The Amazon Echo Pop is the smallest and most budget-friendly smart speaker from this manufacturer to date. It has a slightly different design from previous Amazon speakers, too, with a unique half-sphere look that comes in several different colors to meet your needs. As expected, its built-in Alexa feature is on hand, so you can control the device with only your voice. Still, its smaller size leads to a bit of a trade-off regarding sound quality.
Our Verdict
The Amazon Echo Pop is middling for music. Given its small size, this speaker is better suited for average-sized living rooms than larger, more open rooms since it doesn't get very loud. It can't reproduce a deep low-bass, either. Still, it reproduces voices and lead instruments with clarity, making it suitable for most music genres. Bass lovers who listen to a lot of EDM and hip-hop will want to opt for a larger alternative.
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3-band EQ.
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Not loud enough for large rooms.
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Lacks low-bass.
The Amazon Echo Pop isn't really designed for watching movies. It's a small voice assistant speaker that lacks the low-bass to bring action-packed movies to life. Still, it's fine if you just want to watch a video on a paired smartphone. Latency isn't very high, so you don't notice much delay, and dialogue is clear enough to follow the action. You just can't move it around with you since it's a wired speaker.
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3-band EQ.
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Low latency.
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Not loud enough for large rooms.
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Lacks low-bass.
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Directional, narrow soundstage.
The Amazon Echo Pop is passable for podcasts. Its lack of low-bass doesn't really matter for this use, as there isn't usually much bass mixed into dialogue-heavy content. Voices reproduce clearly and accurately, too, so it's easy to follow along with the conversation. It's not as loud as larger speakers on the market, so it's not as well-suited for listening in larger rooms.
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3-band EQ.
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Bluetooth compatible.
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Not loud enough for large rooms.
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Directional, narrow soundstage.
The Amazon Echo Pop is amazing for voice assistants. Built-in Alexa provides a similar experience to more premium speakers from the manufacturer, as it can hear your commands clearly from far away and in noisier settings like parties. You can activate Alexa with only your voice, which is nice for busy days at home, and you can also mute the microphone for more private moments.
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Microphone mute button.
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Outstanding Alexa performance.
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Not loud enough for large rooms.
The Amazon Echo Pop is a wired speaker, so it's not meant for use outdoors.
- 5.9 Music
- 5.3 Videos/Movies
- 6.1 Podcasts
- 8.6 Voice Assistant
- 4.9 Outdoors
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Updated Nov 20, 2024:
We mentioned the Sony LinkBuds Speaker in the Portability section of this review.
- Updated Aug 22, 2023: Review published.
- Updated Aug 18, 2023: Early access published.
- Updated Aug 14, 2023: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Jun 29, 2023: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
- Updated Jun 20, 2023: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
This speaker is available in several colors, including Charcoal, Glacier White, Lavender Bloom, and Midnight Teal. We tested the Charcoal version, and you can check out the label here.
If you come across another version of this speaker, let us know in the forums so we can update our review.
Compared To Other Speakers
The Amazon Echo Pop is the manufacturer's smallest and most budget-friendly speaker. Like Amazon's more premium models, it has built-in Alexa support to enable hands-free voice control. You can control multiple Alexa devices through the Amazon Alexa app, spreading sound throughout your home. Its small size is ideal for those without a lot of space, but it means its sound quality isn't as impressive as models like the Amazon Echo Gen 4.
You can also check out our recommendations for the best home speakers, the best smart speakers, and the best Bluetooth speakers.
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.
The Amazon Echo Gen 4 is better than the Amazon Echo Pop. The Echo Gen 4 is a slightly larger stereo speaker that's better built. Plus, it has a better low-frequency extension, and it gets louder. The Echo Pop is a solid alternative if you're low on space or looking to save money.
The Google Nest Mini and the Amazon Echo Pop are smaller smart speakers available at more wallet-friendly prices. Each offers features unique to their particular manufacturer. For example, the Google speaker supports Google Chromecast, while the Amazon model lets you pair the speaker with other Alexa-enabled devices. The Amazon gets a little louder, though, and its low-frequency extension is a touch better, so you enjoy more rumble in the bass. Its graphic EQ allows a little more ability to customize its sound over the Google speaker's bass and treble adjustments. Plus, its voice assistant performs better in noisy environments.
The Apple HomePod mini is a larger and more premium speaker than the Amazon Echo Pop. The Apple is better built, offering a better low-frequency extension in the bass. Its 360-degree design means it offers clear sound from all angles, too. However, it's not Bluetooth compatible like the Amazon speaker.
The Sony LinkBuds Speaker and Amazon Echo Pop are both small speakers meant for use at home. The Sony is a bit more versatile, as it's portable, so can come with you from room to room, and has a long 15-hour battery life. The Amazon has to be plugged in to work, but it comes with Amazon's Alexa built-in, and it does an excellent job picking out your voice from far away in noisy environments. You can use the Sony with your phone's Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant, but its mic isn't quite as good.
Test Results
The Amazon Echo Pop is a smart speaker with a small design. Its footprint is even smaller than the Amazon Echo Gen 4, making it a great choice for more compact living areas. It has a slightly different design from the Echo speakers. It's only half a sphere, as opposed to the full sphere. You can also find it in several different colors.
This wired speaker isn't really designed to come with you on the go since you have to plug it into an outlet to work. Still, given its small size, it's quite easy to move around to different rooms in your home. You can even carry it with one hand. Consider the Sony LinkBuds Speaker if you're looking for a stylish home speaker that you can use wirelessly.
This speaker is mostly made of plastic, which feels solid. However, it doesn't have a very premium feel, especially compared to Amazon's other Alexa speakers. The fabric on the front of the device is pretty loose, too, so you'll want to be careful when handling it to avoid rips or tears. It isn't rated for dust or water resistance, so it's best to avoid using it in a kitchen or bathroom.
The controls are very easy to use, though they're pretty limited in what they can do. You can use them to adjust the volume or to mute the voice assistant's microphone. Since it's a voice assistant speaker, you're meant to control other commands like playing and pausing your audio through Alexa. You have a light bar on top of the speaker to indicate some settings, like when Alexa is listening to you or when a call is coming in.
This speaker's frequency response isn't great, though that's normal for such a small device. It can't bring the thump and rumble in the low-bass like larger speakers, which is disappointing if you love to listen to genres like EDM and hip-hop. Still, it's quite balanced throughout the rest of the range, so voices and other lead instruments are clear and accurate. For example, if you're listening to a podcast or the news, you won't have trouble following along with the dialogue.
It's more of a front-facing speaker, so it's not meant to be set up in the middle of your room. It's best to place it on a shelf or a countertop since sound is clearest in front of the device. Note that it also has to downmix stereo content into mono, and you'll have to pair a second device in the app to get stereo sound.
This speaker doesn't get loud enough to fill larger rooms with sound. This isn't much of a surprise, given its smaller size.
This wired speaker has no battery, so you don't have to worry about running low on charge. Like other Amazon speakers, it enters a low power mode when idle to reduce overall energy consumption. It also means it's not quite as portable as wireless speakers on the market.
Built-in Alexa offers excellent voice assistant performance, as expected of Amazon speakers. The device can hear your commands whether you're far away or navigating a noisier environment like a house party. You can activate Alexa using only your voice, and you can mute the microphone when you prefer a little privacy.
The Amazon Alexa app is a handy way to control all your Alexa-compatible devices in one place. You can see a video of it here, and its main features include a 3-band EQ to customize its sound, an LED brightness slider, and the ability to control alarms and timers. Plus, you can pair this speaker with another model to create a stereo pair.
This Bluetooth-compatible speaker stays connected to your mobile device, even from far away. Its latency with iOS and Android devices is relatively low, too, which is great for watching videos on your phone. Some apps compensate for latency differently, though.
Like other Amazon speakers, you can connect this device to the Wi-Fi in your home. However, you can't use Chromecast or Apple Airplay to send audio from compatible devices.