The Amazon Echo 4th Generation is a spherical smart speaker with a built-in Zigbee, Matter, and Thread hub, 3-inch woofer audio, and the most comprehensive Alexa smart home control of any Echo device. Available on Amazon.ca (ASIN B07XKF5RM3) at around $129 CAD.
5 mentions · 3 threadslast mention Nov 2021
Real comments from Reddit, linked to the original thread. Nothing paraphrased.
I have 1 echo but I have 2 Spotify users in the house, and likewise two Amazon accounts. To switch account we say "switch account" and then the other Spotify account is activated. As for the delays, pauses and lag: I have none of that. But maybe it's because I'm not using a stereo pair.
I've just followed your advice and strangely enough, taking it off the stereo pair mode definitely got rid of some of that slowness/delay issue I was experiencing, it's maybe cut down the time it takes for the song to play by about half, which is a big improvement. ... but gapless playback is a really big thing for me - nothing takes me out of an album more than hearing a few seconds of silence between a song that is supposed to transition seamlessly into the next! I'll keep testing it to see how it goes, but I think I will end up returning these.
Alright so I got a replacement device few days ago, it is slightly better but still pretty unusable. It seems that the mics on it are just garbage. ... Will return this and go for a refund, then decide if I settle for Show 8 or double the investment and go for Echo Studio. Shame. I really wanted to like the device, but Jeff effed up.
I derigistered mine to send it back, changed my mind set it up again and its fine now.
I use Android ... .from what I've understood there's no additional advantage of buying amazon echo ... .im gonna stick with nest audio
Owner sentiment on the 4th-gen Echo skews negative: 3 of 5 mentions are critical, most centered on unreliable microphones. Owners describe wake-word recognition as inconsistent, with one calling the mics "just garbage" even after a warranty replacement. Spotify playback also draws complaints about delay and gaps, especially in stereo-pair mode, and the lack of gapless playback is a dealbreaker for some music listeners. A couple of owners note little advantage over a Google Nest Audio for Android users. On the positive side, some report no issues at all, particularly when not using a stereo pair. This is an acceptable pick for casual smart-speaker use on a budget, but buyers focused on voice-recognition reliability or music playback quality should look elsewhere.
