Amazon Echo (4th Gen)

The Amazon Echo (4th Generation) is the best all-around smart speaker Amazon has made. The new spherical design is a departure from the old hockey-puck shape, and it actually looks like something you’d want on a shelf rather than hide behind a plant.

Sound Quality

This is where Amazon made the biggest leap. The 4th Gen Echo uses a 3-inch woofer and dual tweeters to produce a sound that genuinely fills a room. Bass is present without being boomy, and the highs are clear enough for podcasts and audiobooks. It’s not a replacement for a dedicated Bluetooth speaker, but it’s the best Amazon has sounded.

Alexa Performance

Alexa in 2025 is noticeably faster than earlier generations. Wake word detection is accurate, and responses to smart home commands are near-instant. The natural language understanding has improved significantly — you can phrase requests more conversationally and it gets you.

Smart Home Hub

The built-in Zigbee hub is underrated. It means you can connect Philips Hue bulbs, smart locks, and other Zigbee devices directly to the Echo without needing a separate hub. This alone saves $50–$80 if you’re building a smart home setup from scratch.

Setup & Privacy

Setup takes about three minutes via the Alexa app. Amazon’s privacy controls have improved: there’s a physical mute button that cuts the microphone entirely, and you can review and delete your voice history in the app.

Who Should Buy It

If you’re in the Amazon ecosystem — or building a new smart home from scratch — the Echo 4th Gen is the natural starting point. It handles music, smart home control, timers, shopping lists, and general Q&A better than any other smart speaker at this price.

Verdict

At $99.99, the Echo 4th Gen offers excellent value. The improved sound, faster Alexa, and built-in Zigbee hub make it the best Echo Amazon has released. Highly recommended.