New Amazon Echo Dot Sound Test: It's Even Better

We're still testing the third-generation Amazon Echo Dot ($ 49, available Oct. 11), but one thing immediately stands out from Dot: the second-generation sound.

The biggest criticism I had (with many others) with Echo Dot was its poor sound quality, which looked like a transistor radio at best. This is one of the areas in which Google Home Mini has easily thwarted Amazon's smart speaker.

Packing a 1.6-inch speaker (compared to a 0.6-inch speaker in the second-generation Dot Dot, the difference in audio quality was evident even when I turned on the two speakers.The Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run introduction roll had a static sound – the Gen-2 Dot, but on the Gen-3 Dot, Max Weinberg's chopsticks were made and I could also clearly hear Clarence Clemmons saxophone. The 3rd generation Echo Dot (left) sounds much better than the 2nd generation (Dot) (right). Credit: Tom's GuideI could really party like in 1999 while listening to Prince on the new Echo Dot; not only were the basses much more complete, but the highest notes were too, and the voices were much clearer.

Another nice feature is that you can tell Alexa to adjust the equalizer settings on the point, such as "raise bass" or "lower treble". It does not make a huge difference, but it is noticeable. I imagine that on Alexa speakers even more powerful, the effect will be more pronounced.

We plan to compare third-generation Echo Dot with the Google Home Mini and evaluate its other features. So stay tuned for our comprehensive review.