Echo Studio vs Echo Plus: Which Sounds Better in 2024?

In this post, I’ll compare the similarities and differences between the Amazon Echo Studio vs Echo Plus smart speakers with Alexa and premium audio.

If you want to know the key differences between Echo Studio vs Echo Plus, here they are:

The larger Echo Studio features Dolby Atmos processing and more audio hardware with three 2″ midrange speakers, a 1″ tweeter, and a 5.25 ” woofer. This is in contrast to the 0.8″ tweeter, 3″ woofer, and standard Dolby sound in the Echo Plus. They both have a built-in Zigbee smart home hub.

Echo Studio vs Echo Plus: Features Comparison

With these significant enhancements, the Echo Studio is my enthusiastic pick for premium sound in a smart speaker, though it does cost a bit more. You can check the latest price of both the Echo Studio and the Echo Plus over at Amazon using the buttons in the following table.

Echo Studio

Echo Plus

Best Sounding Echo

A Cut Above

Number of Speakers

5

2

Speakers

1" Tweeter, three 2" Mid-range Speakers, and 5.25" Woofer

0.8"Ttweeter and 3" Woofer

Dimensions

8.1” height x 6.9” diameter (206 mm x 175 mm)

5.8” x 3.9” x 3.9” (148 x 99 x 99 mm)

Weight

7.7 lb (3.5 kg)

27.5 oz. (780 grams) A

Amplifier

Peak output 330W; 24-bit DAC; 100 kHz bandwidth

None

Line In/Out

3.5 mm or mini-optical Toslink Line In

3.5 mm Audio Input or Output

Dolby Processing

Yes, Atmos

Yes, Dolby Audio

Zigbee Smart Home Hub

Temperature Sensor

BUY AT AMAZON

BUY AT AMAZON

Echo Studio

Best Sounding Echo

Number of Speakers

5

Speakers

1" Tweeter, three 2" Mid-range Speakers, and 5.25" Woofer

Dimensions

8.1” height x 6.9” diameter (206 mm x 175 mm)

Weight

7.7 lb (3.5 kg)

Amplifier

Peak output 330W; 24-bit DAC; 100 kHz bandwidth

Line In/Out

3.5 mm or mini-optical Toslink Line In

Dolby Processing

Yes, Atmos

Zigbee Smart Home Hub

Temperature Sensor

BUY AT AMAZON

Echo Plus

A Cut Above

Number of Speakers

2

Speakers

0.8"Ttweeter and 3" Woofer

Dimensions

5.8” x 3.9” x 3.9” (148 x 99 x 99 mm)

Weight

27.5 oz. (780 grams) A

Amplifier

None

Line In/Out

3.5 mm Audio Input or Output

Dolby Processing

Yes, Dolby Audio

Zigbee Smart Home Hub

Temperature Sensor

BUY AT AMAZON

Last update on 11/20/2024 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

There are other advantages of Echo Studio vs Echo Plus too. I will go into them in more detail below.

Key Hardware Differences

I gotta say, what a big mistake!  The new Echo Studio just rocks. It is my best sounding speaker by a mile and it sounds amazing as part of my multi-room music configuration that now contains, the Echo Studio, an Echo Show, 2nd Gen, an Echo Show 8, two 3rd-Gen Echo dots, and an old Echo first-gen speaker.

Yes, I have a lot of Echos. The Studio sounds better than all of them.

This is two primarily to some major design upgrades that Amazon has packed into its latest speaker.

Here is what the Echo Studio vs Echo Plus looks like on the outside:

Here is what the Echo Studio looks like on the inside :

And here is an inside view of the Echo Plus .

As you can see, the Echo Studio really packs in a lot more hardware.

Here is what the Echo Studio looks like sitting on my rounded bedside table lamp beside my bed:

My Echo Studio

Yes, I need hide the wires but as you can see this is meaty premium speaker compared to the other Echo devices.

📚 Related: Echo Studio Vs Echo Sub

Echo Studio: Watch Out Sonos, Apple, and Bose

There is no question that Amazon designed the Studio to not just compete with its competitors like Sonos, Apple Homepod, and Bose. IMHO, Amazon’s foray into the premium audio market and relatively affordable price point actually beat them at their own game.  The sound is just amazing. And it should be this bad boy packs a real punch with “multi-dimensional sound” that cranks out of not three, not four, but FIVE speakers and Dolby Atmos processing.

The reason the Studio sounds so good is that it includes microphones inside that are designed to calibrate its audio performance based upon its surroundings. Now, how is that for smart?

Nicole Lee from Engadget does a nice job with this video overview of the Echo Studio

If you can’t already tell I absolutely love this speaker.

Here is the unboxing video I did out on my YouTube channel that took me almost a year to make!

Please like and subscribe to my channel!

So what about the Echo Plus? I have always been impressed with the sound of my Echo Plus. Next to Echo Show 2^nd Generation, this was my favorite sounding Alexa speaker. But the Echo Studio just blows it out of the water. And with the release of the new Amazon Echo [3^rd Generation], there is really no compelling reason to get the Plus now, unless the temperature sensor and Zigbee Hub are important to you.

📚 Related: Echo 4th Gen vs Echo Plus 2

What Can the Echo Plus Do?

Echo Plus was Amazon’s answer last year to improved sound quality from some of the competitors’ sound speakers mentioned above.

It also provided a Zigbee smart home and a built-in temperature sensor so it could be used to create routines with smart thermostats for example.

However, Amazon recently announced its update to the new Echo [3rd Generation] will include the same premium hardware that is in the Plus. So, I’m scratching my head wondering if the Plus is worth the extra expense.

In the following video review, Digital Trends talks about some strengths and weaknesses of the Echo Plus:

Let’s take a closer look at the sound quality of both of these devices.

Echo Studio vs Echo Plus: Sound Quality

The Echo Studio comes with three 2” (51 mm) midrange speakers, one 1” (25 mm) tweeter, one 5.25” (133 mm) woofer. In addition, Amazon added Dolby Atmos processing on board as well as an amplifier with a bass aperture to maximize bass output at 33OW.

Perhaps the best feature of the Echo Studio is that it automatically adapts to room size and acoustics to optimize for sound quality.  No need to fumble with an equalizer, the Studio uses its built-in microphones to listen to the acoustics of a room and then optimize its 3-D sound experience.

This just blew me away.

By contrast, the Echo Plus has a 0.8″ tweeter and 3″ woofer. It leverages standard Dolby audio and does not auto-optimize for room acoustics and size.

Both speakers support a wide variety of audio formats and streaming media services that include Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal, Deezer, Pandora, SiriusXM, iHeartRadio, and TuneIn.

If you want to know which speaker is louder, it’s the Echo Studio.  You don’t need to look any further than the speaker’s onboard hardware and amplifier to understand that the Studio is significantly louder than the Plus.

Echo Studio vs Echo Plus: Design Considerations

Both speakers sport Amazon’s latest generation design, with solid-state plastic and mesh outer wrapper. While the Plus lets you choose between three colors—Charcoal, Heather Gray, and Sandstone—the Echo Studio only comes in gray.

The Echo Studio is also much larger (8.1” height x 6.9” diameter) and nearly 10x heavier than the Plus, weighing in at 7.7l bs. The Plus is 5.8” x 3.9” x 3.9” and 27.5 ounces.

Echo Studio also has a bit of a signature. That is, there is a thin rectangular hole that runs across the bottom ¼ of the speaker. This is different than any other Echo device. It looks and feels richer than the Plus in my opinion.

OK, I’m going to admit the background music in this video from UTILITARIAN TV is a little creepy but if you want to get an idea as to the design of the two speakers this is pretty good.

What Can the Echo Studio vs Echo Plus Control?

Both speakers include a built-in Zigbee smart home hub. The main benefit of this is that you don’t need to buy an additional hub to control smart devices that rely on Zigbee. For example, since Philips Hue lights are Zigbee compatible, you don’t need to buy a separate Hue bridge.

There are also a ton of smart devices out there that don’t require a bridge or hub at all. These include:

• Smart lights
• Plugs and outlets
• Smart thermostats
• Door locks
• Smart appliances
• Alarms and sensors
• Security Cameras and related equipment
• Many others

In comparing Echo Studio vs Echo Plus in the realm of smart device control, the functionality is essentially the same. My Studio seems to be slightly more responsive than my Plus but that may just be because I have the Studio directly beside my bed. Here’s a closer-up view of it on that rounded beside-table lamp beside my bed.

See that empty “bottom shelf” down there? I had initially planned to put my Echo Sub down there but it was too big to fit. Either way, it still sounds killer on the other side of the room. Having an Echo Studio and Sub on the same multi-room music config just sounds awesome.

Are There Any Alexa Differences to Be Aware Of?

The speakers are also identical where Alexa is concerned.

You get all of the benefits of Alexa on both devices. Well, except for those that are only available on screened devices, like the Echo Show of course.

📚 Related: Echo Show 2 vs Facebook Portal vs Nest Hub

What are the Major Differences Between Echo Studio vs Echo Plus?

Here is a list of major differences between the Amazon Echo Studio and Echo Plus:

1. The biggest difference is the number and type of speakers as noted elsewhere in this post: The Echo Plus has two speakers and the Echo Studio has 5
2. Echo Studio analyzes the acoustics of a room and adjusts audio to optimize the sound experience. No other Amazon speaker does this today.
3. The Echo Studio has a built-in amplifier, the Echo Plus does not.
4. Echo Studio is dramatically bigger and heavier than the Plus.
5. The Echo Studio has a hole in the bottom quarter of the unit; the Echo Plus does not.
6. Echo Studio has a 3.5 mm or mini-optical Toslink line in, and Echo Plus has 3.5 mm line in/out.
7. The Echo Studio leverage Dolby Atmos processing, where the Echo Plus uses standard Dolby audio.
8. Echo Plus has a temperature sensor; the Echo Studio does not.

Echo Studio vs Echo Plus: 6 Similarities

Here is a summary of some common features of both the Echo Studio vs Echo Plus:

1. They both sport Amazon’s updated next-generation design.
2. They both include a built-in Zigbee smart home hub.
3. The contents of the box are pretty much the same: Echo speaker, power cable, Quick Start Guide.
4. They both support a variety of streaming media services and audio formats that include FLAC, MP3, AAC, Opus, Vorbis, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Atmos, Sony 360 Reality Audio, and MPEG-H support for CD Quality (16-bit) and Hi-Res (24-bit).
5. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support are the same.
6. They both give you all the benefits of an Alexa speaker.

How Long Is the Echo Studio vs Echo Plus Warranty?

Amazon offers a 1-year Limited Warranty for both devices with options to extend. Check the Amazon product pages at the links below for details.

Where to Buy

The Echo Studio is available now. You can check 👉the current price at Amazon here.

As of this writing, the Echo Plus 2^nd Generation is also still available while supplies last. You can see the 👉 latest customer reviews at Amazon here.

Is It Worth Getting the Echo Plus?

So what do you think about my review comparing the Echo Studio vs Echo Plus?

Now that Amazon has released an updated Echo device, do you think the Plus is still worth a look? Do you think Amazon will ultimately shelf the plus smart speaker?

My take is that with the price of the new Echo [3rd Generation] now more affordable than ever, I would be more inclined to buy that over the Plus if the price was my main consideration. If I really wanted the best possible sound quality and ok with paying a little extra, I would go for the Echo Studio.

Please leave me a comment below and let me know your thoughts. I will publish and reply to as many comments as I can.

One thing is for sure, with no end to the increasing demand for smart speakers in view [source Forbes], the resulting innovation will be a win for consumers for some time to come.  The devices just keep getting better and better, and fast!

Anyhow, I sincerely hope you found this article helpful. Please let me know if you have thoughts on how I can make it even better.

Related Posts

If you liked this post comparing Echo Studio vs Echo Plus, you might also like some of these articles:

• 5 Ways You Can Dramatically Improve Alexa Sound Quality
• Echo Sub Vs Sonos Sub Vs Bose Sub: All About that Bass!
• A+ Alexa! 19 Awesome Amazon Echo Device Gifts
• Amazon Nebula vs Sonos Beam: Does Alexa Raise the Bar?
• Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen vs 2nd Gen Comparison: What’s the Difference?

Please Social Share

If you got some value from this article comparing the Echo Studio vs Echo Plus, would you mind giving us a quick share on social media?

It just takes a minute, and you can use any of the colorful social media buttons along the top and near the bottom of this page.

Thanks! This really helps to spread the word about our blog and gives us a little boost in Google rankings.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tim Brennan, a tech blogger and host of the @TecTimmy YouTube channel, writes about smart homes at oneSmartcrib, home theaters at UniversalRemoteReviews, and AI in writing at Writeinteractive. He holds a Journalism degree from Northeastern University and has covered technology for three decades. He lives on the ocean in Nahant, Massachusetts.