The Amazon Echo Pop is a small, budget-friendly smart speaker. Its design is slightly different from previous Amazon speakers, with a unique half-sphere look that comes in several colors to suit your style. As expected, its built-in voice assistant feature is on hand, so you can control your favorite media and access Alexa's skills hands-free.
Our Verdict
The Amazon Echo Pop is middling for music. Given its small size, this speaker is better suited for small or average-sized rooms than larger, more open spaces since it doesn't get very loud. It can't reproduce much bass, either. Bass lovers who listen to a lot of EDM and hip-hop will want to opt for a larger alternative. Still, voices and lead instruments come through clearly, making it suitable for most music genres.
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3-band EQ.
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Not loud enough for large rooms.
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Lacks low bass.
The Amazon Echo Pop isn't really designed for watching movies. It's a small voice assistant speaker that lacks the low bass to bring sound effects and action sequences to life. Still, it's fine if you want to watch a video on a paired smartphone. Latency isn't very high, so you don't notice much delay, and the dialogue is easy to follow. You just can't move it around with you since it's a wired speaker.
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3-band EQ.
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Low latency.
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Not loud enough for large rooms.
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Lacks low bass.
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Directional, narrow soundstage.
The Amazon Echo Pop is passable for podcasts. Its lack of low bass doesn't matter much for this use, as there isn't usually much bass mixed into dialogue-heavy content. Voices reproduce with detail and accuracy, too, so it's easy to follow along with the conversation. It's not as loud as larger speakers on the market, so it's not as well-suited for listening in larger rooms.
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3-band EQ.
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Bluetooth compatible.
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Not loud enough for large rooms.
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Directional, narrow soundstage.
The Amazon Echo Pop is amazing for voice assistant use. Alexa is built-in and provides a similar experience to more premium speakers from the manufacturer. It can hear your commands from far away and in noisier settings like parties. You can activate Alexa with only your voice, which is nice for busy days at home, and you can also mute the microphone for more private moments.
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Microphone mute button.
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Outstanding Alexa performance.
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Not loud enough for large rooms.
The Amazon Echo Pop is a wired speaker, so it's not meant for use outdoors.
- 5.9 Music
- 5.3 Videos/Movies
- 6.1 Podcasts
- 8.6 Voice Assistant
- 4.9 Outdoors
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Updated Feb 03, 2025:
We've updated this review to improve clarity and accuracy.
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Updated Nov 20, 2024:
We mentioned the Sony LinkBuds Speaker in the Portability section of this review.
- Updated Aug 22, 2023: Review published.
- Updated Aug 18, 2023: Early access published.
- Updated Aug 14, 2023: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Jun 29, 2023: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
- Updated Jun 20, 2023: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
This speaker is available in several colors, including 'Charcoal,' 'Glacier White,' 'Lavender Bloom,' and 'Midnight Teal.' We tested the 'Charcoal' version, and you can check out the label here.
If you come across another version of this speaker, let us know in the comments so we can update our review.
Compared To Other Speakers
The Amazon Echo Pop is a compact and budget-friendly speaker. Like Amazon's more premium models, it has built-in Alexa support for hands-free voice control. You can control multiple Alexa devices through the Amazon Alexa app, spreading sound throughout your home. Its small size is ideal for those without a lot of space, but it means its sound quality isn't as impressive as models like the Amazon Echo Gen 4.
You can also check out our recommendations for the best Bluetooth speakers, the best smart speakers, and the best Alexa speakers.
The Amazon Echo Dot Gen 4 offers similar sound performance to the Amazon Echo Pop. In many regards, the Echo Pop is the successor to the discontinued Echo Dot. They're both Alexa-enabled voice assistant speakers with a small and compact design. The Echo Pop is a little smaller, though, and it has a half-sphere design compared to the full-sphere design of the Echo Dot. The next generation boasts a 3-band graphic EQ, so you can control the mid-range, bass, and treble.
The Amazon Echo Gen 4 is better than the Amazon Echo Pop. The Echo Gen 4 is a slightly larger stereo speaker that's better built. Plus, it has a better low-frequency extension and gets louder. The Echo Pop is a solid alternative if you're low on space or looking to save money.
The Google Nest Mini and the Amazon Echo Pop are smaller smart speakers available at more wallet-friendly prices. Each offers features unique to their particular manufacturer. For example, the Google speaker supports Google Chromecast, while the Amazon model lets you pair the speaker with other Alexa-enabled devices. The Amazon gets a little louder, though, and its low-frequency extension is a touch better, so you enjoy more rumble in the bass. Its graphic EQ allows a little more ability to customize its sound over the Google speaker's bass and treble adjustments. Plus, its voice assistant performs better in noisy environments.
The Apple HomePod mini is a larger and more premium speaker than the Amazon Echo Pop. The Apple speaker is better built, offering a better low-frequency extension in the bass. Its 360-degree design means it offers clear sound from all angles, too. However, it's not Bluetooth compatible like the Amazon speaker.
The Apple HomePod (2nd generation) is better than the Amazon Echo Pop. The Apple speaker gets louder and has better bass response. It also has a room correction tool to customize its sound to your surroundings, and its 360-degree design means that sound comes across clearly from any angle. However, it doesn't offer Bluetooth connection or sound customization options like the Amazon speaker, which includes a 3-band EQ through the Amazon Alexa app. Also, the Apple device is designed for compatibility with the brand's ecosystem, which could be a benefit or a drawback, depending on your current setup.
The Amazon Echo Pop and Amazon Echo Studio each have their strengths. The Echo Studio has a more balanced sound profile, and while it does lack low bass, you can adjust bass and treble in the companion app to help compensate for this. It also delivers superior dynamics, filling a room with sound and reaching maximum volume with minimal compression artifacts. Plus, it supports stereo audio without needing to downmix to mono and is compatible with 3D audio, though you'll need an Amazon Music HD subscription to enjoy this feature. The Echo Pop, on the other hand, has better voice assistant performance that can understand you even in noisy environments, like at a party. Also, it has lower Bluetooth latency, which is nice if you want to watch videos on your phone while paired with the speaker.
The Sony LinkBuds Speaker and Amazon Echo Pop are small speakers for home use. The Sony is a bit more versatile, as it's portable, so it can come with you from room to room and has a long 15-hour battery life. You have to plug in the Amazon for it to work, but it comes with Amazon's Alexa built-in, and it does an excellent job picking out your voice from far away in noisy environments. You can use the Sony with your phone's Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant, but its mic isn't quite as good.
Test Results
The Amazon Echo Pop is a smart speaker that's small enough to fit in one hand. It's even smaller than the Amazon Echo Gen 4, making it a great choice for more compact living areas. It has a slightly different design from the Echo speakers—it's only half a sphere, as opposed to the full sphere. You can find it in several colors, including 'Charcoal,' 'Glacier White,' 'Lavender Bloom,' and 'Midnight Teal.' It also has a light bar that changes color to reflect its current function.
This wired speaker isn't designed to be carried on the go since it needs to be plugged into an outlet to function. Still, given its small size, it's easy to move around to different rooms in your home. You can even carry it with one hand. Consider the Sony LinkBuds Speaker if you're looking for a stylish home speaker that you can use wirelessly.
This speaker is made mostly of plastic, which feels solid but not premium, especially compared to Amazon's other Alexa speakers, like the Amazon Echo Studio. The fabric on the front of the device is pretty loose, so you'll want to be careful when handling it to avoid rips or tears. It's not rated for dust or water resistance, so avoiding using it in the kitchen or bathroom is best.
The controls are limited but very easy to use, allowing you to adjust the volume or mute the voice assistant's microphone. When pressed, the mic mute button chimes and lights up red for added peace of mind. You can also snooze an alarm by tapping the top of the device. Since it's a voice assistant speaker, you can control other commands through Alexa, like playing and pausing your audio, through Alexa. A light bar on top of the speaker indicates some settings—yellow for notifications, green for an incoming call, purple when you set "do not disturb" mode, and blue when Alexa is listening. It even lights up from left to right as you set the volume level and flashes when you reach the lowest or highest setting.
This speaker's frequency response is sub-par, though that's normal for such a small device. It can't bring the thump and rumble in the low-bass like larger speakers, which is disappointing if you love to listen to genres like EDM and hip-hop. Still, the mid-range is virtually flat, so instruments like guitars are reproduced accurately, and the well-balanced treble means that sounds like cymbals are rendered with plenty of detail. Dialogue also sounds life-like. If you're listening to a podcast, you won't have trouble following the dialogue.
This speaker is front-facing, so avoid setting it up in the middle of a room. It's best to place it on a shelf or countertop since the sound is clearest in front of the device. Note that it also has to downmix stereo content into mono, and you'll have to pair a second device in the app to get stereo sound.
This speaker doesn't get loud enough to fill larger rooms with sound. This isn't much of a surprise, given its smaller size. You won't hear much compression if you listen to audio at max volume.
This wired speaker has no battery, so you don't have to worry about running low on charge. Like other Amazon speakers, it enters a low power mode when idle to reduce overall energy consumption. Of course, being a wired speaker means it's not as portable as some wireless options.
Built-in Alexa offers excellent voice assistant performance, as expected of Amazon speakers. You can activate Alexa using only your voice, and the device can hear your commands whether you're far away or navigating a noisier environment, like a house party. You can also mute the microphone when you prefer a little privacy by pressing the mic mute button on top of the device or saying, "Hey Siri, stop listening."
The Amazon Alexa app is a handy way to control all your Alexa-compatible devices in one place. You can see a video of the app here. Its main features include a 3-band EQ to customize the speaker's sound, an LED brightness slider, and alarm and timer controls. Plus, you can pair this speaker with another model to create a stereo pair.
This Bluetooth-compatible speaker stays connected to your mobile device, even from far away. Its latency with iOS and Android devices is relatively low, which is ideal for watching videos on your phone. However, different apps and devices compensate for latency in various ways.
Like other Amazon speakers, you can connect this device to your home's Wi-Fi. However, you can't use Chromecast or Apple AirPlay to send audio from compatible devices.
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