I spent two weeks testing Amazons new Echo Studio, and I love the stylish new design but Im not sure its worth the audio-quality trade-offs

Date:
Sat, 07 Mar 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Description:
Amazons new, second-generation Echo Studio is powerful yet petite, offering a full retinue of home theatre features and Alexa+ compatibility but was the trade-off for a smaller form factor worth it?

FULL STORY ======================================================================Its
been a while since the original Echo Studio launched way back in 2019. So, it makes sense that its such a drastic overhaul; the new, 2025 model is 40% smaller with a total design refresh, Alexa+ compatibility and new Fire TV features.

The original Echo Studio launched way back in 2019, and the fact that its taken this long for a second-gen model to arrive makes the Studio an outlier in Amazon s smart speaker range, with other Echos receiving more regular upgrades. It makes sense, then, that this is a fairly major overhaul: the
2025 model is 40% smaller and gets a total design refresh that brings it into line with other Echos, along with Alexa+ compatibility and new Fire TV features.

While the previous-gen Studio was more than a little clunky in terms of its design, it was pretty well received much to the surprise of many whod long bemoaned the audio quality of Amazons Echo speakers. Then, in 2022, a
slightly upgraded version was released with some modest improvements; this wasnt considered a new generation of the Studio, but again it surprised and largely delighted users. So, has lightning struck twice (or technically, thrice) with the new Echo Studio? Well, not quite, but this is still an impressively capable speaker, especially at its size.

Theres an inevitable trade-off between the speakers size and its audio quality. In its smaller form factor, the second-generation Studio is
certainly more appealing, and the spherical design, new knit-fabric exterior and front-facing controls are much more homely compared to the original, the design of which resembled a medieval knights bucket helmet.

With the latest Studio packing Amazons new AZ3 Pro chip and offering Alexa+ compatibility, and some great smart home compatibility and sensors, theres a lot to love, but having tried both the newer and older models, I dont think the new audio hardware quite lives up to its predecessor. That being said,
its most certainly the best Alexa speaker for audio available today unless,
of course, you can find a first-gen model on resale. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Amazon Echo Studio (2025) at very.co.uk for 219.99 00010417 Echo Studio 2nd gen, 2025 review HZ MASTER - YouTube Watch On Echo Studio (2nd gen, 2025) price and availability List price: $219.99 / 219.99 / AU$429 Released November 2025 The new Echo Studio
is the most premium Echo speaker in Amazons lineup, offering home-theatre buffs and audiophiles an Alexa-powered alternative to standard speakers. You concede some audio quality, sure, but its pretty compact, and the smarts you gain are decent enough.

Its available in black (graphite) and white (glacier white), and costs $20 / 40 / AU$100 more than the original Studio at $219.99 / 219.99 / AU$429; the price hike is explained, in part, by the rising cost of hardware, but its worth noting nonetheless.

Its also Alexa+ compatible, meaning US Prime subscribers have immediate
access to the currently-in-beta service (at the time of writing). Whether or not thats a positive or a negative , Ill leave you to decide.

My main issue with the value proposition here is that, at times, the Echo Studio (second-generation) just doesnt live up to its Studio moniker; and
yet, allowing for inflation, it costs the same as the previous generation.
Had Amazon skipped some of the smart features and delivered a stronger all-around audio performance, Id have less of an issue; as it is, and as is the case with almost every new Echo device Ive reviewed in the past few
years, this is one Id only go for during a sale, and Id be looking for at least a 40% discount. Value : 3.5/5 Swipe to scroll horizontally Echo Studio (2nd gen, 2025) specs Row 0 - Cell 0

Echo Studio

Dimensions

6.1 x 5.6 x 5.8 inches / 155 x 142.2 x 147.3mm (W x D x H)

Speakers

1x 3.75-inch high excursion woofer, 3x 2.25-inch full-range drivers

Processor

AZ3 Pro

Connecivity

Zigbee, Matter, Thread Border Router, eero

Voice assistant

Alexa

Weight

53.5oz / 1.63kg (Image credit: Future) Echo Studio (2nd gen, 2025) design New, more premium design and materials 40% smaller than the previous generation Fewer ports, fewer audio-first design features Like the Echo Dot Max, which I tested a few months ago, the Echo Studio has a new, more sophisticated look and feel, featuring a chunky knit-fabric exterior, front-facing controls, and a 40% smaller frame than the previous Echo Studio models.

Now, instead of resembling a bucket-shaped medieval knights helmet, the Echo Studio is more akin to a rounded spaceship (read: Death Star), and its a change Im quite happy with aesthetically. The base is flat and slightly rubberized, housing a screw-mount for any users who might wish to wall-mount their speaker(s).

The neater look and smaller footprint make it a much more appealing option
for around the home, and the new front-facing controls are easily accessible and clear especially when compared to the originals small and fiddly
buttons. There are volume controls as well as a physical mute button on the plastic control panel. Plus, if you give the Studio a gentle pat on the top, you can stop or start tracks, stop timers and alarms, or end calls and drop-ins.

The iconic illuminated Alexa ring, which glows blue when the speaker is listening to you, now encircles the control panel, and changes colour and brightness for different types of alert (for example, orange for an Amazon marketplace-related notification, or red for connectivity issues).

Theres been a complete hardware refit, too. The new Echo Studio uses the latest AZ3 Pro chip to power Alexa commands and other on-board smarts like ambient sensing and spatial sound. Where the last-generation speakers had three two-inch side-mounted mid-range speakers, a two-inch upward-firing midrange speaker, a 1-inch front-facing tweeter, and a 5.25-inch downward-firing sealed woofer and cutout spaces to allow for airflow to
enable powerful and deep bass, the latest model has just three full-range drivers and a single high-excursion woofer. More later on how that impacts performance, but as far as design goes, it does make the focus on the newer models aesthetics feel like a big trade-off when you compare the hardware specs.

Connectivity is another area where the new Studio has taken a hit. On the rear, youll find a single power port thats right, no more 3.5mm combo port for standard audio cable input and Mini-Optical, and no micro-USB port for service/Ethernet adapters. For most, these inputs will be no great loss, but the inflexibility of these speakers will be disappointing to some, and especially to those who know a bit about home theater.

Objectively, I cant say I dislike the look and feel of the new Echo Studio its more pleasing to the eye, and a lot easier to find a home for at its smaller size. However, many of the concessions made ultimately impact performance and usability and for a supposedly top-of-the-range speaker Id always prize those qualities over look and feel. Design: 4/5 (Image credit: Future) Echo Studio (2nd gen, 2025) audio quality Complete hardware refit compared to previous generation Solid, clear audio across a range of genres Mid-range performance for home cinema Sitting at the top end of the Echo speaker lineup, the Echo Studio in principle offers the best audio you can
get from an Amazon speaker. However, while thats indeed the case, not
everyone who loved the first-generation Studio will enjoy this newer version.

As mentioned above, the new Echo Studio trades its predecessors three
two-inch side-mounted mid-range speakers, two-inch upward-firing midrange speaker, 1-inch front-facing tweeter, and 5.25-inch downward-firing sealed woofer for three full-range drivers and a single high-excursion woofer. Plus, under the hood, the new AZ3 Pro chip does a lot of the legwork, working in tandem with onboard far-field microphones to deliver Automatic Room Adaptation, fine-tuning the audio experience based on the rooms acoustics. Theres also spatial audio, Lossless High Definition and Dolby Atmos support.

So, what difference do these hardware changes make in practice? I played a variety of tracks from different genres to test the speakers audio quality,
as well as trying out the new Amazon Home Theatre feature, to find out.

Its a tale of trade-offs; on the one hand, the soundstage is well balanced overall, producing beautifully clear layers and expressing texture in tracks well. Hans Zimmers Cornfield Chase was rendered with beautiful depth and clarity, especially at louder volumes, as was Jeff Buckleys Last Goodbye,
with the Echo Studio proving amply capable of rendering Buckleys quivering vocals beautifully while preserving the layered rhythmic guitars and mounting tension. Dynamic songs like Glory Box by Portishead offer well-rounded bass, with every detail of the track, right down to its vinyl crackle, represented with impressive clarity.

However, the Echo Studio lacks the powerful bass and overall volume of older models, and certain tracks suffer as a result: Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush plays much more faithfully than on the Echo Dot Max I tested a few
months ago, but the Echo Studio still lacks the pummeling bass I so adore. Similarly, Fleetwood Macs The Chain, especially at lower volumes, fails to fully deliver the tracks signature thunderous, driving bass.

With Amazon removing many of the audio-first design features (like the sound-carrying cutouts) and squeezing the device into a far smaller form factor, the new Echo Studio ultimately loses a lot of its oomph. It also now downmixes stereo content to mono, and compresses the mix more aggressively at higher volumes than the original model.

That said, when I was testing this speaker in my apartment, I wasnt looking
to push the volume beyond 70% (mostly for the sake of my neighbours), and the bass was, broadly, suitably present for my living space, this is aided by the Automatic Room Adaptation, which works well to really flood a space with sound.

Of course, the Echo Studio can do more than just play your music. You can connect up to five Echo Dot Max or Echo Studio speakers plus an optional Echo subwoofer to a Fire TV Stick 4K (2nd-gen), Fire TV Stick 4K Plus, Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd-gen), or Fire TV Cube (3rd-gen) to use Amazons new Home Theatre feature. I gave this a quick try, albeit with just the one Echo Studio, watching a few scenes from Red Sonja, The Batman and Oppenheimer to put its through its paces. I was pretty happy with how much depth and clarity the Echo Studio provided (its all handled over Bluetooth, so I did notice a bit of a delay with lip-synching initially; thankfully, you can adjust this
in the settings), and I can imagine with a full set the sound would be really quite impressive.

That said, the dynamic range was pushed to its limit during my testing, and I ultimately found myself toggling the volume fairly often. Plus, its downmixed mono playback makes it a hard sell for a cinephile of course, you can opt to spend $1,000 / 1,000 / AU$2,000 on a full Amazon Home Theater setup, but for that price Id wager there are far superior surround sound systems. Its only
if youre benefitting specifically from the Echo Studios place in Amazons Fire TV / Prime / Alexa+ ecosystem that I can see this being a viable option.
Audio quality: 3.5/5 (Image credit: Future) Echo Studio (2nd gen, 2025) features Smart and accurate sensors Speedy Alexa commands Alexa+ compatible Much like the Echo Dot Max, the Echo Studio is locked and loaded with clever sensors and smarts to help run your smart home, including the same
temperature and ultrasound motion sensors as the Echo Dot (4th gen) as well
as a new Wi-Fi sensing capability.

I set these up at home for even smarter Alexa Routines; when I enter a room, an automation turns on my smart lights, and when the temperature drops, my electric heater turns on to keep me toasty during the UK winter months. Everything worked as expected on test, and its good to see the Echo Studio keeping pace with other smart speakers here.

The new AZ3 Pro chipset delivers super-speedy Alexa responses, though you probably wont notice the difference unless youve been using Alexa-enabled devices from a few years ago. Where you will feel the difference is if you have access to Alexa+, as thats the real driver behind the additional computing power. Im testing this speaker in the UK, where we dont currently have access to Amazons full agentic AI platform, but my US-based colleague Lance Ulanoff shared his first impressions of the service overall. Features: 4/5 (Image credit: Future) Should I buy the Echo Studio (2nd gen, 2025)? Buy it if You want room-filling audio

The Echo Studios room-adapting smarts go a long way to up the value, and its delivering a lot of clever optimization to compensate for the admittedly weaker hardware. Youre upgrading from an older, regular Echo speaker

More recent Echo smart speakers pack fairly similar specs and performance,
but the AZ3 chip brings a marked improvement. Dont buy it if Youre an audiophile

While in many ways the Echo Studio does impress, its fundamentally incapable of offering a true hi-fi audio experience. You own an older Echo Studio

Im willing to bet that if you love your old Echo Studio, you wont be a huge fan of this newer model. Also consider Swipe to scroll horizontally Row 0 - Cell 0

Echo Studio

Echo Dot Max

Echo (4th-gen)

Dimensions

6.1 x 5.6 x 5.8 inches (W x D x H)

4.27 x 4.27 x 3.9 inches

5.7-inch x 5.7-inch x 5.2-inch

Speakers

1x 3.75-inch high excursion woofer, 3x 2.25-inch full-range drivers

0.8-inch tweeter and 2.5-inch woofer

3-inch neodymium woofer and two 0.8-inch front-firing tweeters with Dolby Audio support

Processor

AZ3 Pro

AZ3

AZ1 Neural Edge

Connecivity

Zigbee, Matter, Thread Border Router, eero

Zigbee, Matter, Thread Border Router, eero, Wi-Fi 6

Zigbee, Matter, Thread border router. Dual-band Wi-Fi, eero, Bluetooth

3.5mm audio line-in/out.

Voice assistant

Alexa

Alexa

Alexa

Weight

53.5oz / 1.63 kg

505.3g

970g Also consider Echo Dot Max

The new Echo Dot Max offers adaptable and solid audio specs, with much of the same internal hardware as the Echo Studio barring some of the more powerful speakers.

For more information, check out our full Echo Dot (5th-gen) review . Also consider Echo (4th-gen)

The 4th generation of Amazons base model Echo speaker may be getting long in the tooth, its audio performance is admirable, its often on sale at bargain prices, and offers a similar performance.

For more information, check out our full Echo (4th-gen) review. How I tested the Echo Studio (2nd gen, 2025) I used the Echo Studio as part of my smart home setup I played lossless audio through Spotify I used the standard Alexa and other advertised features. I tried all of the advertised features of the Echo Studio (barring Alexa+ which is not currently available in the UK) to assess its performance and audio quality.

As well as testing Alexas ability to follow commands and surface information, I used my Echo Studio as a speaker, streaming lossless tracks via Spotify across a variety of genres and moods to test the speakers dynamic range, clarity and volume. I also tried using the new Echo Studio as part of my Amazon Home Theatre setup, listening to various TV shows and movies to see
how well the speaker would serve cinephiles.

Ive had an Alexa-powered smart home for years, having professionally tested smart home devices for over four years. In addition to my at-home Alexa
setup, Ive also used both Google and Apple devices to assess the strengths
and weaknesses of the most popular smart home ecosystems. Amazon Echo Studio (2025): Price Comparison 219.99 View 219.99 View 219.99 View deal 219.99 View No price information Check Amazon Show more We check over 250 million
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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/home/smart-home/echo-studio-2nd-gen-review


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