Packs a lot of punch for a small smart speaker.
A neat, compact, and well-priced smart speaker, the Amazon Echo Studio (2025) delivers immersive audio in a small package, with a clean, balanced soundstage that adds warmth and depth thanks to the dedicated woofer, though it lacks the room-shaking bass of the original speaker. New tap controls and a presence detector are neat additions that improve usability and increase the range of Routines available. As good as the speaker is, the integration with Fire TV devices hasn’t launched yet, and in the UK, there’s no Alexa+, which this speaker is designed for.
-
Neat control system -
Well balanced and clear audio -
Responds quickly -
New presence sensor adds options for Routines
-
Core features not yet available -
Audio quality not as good as the original Echo Studio’s
Key Features
-
Spatial audio
Three drivers and a woofer provide immersive audio, with Dolby Atmos supported -
Wi-Fi 6E
Supports 6GHz networking.
Introduction
There was a time when Amazon would pump out a new Echo speaker for almost every perceivable niche, but times are changing. With the launch of the Amazon Echo Studio (2025), the company seems intent on streamlining its product line-up, delivering a device that’s both a powerful speaker for music and a smarter personal assistant.
In effect, I’d say that the Amazon Echo Studio (2025) blends the features of the Echo Studio (2022) and the Echo (4thGen), which launched way back in 2020.
A more fully rounded speaker, the new Echo Studio gets a lot right, but there are still some features waiting to launch, and the lack of Alexa+ in the UK does hold it back a little.
Design
- New control system
- Sleek, material-clad body
Originally, smart speakers were really just designed for voice interactions with the smart assistant, but it’s arguably Apple that changed that with the HomePod, focusing on a pure audio experience first with Siri layered on top.
That appears to be the path that Amazon is following with the Echo Studio (2025), which in effect merges the standard Echo line with the home entertainment-focused Echo Studio line-up.
Design-wise, Amazon has decided to make the Echo Studio (2025) a sleeker-looking device than the original Studio model, which Kob, our TV editor, rightly described as “looking like the helmet from Tony Stark’s Mk 1 Iron Man suit”.
Tweaking the appearance of the older Echo (4th Gen), the new Echo Studio has a similar spherical body, with a graphite-colour material finish to it. Amazon has mounted the control panel on the front, giving the speaker a slight Death Star appearance, but overall, it’s a neat, modern-looking speaker.
That control panel houses the volume buttons, with the plastic disk they’re mounted on a giant rocker switch. It’s a good upgrade: the physical buttons on the old Echo were a little small and fiddly to reach; the new ones are easy to operate quickly.
The light ring, which runs around the outside of this control disc, slowly fills up to give a visual indicator of the volume level. And, this light ring lights up when Alexa is activated, too.
In the middle of the front disc is a privacy/mic-mute button. That’s it, and there’s no longer an Action button to activate Alexa, with voice commands the only option now.
Nor are there any inputs or outputs, and the Amazon Echo Studio (2025) doesn’t have a line input or output, just a single power input at the rear.
You do get the screw mount underneath, which can be used with a range of wall mount options.
Features
- Tap gestures
- Ultrasound Motion Detection
- Will pair with certain Fire TV devices in the future
- No Alexa+ in the UK, yet
Wi-Fi 6E is built in, and the Amazon Echo Studio (2025) is very easy to connect to the Alexa app, and then organise into a room.
Designed for use with Alexa+, the GenAI-powered smart assistant is slightly handicapped in the UK, as we don’t have the option to enable this smarter smart assistant. Currently, then, the smart speaker is limited to use with standard Alexa.
I still argue that Alexa is the best overall smart assistant. It understands more easily than Siri, offers better smart home support than its rivals, and generally answers most questions well. Smart home control, in particular, is very good and Alexa generally gets it right more often than the direct competition.
Standard Alexa does suffer from slightly out-of-date information if you want to look up things, such as restaurants. For example, I asked Alexa where the nearest French restaurant is, and it told me there was a Côte 0.2km away, which there isn’t. Asking for directions to the nearest French restaurant prompted Alexa to try and send me to a different restaurant that closed well over a year ago.
Alexa+ is likely to fix a lot of these issues, or at least make it easier to interrogate the AI assistant to get the information you want, or correct it when it’s wrong. For now, in the UK, the Echo Studio (2025) provides exactly the same experience as any other Echo speaker, with some minor improvements.
With the AZ3 Pro processor with AI Accelerator (built for Alexa+, primarily), the Amazon Echo Studio (2025) is quick to respond to requests with very little pause. And, its wake-word detection accuracy is impressive.
As you might expect, the Echo Studio (2025) has an integrated Zigbee and Thread smart home hub, and it’s fully Matter compliant, so you can connect compatible devices directly to it for faster smart home control, such as the Tado X smart home heating system.
This speaker also supports Tap gestures. Alarms can be silenced with a quick tap; calls and Drop-in sessions can be ended; and music can be paused and restarted. It’s a little thing, but tap gestures are often faster and easier than using voice for these simple actions.
This speaker also has Ultrasound Motion Detection built in, which is an advanced form of presence detection that you can use in Routines.
For example, you can have a Routine that turns the lights on when someone is detected, and turns them off when nobody is detected. I’ve found this feature to be more reliable than standard motion detection.
I set up a routine that gets Alexa to give a quick fact of the day when a person is detected. This fires when I walk into my office, but it doesn’t keep triggering throughout the day, provided I stay at my desk. With a motion sensor, this kind of automation would trigger multiple times throughout the day.
A temperature sensor rounds of the list of sensors. Again, this can be used for Routines, although you can also just ask Alexa what the temperature is.
Sound Quality
- Spatial audio with Dolby Atmos support
- Three tweeters and one woofer
- Fire TV support coming soon
Inside the Amazon Echo Studio (2025) are a range of angled speakers for spatial audio: three 1.5-inch drivers and a 3.75-inch high excursion woofer. With this speaker layout, Amazon says that this combination can deliver full spatial audio.
Compared to the original Echo Studio (5.25-inch woofer, three 2-inch midrange speakers and a 1-inch tweeter), the new model would appear to be a bit of a downgrade. Indeed, Amazon doesn’t directly compare the old and new models.
Listening to music on the speaker starts to reveal the truth, and the Amazon Echo Studio (2025) is generally a very competent speaker for the price. I have to point out that there are very few Dolby Atmos or spatial audio music tracks available.
Starting with more bass-heavy tracks, the Amazon Echo Studio (2025) handles them well, with better handling of higher volumes than the older Echo (4th Gen). Listening to the intro of Limp Bizkit’s Out Of Style, the guitars kick in with a punch, but the bass isn’t quite as room-shaking as it is with the older Echo Studio (2022).
OK Go’s This Too Shall Pass is probably one of the most bass-heavy tracks going, able to distort and confuse lesser speakers, but the Amazon Echo Studio (2025) handles it well. There’s a nice depth to the track, even if it doesn’t quite shake the room.
Foo Fighters Enough Space opens with a guitar that swirls from left to right. While there’s not enough stereo separation in there to give this full effect, the layout of the speakers does give a semblance of the sound moving.
When it comes to more subtle tracks, the Amazon Echo Studio (2025) does way. Clear harmonies from Simon & Garfunkel’s The Sound of Silence has the track at near-on its best, and classical music, such as Clair De Lune get the right level of detail.
Sound is well balanced throughout the volume range, and there’s some urgency and excitement to the sound.
At this price, the Amazon Echo Studio (2025) is a very good speaker: the Sonos Era 300 does sound better, but it’s a lot more expensive, and the HomePod sits in the middle, both in terms of price and sound quality.
As well as playing music, the Amazon Echo Studio (2025) is designed to pair with certain Fire TV devices – Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd generation), Fire TV Stick 4K (2nd generation) and Fire TV Cube (3rd generation) – with support for up to five Amazon Echo Studio (2025) speakers and one sub for full immersive Dolby Atmos audio.
However, at the time of writing this review, Amazon hasn’t enabled the feature, so I was unable to test. It’s a little disappointing that some older Fire TV devices aren’t supported for this feature, either.
Should you buy it?
Buy if you want a great-sounding smart speaker
Compact and well priced, this smart speaker delivers a great smart assistant experience, and its clean, well-defined audio is brilliant for the price.
Don’t buy if you want the best audio or have an older Studio
The older Echo Studio sounds better and has deeper bass. If you want just the best audio and don’t care about the smart assistant, there are more expensive rivals to choose from.
Final Thoughts
A cleaner, more focused line-up of Amazon Echo speakers makes sense, with the Amazon Echo Studio (2025) designed as a powerful, all-rounder for the voice assistant, music and entertainment.
At launch, there are some issues: there’s no Fire TV support, and the UK still hasn’t got Alexa+. Compared to the original Echo Studio, the sound quality, particularly bass, isn’t quite as good (running five speakers and an Echo Sub could change that).
However, at its price, the Amazon Echo Studio (2025) is a great smart speaker. Its overall audio prowess is great for the money, with a neatly balanced soundstage, and the redefined look and controls are great.
How we test
Unlike other sites, we test every smart speaker we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Find out more about how we test in our ethics policy.
- We test smart speakers with a variety of smart devices to see how well they control them
- We test smart displays with a variety of video streaming services to see how good they are for entertainment.
- We use the same test tracks for each smart speaker to see how well each handles music.
FAQs
Not at the moment, but a future update will allow up to five speakers and a sub to be paired with compatible Fire TV devices.
No, the speaker is compatible with Alexa+ but this requires a separate subscription. In the UK, Alexa+ has not yet launched.
Full Specs
| Amazon Echo Studio (2025) Review | |
|---|---|
| UK RRP | £219.99 |
| USA RRP | $219.99 |
| Manufacturer | Amazon |
| Size (Dimensions) | 155 x 142 x 147 MM |
| Release Date | 2025 |
| First Reviewed Date | 11/11/2025 |
| Model Number | Amazon Echo Studio (2025) |
| Voice Assistant | Amazon Alexa |
| Smart assistants | Yes |
| Special features | Ultrasound presence detection, Zigbee/Thread hub |
| App Control | Yes |
| Controls | Volume, microphone mute |
| Power source | Mains |
| Number of speakers | 3x 1.5-inch drivers, 1x 3.75-inch high excursion woofer |
Packs a lot of punch for a small smart speaker.
A neat, compact, and well-priced smart speaker, the Amazon Echo Studio (2025) delivers immersive audio in a small package, with a clean, balanced soundstage that adds warmth and depth thanks to the dedicated woofer, though it lacks the room-shaking bass of the original speaker. New tap controls and a presence detector are neat additions that improve usability and increase the range of Routines available. As good as the speaker is, the integration with Fire TV devices hasn’t launched yet, and in the UK, there’s no Alexa+, which this speaker is designed for.
-
Neat control system -
Well balanced and clear audio -
Responds quickly -
New presence sensor adds options for Routines
-
Core features not yet available -
Audio quality not as good as the original Echo Studio’s
Key Features
-
Spatial audio
Three drivers and a woofer provide immersive audio, with Dolby Atmos supported -
Wi-Fi 6E
Supports 6GHz networking.
Introduction
There was a time when Amazon would pump out a new Echo speaker for almost every perceivable niche, but times are changing. With the launch of the Amazon Echo Studio (2025), the company seems intent on streamlining its product line-up, delivering a device that’s both a powerful speaker for music and a smarter personal assistant.
In effect, I’d say that the Amazon Echo Studio (2025) blends the features of the Echo Studio (2022) and the Echo (4thGen), which launched way back in 2020.
A more fully rounded speaker, the new Echo Studio gets a lot right, but there are still some features waiting to launch, and the lack of Alexa+ in the UK does hold it back a little.
Design
- New control system
- Sleek, material-clad body
Originally, smart speakers were really just designed for voice interactions with the smart assistant, but it’s arguably Apple that changed that with the HomePod, focusing on a pure audio experience first with Siri layered on top.
That appears to be the path that Amazon is following with the Echo Studio (2025), which in effect merges the standard Echo line with the home entertainment-focused Echo Studio line-up.
Design-wise, Amazon has decided to make the Echo Studio (2025) a sleeker-looking device than the original Studio model, which Kob, our TV editor, rightly described as “looking like the helmet from Tony Stark’s Mk 1 Iron Man suit”.
Tweaking the appearance of the older Echo (4th Gen), the new Echo Studio has a similar spherical body, with a graphite-colour material finish to it. Amazon has mounted the control panel on the front, giving the speaker a slight Death Star appearance, but overall, it’s a neat, modern-looking speaker.
That control panel houses the volume buttons, with the plastic disk they’re mounted on a giant rocker switch. It’s a good upgrade: the physical buttons on the old Echo were a little small and fiddly to reach; the new ones are easy to operate quickly.
The light ring, which runs around the outside of this control disc, slowly fills up to give a visual indicator of the volume level. And, this light ring lights up when Alexa is activated, too.
In the middle of the front disc is a privacy/mic-mute button. That’s it, and there’s no longer an Action button to activate Alexa, with voice commands the only option now.
Nor are there any inputs or outputs, and the Amazon Echo Studio (2025) doesn’t have a line input or output, just a single power input at the rear.
You do get the screw mount underneath, which can be used with a range of wall mount options.
Features
- Tap gestures
- Ultrasound Motion Detection
- Will pair with certain Fire TV devices in the future
- No Alexa+ in the UK, yet
Wi-Fi 6E is built in, and the Amazon Echo Studio (2025) is very easy to connect to the Alexa app, and then organise into a room.
Designed for use with Alexa+, the GenAI-powered smart assistant is slightly handicapped in the UK, as we don’t have the option to enable this smarter smart assistant. Currently, then, the smart speaker is limited to use with standard Alexa.
I still argue that Alexa is the best overall smart assistant. It understands more easily than Siri, offers better smart home support than its rivals, and generally answers most questions well. Smart home control, in particular, is very good and Alexa generally gets it right more often than the direct competition.
Standard Alexa does suffer from slightly out-of-date information if you want to look up things, such as restaurants. For example, I asked Alexa where the nearest French restaurant is, and it told me there was a Côte 0.2km away, which there isn’t. Asking for directions to the nearest French restaurant prompted Alexa to try and send me to a different restaurant that closed well over a year ago.
Alexa+ is likely to fix a lot of these issues, or at least make it easier to interrogate the AI assistant to get the information you want, or correct it when it’s wrong. For now, in the UK, the Echo Studio (2025) provides exactly the same experience as any other Echo speaker, with some minor improvements.
With the AZ3 Pro processor with AI Accelerator (built for Alexa+, primarily), the Amazon Echo Studio (2025) is quick to respond to requests with very little pause. And, its wake-word detection accuracy is impressive.
As you might expect, the Echo Studio (2025) has an integrated Zigbee and Thread smart home hub, and it’s fully Matter compliant, so you can connect compatible devices directly to it for faster smart home control, such as the Tado X smart home heating system.
This speaker also supports Tap gestures. Alarms can be silenced with a quick tap; calls and Drop-in sessions can be ended; and music can be paused and restarted. It’s a little thing, but tap gestures are often faster and easier than using voice for these simple actions.
This speaker also has Ultrasound Motion Detection built in, which is an advanced form of presence detection that you can use in Routines.
For example, you can have a Routine that turns the lights on when someone is detected, and turns them off when nobody is detected. I’ve found this feature to be more reliable than standard motion detection.
I set up a routine that gets Alexa to give a quick fact of the day when a person is detected. This fires when I walk into my office, but it doesn’t keep triggering throughout the day, provided I stay at my desk. With a motion sensor, this kind of automation would trigger multiple times throughout the day.
A temperature sensor rounds of the list of sensors. Again, this can be used for Routines, although you can also just ask Alexa what the temperature is.
Sound Quality
- Spatial audio with Dolby Atmos support
- Three tweeters and one woofer
- Fire TV support coming soon
Inside the Amazon Echo Studio (2025) are a range of angled speakers for spatial audio: three 1.5-inch drivers and a 3.75-inch high excursion woofer. With this speaker layout, Amazon says that this combination can deliver full spatial audio.
Compared to the original Echo Studio (5.25-inch woofer, three 2-inch midrange speakers and a 1-inch tweeter), the new model would appear to be a bit of a downgrade. Indeed, Amazon doesn’t directly compare the old and new models.
Listening to music on the speaker starts to reveal the truth, and the Amazon Echo Studio (2025) is generally a very competent speaker for the price. I have to point out that there are very few Dolby Atmos or spatial audio music tracks available.
Starting with more bass-heavy tracks, the Amazon Echo Studio (2025) handles them well, with better handling of higher volumes than the older Echo (4th Gen). Listening to the intro of Limp Bizkit’s Out Of Style, the guitars kick in with a punch, but the bass isn’t quite as room-shaking as it is with the older Echo Studio (2022).
OK Go’s This Too Shall Pass is probably one of the most bass-heavy tracks going, able to distort and confuse lesser speakers, but the Amazon Echo Studio (2025) handles it well. There’s a nice depth to the track, even if it doesn’t quite shake the room.
Foo Fighters Enough Space opens with a guitar that swirls from left to right. While there’s not enough stereo separation in there to give this full effect, the layout of the speakers does give a semblance of the sound moving.
When it comes to more subtle tracks, the Amazon Echo Studio (2025) does way. Clear harmonies from Simon & Garfunkel’s The Sound of Silence has the track at near-on its best, and classical music, such as Clair De Lune get the right level of detail.
Sound is well balanced throughout the volume range, and there’s some urgency and excitement to the sound.
At this price, the Amazon Echo Studio (2025) is a very good speaker: the Sonos Era 300 does sound better, but it’s a lot more expensive, and the HomePod sits in the middle, both in terms of price and sound quality.
As well as playing music, the Amazon Echo Studio (2025) is designed to pair with certain Fire TV devices – Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd generation), Fire TV Stick 4K (2nd generation) and Fire TV Cube (3rd generation) – with support for up to five Amazon Echo Studio (2025) speakers and one sub for full immersive Dolby Atmos audio.
However, at the time of writing this review, Amazon hasn’t enabled the feature, so I was unable to test. It’s a little disappointing that some older Fire TV devices aren’t supported for this feature, either.
Should you buy it?
Buy if you want a great-sounding smart speaker
Compact and well priced, this smart speaker delivers a great smart assistant experience, and its clean, well-defined audio is brilliant for the price.
Don’t buy if you want the best audio or have an older Studio
The older Echo Studio sounds better and has deeper bass. If you want just the best audio and don’t care about the smart assistant, there are more expensive rivals to choose from.
Final Thoughts
A cleaner, more focused line-up of Amazon Echo speakers makes sense, with the Amazon Echo Studio (2025) designed as a powerful, all-rounder for the voice assistant, music and entertainment.
At launch, there are some issues: there’s no Fire TV support, and the UK still hasn’t got Alexa+. Compared to the original Echo Studio, the sound quality, particularly bass, isn’t quite as good (running five speakers and an Echo Sub could change that).
However, at its price, the Amazon Echo Studio (2025) is a great smart speaker. Its overall audio prowess is great for the money, with a neatly balanced soundstage, and the redefined look and controls are great.
How we test
Unlike other sites, we test every smart speaker we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Find out more about how we test in our ethics policy.
- We test smart speakers with a variety of smart devices to see how well they control them
- We test smart displays with a variety of video streaming services to see how good they are for entertainment.
- We use the same test tracks for each smart speaker to see how well each handles music.
FAQs
Not at the moment, but a future update will allow up to five speakers and a sub to be paired with compatible Fire TV devices.
No, the speaker is compatible with Alexa+ but this requires a separate subscription. In the UK, Alexa+ has not yet launched.
Full Specs
| Amazon Echo Studio (2025) Review | |
|---|---|
| UK RRP | £219.99 |
| USA RRP | $219.99 |
| Manufacturer | Amazon |
| Size (Dimensions) | 155 x 142 x 147 MM |
| Release Date | 2025 |
| First Reviewed Date | 11/11/2025 |
| Model Number | Amazon Echo Studio (2025) |
| Voice Assistant | Amazon Alexa |
| Smart assistants | Yes |
| Special features | Ultrasound presence detection, Zigbee/Thread hub |
| App Control | Yes |
| Controls | Volume, microphone mute |
| Power source | Mains |
| Number of speakers | 3x 1.5-inch drivers, 1x 3.75-inch high excursion woofer |
