For people who are wiring an Echo Dot into their Sonos Play5 or Connect Amp you might want to check out the new Echo Spot. I just replaced my Dot in the Dining Room, which feeds a pair of Play5 Gen1s, with an Echo Spot and immediately noticed a few cool things about this setup.
First, like the Dot, you are dealing with full Alexa so you get all Alexa features including Drop-In, only now they are video calls.
You also get a nice display for artwork and lyrics in a form factor that doesn't take up any more space than the Dot did and is nicer looking than the Echo Show. The display can also do useful things when you are not listening to music like alert you to upcoming events on your Google Calendar or display video of your front door camera.
The screen also lets you set up and manage the Spot without needing to fish out a phone and fire up the Alexa app.
And with this wired configuration you can still use the Sonos app with your Play5s or Connect Amp if you want to use your local library and gapless playback.
Of course the big barrier now is the cost which is just $20 less than an Echo Show but if you look at the price history of the Show it is reasonable to expect dramatic price cuts for the Spot over the next year... maybe to the point where Amazon doesn't feel they even need the Dot anymore.
Is the Echo Spot Going To Be The New Dot?
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I bought two of the Echo Spots and I agree. If they can get the price down to $60 - $70, I would replace most of my Dots.
Hi, upstatemike. Thanks for sharing. I'm just as interested in how the Echo Spot will fare with all the other Echo offerings.
As a side note: Since introducing Alexa integration, you no longer have to wire your Dot (or whatever you choose) into Sonos at all. You can simply place it wherever you like and use the Sonos skill, then it will be able to control playback on your Sonos system. Check it out.
As a side note: Since introducing Alexa integration, you no longer have to wire your Dot (or whatever you choose) into Sonos at all. You can simply place it wherever you like and use the Sonos skill, then it will be able to control playback on your Sonos system. Check it out.
I wish this were so, but until the ducking feature is made room specific, the Sonos Skill causes way too many interruptions in our house.
And, the replies from Alexa sound much better coming out of the Sonos speaker than the Dot. So, I'll keep my Dots wired to my Sonos speakers for now.
So would I, even if the skills were available in India. At this point, that is a much better route than via Sonos skills, if one has Sonos kit with line in jacks. And things like Spots used either via line in or via Skills is another reason why the One may not be such a good idea; better to stick to the 1 unit for music play and use more rapidly evolving Amazon front end units with it. In addition, obtain the advantage conferred on their mics by locating them away from the music speakers, and where skills are used, closer to the human speakers. This will always return better command responses, all other things being equal.
Does the Spot do lyrics of music playing to be left on as an option?
PS: It just struck me that in the Sonos universe, One is not the same as 1. About as bad as 5 not being the same as 5. Sonos needs to up its game on speaker names.
Does the Spot do lyrics of music playing to be left on as an option?
The lyrics on the Spot seem to work the same as the Show. If you play a song from a source that supports lyrics like Amazon Music and the lyrics are available for that specific song then they display automatically as the song plays. I have not run across any settings to modify how lyrics are displayed.
Thanks for that; that makes a reduced price Spot to be a no brainer for my use; I have always wanted Sonos units to show the song playing in a small LCD panel. This is one step ahead and more because one need not walk over to a possibly distant speaker to know what is playing.
+2Got mine today and I must say it is a real quality product. I bought the Spot swivel stand which better aligns the unit while in bed.
Going to explore more when I get to open my pair of Play 3's that Santa is bringing.
Going to explore more when I get to open my pair of Play 3's that Santa is bringing.
Yes, the stand are worth the extra cost.
+21I can see the spot being the go to Amazon device, no doubt it will get a price reduction. the show is on sale at £129 at the moment so that has come down a lot.
How did you lay your hands on a Spot?:-). It is still not being sold on Amazon...
How did you lay your hands on a Spot?:-). It is still not being sold on Amazon...
The Echo Spot is being sold by Amazon in th USA. I ordered my Spots on Amazon several weeks ago and received them on the release day, December 20th.
+20How did you lay your hands on a Spot?:-). It is still not being sold on Amazon...
The Echo Spot is being sold by Amazon in th USA. I ordered my Spots on Amazon several weeks ago and received them on the release day, December 20th.
Available early next year in the UK, apparently. I'll be getting (at least) one.
Ahh, understood, thanks. Amazon US must be now showing a forward delivery date again because they are sold out!
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