For Sale Amazon Echo Link

[er-minio]

Selling my Amazon Echo Link.

Amazon.co.uk

This can be used to stream music to your bog standard Hi-Fi. In the Alexa ecosystem it is configured as a "speaker", so you can talk amicably with your normal Alexa devices, but when you ask "play music" the audio will be routed to this (and, thus, your Hi-Fi) instead of playing through the crappy speaker in the Alexa device.

I've used it for years a Spotify Connect endpoint for my Stereo system and super happy with the result.
Works like a charm. I used the optical audio out into a Cambridge Audio DAC and the sound was very near to CD source (you really had to "listen" for the difference).

I'm selling because, despite this being hardware-capable, it seems Amazon is not upgrading the firmware to let it play Lossless audio from Spotify (just recently introduced) so I replaced it with a WiiM receiver... just because.

Comes with original power brick. No original boxes or manual or stuff.
Note, this is just a transport. Doesn't provide amplified signal (that's another model).

80 posted.

 

[joness7]

I'm interested in this, but don't fully understand what it will offer me. Can you answer these questions?

1) If I stream music from my phone to Alexa, will it get sent to this link device?
2) If I ask Alexa to play a radio station, does that go to the link?

When I read the blurb it sounds like only Amazon music can use this link, but that doesn't make sense.......

 

[er-minio]

Hi Joness,

I don't use Amazon Music, so I cannot say exactly, but I suspect it works the same way as I used it for years with Spotify.
It will appear as a "speaker", so you can select it as a speaker for music and the audio will be automatically routed to your stereo.

Something like (the Echo Link was called "Stereo" in my Alexa setup):


Additional example, in my (small) lounge I have two Echo Dots + the Echo Link connected to the hi-fi. In Alexa they are grouped into the "lounge" room, so it knows I am in that room.
The Echo Link is set as "preferred speaker" for that room. That is intended for music.
So, when I "talk" to the two Echo Dots, they do respond to me normally (audio comes out of the pucks). But if I say "Alexa, play my music" the music audio will automatically be routed via the Echo Link to the Stereo. You can keep sending commands like: "next song, previous, stop, play this song, etc."

Most times I just take my phone out of my pocket, open Spotify, select a song and select "Stereo" as a speaker and it plays.
But I also have a strong accent and Alexa dislikes it sometimes... so it's faster to use the phone if I want a specific song.

I do all of this with Spotify, but you can select whatever preferred music platform: Amazon Music, Spotify, etc.

This all happens via wifi.
I think you can beam music directly via Bluetooth too, but never tried.

So:

1) If I stream music from my phone to Alexa, will it get sent to this link device?

It should. I think you might have to select it as a speaker though. I never tried.

If I ask Alexa to play a radio station, does that go to the link?

Yes. If it is set up properly (preferred speaker) it does that. Any music/radio audio goes there.


It's a neat device. Just needs setting up in the Alexa preferences properly, but takes 10 minutes.
As said above, I'm replacing just because I want lossless audio, and this doesn't support it.

I think this video shows how it works with voice commands:

 

[joness7]

Sounds good - I will take it. Will PM/DM you now.