Reddit reviews Echo Link Amp - Stream and amplify hi-fi music to your speakers
We found 8 Reddit comments about Echo Link Amp - Stream and amplify hi-fi music to your speakers. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Upgrade your speakers with a built-in 60W x 2-channel amplifier, high-fidelity streaming music, and Alexa.Voice control music selection and playback with your compatible Echo device or the Alexa app.Connect Echo Link Amp to speakers and group with other supported Echo devices to play music throughout your home.Supports hi-fidelity audio from streaming services like Amazon Music HD.Multiple digital and analog inputs and outputs provide compatibility with your existing stereo equipment.Lets you cast to one or more Echo speakers from a line-in input, like an amplified turntable or CD player.Alexa is able to respond through all your connected speakers.
Let's not forget there's a version with a 60w/channel amp built in as well.
Which sounded neat when I first heard about it. But it's $299...so it's competing with some pretty well-regarded mid-fi integrateds. It doesn't even have a built-in microphone for Alexa applications, which is good to me, but probably an omission this thing's intended audience would lament.
Unless it's got some spectacular customizations via app or something, all it seems to really have going for it in r/audiophile is a compact form factor and sort of pretty design.
Connect any of these multi room streaming audio receivers to your systems of your choice. Stereo receiver, AV receiver, powered speakers, or whole home audio system.
You'd need to get an amplifier, but I'm not sure how to do what you want.
That russound won't be able to be controlled through an Alexa. It has physical buttons that need to be pressed.
If you want to control the audio individually in each room, you'll need to go a different route. It'll be a bit confusing, but I'll let you know what I would do.
First, get a Google Home Mini for each room. They're on sale for $25 right now, so definitely jump on that.
Next, you'll want stuff in the basement that you can control with the Google Homes.
That would be a Chromecast Audio. Unfortunately they've been discontinued, but you can still get them and they'll still work. Get one for each room that you've got speakers in.
Hook each chromecast audio to a small Class D amp and just leave the amp on. Class D amps use almost no power when you're not using them, so you don't have to worry about that.
You can set up each CCA to be a different room in the app, then with the Google Home you can say "play music in the bedroom" or whatever and it will play through that CCA into the amp and into the speakers.
Hope this makes sense.
Another option would be to get an Echo Link Amp rather than the CCA and SMSL amplifier, but that would be much more expensive.
we've been seeing a few of the DTS Play-Fi enabled network amps from different brands being discounted lately... I think DTS gave up trying to promote it, but its a great opportunity to grab some decent mini amps that still have great features.
There were a couple others, but I can't think of them off the top of my head.
Then there's always something like this from Amazon... A little pricier -
New amps from Amazon, FWIW. Announced last week, and not available until early 2019:
https://www.cnet.com/reviews/amazon-echo-link-amp-preview/
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0798GJVTR/
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0798DVZCY/
PS, some discussion here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/BudgetAudiophile/comments/9iv9fy/the_amazon_link_amp_looks_amazing/
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>If the Echo Link / Link Amp connects to the Echo Input via Bluetooth, what makes it any different to a normal DAC/Amp that has Bluetooth?
If the Link/Amp supports Bluetooth then none. The Link amp appears to be aimed at making "Dum-Speakers" into a "Smart Output" for Alexa - I assume connecting any DAC/Amp with Bluetooth built-in directly to an Echo device, then setting said Bluetooth as the preferred speaker, has the same end-result as using the Link Amp. As many reviews are comparing it to Sonos products.
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>I was hoping the Echo Link could communicate with the Echo Input via the WiFi/Ethernet network.
From reading Amazon's Page it looks like the Link & Link Amp work over WiFi, so I assume you could control it over the network using an Echo device elsewhere in the building.
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A few important notes I picked up from it's reviews:
>* (User paired Echo Dot to their Echo Link): The Dot will converse with you, but the MUSIC will come from the Link. Unfortunately it doesn’t seem to work with skills, so I can’t listen to one of my favorite music streaming skills, The Jazz Groove, to my nice speakers.
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>* (User wanted music at a set time each day): Unfortunately the link cannot be used as an output device on routines.
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>* (User wanted to use the Amp for Multi-Room): You have to use an iPhone or Android device to setup the echo link as a multi room device. Setting up via a computer on the Alexa portal is a no-go.
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From the 20-30 minutes of reading I've done, it should work for you as intended - Just setup both the Input & LinkAmp as normal via your phone, then create a room & set the Alexa Device as the Alexa Input with the Amp as the preferred speaker - If it follows the above Echo dot example, the Input won't be able to communicate problems to you (As it would try to respond via the 3.5mm speaker which you're not connecting)
Cheaper option would be something like a echo input. I did this and it worked okay.
Best option in the new echo link. There are two versions:
https://www.amazon.com/Echo-Link-Stream-stereo-system/dp/B0798DVZCY
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0798GJVTR/ref=ods_mccc_ky
The Echo Link Amp contains a power amplifier and has 5-way binding posts like any normal amplifier does. So you'd connect it with speaker cables just like you would connect any other amp to a speaker selector box.