Amazon Echo Sub is $130, turns Echos into a 2.1 system – CNET

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Ry Crist/CNET

Amazon on Thursday unveiled its first subwoofer, the $130 (£120, AU$199) Echo Sub, which is designed to pair with the Echo line of smart speakers.

The Sub has a cloth-covered grill and can be used in a multiroom audio environment, so you can stream the same song or podcast to multiple speakers in more than one room. The Sub can form a 2.1 system with a pair of Echo speakers — the ability to pair was announced today. The sub works with the Echo or two Echo Pluses (both second-gen models).

While Amazon was the first company to popularize speakers with an integrated voice assistant, its products have been eclipsed in terms of sound quality by brands such as Sonos. Competitors Google, Sonos and Apple can already do stereo pairing, but the only other sub in this space is the $699 Sonos Sub.

Specs include:

  • 100W amplifier 
  • 6-inch, down-firing woofer
  • 30 Hz (at -6 dB)
  • Crossover frequency 120-150 Hz
  • Wireless only, no analog input

The Echo Sub will be shipping on Oct. 11, with preorders available from today.

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