The Amazon Echo Pop is a small, budget-friendly smart speaker. Its design is slightly different from previous Amazon speakers, with a unique half-sphere look that comes in several colors to suit your style. As expected, its built-in voice assistant feature is on hand, so you can control your favorite media and access Alexa's skills hands-free.
Our Verdict
The Amazon Echo Pop is middling for music. Given its small size, this speaker is better suited for small or average-sized rooms than larger, more open spaces since it doesn't get very loud. It can't reproduce much bass, either. Bass lovers who listen to a lot of EDM and hip-hop will want to opt for a larger alternative. Still, voices and lead instruments come through clearly, making it suitable for most music genres.
- 3-band EQ.
- Not loud enough for large rooms.
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 sound effects and action sequences to life. Still, it's fine if you want to watch a video on a paired smartphone. Latency isn't very high, so you don't notice much delay, and the dialogue is easy to follow. You just can't move it around with you since it's a wired speaker.
- 3-band EQ.
- Low latency.
- Not loud enough for large rooms.
Lacks low bass.
- Directional, narrow soundstage.
The Amazon Echo Pop is passable for podcasts. Its lack of low bass doesn't matter much for this use, as there isn't usually much bass mixed into dialogue-heavy content. Voices reproduce with detail and accuracy, 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.
- 3-band EQ.
- Bluetooth compatible.
- Not loud enough for large rooms.
- Directional, narrow soundstage.
The Amazon Echo Pop is amazing for voice assistant use. Alexa is built-in and provides a similar experience to more premium speakers from the manufacturer. It can hear your commands 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.
- Microphone mute button.
- Outstanding Alexa performance.
- Not loud enough for large rooms.
The Amazon Echo Pop is a wired speaker, so it's not meant for use outdoors.
Changelog
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Updated Feb 03, 2025:
We've updated this review to improve clarity and accuracy.
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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.
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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 comments so we can update our review.
Popular Speaker Comparisons
The Amazon Echo Pop is a compact and budget-friendly speaker. Like Amazon's more premium models, it has built-in Alexa support for 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 Bluetooth speakers, the best smart speakers, and the best Alexa speakers.
The Amazon Echo Dot Gen 4 offers similar sound performance to the Amazon Echo Pop. In many regards, the Echo Pop is the successor to the discontinued Echo Dot. 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 gets louder. The Echo Pop is a solid alternative if you're low on space or looking to save money.
The Apple HomePod mini is a larger and more premium speaker than the Amazon Echo Pop. The Apple speaker 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 Amazon Echo Pop and Amazon Echo Studio (1st generation) each have their strengths. The Echo Studio has a more balanced sound profile, and while it does lack low bass, you can adjust bass and treble in the companion app to help compensate for this. It also delivers superior dynamics, filling a room with sound and reaching maximum volume with minimal compression artifacts. Plus, it supports stereo audio without needing to downmix to mono and is compatible with 3D audio, though you'll need an Amazon Music HD subscription to enjoy this feature. The Echo Pop, on the other hand, has better voice assistant performance that can understand you even in noisy environments, like at a party. Also, it has lower Bluetooth latency, which is nice if you want to watch videos on your phone while paired with the speaker.
Test Results
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