Short answer: the Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen on measured sound quality, the Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen on price. The Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen ranks #2 of 8 powered desktop speakers at $219.99. The Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen ranks #5 at $79.99, $140 cheaper.
The case for the Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen: What Hi-Fi rated it 5 stars for sound, calling it expansive for its size with great Alexa integration and an understated look, from a single 44mm front-firing driver. The tradeoff: 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 Studio 2nd Gen: SoundGuys called it the best-sounding Amazon speaker they have tested, scoring it 7.8 of 10. The tradeoff: SoundGuys still marked it down on Value (4.0 of 10) given the $219.99 list price, and it is explicitly not true left-right stereo from one cabinet, so a stereo pair is needed for real width in a larger room.
Buy the Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen if the price matters more than sound quality. Buy the Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen if sound quality matters more than the price.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Powered Home rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen | Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $79.99 each | $219.99 each |
| Ranked | #5 of 8 in Small Size Powered Desktop Speakers | #2 of 8 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 Home Theater) |
| Power Input | External AC adapter (DC jack) | External AC adapter |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Weight | 0.7 lbs (340 g) | 3.6 lbs (1.632 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, 2.4GHz/5GHz) | Yes (Wi-Fi 6E) |
| App | Yes (Alexa) | Yes (Alexa) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC | SBC |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (mic mute switch, temperature sensor) | Yes (mic mute button, far-field) |
| EQ | No | Yes (Bass/Mid/Treble + Dolby Virtualizer, via Alexa app) |
| 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 | 3.75in high-excursion woofer, 3x 2.25in full-range drivers (L/R/up) |
| Discontinued | No | No |
| 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, 5.3 |
| Dimensions | 3.9" x 3.9" x 3.5" (100 x 100 x 89 mm) (H x W x D) | 6.1" x 5.6" x 5.8" (155 x 142 x 147 mm) |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa / Alexa+ | Amazon Alexa / Alexa+ |
| Streaming Services | Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Pandora, iHeartRadio, SiriusXM, TuneIn | Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, SiriusXM |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More worthwhile head-to-heads for Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen:
- Amazon Echo Dot Max vs Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen
- Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen vs Google Nest Audio
- Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen vs Google Home Speaker
- Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen vs Google Nest Mini 2nd Gen
- Amazon Echo Pop vs Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen
Prices on this page were last checked September 22, 2026 at 5:11 AM 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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The Two Speakers In Full
Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen: $79.99 each Amazon eBay
Pros: What Hi-Fi rated it 5 stars for sound, calling it expansive for its size with great Alexa integration and an understated look, from a single 44mm front-firing driver. It has a room temperature sensor, works as an eero Wi-Fi extender, and includes a mic mute switch alongside dedicated volume and action buttons.
Cons: 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. Engadget’s own head-to-head against the step-up Echo Dot Max found that speaker louder and bassier, from a 2.5-inch woofer and dedicated tweeter versus this speaker’s single small full-range driver. It is mono in a single unit, has no 3.5mm output, no battery, and needs Wi-Fi and an Amazon account for its smart features.
Full Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen review and specifications →
| AES Input | No |
|---|---|
| App | Yes (Alexa) |
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | No Battery |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (mic mute switch, temperature sensor) |
| Coaxial Input | No |
| Dimensions | 3.9" x 3.9" x 3.5" (100 x 100 x 89 mm) (H x W x D) |
| Discontinued | No |
| Drivers | 44mm front-firing driver |
| EQ | No |
| HDMI Input | No |
| IP Rating | None |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
| Optical Input | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (Wi-Fi multi-room, Alexa) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | External AC adapter (DC jack) |
| RCA Input | No |
| Stereo | No |
| Streaming Services | Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Pandora, iHeartRadio, SiriusXM, TuneIn |
| TRS Input | No |
| TWS | Yes (Wi-Fi stereo pairing via Alexa app) |
| USB Input | No |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa / Alexa+ |
| Weight | 0.7 lbs (340 g) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, 2.4GHz/5GHz) |
| XLR Input | No |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen vs Google Home Speaker
- Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen vs Google Nest Audio
- Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen vs Amazon Echo Dot Max
- Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen vs Google Nest Mini 2nd Gen
- Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen vs Amazon Echo Pop
- Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen vs B&O Beosound 2
- Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen vs Google Home Max
- Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen vs JBL Authentics 200
- See all 9 comparisons
Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen: $219.99 each Amazon eBay
Pros: SoundGuys called it the best-sounding Amazon speaker they have tested, scoring it 7.8 of 10. A 3.75-inch high-excursion woofer and three 2.25-inch full-range drivers fire left, right and upward, giving a real sense of width and instrument separation from a single enclosure, with vocals sitting forward and clean cymbals even at moderate volume. It supports Dolby Atmos and spatial audio on compatible content, stays distortion-free up to about 70% volume, and includes a built-in Zigbee, Matter and Thread smart home hub plus a 3-band EQ with a Dolby Virtualizer toggle.
Cons: SoundGuys still marked it down on Value (4.0 of 10) given the $219.99 list price, and it is explicitly not true left-right stereo from one cabinet, so a stereo pair is needed for real width in a larger room. There are no wired audio inputs of any kind and no battery, so it must stay plugged in, and Bluetooth is limited to the SBC codec. Voice recognition wasn’t perfectly reliable in testing, occasionally playing the wrong track for a specific artist-title request.
Full Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen review and specifications →
| AES Input | No |
|---|---|
| App | Yes (Alexa) |
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | No Battery |
| Bluetooth | Yes, 5.3 |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (mic mute button, far-field) |
| Coaxial Input | No |
| Dimensions | 6.1" x 5.6" x 5.8" (155 x 142 x 147 mm) |
| Discontinued | No |
| Drivers | 3.75in high-excursion woofer, 3x 2.25in full-range drivers (L/R/up) |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Mid/Treble + Dolby Virtualizer, via Alexa app) |
| HDMI Input | No |
| IP Rating | None |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
| Optical Input | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (Wi-Fi multi-room, Alexa Home Theater) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | External AC adapter |
| RCA Input | No |
| Stereo | No |
| Streaming Services | Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, SiriusXM |
| TRS Input | No |
| TWS | Yes (Wi-Fi stereo pairing via Alexa app) |
| USB Input | No |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa / Alexa+ |
| Weight | 3.6 lbs (1.632 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (Wi-Fi 6E) |
| XLR Input | No |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen vs Amazon Echo Dot Max
- Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen vs Google Nest Audio
- Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen vs Google Home Speaker
- Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen vs Google Nest Mini 2nd Gen
- Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen vs Amazon Echo Pop
- Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen vs B&O Beosound 2
- Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen vs Google Home Max
- Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen vs JBL Authentics 200
- See all 9 comparisons