Modern Castle is supported by readers. When you buy with our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more

Amazon Echo Subwoofer Review

Derek Hales

Written By: Derek Hales

Updated on:

Alexa Enabled Subwoofer

moderncastle-fs-table__image

Amazon Echo Sub

The Amazon Echo subwoofer is one of the newest Echo products released by Amazon. This powerful subwoofer emits 100W of deep bass sound, easily filling rooms of all sizes. The Echo Sub allows users to connect their Echo devices to the sub and control the way the sound is emitted from the subwoofer.Check Price

Pros

  • Deep bass sound that travels well through rooms.
  • Users have the ability to pair multiple Echo devices to the subwoofer.

Cons

  • Does not work when Alexa is speaking, only when music is being played.
  • Connecting two Echo’s to this speaker can be a challenge.

Amazon Echo Subwoofer Design

The Amazon Echo subwoofer offers a neat design. Built in an oval, the speaker is able to emit 360° worth of sound (just like the 3rd gen Echo Dot). This design makes for a versatile unit overall.

Here are some of the basic design points:

The subwoofer is not complex, in fact, the exterior design is quite simple. On the top of the speaker is a flat piece of plastic that is connected to the speaker, which runs along the perimeter of the subwoofer itself.

Amazon Echo Subwoofer

On the back, near the bottom of the sub, is an action button and a power port. Both look clean and blend well with the speaker.

Is the subwoofer discrete?

In our opinion, yes. The size is not too large, meaning it can be tucked away and still prove ample sound to the room.

The Amazon Echo subwoofer can be placed almost anywhere in a room

That said, the overall aesthetic of the Amazon Echo subwoofer is appealing, so you may not want to plan on tucking it in a corner.

RELATED – Check out a few of the latest Echo products here.

Size & Dimensions

The Amazon Echo subwoofer is a typical size for a subwoofer. On the exterior, the Echo subwoofer measures 8″ tall by 8.3″ wide. On the inside is a 6″ sub (bass speaker). Additionally, this subwoofer weighs 9.3lbs.

  • Height – 8″
  • Width – 8.3″
  • Subwooofer width – 6″
  • Weight – 9.3lbs
Size of the Amazon Echo subwoofer

Performance

Unfortunately, we have not run the Amazon Echo subwoofer through our standard performance tests yet. Therefore, we are basing the performance on an aggregate of third party reviews.

Did the sound travel well?

Generally speaking, most reviewers seemed to be extremely pleased with the way the sound traveled from the Echo subwoofer. From what we have gathered, the speaker is able to hit nice highs while still having a deep bass sound.

Amazon Echo Subwoofer design

It seems as if most user are placing this speaker in a medium-sized room, such as a living room in a home. The overall sound quality and the ability of the speaker to fill a room seems more than sufficient for most reviewers.

RELATED – Best smart home reviews (the stuff you really need!)

Is the bass strong?

Again, most reviews seem to show users being pleased with the bass emitted from the Amazon Echo subwoofer.

Amazon Echo sub hardware
Internal view of the Echo Sub subwoofer driver

There were some reviews stating that the sound quality / bass is not as good as some of the more expensive, higher-end speakers, but that is somewhat expected, in my opinion. This subwoofer is not too pricey, therefore, I wouldn’t expect a performance level above higher end speakers.

Bottomline:

As a general rule, when looking at wireless subs or speakers, you can expect performance to be worse than comparably priced wired speakers. You have to spend quite a bit more to get a quality wireless speaker that could drive your home theater system.

If you’re buying the Echo Sub for a home theater, you may want to consider a quality wired sound system instead.

Usability

When it comes to actually using the Amazon Echo subwoofer, the simplicity is hard to beat. Aside from plugging it in and connecting it to your Echo enabled device(s), most of the usability comes directly from your voice.

Now on to the setup:

Although we have not had the chance to put the Amazon Echo subwoofer through the Modern Castle testing lab yet, we have scanned through several third party reviews.

Amazon echo sub setup

Based off of a majority of the reviews we read, the setup itself is not difficult, but the execution is not the most user friendly. Users must plug the speaker in and connect it to the Alexa app on their smartphone or tablet.

This is where the problems starts to occur. Most reviews noted that the Bluetooth seemed a bit buggy, meaning they could not get the speaker to connect to their Echo(s) or smartphone on the first try. That said, it did connect after a few tries.

Okay, but overall, was it easy to use?

From what we can tell, after you have the speaker set up, it is extremely easy to use. Ask Amazon Alexa enabled devices (Echo & Echo Plus) to stream / play music and the Echo subwoofer will work its magic. That’s all there is too it from a general usability standpoint.

RELATED – Did you know the Ecobee4 has a built-in Alexa? So you can control your Echo Sub and other smart home products by talking to your thermostat. Read our Echobee4 review here.

Is the Echo Subwoofer worth it?

Based off of everything we have seen and heard about the Amazon Echo subwoofer, I would venture to say it offers a good value and is worth. The price is not too high and the sound quality / performance is above average.

Amazon Echo Sub

The ability to connect two Amazon Echos to the speaker is a neat feature, allowing users to have ultimate control over the sound emitted from the subwoofer.

However, I am concerned about many initial reports of difficulty in getting the sub to connect. Once connected, seems things fine, but I would expect better usability from Amazon.

Wrapping it up:

All things considered, the sub seems like it’s going to find a welcome home within the Amazon smart home family. At this price point, it’s not cheap, but not expensive either. It’s a great way to add more well-rounded sound to your home.

Amazon Echo Subwoofer Specifications

Below is a table showing the full list of specifications of the Amazon Echo subwoofer:

SpecificationsAmazon Echo Subwoofer
TypeSubwoofer
ManufacturerAmazon
ModelEcho Sub
Height8"
Width8.3""
Subwoofer circumference6"
Speaker Power100W - Class D Amplifier
Low Frequency Response30 Hz (-6 dB)
Crossover Frequency50 Hz - 200 Hz
WiFiDual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4 & 5 GHz)
Weight9.3 lbs.
CordlessCordless speaker operation, but requires power cord
ReturnsYes
Warranty1-Year limited
PriceCheck Price

Who Should Buy the Amazon Echo Subwoofer?

The Amazon Echo subwoofer is a well-rounded speaker with the ability to add a deep bass sound to almost any room. If you’re looking to up the ante on your current Echo’s sound performance, the new Echo subwoofer may be a good addition to your home.

I would recommend the Amazon Echo sub if you’re looking for the following features in a speaker: 

  • Want to add some bass to your Echo’s music: The sound emitted from the Echo and Echo Plus are both good, but the Echo subwoofer adds a cleaner, more dynamic bass sound to the music being played through these devices.
  • Want to be able to fill a room with dynamic sound: If you’re looking to fill a room with robust sound from a speaker, the Echo Sub is a good choice. This speaker pairs well with the current Echo products to produce more sound throughout a room.
  • Don’t need a super high-end subwoofer: Although the Amazon Echo subwoofer is a solid product, it is not going to compare to a high-end home theater subwoofer. It’s great at what it does, adding music quickly and easily to almost any room (or even outside), but it’s probably going to leave audiophiles disappointed.

For more information on the Amazon Echo subwoofer, see here.

Why did the Echo sub score the way it did?

  • Design – Great aesthetic and a simple clean concept.
  • Performance – Solid sound performance, good specs and features. Not a home theater replacement, but good for what it is.
  • Quality – Typical quality you would expect from Amazon.
  • Usability – Many 3rd party reviewers still noting difficulties connecting to echo devices. Once connected it’s great, but for now this is probably the biggest negative.
  • Value – Inexpensive way to add robust and balanced music to any room.
Smart home, meet great sound
  • Design - 95%
    95%
  • Performance - 94%
    94%
  • Quality - 93%
    93%
  • Usability - 91%
    91%
  • Value - 94%
    94%
93%

Summary

The Amazon Echo subwoofer is one of the newest Echo products released by Amazon. This speaker is designed to produce a deep bass sound that fills a room. Users have the option of connecting one or two Echo’s to this subwoofer. By connecting two of the same Echo products, the speaker will emit sounds from both the left and right side. Simple set up and usability make this subwoofer one of the more impressive products Amazon has released to date.

About Derek Hales

Derek HalesDerek Hales is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of ModernCastle.com. He has been featured in Fast Company, Reader's Digest, Business Insider, Realtor.com, She Knows, and other major publications. Derek has a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Kansas State University. Hales has been testing and reviewing products for the home since 2014.