Surprisingly, in order to take advantage of Amazon's Alexa virtual assistant you don't necessarily need to buy an Amazon Amazon Echo device. In fact, the Alexa assistant does not have this exclusivity and can also be integrated within devices of other brands, with an important difference that can be seen as a limitation or an advantage depending on the point of view. In practice, while the Amazon Echoes are always listening and work to answer questions at any time, the speaker speakers with Alexa can answer voice commands only with manual activation, for example by pressing a button as with the smartphone.
Those who are concerned about privacy and the fact that the Amazon speaker can always listen to our voice, then they may prefer alternative Alexa speaker speakers. In this guide we will show you the best alternative speakers to the Amazon Echo with Alexa voice commands .
These speakers work like simple Bluetooth and Wi-Fi speakers, but have a button or remote control to activate Amazon Alexa artificial intelligence with voice commands .
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- DLNA Wi-Fi playback : if we have songs in MP3, OGG or AAC saved on a computer or smartphone connected to the same wireless network as the speaker, we will be able to view the speaker or speakers as DLNA players, then start playback in a manner simple by sending the music to the speaker. On Windows just copy and paste the music file on the speaker (available as a network drive), while on Android we can use an app like Hi-Fi Cast - Music Player .
- Wi-Fi / Bluetooth playback : on many speakers we can choose what type of technology to use to listen to music.
- Play streaming services : without having to configure anything, the speakers will already be compatible with the most famous music streaming services (Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer, TuneIn Radio, Tidal etc.), so that we can play all our favorite music.
- Battery : some of the speakers that we are going to recommend have an integrated lithium battery, so you can also use them outside the home or take the case with us, without having to depend on the electrical outlet to use them.
- Integration with Alexa : to activate the reception of voice commands, they must have a built-in microphone and must be able to interface with the services offered by Alexa, by logging in with the Amazon account within the specific app or by making the association directly with the app for Android or iOS (for high-end models, automatically seen by the home automation system developed by Amazon). In order to actually activate the microphone, a physical button is often provided to press for a few seconds: immediately afterwards we can use Alexa as if we were on the Amazon Echo, with the same voice commands.
2) Best speakers with Alexa voice commands
After seeing what features the alternative speakers to the Echo can offer, we see in this guide the best products we can buy online. Some products are within the reach of all those who want to try these alternative devices, others have high prices due to their reproduction quality and the important specifications with which the manufacturers put them on the market: they are mainly designed for technology enthusiasts and for those who want to equip their home with high-end hi-tech products (with prices over € 200).
GGMM-E Series
One of the best speakers we can try with Alexa's voice commands is the GGMM-E Series. With this speaker we can recreate the multi-room environment for playback in multiple rooms through the dedicated app, associate the Amazon account in order to take advantage of Alexa voice commands (callable via a dedicated button), play via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and use DLNA for network playback.
We can view this speaker from here -> GGMM-E Series (39 €).
August Venus
Another speaker that we can use to try Alexa's voice commands is the August Venus. This case has a shape that resembles the Google Home speaker "very closely", but at the top it does not have colored lights but control buttons, including the touch button to start the microphone and ask Alexa for anything . In addition to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi (also usable for DLNA playback) it also offers the AUX input, so that you can connect any playback device via cable. Really beautiful and elegant, we can also make ourselves a little thought as a design object to put in the living room or bedroom.
We can view this speaker from here -> August Venus (93 €)
Sonos Play: 1
The best high-end speaker compatible and certified with Alexa is definitely the Sonos Play: 1.
With this speaker we will have a really very good sound quality, since inside we can find two speakers, a tweeter and a mid-woofer, with two dedicated digital amplifiers. It can be controlled both by other Echoes and independently thanks to the native support of Alexa: the case will be immediately seen by the app of the same name on any smartphone. Advanced features also include multiroom and automatic playlist playback from Spotify, so you can have your own music at your fingertips.
We can view this speaker from here -> Sonos Play: 1 (179 €)
READ ALSO: Use the Alexa App on Android and iPhone as a virtual assistant
