Short answer: the Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen. It ranks #12 of 15 powered desktop speakers by sound quality, rated 3.1/5, at $79.99. The Amazon Echo Pop ranks #15, rated 2.4/5, at $45.98, $34.01 cheaper, not enough of a saving to outweigh the sound-quality gap.
The Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen is the better-sounding pick. A small, affordable Alexa speaker with a temperature sensor, eero Wi-Fi extender support and a mic mute switch. The catch: What Hi-Fi’s one real complaint was distortion at higher volumes, and bass force and detail both fall off at the low end, typical for a speaker not much bigger than a hockey ball.
The case for the Amazon Echo Pop: A very cheap compact Alexa speaker with strong voice pickup, smart home support and eero Wi-Fi extender support. The tradeoff: PCWorld’s earlier review was blunt: despite a larger 1.95-inch driver on paper, it sounded flat and tinny with only a hint of bass next to the smaller-driver Echo Dot, and called the value proposition a hard no; RTINGS’ more recent test agrees on the underlying tradeoff, noting it can’t reproduce as much low bass as the Amazon Echo Dot Max and doesn’t get very loud.
Buy the Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $34.01 you would save on the Amazon Echo Pop does not close the gap.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Powered Home rankings.
A small, affordable Alexa speaker with a temperature sensor, eero Wi-Fi extender support and a mic mute switch.
A very cheap compact Alexa speaker with strong voice pickup, smart home support and eero Wi-Fi extender support.
Prices on this page were last checked November 5, 2026 at 10:30 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen | Amazon Echo Pop | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $79.99 each | $45.98 each |
| Ranked | #12 of 15 in Small Size Powered Desktop Speakers | #15 of 15 in Small Size Powered Desktop Speakers |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Battery Life | No Battery | No Battery |
| IP Rating | None | None |
| Party Mode | Yes (Wi-Fi multi-room, Alexa) | Yes (Wi-Fi multi-room, Alexa) |
| Power Input | External AC adapter (DC jack) | External AC adapter |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Weight | 0.7 lbs (340 g) | 0.4 lbs (195 g) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, 2.4GHz/5GHz) | Yes |
| App | Yes (Alexa) | Yes (Alexa) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC | SBC, AAC |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (mic mute switch, temperature sensor) | Yes (mic mute switch; no motion or temperature sensor) |
| EQ | No | No |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| TWS | Yes (Wi-Fi stereo pairing via Alexa app) | Yes (Wi-Fi stereo pairing via Alexa app) |
| Drivers | 44mm front-firing driver | 1.95in driver |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
| XLR Input | No | No |
| RCA Input | No | No |
| TRS Input | No | No |
| Optical Input | No | No |
| Coaxial Input | No | No |
| USB Input | No | No |
| HDMI Input | No | No |
| AES Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Dimensions | 3.9” x 3.9” x 3.5” (100 x 100 x 89 mm) (H x W x D) | 3.8” x 4.1” x 3.6” (96 x 104 x 91 mm) (H x W x D) |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa / Alexa+ | Amazon Alexa / Alexa+ |
| Streaming Services | Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Pandora, iHeartRadio, SiriusXM, TuneIn | Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Pandora, iHeartRadio, SiriusXM, TuneIn |
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