Amazon Echo Input makes dumb speakers smart

The £50 Amazon Echo Dot is great, but the audio quality from the tiny speaker array is…not good. In a tacit acknowledgement of that fact, Amazon has gone “screw it” and just removed the speaker part of the equation for an even cheaper Alexa device, the £35 Amazon Echo Input. It features an audio output and Bluetooth connection just like the Dot, which allows it to connect to speakers and amplifiers with compatible inputs. The far-field microphones will pick up on the “Alexa” wake word, but you’ll hear answers, music and radio shows through your speakers. You’ll be able to buy the Echo Input later this year, and interestingly Amazon says third party speaker manufacturers like Bose will be bundling the device with their upcoming products.