Amazon Echo Club

[OtinG]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

The Echo Tap is the best idea Amazon ever gave up on.
There, I said it.

They were good devices. I had two for a while. Not sure why Amazon discontinued them. Amazon has a history of discontinuing items though. Perhaps if a product doesn't sell in the numbers they want, or has too many replacements/failures, they just cancel it. But I never did read anything about why they actually discontinued the Tap.

[conan50]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

The Echo Tap is the best idea Amazon ever gave up on.
There, I said it.

I'm still using one in my bedroom. Awesome device. I dread the day it stops working.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by conan50

I'm still using one in my bedroom. Awesome device. I dread the day it stops working.

I'm still using my Tap, and, like you, dread the day it stops working. Yes, I also have an old Echo (first generation, I believe), an Echo Show, an Echo Auto, and a small Google Home given me by me grandson, but I can't move them easily and quickly from room to room, nor take them outside with me when I work in the yard or sit in the gazebo. Tap rocked. (Mine still does ).

[conan50]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

I'm still using my Tap, and, like you, dread the day it stops working. Yes, I also have an old Echo (first generation, I believe), an Echo Show, an Echo Auto, and a small Google Home given me by me grandson, but I can't move them easily and quickly from room to room, nor take them outside with me when I work in the yard or sit in the gazebo. Tap rocked. (Mine still does ).

I've often wondered what I'll do if the Tap quits working. There is no exact replacement that I know of. It is handy to move around the room or from room to room. Perfect size speaker for a smaller bedroom with better speaker than the dot but less overpowering than the regular echo.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

I can't move them easily and quickly from room to room, nor take them outside with me when I work in the yard or sit in the gazebo.

Originally Posted by conan50

It is handy to move around the room or from room to room. Perfect size speaker for a smaller bedroom with better speaker than the dot but less overpowering than the regular echo.

What made the tap more easily portable? Was it battery powered? If so, you might consider a battery base for a Dot if you need to get something similar.

Speaker quality is often subjective, but I find the new Dot adequate, though I never found the Echo's "overpowering."

There are also many third-party Alexa-enable Bluetooth speakers that may serve.

[OtinG]

Originally Posted by ApK

What made the tap more easily portable? Was it battery powered? If so, you might consider a battery base for a Dot if you need to get something similar.

Speaker quality is often subjective, but I find the new Dot adequate, though I never found the Echo's "overpowering."

There are also many third-party Alexa-enable Bluetooth speakers that may serve.

Yes the Tap had a battery and was a nice size in diameter for making it easy to carry around. The sound is pretty good. I think it was a bit better than the original Echo, and way better than Dots 1 and 2. Echo Plus 2nd gen has considerably better sound than the Tap did, but it isn't portable.

I suspect all the competition from 3rd party portable BT speakers probably had enough of an impact on sales to cause Amazon to discontinue the Tap after just on generation. I agree, there are some really good Alexa-enabled choices available to replace a Tap with when the time comes.

[conan50]

Originally Posted by ApK

What made the tap more easily portable? Was it battery powered? If so, you might consider a battery base for a Dot if you need to get something similar.

Speaker quality is often subjective, but I find the new Dot adequate, though I never found the Echo's "overpowering."

There are also many third-party Alexa-enable Bluetooth speakers that may serve.

Yes, battery made it nice and portable. I tried a dot with a battery powered base. The sound was good, but it was bulky and the battery died in less than a year.
Haven't tried the newest dot, but 1st two gens were terrible for music, which I frequently use the tap for.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by conan50

Yes, battery made it nice and portable. I tried a dot with a battery powered base. The sound was good, but it was bulky and the battery died in less than a year.
Haven't tried the newest dot, but 1st two gens were terrible for music, which I frequently use the tap for.

I have the two Dot 3s (set-up as a stereo pair) and a 1st gen Show 5. Sound quality is substantial compared to the first two Dots.

I'm quite happy with these Echos and don't want for anything bigger for my music.

[mlewis78]

I still have my Tap, and I think it still works, but it's in the kitchen area and my Echo in the living room can be heard there, so I haven't used it in a while. I stopped using it in the bedroom, because it was going offline too much. I used to take it to work on days when I knew I'd be alone there, but I'm retired 3+ years now. I would have thought it a popular speaker because of the portability and not being limited to using with an electrical outlet.

[conan50]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

I have the two Dot 3s (set-up as a stereo pair) and a 1st gen Show 5. Sound quality is substantial compared to the first two Dots.

I'm quite happy with these Echos and don't want for anything bigger for my music.

The Dot 3 looks like an excellent upgrade, maybe perfect for the right sized room.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by conan50

The Dot 3 looks like an excellent upgrade, maybe perfect for the right sized room.

Echo Dot 3 = $20 each

Echo Dot 4 = $25 each (includes free color smart bulb)

If you get two, you can set them up as a stereo pair and get left and right channels.
.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Echo Dot 3 = $20 each

Echo Dot 4 = $25 each (includes free color smart bulb)

If you get two, you can set them up as a stereo pair and get left and right channels.
.

That's a good price. If the border were open, I'd order a pair in a heartbeat. Sadly, however, it's at least another month. And the Canadian price of $59.99 each is not appealing. Even with $10 off on a pair -- that's $88 the pair in USD.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by CRussel

That's a good price. If the border were open, I'd order a pair in a heartbeat. Sadly, however, it's at least another month. And the Canadian price of $59.99 each is not appealing. Even with $10 off on a pair -- that's $88 the pair in USD.

Do you know anyone in Point Roberts?

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Do you know anyone in Point Roberts?

Oh, I have a US address and Amazon.com account. I can order them. I just cant' GET them. It will be at least August before I can get down there. Too bad, I was going to install them in my garden shed. The WiFi reaches there easily, and I'm planning to insulate it so I can use it year round (because it's a bit drafty for germinating tender seeds if we get a cold spell.)

Ah, well, perhaps when we finally have a Canadian Prime Day there will be a similar deal.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Oh, I have a US address and Amazon.com account. I can order them. I just cant' GET them. It will be at least August before I can get down there. Too bad, I was going to install them in my garden shed. The WiFi reaches there easily, and I'm planning to insulate it so I can use it year round (because it's a bit drafty for germinating tender seeds if we get a cold spell.)

Ah, well, perhaps when we finally have a Canadian Prime Day there will be a similar deal.

Gotcha.

On the brighter side, Black Friday is 5 months away and prices will be just as low then. The bad news is it's 5 months away.