so it would be up to you to make the decision. But I would have a persuading voice I would get this one instead and save the money and just have a good speaker to hook up into that either works with very easy or has the jack for the wire to go into to use it. Thank you for reading this post echo import as well so it would be up to you to make the decision. But if I would have a persuading voice I would get this one instead and save the money and just have a good speaker to hook up into that it either works with very easy or has the Jack for the wire to go into to use it. Thank you for reading this post gg

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LW

New to Alexa. The 3rd Gen Dot pulled me in. The Input and Auto pushing me away.

Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2019

Verified Purchase

One of the main reasons I got the Inputs was they are USB powered. I can plug it into the devices USB ports and only have it on when I'm using those devices. With the Input I go through all the problems listed below (minus #1 Setup) if I turn the Input off. If you leave them all 24/7 it may do away with these problems eventually, until you turn it off.

- Couldn't get through set up through Galaxy S8, had to use old S4, lucky I still had it. Had to do that for both of them so not a fluke. S8 just showed progress circles for 10 minutes after connected to Input's Wifi. Should have been instant. Tried it for over half an hour on the first one.

- Volume control - Alexa, what is the volume: I'm sorry I can't get information on volume right now. - Or - after it's on for a little while: This device is at volume 0. It shows 0 in the app too, but it's really at 5. If you change volume through the Input, it doesn't show it on the app. You have to close the app and go back in, then it shows the correct volume. Until you change it again.

- Input can't hear me at first. I was standing right next to it yelling Alexa and nothing. Turn off power, then on, then it hears. But not very good. Gets most of my commands wrong. Can't hear from places the Dot can unless you yell very loud (Dot heard it at almost a whisper). This is off and on.

- Skills like Iheart, Pandora, Pocket Casts don't play at first, it takes many tries. It tries to load the channel, but then it says it's having trouble playing that channel right now or something like that. Try it on Dot, works fine. Try again on Input, can't play, can't play, then plays. Varies on how many times you have to try. It's connecting to skill fine, just work until you try it a few times.

- Output volume level low. This is the strangest of them. Some things it plays louder, other things softer, all from the same source. I actually heard the volume going louder and softer on one song yesterday. I thought my wife was playing a joke on me and turning the amp up and down until I checked.

- Volume level of sound from Bluetooth streaming from Phone. This is also maddening. If I use the Input as a Bluetooth receiver and stream from my phone, I have to turn up the Volume Level of the Input to 9 or 10 to hear it at a below normal level, which I can barely hear if there's other sounds . The phone bluetooth volume will be at it's loudest. What's even worse is that if I turn off the bluetooth and tell it to play anything from Alexa, it blasts the sound if I don't remember to tell it to turn down volume first. With my other BT speakers and headphones and the Dot, I can only play it around mid volume since it's very loud. Volume level 5 on the Dot would be very loud, a lot louder than the Input on level 10.

- Alexa responses sometimes start to not lower the music when responding. Just starts randomly. She'll start out working fine, lowering the volume of whatever I'm listening to when I'm conversing with her. Then randomly will not. The music or talk will drown out whatever she's saying. I have to turn off power, then on again and then she usually goes back to lowering the volume, but then I have all the above to deal with again.

As of writing this, I've had the Input for less than 24 hours and have had all these problems that the Dot didn't. I thought these would be the same as the Dot, working wise I mean, just without a speaker. I have no idea why the Dot can play all the stuff and know it's volume level even after being turned off and the Input can't.

I also bought a Echo Auto when it became available and got that on sale also. I bought it for a non-smart car and it should be perfect for it, just like the Input should be for a few of my needs, but both are just not working right and are more trouble than they're worth. I was going to keep the Auto hoping maybe some updates would make it usable, but seeing as I'm going to be returning these worthless Inputs, I'll add that to the package. I have a 5 year old Bluetooth / FM Transmitter I've been using that does more than Alexa Auto, and actually works, but without the Skills and Amazon music of course, which is the downside.

I'm thinking about trying out Google Home to see how that works before investing too much more in Alexa, but will keep the Dots since they're awesome. The inputs and Auto made me a little leery about the other devices. If I tried these first before knowing that the Dots work, I would have given up on Alexa all together.

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Ralph D.

Music in the shower!!!🤪 MUSIC EVERYWHERE!!!

Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2020

Verified Purchase

The ECHO INSERT, is a dream come true. I added it to my ALEXA... Then paired it to my PYLE flush mount speakers. You can wake Alexa in the shower, change music, lower and raise the volume from the shower and unpaired, if you want, me I leave it paired so it's just like speaking to an Echo Dot.
Thee only downside is... you can't DROP IN in the bathroom. ( But then again would you really want too?🤪 Because of the ECHO INSERT, I now have everywhere home music. Including the bathroom. Means that I can listen to the same music everywhere at the same time. Thanks AMAZON!!!😅
P.S. I just read that an ECHO DOT would be better, hmmm... 1st when you use the ECHO DOT paired to your speakers, you can't hear anything on it when paired to your speakers.2. My flush mount are in the bathroom, so I can wake the Dot, raise the music and change it from my shower, without getting out and go to my room where it's paired, it's a waste if you can't use them both on a whole house music party time. 3. I can have different music ( from the same provider) in each and every room. So the ECHO INSERT, changed my PYLE 4" flush mount speakers into an echo dot ( bought at AMAZON). 4. You don't use your phone to listen to your bluetooth speaker or speakers ( like I have... in my bathroom), so you save the battery on your phone, because if you've done it that way, you use alot of battery for your music. So you have to be charging your phone, while you listen to your speaker. AHAHAHA!!!🤪
5. You can't walk away with your phone, because the connection breaks. I can go to the store while my music is playing in each and every room, different music if I want, be gone all day, guess what... you got it music everywhere, when I get home.😅
So if you're wondering if I go musicless while gone I have music on an offline, so I can listen to any music at home playing through my ECHO AUTO at the same time. So like I said, " MUSIC EVERYWHERE "!!!
AHAHAHA!!!🤪🤪🤪 so if you want to use an Echo Dot in your vehicle, it's a waste of speaker, use the ECHO AUTO.😅😅😅
... so in between reading reviews and editing this one guess what... you got it, used the ECHO INSERT, nope not for music, it was 4:30ish in the morning here. I used it to turn on the light in my shower, I have the shower light connected to a AMAZON SMART PLUG, I asked ALEXA to turn on the shower, and the light came on. No remote control because the SMART PLUG is front of the electrical cord, paired with ( you got it) my ALEXA, so I can control any Item (BOUGHT AT AMAZON) in my car, or home with the ALEXA APP.
Have a nice day... I will!🤪
P.S.S. I think? The AUTO ECHO is perfect... I listened to the music TOO loud, so ALEXA couldn't hear me when I asked her to change the music. 😉🤟

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Avinesh Kumar

Lovely product

Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2024

Verified Purchase

Love this product and have been using it for a while.

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