Soundbars fill the gap between using a television’s limited speakers and investing in an expensive surround sound system.
Echo Studio (see it on Amazon) is a great speaker offering from Amazon, which promises three-dimensional sound and a replacement for your soundbar. But can it do the same job?
Echo Studio can be used as a soundbar by connecting it to your TV via Bluetooth or to your Fire TV with WiFi. However, you must have a compatible Fire TV to use it with Dolby Atmos technology. If your TV does not support either of these connections, you cannot use Echo Studio.
In this article, we’ll cover how Echo Studio speakers and soundbars work. We’ll also compare them. Lastly, we will explain how you can connect your Echo Studio to your TV and use it as a soundbar.
How Does Echo Studio Work?
The Amazon Echo Studio is a compact speaker unit with 5 different in-built speakers:
- 2-inch upward-firing midrange speaker
- 2-inch left-firing midrange speaker
- 5.25-inch downward-firing woofer
- 2-inch right-firing midrange speaker
- 1-inch forward-firing tweeter
Because the Echo Studio has speakers facing different directions, this allows the sound to bounce off your walls and create a surround sound effect. It can reproduce sound in 3D and Ultra HD.
It also works with Dolby Atmos technology. Dolby Atmos creates a 3D sound that disperses all around a room, rather than through specific channels.
This immersive technology makes it easier to have a home theater because you don’t need a large variety of surround speakers. However, you must have a Fire TV for this to work.
Check out my article – Is Dolby Atmos Actually Worth It?
Echo Studio is designed to connect to any part of the home. It has in-built Alexa voice control so you can control your sound hands-free.
It has a 3.5mm mini optical line-in that can connect to your TV. It also supports Bluetooth wireless streaming of music from your device.
The speaker adjusts its playback according to the acoustics of your room. It constantly adjusts its playback so that there is optimal sound in each part of the room.
How Does a Soundbar Work?
A soundbar is a long unit that contains multiple speakers. It is wide and thin, designed to be placed underneath your TV.
It connects to your TV with a single cord and is designed to enhance its sound.
It has speakers that fire left and right, with many models that also include upward-firing speakers. Because the sound fires in different directions, it has a similar effect to a traditional home cinema.
The most common soundbars are powered, meaning that they do not need an independent amplifier or receiver. They can connect to your TV or device to play music directly. Some also have wireless connectivity.
What Is the Difference between Echo Studio and a Soundbar?
For comparison, we’re going to take a look at the Samsung HW-T450 (Amazon link). This soundbar is at a similar price point to the Echo Studio and is similarly rated.
| Echo Studio | Samsung Soundbar | |
|---|---|---|
| Peak amplification | 330W | 200W |
| Speakers | 5 | 3 |
| Channels | 5.1 | 2.1 |
| Dolby Atmos | Yes | No |
| Alexa | Yes | No |
| WiFi | Yes | No |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
At a glance, the Echo Studio is superior when compared to a soundbar of a similar price. It’s louder, has more channels, and supports various connections that the Samsung model does not.
The main advantage of the Echo Studio is that it has upward-facing speakers. In combination with Dolby Atmos, this allows it to reproduce 3D sound that will approach you from above. While some higher-end soundbars also have these speakers, the HW-T450 does not.
A key difference between Echo Studio and a soundbar is the shape. Soundbars are long and slim, whereas Echo Studio is cylindrical. The Amazon Echo studio does not have speakers at the back of the unit. Therefore, you need to place it at the front of your room for the best possible sound.
The Echo Studio also has advanced connectivity options that many cheaper soundbars do not. The inclusion of Alexa voice control, WiFi, and Bluetooth allows you to connect your home theater in any way that suits you.
Overall, the Echo Studio is a diverse alternative to a soundbar.
How to Use Echo Studio as a Soundbar
To use Echo Studio as a soundbar, you will need to place it in front of your TV. You must also ensure that your TV has Bluetooth connectivity.
Connect to a TV with Bluetooth
You can connect Echo Studio to a TV directly or through an external receiver. We’ll cover both options.
How to connect via a receiver:
- Switch on your receiver and use the remote to go into its settings.
- Switch on Bluetooth.
- Choose if you want to play audio exclusively through the Echo Studio or as a combination with the TV speakers.
- Say, “Alexa, connect.”
- Wait for the devices to connect.
- Test the connection by playing a video and listening for sound coming out of the Echo Studio.
How to connect via the TV:
- Turn on your TV and press the Settings button on your remote.
- Switch on Bluetooth.
- Choose if you want to play audio exclusively through the Echo Studio or as a combination with the TV speakers.
- Say, “Alexa, connect.”
- Wait for the devices to connect.
- Test the connection by playing a video and listening for sound coming out of the Echo Studio.
This could differ depending on the specific model of your TV. If needed, refer to your TV manual to find how you can connect to Bluetooth devices.
A potential issue of using the Bluetooth connection is lag in the audio. This is referred to as audio latency. It happens because of the time needed for the audio transmission to get from the speakers’ media source.
Therefore, if you have the option to pair your Echo Studio with a Fire TV via WiFi, this is always a better option. WiFi transmits faster, and you are less likely to experience audio latency.
Connect to a Fire TV with WiFi
To connect your Echo Studio with your TV via WiFi, you need a compatible Amazon Fire TV.
The following Amazon Fire TVs are compatible with the Echo Studio:
- Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K
- Amazon Fire TV Cube (1st and 2nd Generation)
- Amazon Fire TV (3rd Generation)
How to connect via WiFi:
- Turn on your Fire TV.
- Open the Alexa app on your phone.
- Press the button that says Devices and select the plus icon.
- Tap Set Up Audio System.
- Tap Home Theater.
- Select your Fire TV. You may need to tap Rescan if it doesn’t immediately show up.
- Select Next to add your Amazon Echo. If you have two Amazon Echos, you can pick one for the left and one for the right channel.
- Choose a name for the connection between your TV and Amazon Echo, and save it.
- Use your Fire TV remote for Play Preview to test that the sound plays through the Echo Studio.
The following video shows you how to connect your Echo Studio to your Fire TV. It also shows you how to use Dolby Atmos:
Conclusion
You can use Echo Studio as a soundbar with TVs that have Bluetooth connectivity.
However, to take advantage of the three-dimensional Dolby Atmos sound, you need to use it with a compatible Fire TV device. You can connect via WiFi and Time Synchronization for an enhanced listening experience.
Echo Studio has an advantage over soundbars at its price point because it has more speakers, more channels, and can handle more amplification. However, it would struggle to compete with a high-end soundbar. For under $200, it’s an excellent alternative to a classic soundbar.
Check out my top picks for soundbars without subwoofer.
Jason is a home theater expert with over 10 years of experience in setting up home cinema rooms and systems. What started out as a hobby soon transformed him into an authority in the audio-visual field. He is passionate about providing readers with accurate and up-to-date information on the latest audiovisual technologies and their applications for home theaters. Read more about Jason.