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Amazon Echo Dot Gen 4 Speaker Review

Tested using Methodology v0.8
Review updated Jan 06, 2022 at 02:19 pm
Latest change: Retest Aug 21, 2023 at 02:49 pm
Amazon Echo Dot Gen 4 Picture
5.8
Music
5.2
Videos/Movies
6.3
Podcasts
8.9
Voice Assistant
4.9
Outdoors

The Amazon Echo Dot Gen 4 is a budget-friendly speaker with a similar design to the Amazon Echo Gen 4, though it's a bit smaller in size. It has an outstanding voice assistant performance with Alexa built-in and can easily understand you even if you aren't close by or if you're in a noisy setting. You can even mute the microphone if you want privacy. However, its sound profile is a bit dark and dull, and it also lacks low bass. Fortunately, there are bass and treble adjustments in the Amazon Alexa app.

Our Verdict

5.8 Music

The Amazon Echo Dot 4th Gen is middling for music. Its balanced mid-range reproduces vocals and lead instruments clearly, but it also sounds a bit dark and veiled. Like many of the small speakers we've tested, it struggles to reproduce low-bass, and it doesn't get very loud. However, the Amazon Alexa app offers bass and treble adjustments to help you customize its sound.

Pros
  • Bass and treble adjustments.
Cons
  • Lacks low-bass.
  • Doesn't get very loud.
5.2 Videos/Movies

The Amazon Echo Dot 4th Gen is disappointing for videos and movies. It can reproduce voices clearly, though they may sound a bit dark or veiled. However, it lacks low bass, so you don't feel the thump and rumble in action-packed scenes. It doesn't get very loud, either. While its latency with Android devices may be too high for watching videos, it performs better with iOS devices. Some apps compensate for latency, so your experience may vary.

Pros
  • Bass and treble adjustments.
Cons
  • Lacks low-bass.
  • Doesn't get very loud.
6.3 Podcasts

The Amazon Echo Dot 4th Gen is acceptable for podcasts. It has a neutral mid-range that can reproduce voices clearly, though they may sound a bit dark or dull. However, it doesn't get very loud. You can stream podcasts from your phone or tablet to the speaker wirelessly via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, but you can only pair it to one device at a time, which can be disappointing.

Pros
  • Bluetooth and Wi-Fi compatible.
Cons
  • Doesn't get very loud.
8.9 Voice Assistant

The Amazon Echo Dot 4th Gen is amazing for voice assistant support. It has built-in Alexa capabilities, and the speaker is voice-activated. It can understand you even if you aren't close to it or if you're in a loud setting. There's also a mic mute feature, which is handy if you don't want the speaker to listen to you. However, it doesn't get very loud.

Pros
  • Has mic mute button.
  • Excellent ambient noise performance.
Cons
  • Doesn't get very loud.
4.9 Outdoors

The Amazon Echo Dot 4th Gen isn't suitable for outdoor use due to its wired design.

  • 5.8 Music
  • 5.2 Videos/Movies
  • 6.3 Podcasts
  • 8.9 Voice Assistant
  • 4.9 Outdoors
  1. Updated Aug 21, 2023: Updated the Portability picture for greater clarity and consistency between reviews.
  2. Updated Jan 06, 2022: Updated review for accuracy and clarity.
  3. Updated Jan 12, 2021: Review published.
  4. Updated Jan 07, 2021: Early access published.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We tested the 4th Gen variant of the Amazon Echo, which has a smaller spherical design that sets it apart from the previous generations. This speaker is available in several different colors, including 'Glacier White', 'Charcoal', and 'Twilight Blue'. We tested the 'Charcoal' variant, and you can see the label here. We expect the other color variants to perform similarly.

Amazon also offers an Echo Dot variant with a digital clock feature, which is available in 'Glacier White' and 'Twilight Blue'. Unlike the variant we tested, it has an LED clock display to help you keep track of the time. Also, there's a Kids Edition of this speaker, available in 'Panda' or 'Tiger', that comes with additional parental controls.

If you come across another version, let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.

Compared To Other Speakers

The Amazon Echo Dot 4th Gen is a small, budget-friendly speaker with a built-in Alexa voice assistant. It has a similar design to the Amazon Echo Gen 4 that can produce a more extended low-bass, though the Dot is smaller in size. It offers fantastic voice assistant support with Alexa built-in and can easily register your commands if you're far away from the speaker or in a noisy room. However, like most speakers its size, it struggles to reproduce low-bass, and it doesn't get very loud. Also, unlike the Amazon Echo Studio, it doesn't support Dolby Atmos.

Check out our recommendations for the best Alexa speakers, the best smart speakers, and the best home speakers.

Amazon Echo Gen 4

The Amazon Echo Gen 4 and the Amazon Echo Dot Gen 4 are both excellent voice assistant speakers; however, the Echo is a better choice for listening to music. The Echo has a better-balanced sound profile out-of-the-box, and it can reproduce a more extended low-bass. Also, it gets louder, though it has some more compression at max volume. It's a bit bigger than the Echo Dot, too.

Google Nest Mini

The Google Nest Mini and the Amazon Echo Dot Gen 4 are similar speakers, so depending on your usage habits, you may prefer one over the other. The Amazon is better for voice assistants since it has a better ambient noise performance, so the voice assistant can understand you better in noisy settings. While the Amazon speaker has built-in Alexa support, the Google speaker has built-in Google Assistant. Unlike the Amazon model, the Google one also supports Chromecast.

Apple HomePod mini

The Amazon Echo Dot Gen 4 is a better speaker for voice assistant support than the Apple HomePod mini overall. The Amazon has a better ambient noise performance, so it can understand you better in noisy settings. Also, it has bass and treble adjustments for customizing its sound. However, the Apple is better for music and videos, as it has a more neutral sound profile out of the box and a better soundstage.

Google Nest Audio

The Google Nest Audio and the Amazon Echo Dot Gen 4 are similar speakers, so depending on your usage habits, you may prefer one over the other. The Amazon is better for voice assistant support, as it has better ambient noise performance. However, the Google speaker is better for music and videos. It has a more balanced sound profile out of the box, and it gets louder. It also supports Chromecast, unlike the Amazon speaker.

Amazon Echo Pop

The Amazon Echo Dot Gen 4 offers a similar sound performance to the Amazon Echo Pop. The Echo Pop is the successor to the discontinued Echo Dot in many regards. They're both Alexa-enabled voice assistant speakers with a small and compact design. The Echo Pop is a little smaller, though, and it has a half-sphere design compared to the full-sphere design of the Echo Dot. The next generation boasts a 3-band graphic EQ, so you can control the mid-range, bass, and treble.

Apple HomePod (1st generation)

The Apple HomePod (1st generation) is a better choice for music, videos, and podcasts than the Amazon Echo Dot Gen 4. The Apple speaker has a more balanced sound profile out-of-the-box and a better soundstage. It can get louder, and it supports Apple AirPlay. That said, it's been discontinued and may be harder to find in new condition. The Amazon speaker, on the other hand, supports Bluetooth and has bass and treble adjustments, unlike the Apple.

Sonos Move

The Sonos Move is a more versatile speaker than the Amazon Echo Dot Gen 4. The Sonos can be battery-operated, so it's portable enough to use outside. It has an IP56 rating for dust and water resistance, so you don't need to worry about it getting a bit dirty or wet when taking it outdoors with you. It also has a better-balanced sound profile out-of-the-box, and it can get louder. However, the Amazon is a bit better for voice assistants thanks to its ambient noise performance, which helps the voice assistant understand your commands more clearly in noisy environments.

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Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
RGB Lights No

The Amazon Echo Dot 4th Gen is a small speaker with a similar spherical design to the Amazon Echo Gen 4, though it's a bit smaller. It sits on a flat base that's surrounded by a ring of light. The light activates when you make voice commands, adjust the speaker's volume, and enable and disable the microphone. That said, it doesn't change color and doesn't remain on when listening to music. The speaker comes in white, black, and blue.

5.8
Design
Portability
Volume
45 in³ (730 cm³)
Weight
0.7 lbs (0.3 kg)
Power Source
AC Only
One-Hand Carry
Yes

The Amazon Echo Dot 4th Gen isn't very portable. While it's small and lightweight, it isn't battery-powered since it's designed for home use and needs to remain wired to a power source for it to work.

6.4
Design
Build Quality
Material Quality
Good
Water Resistance
Unspecified
Dust Resistance
Unspecified
Impact Resistance
Unspecified
Floats In Water
Unspecified

The Amazon Echo Dot 4th Gen has a passable build quality. The speaker itself feels solid, and the fabric surrounding the speaker is tight and doesn't seem like it could rip easily. However, it isn't rated for dust, water, or impact resistance like some of the other speakers we've tested, like the Sony SRS-XB23.

6.0
Design
Controls
Ease Of Use
Great
Feedback
Great
Music Play/Pause
No
Call Answer/End
No
Volume Up/Down
Yes (Physical)
Track Next/Previous
No
Microphone On/Off
Yes (Physical)
Additional Controls
Yes

It has a simple selection of controls. The four physical buttons let you adjust the volume, mute/unmute the microphone, or activate Alexa without using the wake word, "Alexa". You can also hold down the Action button for 25 seconds to reset the speaker or tap it to silence an alarm. Also, tapping the front of the speaker snoozes your alarm. That said, you can't use its physical controls to skip tracks and have to use your phone or your voice to do so.

Design
In The Box

  • Amazon Echo Dot 4th Gen
  • Power cable
  • User Manual

Sound
5.5
Sound
Frequency Response Accuracy
Slope
-1.08
Std. Err.
3.37 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
118.1 Hz
High-Frequency Extension
17.5 kHz

The Amazon Echo Dot 4th Gen has middling frequency response accuracy. It struggles to reproduce low-bass, so you don't feel the deep thump and rumble in bass-heavy music like EDM. Its balanced mid-range can reproduce vocals and lead instruments clearly, but it lacks detail in the treble range, so your audio can sound dark or dull. However, you can use the bass and treble adjustments in the companion app to adjust the speaker's sound.

Sound
Raw Frequency Response
Binaural Recording @ 1m
Binaural Recording @ 2m
6.6
Sound
Soundstage
Directivity Index
2.69 dB
Stereo
No (mono)

It has an okay soundstage overall. Thanks to its spherical design, it has amazing directivity, meaning you can hear your audio clearly from most angles. However, it needs to be paired to another compatible speaker to play stereo content and downmixes stereo audio to mono when using it on its own, which isn't as immersive.

5.6
Sound
Dynamics
SPL @ Max Volume
78.4 dB SPL
DRC @ Max Volume
2.51 dB

The Amazon Echo Dot's dynamics are disappointing. It doesn't get very loud, and there are some compression artifacts present at max volume that affect the clarity of your audio when the speaker is pushed to its louder volume levels.

Active Features
0
Active Features
Battery
Battery Life
N/A
Charge Time
N/A
Power Saving
No
Charging Port
No Battery
Battery Powered
No

It isn't battery-powered and needs to remain wired to a power outlet for it to work. According to the manufacturer, it enters 'Low Power Mode' when it's idle to help reduce its energy consumption.

10
Active Features
Voice Assistant
Alexa
Built-in (Wi-Fi Only)
Google Assistant
No
Speakerphone
Yes
Siri
No
Voice Assistant
Yes
Voice Activation
Yes
Microphone Mute
Yes
Far-Field Performance
Excellent
Ambient Noise Performance
Excellent

The Amazon Echo Dot 4th Gen offers outstanding voice assistant support. It comes with Alexa built-in, which you can activate with your voice. It has no trouble understanding your commands when you're far from the speaker or in noisier settings. There's even a mute mic button you can press when you no longer want it to listen to you.

9.3
Active Features
App
App Name
Amazon Alexa
iOS
Yes
Android
Yes
EQ
Bass/Treble
Stereo Pair Mode
Yes
Party Mode
Yes
Multi-Room
Yes

The Amazon Alexa app is incredible. It offers bass and treble adjustments, so you have some control over the speaker's sound profile. You can pair two Echo Dot speakers together to create a stereo pair, which helps create a wider soundstage. Also, you can connect multiple speakers to play music across a large area or through multiple rooms in your house, thanks to the Party Mode and Multi-Room features.

Connectivity
Connectivity
Wired
Aux Input
Yes
USB Audio
No
Other Ports
No

The Amazon Echo Dot 4th Gen comes with a 3.5mm AUX port, so you can wire your devices like your smartphone to the speaker to play audio.

7.5
Connectivity
Bluetooth
Bluetooth
Yes
Bluetooth Version
Unspecified
Bluetooth iOS Latency
111 ms
Bluetooth Android Latency
163 ms
Bluetooth Range
214.9 ft (65.5 m)
Multi-Device Pairing
No

This speaker is Bluetooth-compatible. Thanks to its superb range, it stays connected even if your device isn't very close to the speaker. While its latency with Android devices may be too high for watching videos, it performs better with iOS devices. However, some apps compensate for latency, so your real-world experience can vary.

6.5
Connectivity
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi Version
Wi-Fi 5
Wi-Fi Frequency Band
2.4GHz & 5GHz
Wi-Fi
Yes
Apple AirPlay
No
AirPlay Latency
N/A
Google Chromecast
No
Chromecast Latency
N/A

The Amazon Echo Dot 4th Gen has fair Wi-Fi connectivity. While it's Wi-Fi compatible, it doesn't support Apple AirPlay or Google Chromecast connections.