@deathbynoodlez THEY ARE TAKING FOOD FROM YOUR GREAT GRAND CHILDRENS MOUTH BY NOT SELLING THIS. THIS IS BLASHPEMY OF THE HIGHEST REGARD AND THEY WILL BE SENT TO THE PIT OF MISERY. DILLY DILLY !
@Barney Do you have an Echo Dot? Do you have speakers for it? The dots native speakers are not very good, I have two of mine connected to good speakers.
@Barney@ruouttaurmind I like my dots and my Google Home equally well. But since you are learning Google Assistant, you might want to look at Google Home depending on what you want to use it for.
@heartny It’s only got two 2” speakers, so don’t expect home theatre, blow your hair back, Dolby Digital sound. But it’s gotta be better than the Dot alone.
I rarely comment here… But…I bought one of these exact items at Amazon earlier this year. Sounded pretty good and the portability with the Dot was nice, so I bought a second. The first one is now dead (less than nine months) and does not work at all. The second is still going okay, so maybe I got a dud. This specific item has been removed from Amazon but before it was removed, premature deaths were a common complaint. Buy with caution… Having said that… For $20 it might be worth the risk.
@icehole I know. Debating buying a replacement. In the meantime, I have purchased a set of USB powered speakers for under $10 that is meeting my needs okay… Not as loud as the Mokcao. but this gets the most use for me after Wife has gone to sleep and I want it hearable but not loud…
This is tempting, I have three 2nd gen dots. But one is plugged into some good bookshelf speakers, one has Bluetooth access to my surround sound, and the third is plugged in above my bed in a wall mount. So I guess I’ll pass.
But it’s battery-powered only, right? I mean, I can’t really use it to “beef” up my current kitchen Dot without recharging it all the time, or does it have a cord that can be plugged in all the time?
I have 4 of these, they have good sound, good volume, will charge your cell phone via the usb on the back, and you can unplug it and take it to the garage to listen to tunes.
A poor man’s Echo, with better sound (according to reviewers).
I’d get another, but I think I may actually have enough…
@Kyser_Soze
1st gen: Volume is changed using a rotating top (like the original Echo); 2 buttons up top.
2nd gen: Switched to two volume buttons, meaning there are now 4 buttons up top.
3rd gen: Fabric instead of plastic for the sides
@2many2no You should watch the deals thread. The 2nd gen. dot was just $20 refurb’d, but when delivered they looked, and were sealed like new. I picked one up for a Xmas present.
Hah! Finally meh has something for me! I’ve been pricing these at Amazon since I got a 2nd Generation Dot for $15 on an out of the blue email deal from Amazon. Docks were never cheaper than $39, all about the same reviews. And then the one I wanted went up $20 more. So, here’s to staying on Meh forever and finally finding a deal.
Edit: Oh wow, this is the one with the battery, even better! I literally saw the price and bought it.
I’ve bought one of these before. It worked for the better part of a year until the USB charging port just stopped accepting cords, and I got a 15 dollar bluetooth speaker that does the same thing anyway while also being usable for other stuff.
And the Echo Dot is limited to wi-fi range regardless, so… the ability to unplug it and take it with you is at best of moderate use. Basically buy this if you want something for your Echo Dot SPECIFICALLY that’s at best marginally better than the alternatives without being usable for anything but the Echo Dot.
@jmbunkin The first generation dots change volume by twisting the top. Second generations have volume buttons. Unless you bought it in the last month it’s one of those two.
@rustyh3 Oh, and you can see the 2nd Generation Dot in the top of the speaker dock in the first picture, and it’s different enough from the 1st Gen Dot that you can tell the difference from that picture.
I’ll try one…my dot is hidden from the kids currently as they tend to fight over what music plays. Hopefully this isn’t too big to continue to hide it when needed…
I just cancelled the one I ordered for the kid that thinks he’s an audiophile. The other kid is using an Angry Birds speaker so this should be an improvement.
I own this and it’s crap. It seems to interfere with the microphone. When my Dot is in this thing I have to scream at it repeatedly and often just give up. The battery life is crap, and it seems to turn itself off randomly. Just connect the Dot to a good speaker. If you don’t have a Dot yet, this+Dot is nowhere near an Echo replacement. Get the Echo.
@arielleslie Try moving it away from any walls, if you can. I have mine up on a pass-through between the living room and the kitchen, and it listens so much better up there. Even with the new whisper function Alexa has.
@RoninSavant Oddly enough, walls are where most of my electrical outlets are. Ditching the sarcasm, in 4 different rooms and as far from the wall is reasonable, it’s still a very dissatisfying experience and the microphone is undoubtably much worse in this speaker than on its own.
@arielleslie It still uses the Mics in the Dot, it doesn’t have it’s own. From what I remember, it only has a stereo connection for the audio, and the USB is only for power.
I suspect that having it enclose the DOT in the way it does is covering the mics. Have you tested it any other dots you may have?
As for the power, I have an ultra long (26’) USB cable running to mine, under a couch and rug, then up a wall to a passthrough that’s about 6ft up the wall, about 2.5 ft wide (shelf-like on one side), and about 2 ft tall, open on both sides. Maybe being that close to the ceiling makes it work better in my environment?
Maybe get a small folded piece of paper under the dot to elevate it just a little above the rim of the speaker, and the mic might work.
We also don’t put the volume above 3 with this speaker, not only is it loud, but makes the mics less reliable.
@RoninSavant I’m aware that it doesn’t have its own mic, but it interferes with the functionality of the mics in the Dot. Yeah, you can spend time jerry-rigging it to make it less of a hindrance but my point was just that this speaker is a piece of shit and people shouldn’t spend money on it. I wouldn’t consider it a worthwhile purchase at $10.
Have an Echo and two dots and I just signed up for the 4 month free Amazon Music trial last night. Obviously that’s a sign. So…
/giphy learned-abiding-crack
Bought one of these from Amazon a while ago for somewhere around $40. Listened to it and quickly sent it back. Sound is extremely “meh” (whoever posted above that it “sounds great” needs to have a hearing exam!). Gave it a crappy review and the company quickly offered me a “replacement” if I’d change my review. They sent me another one and a large bluetooth speaker as well (for free). The speaker still isn’t great. It sounds better than the Dot but that’s not saying much) but nowhere near as good as the Echo. I’d say $20 is about the right price-point for this.
I purchased this same item from Amazon in August – paid ~$40. Probably not worth that much for the sound (which is certainly not audiophile quality, as mentioned above), but good enough for background music and nice to be able to have it outside at the picnic table or while doing chores.
Certainly worth the $20, here – I picked up a couple more (one for me, one for a gift).
And when the battery stops holding a charge, I have many others in my junk box that I can use to replace it.
This is made in China. It collects data on you. Does anyone know where the data goes? The data collected by Amazon Dots probably stays with Amazon because it’s valuable. But what about the data that this collects?
I am skeptical about connecting no-name Chinese-built devices to my home network. It makes me think, did the builder design in a backdoor?
@zenoid I’m not certain why you believe this collects data on you. It isn’t connected to the internet and doesn’t connect to any of your devices via bluetooth. So honestly, it should only be capable of collecting as much data on you as your computer speakers or a backup battery for your phone.
At the risk of sounding like a fan boy, the only company I would trust with these “always-on” type devices is Apple. Not only is Apple a huge proponent of individual privacy (and back it up with their actions), but they also won’t sell all the info they get from you while listening.
@mar1952 Every item has an estimated delivery window- you may want to look at that before ordering. This is supposed to arrive between November 20 and 26. And @therealjrn doesn’t work for Meh (neither do I.)
@mar1952@sammydog01 Ever since the ninja-switch (re:THE GREAT SPINNER FIASCO) of the estimated arrival dates I have not been recommending those “estimates” as reliable guidelines to anybody inquiring. .
@sammydog01 if estimations don’t prove to be close to actual results, they’re just arbitrary dates. I don’t think many people trust weather forecasts that are more that a week out. More of a good-faith guess than an estimate.
I plugged in the 2nd Generation Dot to the speaker (both power and sound). I have the speaker plugged in to the wall. Tried pushing the power button…then tried holding the power button down. Nothing is happening. Does it take a while for the power bank inside the speaker to charge?
Edit: It seems it might take a little while for the power bank to charge up. So far not impressed.
@karaoke99 I ordered two, and one is doing what you describe. I waited a bit to let the thing “charge” and it turned on, so I let it be, leaving it plugged in overnight. The next morning, I asked it to play music and 3 seconds in, the whole thing went dead…no A/C power, no battery. I jimmied the cables and got it to power up again, but I’m started to wonder if this one is a lemon. The other one’s holding up like a champ.
@Demock I left mine plugged in over night (and all day). Still no light when I press the power button and the attached Echo Dot doesn’t power on either.
I received my speaker dock today. It seemed to be mostly charged upon unboxing. Or at least charged enough to turn on, so I set it up and gave it a try.
Cons: 1. Difficult to get the power cable fully inserted into the Echo Dot. At first I thought it was just very loose, but after being unable to turn on the Dot I realized it just wasn’t fully seated into the power connector socket. 2. The little rubber flappy thing that covers the cables isn’t exactly securely held in place. I’m betting it will flop down after a couple days, or if I try using this outdoors in hot weather. 3. With Dot’s volume set above 5, the speaker makes enough sound (depending on what’s playing) that Dot often doesn’t respond to the Alexa command until I speak very loudly (not a problem without the dock, even at level 10). 4. No matter how many times I told Alexa to clean the dust off that shelf, she just flashed her light ring at me. I think maybe this dock has made her less cooperative?
Pros: 1. Not bad looking. Blends ok in my home decor. 2. Plenty loud without breaking the audio until about volume level nine. Starts to rumble a bit then. 3. Fair fidelity. I was not expecting JBL quality and that’s exactly what I got: not JBL quality sound. But not bad either. Not muffled or muted or flattened at all. 4. Don’t have to pair to my soundbar anymore. Connecting to the soundbar was painless, but also muted the TV. 5. Now Dot is portable so I can easily listen to audiobooks when I’m working in the garage or on the elliptical.
Overall, I give this one about 3.75 stars. Minus .5 for the flappy rubber thingy not fitting into a secure fit. Minus .25 for Dot now not responding as reliably. I’m guessing it’s got something to do with the sound field projection created by the dock at higher volumes. Minus .5 for no power plug included. USB to microUSB, ya, but had to use Dot’s wall wart. For the original MSRP, this surprised me a little.
I am VERY disappointed. Maybe it was in the description and I missed it, I am not sure. But the picture was of a total black one and I got the ugly gray. Does not look good with my decor like the black would.
I got a black one and I’m very pleased. It’s a lot bigger than I expected but it sounds great. I’m enjoying 70s funk at about the highest level I ever would, and Echo seems to hear me fine. For the price point, I’m stoked.
Does anyone else have the experience of the dock turning itself off after a while? Got mine yesterday, plugged it all in, and have found on multiple occasions that it turns itself off, making it a worthless companion for a device that’s supposed to be always-on. Perhaps I got a lemon?
@khiddy Same problem with mine. It worked fine the first time I used it. Then I had to hit the power button to use it the next time I wanted to use it. That was weird. The button changed from orange to blue or green. Dot booted up again. All worked fine then.
The next time I wanted to use it a couple of hours later, the dock’s power button was orange again. I held it in for 3-5 seconds and the dot started booting up again, but the dot stopped booting up after 5-10 seconds. Dock power button went back to orange.
Is this a problem with the charging of the dock not working right? Very confusing.
@ESQuireTech@khiddy I’ve had similar issues with one of mine. I’m wondering if there some kind of incredibly UNuseful power saving feature that turns it off after no sound for a while.
@khiddy It seems to be some kind of problem with the power supply that is used. I plugged it into my Samsung tablet charger without the Dot installed, and overnight the light turned green, which I hadn’t seen before. I installed the Dot with the Samsung supply still connected, and it has been on for over 24 hours now without shutting off.
For sure I plugged in the little short cable’s, it will play if I add an external cable to the plug on the outside aux in of the unit. They are sending a replacement to check out.
I have had mine plugged in since Tuesday night (11/20) and it will not turn on. When I hit the power button it gives a zap sound, briefly lights up the Dot and then shuts down completely. Total fail.
Gave to my daughter for xmas. Recently set it up and the speaker is junk. Powers up and have tried multiple 2nd generation dots with no audio coming out the speaker. Very upsetting
@mehrrychristmas The thing you plug the USB cable into that goes into the wall outlet? You need a high powered one to run this thing. I’m sure there’s a more technical name for it.
Well, this sure didn’t last long. In service for less than six months and now totally dead. The green light is on, but no power being provided to the Echo Dot.
So that’s like $3.50 a month. Not good, meh. Not good.
@ruouttaurmind That’s too bad. Mine is still working great. Maybe just a bad contact or something? Since the green light is on. Although I would guess you’ve checked all that.
@lseeber Yup. When I disconnect the power cable, the green light goes out and it’s totally dead in the water. Press the button, hold the button, massage the button and whisper sweet nothings to it… no change.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
@ruouttaurmindThis item at Amazon looks slightly different but is, I think, otherwise identical. The top critical review is by a user (presumably an electrical engineer) who necropsied his unit to reveal a design flaw. He predicts that every unit will, because of this defect, eventually fail. True to his prediction, both of mine failed within six months.
@OGBYN Eighteen bucks though for the black one. Slightly different shape enclosure, but you are right in that it seems to otherwise identical. Resisting the temptation to flush another $18 down the drain for another six mos. service.
I’ve moved on from Alexa anyway, but now what to do with Dot? Yard sale I guess. I still have the box and packing for Dot, so maybe I’ll get $8 or $10 for it.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Thank you for sharing your experience. Pity these things have such a limited life.
hello, my MOKCAO Echo speaker doc is not working when I install the echo DOT. It has been working fine and the Echo Dot works fine when directly plugged in
without the speaker. I have tried resetting and the blue light comes on but it does not connect Also I have tested the charger out USB and it is not working either.
The green light is on indicating power is getting the speaker dot. Is there anyway to reset the speaker doc itself? It seems like the two connections or connectors for
charging the echo and Auxiliary inputs are not working.
Please advise if you can help or let me know where I can find the manual.
Thank You
I guess you didn’t know, Bill, that @therealjrn collects phone numbers. What he does with them, I haven’t a clue nor do I want to know.
Btw, the people here are quite friendly and if they have a solution for you, they’ll probably post an answer. Just don’t give them any personal info about yourself.
@mar1952 Your personal info has been removed from your post.
Support can always be reached at meh.com/support and as @Barney said if any other forum members find any useful info for you they will post it here.
Thank you guys, fortunately someone removed my phn #. I haven’t heard any good tips yet for fixing this thing. I think the battery’s fried. Lasted close to a year though so guess I’ll just get a new one. Great to take out to patio when I grill.
It turns out that if you unplug it for a while (a couple months in my case) and then go to charge it again, it works! My guess is that there’s a non-lithium battery inside that has memory or something and slowly degrades. If you let it drain, it will revive itself.
Specs
What’s in the Box?
1x Speaker Dock for Echo Dot 2
Price Comparison
$46.95 (for similar) at Amazon
Warranty
90 day Mediocre
Estimated Delivery
Monday, July 20th - Thursday, July 23rd
“Hey Alexa, when will MEH resell MEH Face pop sockets?”
@deathbynoodlez THEY ARE TAKING FOOD FROM YOUR GREAT GRAND CHILDRENS MOUTH BY NOT SELLING THIS. THIS IS BLASHPEMY OF THE HIGHEST REGARD AND THEY WILL BE SENT TO THE PIT OF MISERY. DILLY DILLY !
/giphy dilly dilly
No audio out?!
@medz It’s a speaker, so there’s, um, at least one audio out in there.
/giphy it’s in there
@medz @stinks lmao!!!
@medz Yes, there is an AUX out, at least there is on mine, and in several of the images here.
@RoninSavant specs says that’s an audio in. I want sound to come out of this speaker AND to an external system for playing music in multiple rooms.
I have one, it’s actually halfway decent for what it is.
Seriously Meh? Couldn’t even give us a Fukubukuro Bag on the night of Mid Term Election Results? Guarantee both sides would appreciate it tonight!
@hpw3inc if it’s strong enough to make you come to the forums I know it’s a bad night
@reclaimercube Depends on if you mean on a state or federal level? Regardless, a Fukubukuro Opportunity was wasted tonight.
The Fukos have been retired.
Much like most of the old, white politicians should be.
Now we’re talking…a speaker dock on sale at meh! Life is good!
I own this. The sound is great, much better than the Echo Dot. Plus it makes the Dot seem much bigger than it really is.
@BillLehecka This brand and model?
@BillLehecka so it ad several inches to your D ot
@GLaDOS Yes.
Anyone know if this sounds any better than the Echo Tap?
@heartny
I have both, this does sound better, more bass, IIRC, but is quite a bit bigger than the echo Tap, which I use for traveling.
@heartny @icehole Thanks- that was my question too.
Is this something I should want?
@Barney It’s probably easy to use than your cell phone. Go for it.
@heartny Are you buying one?
@Barney Do you have an Echo Dot? Do you have speakers for it? The dots native speakers are not very good, I have two of mine connected to good speakers.
@Barney Do ya have an Echo Dot? If yes, order now. If no, move along, there’s nothing to see here.
Yes. I was just shopping out Dot docks this weekend. I’d prefer one with a digital clock display, but I can use one of my $10 coupons on this one.
@ruouttaurmind @moondraje No, but I might get an Echo Dot. Maybe?
@Barney If you wind up with the 3rd gen Dot, this won’t fit. Prolly better to wait until you have one. Then get the appropriate dock for it.
PS: that comp price up there ($47) is woefully inaccurate. I found these this weekend for around $25.
@Barney @ruouttaurmind I like my dots and my Google Home equally well. But since you are learning Google Assistant, you might want to look at Google Home depending on what you want to use it for.
@ruouttaurmind It would be a better deal with a $10 coupon.
@moondrake @ruouttaurmind OK, I’ve now gone into my “I can’t make a decision” mode because of major anxiety, so I guess I’ll pass on this.
@Barney
Ya, I have 3 and they’re about to expire. Gotta burn them or lose them.
@ruouttaurmind Oh, you poor thing.
@Barney I might. I have an Echo Tap, so I’m trying to find out if the sound on this thing is any better than what I have now. Tap sounds rather meh.
@heartny It’s only got two 2” speakers, so don’t expect home theatre, blow your hair back, Dolby Digital sound. But it’s gotta be better than the Dot alone.
@heartny Did you order one?
@sammydog01 Still thinking about it. Looks like I’d also have to invest in an Echo Dot. Now I wish I got a scratch and dent Dot from Woot 2 weeks ago.
@heartny Amz will have Dots on sale beginning Thursday, 11/22: 3rd gen for $24, 2nd gen for $20.
Seems like nifty Christmas presents for the people I gave Black Friday Dots to last year
@dalekjoe My first thought too!
/buy
@Euniceandrich It worked! Your order number is: reverent-pumped-acoustic
/image reverent pumped acoustic
I rarely comment here… But…I bought one of these exact items at Amazon earlier this year. Sounded pretty good and the portability with the Dot was nice, so I bought a second. The first one is now dead (less than nine months) and does not work at all. The second is still going okay, so maybe I got a dud. This specific item has been removed from Amazon but before it was removed, premature deaths were a common complaint. Buy with caution… Having said that… For $20 it might be worth the risk.
@catdogfan I have 5 purchased between January and July of this year, and they all are going strong. You May have gotten a dud.
@icehole I know. Debating buying a replacement. In the meantime, I have purchased a set of USB powered speakers for under $10 that is meeting my needs okay… Not as loud as the Mokcao. but this gets the most use for me after Wife has gone to sleep and I want it hearable but not loud…
This is tempting, I have three 2nd gen dots. But one is plugged into some good bookshelf speakers, one has Bluetooth access to my surround sound, and the third is plugged in above my bed in a wall mount. So I guess I’ll pass.
But it’s battery-powered only, right? I mean, I can’t really use it to “beef” up my current kitchen Dot without recharging it all the time, or does it have a cord that can be plugged in all the time?
@wootcat Good question.
@wootcat You can leave it plugged in all the time and just unplug it when / if you want to use its battery power for portability.
@wootcat
You can leave it plugged in all the time if you want, it charges via USB.
@wootcat Alright then. I’ll take a chance.
/image countless unqualified amusement
@wootcat Dang! Ordered last night and forgot about my $10 coupon!
@wootcat Maybe if you ask CS nicely? I’m not sure how many people ask them nicely.
/giphy be nice
I have 4 of these, they have good sound, good volume, will charge your cell phone via the usb on the back, and you can unplug it and take it to the garage to listen to tunes.
A poor man’s Echo, with better sound (according to reviewers).
I’d get another, but I think I may actually have enough…
@icehole I actually remembered one more I gave as a gift. So, 5 total.
@icehole True as long as you have a good wifi connection in your garage.
A base to put your Echo Dot in? All your base are belong to us. (You know that’s what Alexa is thinking.)
@sligett
This is for the 2nd generation Echo Dot. Too new for me. Wow, I never thought I would say that for a Meh tech item sale.
Where the heck am I supposed to put my phone? This is not a speaker dock!
Sorry, my spleen is acting up: fuck Amazon, and fuck Alexa! And I live in Seattle!
I’m all 'bout that bass, 'bout that bass.
I bought the wife a dot last year for xmas, still unopened (she said that’s what she wanted, but I wonder). How do I know if it’s a 2nd gen dot?
@Kyser_Soze Send/ give it to me and I’ll tell you.
@Kyser_Soze
1st gen: Volume is changed using a rotating top (like the original Echo); 2 buttons up top.
2nd gen: Switched to two volume buttons, meaning there are now 4 buttons up top.
3rd gen: Fabric instead of plastic for the sides
@ryanbruce Thanks. So I thought I would buy this but I can’t find where she put it. Maybe she gifted it to someone.
@Kyser_Soze If it was new for Christmas last year it’s probably 2nd gen. I bought some on Black Friday and they are 2nd gen.
Fuck me. I just spent a bunch of money today. And now you put something up for sale I could actually use, and want?! Damn you, meh!!!
Will it work with Google ap? All I have is Google that I can tolk to.
@1Assessor Not the right size for a Google Home or Home Mini.
I just ordered two of these for $20 each, and they are on the way. But I’ve got a third Dot and an apology spinner code from Meh, so what the heck.
/giphy hopeful-assorted-earth
This will only work with the 2nd generation Dot, which has a 0.6 inch speaker. This would seem to be a significant improvement.
C|net claims the 2nd gen Dot will be $20 on Black Friday.
@2many2no Plus, I have a $10 coupon from spinners.
Oh hell, now I’ve done gone and talked myself into it!
@2many2no You should watch the deals thread. The 2nd gen. dot was just $20 refurb’d, but when delivered they looked, and were sealed like new. I picked one up for a Xmas present.
Hah! Finally meh has something for me! I’ve been pricing these at Amazon since I got a 2nd Generation Dot for $15 on an out of the blue email deal from Amazon. Docks were never cheaper than $39, all about the same reviews. And then the one I wanted went up $20 more. So, here’s to staying on Meh forever and finally finding a deal.
Edit: Oh wow, this is the one with the battery, even better! I literally saw the price and bought it.
/giphy emerald-perceptive-corsair
I’ve bought one of these before. It worked for the better part of a year until the USB charging port just stopped accepting cords, and I got a 15 dollar bluetooth speaker that does the same thing anyway while also being usable for other stuff.
And the Echo Dot is limited to wi-fi range regardless, so… the ability to unplug it and take it with you is at best of moderate use. Basically buy this if you want something for your Echo Dot SPECIFICALLY that’s at best marginally better than the alternatives without being usable for anything but the Echo Dot.
How do you tell if a Dot is 2nd generation.
@jmbunkin go on Amazon and look at the pics and descriptions, read the comments above, or look at your order on Amazon.
@jmbunkin The first generation dots change volume by twisting the top. Second generations have volume buttons. Unless you bought it in the last month it’s one of those two.
@sammydog01 Thanks,got one as a gift and it has to be 2nd gen
This is my second purchase. The sound quality is great! Great buy!!!
Would it have killed you guys at meh to show a Pic of the second Gen dot?
Am I to assume this only needs one power connection for the dot and the base?
@rustyh3 Yes, you assume correctly.
@rustyh3 Oh, and you can see the 2nd Generation Dot in the top of the speaker dock in the first picture, and it’s different enough from the 1st Gen Dot that you can tell the difference from that picture.
Pinging @Sohmageek for a speaker dock’ish thing.
@mfladd grumble ordered one. Grumble. Where’s the lightning port and the form pagination…
I’ll try one…my dot is hidden from the kids currently as they tend to fight over what music plays. Hopefully this isn’t too big to continue to hide it when needed…
/giphy meager-portly-verse
@cmacrun It’s pretty big. On the plus side, your Dot won’t work well in it so maybe the kids will lose interest.
@arielleslie @cmacrun Mine works pretty well; the trick is to kind of not have it near any walls.
I own one of these I bought full price half a year ago. The sound is great and at this price unbeatable.
Y’all talked me into buying two for the kids. If they suck I’ll send you middle finger emojis.
I just cancelled the one I ordered for the kid that thinks he’s an audiophile. The other kid is using an Angry Birds speaker so this should be an improvement.
Purchased three. Used the Boo discount code, so $50 shipped for three is awesome!
@audiocontr what boo discount code?
@mehrrychristmas the recent halloween bag deal came with a couple coupon codes
/giphy absent-muscular-lace
I got a similar thing at woot a few days ago for $29, so this is a good deal, one I would have jumped on had it come earlier.
My version (different make, I assume) sounds great and I’m happy to have the improved audio and portability it brings.
/wootstalker https://electronics.woot.com/offers/audiosnax-echo-dot-docking-station-cordless-speaker-3
AudioSnax Echo Dot Docking Station / Cordless Speaker
Price: $29.99
Condition: New
This deal is currently sold out
@ACraigL That’s the one in the Amazon link so probably the same.
Can you use this with the Dot AND have it be part of a group for playing music?
@donrull It’s just a speaker that connects via the aux port and has a power pass-through.
@donrull Yes
@donrull Yes. This uses a wired connection for the speaker. Alexa only refuses to use Bluetooth speakers with groups.
I own this and it’s crap. It seems to interfere with the microphone. When my Dot is in this thing I have to scream at it repeatedly and often just give up. The battery life is crap, and it seems to turn itself off randomly. Just connect the Dot to a good speaker. If you don’t have a Dot yet, this+Dot is nowhere near an Echo replacement. Get the Echo.
@arielleslie Try moving it away from any walls, if you can. I have mine up on a pass-through between the living room and the kitchen, and it listens so much better up there. Even with the new whisper function Alexa has.
@RoninSavant Oddly enough, walls are where most of my electrical outlets are. Ditching the sarcasm, in 4 different rooms and as far from the wall is reasonable, it’s still a very dissatisfying experience and the microphone is undoubtably much worse in this speaker than on its own.
@arielleslie It still uses the Mics in the Dot, it doesn’t have it’s own. From what I remember, it only has a stereo connection for the audio, and the USB is only for power.
I suspect that having it enclose the DOT in the way it does is covering the mics. Have you tested it any other dots you may have?
As for the power, I have an ultra long (26’) USB cable running to mine, under a couch and rug, then up a wall to a passthrough that’s about 6ft up the wall, about 2.5 ft wide (shelf-like on one side), and about 2 ft tall, open on both sides. Maybe being that close to the ceiling makes it work better in my environment?
Maybe get a small folded piece of paper under the dot to elevate it just a little above the rim of the speaker, and the mic might work.
We also don’t put the volume above 3 with this speaker, not only is it loud, but makes the mics less reliable.
@RoninSavant I’m aware that it doesn’t have its own mic, but it interferes with the functionality of the mics in the Dot. Yeah, you can spend time jerry-rigging it to make it less of a hindrance but my point was just that this speaker is a piece of shit and people shouldn’t spend money on it. I wouldn’t consider it a worthwhile purchase at $10.
Anyone else not get the meh daily email?
@Jmays253 check out this post.
@Thumperchick Thanks!
This should go great with the Dot in my laundry room!
/giphy unadorned-picturesque-arm
Have an Echo and two dots and I just signed up for the 4 month free Amazon Music trial last night. Obviously that’s a sign. So…
/giphy learned-abiding-crack
Bought one of these from Amazon a while ago for somewhere around $40. Listened to it and quickly sent it back. Sound is extremely “meh” (whoever posted above that it “sounds great” needs to have a hearing exam!). Gave it a crappy review and the company quickly offered me a “replacement” if I’d change my review. They sent me another one and a large bluetooth speaker as well (for free). The speaker still isn’t great. It sounds better than the Dot but that’s not saying much) but nowhere near as good as the Echo. I’d say $20 is about the right price-point for this.
@gdibig
…so you took the bribe? (And faked your review?)
I don’t know how I feel about the highlight box yet.
I purchased this same item from Amazon in August – paid ~$40. Probably not worth that much for the sound (which is certainly not audiophile quality, as mentioned above), but good enough for background music and nice to be able to have it outside at the picnic table or while doing chores.
Certainly worth the $20, here – I picked up a couple more (one for me, one for a gift).
And when the battery stops holding a charge, I have many others in my junk box that I can use to replace it.
This is made in China. It collects data on you. Does anyone know where the data goes? The data collected by Amazon Dots probably stays with Amazon because it’s valuable. But what about the data that this collects?
I am skeptical about connecting no-name Chinese-built devices to my home network. It makes me think, did the builder design in a backdoor?
@zenoid It’s a speaker with a mini phono jack and a DC power supply. No data collected, no network connection.
@zenoid I’m not certain why you believe this collects data on you. It isn’t connected to the internet and doesn’t connect to any of your devices via bluetooth. So honestly, it should only be capable of collecting as much data on you as your computer speakers or a backup battery for your phone.
@zenoid
/giphy roomy-kooky-cleric
/buy
@bobwrong It worked! Your order number is: wasteful-rational-salsa
/image wasteful rational salsa
/giphy loud-adverse-ferret
At the risk of sounding like a fan boy, the only company I would trust with these “always-on” type devices is Apple. Not only is Apple a huge proponent of individual privacy (and back it up with their actions), but they also won’t sell all the info they get from you while listening.
(But no, I ain’t dropping $200-300 on a HomePod
)
But if you wanna offer some HomePod refurbs for like $70, Meh…
/giphy wink wink
I placed my order for the Echo Dot Speaker(s) Nov 7. Why does it take 3 or more weeks to deliver? Seems like a long time since I paid for shipping.
@mar1952 Yeah, why is that @Dave?
Have you tried writing into https://meh.com/support @mar1952?
@mar1952 Every item has an estimated delivery window- you may want to look at that before ordering. This is supposed to arrive between November 20 and 26. And @therealjrn doesn’t work for Meh (neither do I.)
@mar1952 @sammydog01 Ever since the ninja-switch (re:THE GREAT SPINNER FIASCO) of the estimated arrival dates I have not been recommending those “estimates” as reliable guidelines to anybody inquiring. .
@sammydog01 @therealjrn yup. Estimated delivery window is mostly meaningless.
@medz @therealjrn No, it’s just sometimes meaningless.
/giphy I want to believe
@sammydog01 if estimations don’t prove to be close to actual results, they’re just arbitrary dates. I don’t think many people trust weather forecasts that are more that a week out. More of a good-faith guess than an estimate.
@medz @sammydog01 I think meh should change the wording to “good-faith guess”
Imma post every day until they change it…meh…who am I kidding?
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
@mar1952 Today I got my “Your order has shipped” email. Maybe yours is also on its way.
/8ball Will mar1952 ever get their order?
As I see it, yes
@medz
This is aligned with a mantra I constantly preach in the office: Data, without accuracy, is just noise.
@ruouttaurmind that’s more eloquent than what I say in terms of data integrity and reliability: “Crap in, crap out.”
If anyone still needs a second generation Echo Dot to use with this speaker dock, Woot! has used ones today for $14.99.
https://www.woot.com/offers/amazon-echo-dot-2nd-gen-smart-speaker-w-alexa-2?ref=w_cnt_gw_dly_img
@heartny They also this speaker dock for sale if you weren’t sure if you could get the Dot.
https://electronics.woot.com/offers/audiosnax-echo-dot-docking-station-cordless-speaker-2?ref=w_cnt_cdet_elec_dly_tl
I plugged in the 2nd Generation Dot to the speaker (both power and sound). I have the speaker plugged in to the wall. Tried pushing the power button…then tried holding the power button down. Nothing is happening. Does it take a while for the power bank inside the speaker to charge?
Edit: It seems it might take a little while for the power bank to charge up. So far not impressed.
@karaoke99
I think that was the official Meh slogan for a while.
@karaoke99 I ordered two, and one is doing what you describe. I waited a bit to let the thing “charge” and it turned on, so I let it be, leaving it plugged in overnight. The next morning, I asked it to play music and 3 seconds in, the whole thing went dead…no A/C power, no battery. I jimmied the cables and got it to power up again, but I’m started to wonder if this one is a lemon. The other one’s holding up like a champ.
@karaoke99 So far mine appears dead. I guess I’ll leave it plugged in a while and see if it livens up.
@altoidbox @karaoke99 Im having the same issue. just goto wait and see i guess.
@Demock I left mine plugged in over night (and all day). Still no light when I press the power button and the attached Echo Dot doesn’t power on either.
I received my speaker dock today. It seemed to be mostly charged upon unboxing. Or at least charged enough to turn on, so I set it up and gave it a try.
Cons: 1. Difficult to get the power cable fully inserted into the Echo Dot. At first I thought it was just very loose, but after being unable to turn on the Dot I realized it just wasn’t fully seated into the power connector socket. 2. The little rubber flappy thing that covers the cables isn’t exactly securely held in place. I’m betting it will flop down after a couple days, or if I try using this outdoors in hot weather. 3. With Dot’s volume set above 5, the speaker makes enough sound (depending on what’s playing) that Dot often doesn’t respond to the Alexa command until I speak very loudly (not a problem without the dock, even at level 10). 4. No matter how many times I told Alexa to clean the dust off that shelf, she just flashed her light ring at me. I think maybe this dock has made her less cooperative?
Pros: 1. Not bad looking. Blends ok in my home decor. 2. Plenty loud without breaking the audio until about volume level nine. Starts to rumble a bit then. 3. Fair fidelity. I was not expecting JBL quality and that’s exactly what I got: not JBL quality sound. But not bad either. Not muffled or muted or flattened at all. 4. Don’t have to pair to my soundbar anymore. Connecting to the soundbar was painless, but also muted the TV. 5. Now Dot is portable so I can easily listen to audiobooks when I’m working in the garage or on the elliptical.
Overall, I give this one about 3.75 stars. Minus .5 for the flappy rubber thingy not fitting into a secure fit. Minus .25 for Dot now not responding as reliably. I’m guessing it’s got something to do with the sound field projection created by the dock at higher volumes. Minus .5 for no power plug included. USB to microUSB, ya, but had to use Dot’s wall wart. For the original MSRP, this surprised me a little.
I am VERY disappointed. Maybe it was in the description and I missed it, I am not sure. But the picture was of a total black one and I got the ugly gray. Does not look good with my decor like the black would.
@davidwr99 I like the gray one! I got a black one.
I got a black one and I’m very pleased. It’s a lot bigger than I expected but it sounds great. I’m enjoying 70s funk at about the highest level I ever would, and Echo seems to hear me fine. For the price point, I’m stoked.
Does anyone else have the experience of the dock turning itself off after a while? Got mine yesterday, plugged it all in, and have found on multiple occasions that it turns itself off, making it a worthless companion for a device that’s supposed to be always-on. Perhaps I got a lemon?
@khiddy I’ve got the same problem with mine. Very discouraging for what seems to be a good device at a good price.
@khiddy Same problem with mine. It worked fine the first time I used it. Then I had to hit the power button to use it the next time I wanted to use it. That was weird. The button changed from orange to blue or green. Dot booted up again. All worked fine then.
The next time I wanted to use it a couple of hours later, the dock’s power button was orange again. I held it in for 3-5 seconds and the dot started booting up again, but the dot stopped booting up after 5-10 seconds. Dock power button went back to orange.
Is this a problem with the charging of the dock not working right? Very confusing.
@ESQuireTech @khiddy I’ve had similar issues with one of mine. I’m wondering if there some kind of incredibly UNuseful power saving feature that turns it off after no sound for a while.
@khiddy It seems to be some kind of problem with the power supply that is used. I plugged it into my Samsung tablet charger without the Dot installed, and overnight the light turned green, which I hadn’t seen before. I installed the Dot with the Samsung supply still connected, and it has been on for over 24 hours now without shutting off.
@rgeese1 THIS.
Once I plugged the base into a 2.4A wall wart, it charged up fully and stays on. Objection withdrawn.
I got this yesterday and it will not work with my 2nd Generation Dot. No sound at all when its plugged in.
@charmgraphics did you plug in the audio cable?
For sure I plugged in the little short cable’s, it will play if I add an external cable to the plug on the outside aux in of the unit. They are sending a replacement to check out.
Haven’t been able to test mine yet. Discovered that I need to get a new 2nd gen dot first.
This thing was supposed to be a Christmas gift but I guess I have to get it out of the box and test it. Shit.
I have had mine plugged in since Tuesday night (11/20) and it will not turn on. When I hit the power button it gives a zap sound, briefly lights up the Dot and then shuts down completely. Total fail.
I came here to bitch about this piece of junk that doesn’t work until I saw someone mention the power button. Wait, I have to turn it on? Never mind.
It actually sounds pretty good, at least to my non-audiophile ears. It was supposed to be a gift. I guess I should have bought 2.
Morningsave has them and I have a coupon! One for me too!
It worked great - for two weeks. Now it powers off the Echo about once per day and needs to be re-plugged.
Gave to my daughter for xmas. Recently set it up and the speaker is junk. Powers up and have tried multiple 2nd generation dots with no audio coming out the speaker. Very upsetting
I’m not sure why but mine does not stay on…
@mehrrychristmas Some people have had luck switching to a better quality wall wart.
@sammydog01 What?
@mehrrychristmas The thing you plug the USB cable into that goes into the wall outlet? You need a high powered one to run this thing. I’m sure there’s a more technical name for it.
@mehrrychristmas
https://meh.com/forum/topics/portable-echo-dot-speaker-dock-with-power-bank#5bf96c82ffe024de6223f4fa
@sammydog01 Thanks! I tried your suggestion but it still did not work. It just turns off even with the 2.4 amp adapter that I switched it to.
Hi mehdorators can I get som help with this order?
@mehrrychristmas Have you tried the most expedient https://meh.com/support?
Well, this sure didn’t last long. In service for less than six months and now totally dead. The green light is on, but no power being provided to the Echo Dot.
So that’s like $3.50 a month. Not good, meh. Not good.
@ruouttaurmind
@ruouttaurmind That’s too bad. Mine is still working great. Maybe just a bad contact or something? Since the green light is on. Although I would guess you’ve checked all that.
@lseeber Yup. When I disconnect the power cable, the green light goes out and it’s totally dead in the water. Press the button, hold the button, massage the button and whisper sweet nothings to it… no change.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
@ruouttaurmind This item at Amazon looks slightly different but is, I think, otherwise identical. The top critical review is by a user (presumably an electrical engineer) who necropsied his unit to reveal a design flaw. He predicts that every unit will, because of this defect, eventually fail. True to his prediction, both of mine failed within six months.
I just replaced both of fine with Echo Show 5s.
@OGBYN Eighteen bucks though for the black one. Slightly different shape enclosure, but you are right in that it seems to otherwise identical. Resisting the temptation to flush another $18 down the drain for another six mos. service.
I’ve moved on from Alexa anyway, but now what to do with Dot? Yard sale I guess. I still have the box and packing for Dot, so maybe I’ll get $8 or $10 for it.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Thank you for sharing your experience. Pity these things have such a limited life.
hello, my MOKCAO Echo speaker doc is not working when I install the echo DOT. It has been working fine and the Echo Dot works fine when directly plugged in
without the speaker. I have tried resetting and the blue light comes on but it does not connect Also I have tested the charger out USB and it is not working either.
The green light is on indicating power is getting the speaker dot. Is there anyway to reset the speaker doc itself? It seems like the two connections or connectors for
charging the echo and Auxiliary inputs are not working.
Please advise if you can help or let me know where I can find the manual.
Thank You
@mar1952 This is an open forum and not a good place to post your phone number (@Ignorant @RiotDemon @narfcake @Thumperchick).
I guess you didn’t know, Bill, that @therealjrn collects phone numbers. What he does with them, I haven’t a clue nor do I want to know.
Btw, the people here are quite friendly and if they have a solution for you, they’ll probably post an answer. Just don’t give them any personal info about yourself.
@Barney @Ignorant @mar1952 @narfcake @RiotDemon @Thumperchick Hey! That’s not FAIR Barn!!
Do you need somebody to call you Bill? I don’t mind.
@Barney @Ignorant @mar1952 @narfcake @RiotDemon @Thumperchick
You know, because when I call @Barney it just rings her phone she keeps in a drawer. Some day she’ll check her messages I’m sure of it.
@Ignorant @mar1952 @narfcake @RiotDemon @therealjrn @Thumperchick And now we know the main reason why I keep my phone in my nightstand drawer.
@mar1952 Your personal info has been removed from your post.
Support can always be reached at meh.com/support and as @Barney said if any other forum members find any useful info for you they will post it here.
Thanks @Barney @therealjrn
@Ignorant
@Ignorant Yep!
Thank you guys, fortunately someone removed my phn #. I haven’t heard any good tips yet for fixing this thing. I think the battery’s fried. Lasted close to a year though so guess I’ll just get a new one. Great to take out to patio when I grill.
Mine seems dead now too after about a year… Not sure exactly what is failing, but it’s pretty annoying.
It turns out that if you unplug it for a while (a couple months in my case) and then go to charge it again, it works! My guess is that there’s a non-lithium battery inside that has memory or something and slowly degrades. If you let it drain, it will revive itself.