NEW Amazon Echo Dot and Tap

[Bekowies]

Thanks, can't wait to get home and try it.

[Teken]

Junky and others that have the Dot now plugged into a sound system. Some reviews indicated that the device outputs a slight noise from a hiss to random back ground hum.

 

Can anyone who has one comment on this?

[accd]

Junky and others that have the Dot now plugged into a sound system. Some reviews indicated that the device outputs a slight noise from a hiss to random back ground hum.

 

Can anyone who has one comment on this?

Have not notice any hiss at all.

 

Plugged into multiple items, Sonos Pre-amp into vintage Sony Receiver as the amp.  Sonos power amp, even tried using two Single Ended Triode tube amps and my preamp for grins....

 

Sonos working well throughout the house playing Amazon Prime or My Amazon playlists.  Interestingly since my fist Echo is setup to control Sonos volume and basic playback, I these functions even though DOT is supplying music stream to Sonos.     So even though the dot is in a different room, Echo can control the volume, pause, play and basic functions,  but Dot is controlling the music selection and playback. 

[Teken]

Have not notice any hiss at all.

 

Plugged into multiple items, Sonos Pre-amp into vintage Sony Receiver as the amp.  Sonos power amp, even tried using two Single Ended Triode tube amps and my preamp for grins....

 

Sonos working well throughout the house playing Amazon Prime or My Amazon playlists.  Interestingly since my fist Echo is setup to control Sonos volume and basic playback, I these functions even though DOT is supplying music stream to Sonos.     So even though the dot is in a different room, Echo can control the volume, pause, play and basic functions,  but Dot is controlling the music selection and playback. 

 

Accd,

 

That's great to know but will set my expectations lower (IF) and when I can purchase a Dot. For me its setting proper expectations in those things I use. When the Echo arrived a few months back I wasn't really expecting the volume and sound to be anything too stellar.

 

But given its price and size it was very decent for its intended back ground music.

[accd]

Teken

 

Quick correction, I do have some "hum".  I was listening to Sonos in a  different room, wifi enabled Sonos must have filtered out the noise.

Not sure it sounds exactly like a grounding hum, but something may be there.  I'll try a different Sonos to plug into this week.

 

Yup, overall the Echo worked well and the DOT actually has a broader functionality for me and I feel it's a decent value.  Ordered a second one but shipping is 90 days out.

 

Best of luck

[Tim McDermott]

Junky and others that have the Dot now plugged into a sound system. Some reviews indicated that the device outputs a slight noise from a hiss to random back ground hum.

 

Can anyone who has one comment on this?

I, too have noticed background noise via the line output of the Dot. I'd imagine this is exacerbated by the Dot's relatively low gain. I do find it annoying, but as an audiophile accustomed to a finely tuned SACD playback system I don't expect much anyway when the source is a streaming service served wirelessly.

[imagamejunky]

I didn't comment on noise because I've been away.

I did NOT notice any humming or hissing from any of the grouped sonos speakers. However I am getting a strange random popping noise that is coming from the speaker that is is my living room. I haven't noticed this "pop" coming from my game room where the dot is located. I haven't had much time to experiment since that first day. It's definitely a dot/sonos issues though because I've never heard ANY popping noises from any of my sonos speakers while playing any of the music sources that I've used.

Like I explained before, the gain is low on the dot, so I was turning the sonos up very high (almost maxed) and the dot up at 7-9 for music. My cable between the dot and sonos is not loose either.

 

Junky

[rlanza1054]

I noticed the POP and I believe its created when the DOT is connecting to or disconnecting from external Bluetooth Speakers or when its switching from external Line Input to Bluetooth.

 

Otherwise,I don't hear the POP.

 

I think its just those relays when switching audio connections.

 

I just got one of the two I ordered today!

 

I thought it did not come with any internal speaker, its nice that it did even though it too low for any real usage. I guess they put a tiny one in just to aid you in setting up unit.

 

I'm just hoping that giving a command to the regular Echo does not trigger the DOT in another room.

 

When I had the two units next to each other during setup, after the DOT was setup it responded to my commands as well as the regular Echo almost in unison! It was funny!

 

I haven't moved the DOT to the bedroom yet.

 

So I guess my command to 'Turn on TV' needs to be adjusted otherwise it  will end up turning on both TV's, maybe!

 

I'll fix it by changing command to Livingroom TV and Bedroom TV.

 

Oh sorry, its also linked to Harmony Remotes.

 

Rob

[Tim McDermott]

Given it's out-of-stock status and prices of up to $300 (!?!) on eBay, my thoughts on buying Dots speculatively seem particularly prescient. But that I had acted upon them. Mind you, I don't know why someone would forgo the better value of an Echo for considerably less cost unless they were particularly invested in the smaller form factor or line-out. 

[stusviews]

Have patience. There was once a 6 month wait that got changed to 4 months. The Dot is considerable less costly than the full size Echo (except when Amazon is out of stock). The small factor is what sold me. I don't need nor even want it for enjoying music. I want it only for the pure fun of voice control, my wife likes it for weather.

 

We have better means for sound enjoyment. Even the full size Echo is lacking for us.

Edited August 12, 2016 by stusviews

[mvgossman]

I posted a question in the ISY994i about the Echo Dot, I thought it was brand new and being released on a delay from Amazon because it's so new, evidently it's not and there is some experience with it. So you experienced users, two questions, and some information.

1. Does the Echo Dot require a standard Echo as a hub to operate the Dots or can the work together by themselves?

2. I had this pipe dream of 6 Dots in my home, that you could say "turn on the light" and it turns on the light in that room no matter which Dot/Room you are in. It seems it can be done?? I'd be satisfied if it simply required you to specify which light.

 

And for your information, Amazon is offering a buy 5 get 6 promotion, or buy 10 get 12.

 

Generally speaking, I was really wanting the ISY994i or a new device to work with Siri, especially since I have an Apple Watch. I'm coming around to the idea that the Amazon Dot, strategically placed, voice activated, easy for non-techies in the family, and relatively cheap, is better. IF it works.

 

Mitch

[stusviews]

1. The Dot is stand alone. An Echo is not required.

2. Neither the Dot nor the Echo can determine which room it's in. You need to state which room's light you want turned on of you need to create a portal sub-account for each room. I chose the latter method.

 

BTW, you do need a portal if you want the ISY to communicate with the Dot (or Echo). Siri is an Apple propriety app. It works only with Apple devices or those licensed by Apple.