Originally Posted By: tanstaafl.
Originally Posted By: Dignan
Can someone explain the appeal of this device to me?
To someone like me, whose life does not revolve around his smartphone, it's kind of like having Siri with a built-in stereo system available any time I'm in the house, without having to dig a phone out of my pocket and navigate to the app...

So, for me, it would make sense, and as an existing Amazon Prime user, it's just $99.

Will I buy one? No, probably not. I already have all the music I want, and since I already know everything, I don't need a Siri clone. smile smile

tanstaafl.
Apparently it is not stereo, but some sort of monophonic 360 degree sound.

With a 2.5" 'woofer' wink

Still comes with an app and a remote control.

Needs the smartphone to stream music sources other than the few included.
Quote:
... hands-free voice control for Amazon Music, Prime Music, iHeartRadio, and TuneIn. Plus, Echo is Bluetooth-enabled so you can stream your favorite music services like Spotify, iTunes, and Pandora from your phone or tablet.


The part that really puts me off is the idea of a device 'constantly listening' to everything that is said in my house.

Not to mention confusing for a household with human (or pet) named Alexa.