Amazon ECHO now on sale, $99 special intro price for PRIME members

BillyBatts

ALOHA!
If you have not seen this, it's Amazon's new voice recognition assistant and music player called, "Echo".

For Prime members, it's offered introductory price is $99, a full $100 savings.
I ordered one today.

Even if you have no interest at all, the video is worth watching.

FYI.

http://www.amazon.com/oc/echo/
 
Good forum choice!

It will be interesting to see if these devices really do have an intelligence growth. They certainly should as Wikipedia is one of the data bases. Honestly, I don't know much about them. I was intrigued by them when I viewed the video months ago so I need to get up to speed since I'm buying one.

My biggest question, to myself, is what room to but it in.

cubdog
 
My biggest question is, will I be satisfied with the quality of the music playback?

In my bedroom, I use a Kloss Model 88 Table Radio that is basically a Bose Wave Radio. I've been happy with that as a nightly driver for my late night listening bliss. I'd LOVE to be able to say that I think "Echo" is just as good acoustically. Perhaps it will be. "Wave Radio" like receivers are stereo, but with both speakers so close together, and the wave guide port, it's basically mono anyway. I am truly hoping that acoustically, I will be surprisingly impressed with Echo's music reproduction.

I don't know how much I'll use it for things like;

"Alexa, how do you spell Antidisestablishmentarianism?", but I will more than likely use it for things like;

"Alexa, give me the News Headlines", and "Alexa, remind me to clean the cat box at 2:30 before the S.O. gets home", and of course, "Alexa, remind me that I left my keys to the car on the dresser."

My primary use, I think will be music. "Alexa, play me some Jazz"

It can and does access PRIME music, so that is good as I have a lot of playlists there, and the Jazz channels are first rate. I wonder how you define WHAT type of Jazz or other music it will play? Does it just go to Amazon Prime Music Stations, or can you ask it to play your Prime PLAYLISTS? It will be interesting to find out.
Also, I wonder, since it does Tune-In, if you can just ask, "Alexa, play station KPLU in Seattle" ?? Or "Alexa, play Jazz 24 on Tune In" ?? These are the same stations, I just wonder how you will have Echo access it?

All in all, it will be an interesting and FUN few days getting used to it.

My delivery date is February 7. Looking forward to it. We should have a lot of input for this thread once we get them.
 
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Did you have to get an invitation to buy one? Following the link, it looks like it makes you request an invitation (which I did), but no follow-up email to invite me yet.

Still not sure I'd order one, but the novelty factor seems cool and if the SQ is nice, I'd definitely consider it and use it as an alarm clock/clock radio, etc.
 
I don't know Captouch. But I think so. CubDog and I both requested an invite months ago. Well I did. I assume CubDog has had one in for a long time too. Just this morning, we both got an email that it was "ready to ship".

By the time I signed on to Amazon, I got a delivery date of Feb 7, so not QUITE ready to ship to ME. ;)

You may have had to accept an invite months ago to "get on the list" so to speak.

Well, if you can't get it for $99, you can always wait and see how we are doing with it, and eventually, I would think Amazon will again drop the price. They want lots of little Amazonians running around using Kindles and Fire Devices and now Echo.

And I agree with you. I'm thinking a device for the bedroom. Clock radio and music driver for evenings. Again, hoping the sound quality will surprise and impress.... hoping.
 
Did you have to get an invitation to buy one? Following the link, it looks like it makes you request an invitation (which I did), but no follow-up email to invite me yet.

Still not sure I'd order one, but the novelty factor seems cool and if the SQ is nice, I'd definitely consider it and use it as an alarm clock/clock radio, etc.

I'm pretty sure I requested notification when Amazon first sent me an email. Like I said though that was awhile back so I'm not positive. I do remember thinking they were pretty cool devices. I even showed the video to my wife and told her I'd like to get one.

No need for an alarm being retired. I already have a music system in the bedroom, android, chip amp, and speakers, so I wouldn't use it there for music. I'll probably put it in the family room or living room. My wife might use it for music rather than the 2 channel system in the living room.

It's another gadget I don't need but I'm hoping it's so cool that I'll be happy I bought one.

cubdog
 
I am amused by the "2-1/2 inch woofer", bet it can plumb the depths to 200hz or so :)
Wish it had an audio out port to use as a streamer connected to decent speakers
Still, interesting enough to drop $99
 
My order is placed. Arrival date of February 18.

I wish it had a headphone jack if nothing else. Oh well for $50, out of pocket, I can't complain.

cubdog
 
Hey Inscrutable, I hear you, sir.

But my Kloss 88 has a 2 1/2 inch woofer and with the wave guide, it's an amazing device ala Bose Wave but better, IMO. So, hoping that this device is a surprise on audio.

I've read the online review already and most say it's "Pretty cool". Others say the sound is "Pretty Good" considering the size. You can't expect it to sound like our vintage systems for sure, but I bet it's not too far off from my Kloss. And I love the Kloss in my Bedroom.

Anticipation! ;)
 
My order is placed. Arrival date of February 18.

I wish it had a headphone jack if nothing else. Oh well for $50, out of pocket, I can't complain.

cubdog

How did you get it for $50 out of pocket?

Intro price I have seen is 2x that...
 
My order is placed. Arrival date of February 18.

I wish it had a headphone jack if nothing else. Oh well for $50, out of pocket, I can't complain.

cubdog

No kidding, Cub. Heck, if you just used it as a simple music player, it's worth 50 bucks! Well done, sir.

My delivery date is now Feb 11. This morning it was Feb 7. I'm sure they are swamped. Lots of anticipation.
 
How did you get it for $50 out of pocket?

Intro price I have seen is 2x that...

My sister gave me a $50 Amazon gift card for Christmas. I would probably have spent it on another chip amp, that I don't need, or headphones, that I don't need, or something else I don't need. Even though I don't need this either at least I don't already have one. :D

cubdog
 
I began looking into this to order my girlfriend for Christmas. She had wanted a Bluetooth speaker. No iOS connectivity though so she got a UE Boom.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I began looking into this to order my girlfriend for Christmas. She had wanted a Bluetooth speaker. No iOS connectivity though so she got a UE Boom.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
That ZDNet reviewer said he was streaming to her from his iphone.
 
"Always learning" and always on... Don't know about you, but I wouldn't really feel good about inviting something like that into my house. I can only imagine the database profile that they will be building on you as an Amazon Prime member. And you're paying them for the devise!?! They should be paying you to gather all of your personal information, music interests, random interests/questions, schedule, voice patterns, etc., etc., etc.

Data privacy? I don't think so. Great marketing on their part. They must be enjoying the fact that they gather all of this information on you (their Prime members) and you are paying them! They must be laughing up a storm in the board room on this one...brilliant (on their part).
 
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