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Echo Show 8 (4th gen, 2025) review: Amazon’s smaller smart displays get a much-needed refit

5:41 pm | November 26, 2025

Two-minute review

The Echo Show 8 (2025) is the fourth-generation model of Amazon’s second-smallest smart display, offering a great canvas for hallways, living rooms, offices and beyond. Announced in September 2025 alongside the Echo Dot Max, Echo Studio (2nd-generation) and the Echo Show 11.

Adopting a similar design language to the Echo Show 10 (2020), the Echo Show 8’s speaker is now the base for a floating, thin display, rather than the slightly clunky wedge shape design of previous generations. It’s a lovely change that makes the speaker feel far less utilitarian in the home like many of the best smart displays it's competing against, but there’s a casualty; there’s now no physical camera shutter. You can still mute and blind the Echo Show 8 with a button on the device, or fully switch off the camera in the app (or, of course, cover it with a sticker), but it’s an unfortunate loss for those who want that extra layer of built-in privacy and peace of mind.

Amazon Echo Dot Max Hands On — (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

The new 8.7-inch screen is wonderful to use with minimal lag, and the speakers are pretty accomplished. Everything, from reading recipes to Alexa queries, is zippy thanks to the new AZ3 Pro chip, topped by a great streaming experience. There’s also a great array of smart home features, including the Omnisense technology as well as Thread, Matter, and Zigbee support.

Overall, it's a powerful boost for Amazon's second-smallest smart display, and if you can get past the lack of a physical privacy shutter and the slightly cluttered interface, it's a real crowd-pleaser, and easily one of the best Alexa speakers available today.

Echo Show 8 (2025) — (Image credit: Future)

Echo Show 8: Specs

	Echo Show 8 (4th-gen, 2025)
Size	21 cm x 15 cm x 13 cm (W x H x D)
Display	8.7-inch HD touchscreen with 1340 x 800 resolution
Camera	13 MP with auto framing
Audio	1x 2.8-inch woofer and 2x full-range drivers
Connectivity	Zigbee, Matter & Thread Border Router, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth
Processor	AZ3 Pro with AI Accelerator
Sensors	Ambient Temperature Sensor, Presence Detection, Camera
Privacy features	Microphone & camera enable/disable button, dedicated physical and in-app camera controls, voice recording management – but no physical camera shutter.

Echo Show 8: Design

Fresh redesign akin to the Echo Show 10 (2020)
Bright and beautiful floating display
No physical camera shutter

The Echo Show 8 gets a fresh new look, modeled after the Echo Show 10 (2020) with a round, pill-shaped speaker base and a floating thin screen. It’s a much more sophisticated look than the Echo Shows of yore, and doing away with the chunky wedge shape is drastically improves the smart display’s appeal. It does, however, make the whole thing a little more space-consuming at 21 cm x 15 cm x 13 cm (W x H x D).

Its speaker base is clad in a mesh fabric, following the suit of other newer smart speakers and similar to the materials used in Apple’s HomePod and Google’s new Home Hub speakers. Inside are housed two full-range, front-facing drivers for spatial sound and a 2.8-inch woofer.

The screen is an all-around upgrade; it measures 8.7 inches (versus the previous generation’s 8 inches) with a resolution of 1,340 by 800 pixels, (versus 1,280-by-800). It’s fully attached to the base, meaning you can’t adjust the height or the orientation; a slight missed opportunity, but the price jump doesn’t quite cover such engineering, perhaps. It's a shame, though, as the Echo Show 10 offered this function, but neither the new Show 8 nor 11 could fit it in.

Centered at the top of the screen is the 13 MP camera with auto framing; of note is that there’s no more physical privacy shutter, presumably to allow for that lovely thin screen, but that does mark a downgrade for the privacy-conscious. While settings in-app and the on-device mute button do cancel the camera feed, you can just as easily grab an affordable stick-on shutter or use a bit of tape.

On the right side of the screen are the mute buttons and volume rocker, and the rest of the controls are touch-based on the screen.

You win some, you lose some in the world of tech, and the victims of a lovely, more sophisticated design are unfortunately handy screen-adjusting mechanisms and a physical camera shutter. For a lot of customers, neither will be missed, but both are nice to have in a pinch.

Design: 4.5/5

Design: 4/5

Echo Show 8: Performance

Zippy and responsive touch screen, decent audio
Sensors are accurate and genuinely useful
User interface a little cluttered

In performance, the Echo Show 8 is broadly the same as the Echo Show 11, owing to the components being the same; however, the screen experience differs somewhat.

Starting there, the display is vibrant, clear and plenty bright, making it easily visible from a few meters away unless you need to make out detailed text. The smaller screen real estate means it suffers a little more under the weight of Amazon’s suggested content (i.e. the recipes, TV shows and products it wants you to engage with) than its 11-inch sibling, but I found setting up a photo album for the Echo Show to shuffle through reduced the amount of advertising and recommendations.

Otherwise, the user interface (UI) was easily operated, responding quickly to touch controls. Widgets do feel a little squashed in places, and some buttons within apps can be awkwardly small, but it’s nowhere as bad as trying to do anything more than adjusting volume and brightness on the Echo Show 5.

Every now and then, there’s a slight stutter to an animation, with some customers reporting mild to moderate issues with input delay. I did find that to be the case with the Echo Show 11 I tested, but the Show 8 was very reliable for me on test. You can swipe down the control center to quickly toggle settings and access various hubs, and swipe left on the screen for your customizable widgets. Just be mindful that the screen is an absolute fingerprint magnet when you’re liberally swiping around.

The speaker on the Echo Show 8 is the same as the Echo Show 11, but I ran the same tests in case the larger screen impacted the sound quality. As long-time Amazon speaker users will know, audio quality is never the main selling point for Echo devices; the performance is often admirable for the size and price, but not one for the audiophiles (though the Echo Studio and Echo Dot Max buck that trend somewhat).

I streamed lossless tracks from Spotify to test the audio quality, starting with Luafey’s Falling Behind. Her jazzy vocals came through warmly with great clarity, underpinned by the lively but slightly dulled staccato of an acoustic guitar. Older tracks began to show the cracks, however. Fleetwood Mac’s The Chain was muddy, with the vocals sinking further into the track than usual; however, the bass was still nice and punchy.

That drive isn’t consistent, though, and some tracks suffer more from the muddiness. Portishead’s Glory Box was flat all around, losing that breathy quality to the vocals and flattening the usually well-rounded bass, and Jeff Buckley’s rich, haunting vocals are thoroughly buried in the higher layers of Last Goodbye. Still, at this price and size, it’s a pretty accomplished speaker, and Amazon has done well to create a truly room-filling sound out of this smart display.

Inside the Echo Show 8 are a range of sensors that can be used to set up Routines with Alexa and help you monitor your home. There’s an auto-framing 13MP camera centered at the top of the screen, just like in the last generation, and the onboard microphones are great for clear audio on video calls or drop-ins. Also housed in the Echo Show 8 are temperature, motion and brightness detectors, all of which worked well in my testing, as did the facial recognition and personalization features that underpin the seamless Alexa experience.

Alexa and VegaOS generally run well, and the Echo Show 8 is fantastically responsive thanks to the AZ3 Pro chip. Queries are rapidly responded to (sometimes prematurely), with Alexa delivering suggested recipes, playing music and summoning your favorite TV shows and movies in double time. I had a few hiccups trying to watch shows on Netflix and YouTube on the Echo Show 11; but the Echo Show 8 worked perfectly out of the box, and Alexa has come on leaps and bounds when it comes to searching and playing your requested media.

We don’t yet have Alexa+ access in the UK, but we’ve got a full Alexa+ review coming soon that will give the full low-down about its performance on a range of Echo devices.

Performance: 4/5

Echo Show 8: Price and availability

List price: $179.99 / £179.99 / AU$349
Announced September 2025, released November 2025

Announced in September 2025, the Echo Show 8 costs $179.99 / £179.99 / AU$349 and is available in black and white. Of note, this marks a $30 / £30 / AU$100 price increase versus the last generation, which sold for $149.99 / £149.99 / AU$249.

Broadly, this cost increase is due to the design overhaul, which greatly modernizes Amazon’s second-smallest smart display. It’s not a huge jump in price, and it feels somewhat justified given the improvements to the performance and display. There’s also an optional (and stylish) stand, which will set you back $39.99 / £34.99 / AU$69.95.

Still, it's worth highlighting the value of the device depends in part on whether or not you're bothered by Alexa+. Right now, its early access programme is exclusively available in the US, and this device automatically enlists you for that service, but elsewhere in the world we're effectively losing a selling point for the same price for the foreseeable future.

Value: 4/5

Should I buy the Echo Show 8?

Buy it if...

You’re upgrading from older Echo Shows

Especially if you want Alexa+ to work at peak performance, the Echo Show 8 is a must-have; but the refreshed design, zippy AZ3 chip and lovely display also mark significant improvements.

You make good use of smart home features

From its omnisense technology to its smart home connectivity, the Echo Show 8 is fully equipped with clever features to make your home work for you.

Don't buy it if...

You want a physical camera privacy shutter

Sure, you can mod this yourself or disconnect the feed in the app, but some people will just want absolute privacy out of the box.

You’re on a budget

With its new price point, the Echo Show 8 isn’t affordability-first anymore; it’s by no means premium, either, but you could buy a very capable older smart display for less.

Amazon Echo Show 8: also consider

Scorecard
Value	4/5	Price increase versus older models, but in line with redesign and feature additions.
Design	4/5	Big design upgrade versus the Echo Show 8 (3rd gen)
Performance	4/5	Sound is decent enough, especially for the size of room this display is best-suited for

If you're not sure the Amazon Echo Show 11 is the right Alexa smart speaker for you, here are further options to consider from Amazon:

	Echo Show 8 (4th-gen, 2025)	Amazon Echo Show 15 (2nd gen)	Echo Show 5
Price	$179.99 / £179.99 / AU$349	$299 / £299.99	$89.99 / £79.99 / AU$129
Size	21 cm x 15 cm x 13 cm (W x H x D)	410 x 260 x 36mm (W x H x D)	147 x 91 x 82 mm (W x H x D)
Display	8.7-inch HD touchscreen with 1340 x 800 resolution	15.6-inch HD touchscreen, 1920 x 1080 resolution	5.5-inch touchscreen, 960 x 480 resolution
Camera	13 MP with auto framing	13MP wide angle camera with shutter	2 MP
Audio	1x 2.8-inch woofer and 2x full-range drivers	2x 2-inch woofers & 2x 0.6-inch tweeters	1x 1.7-inch driver
Connectivity	Zigbee, Matter & Thread Border Router, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth	Zigbee, Matter & Thread Border Router, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth	Matter, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth
Processor	AZ3 Pro with AI Accelerator	AZ2 neural engine	MediaTek's 8169 B chip
Sensors	Ambient Temperature Sensor, Presence Detection, Camera	Camera, presence detection, ALS RGB, Accelerometer	Camera, presence detection
Privacy features	Microphone & camera enable/disable button, dedicated physical and in-app camera controls, voice recording management – but no physical camera shutter.	Microphone and camera enable/disable button, dedicated physical and in-app camera controls, voice recording management, physical camera shutter.	Microphone and camera enable/disable button, dedicated physical and in-app camera controls, voice recording management, physical camera shutter.

Echo Show 15

If you’d rather have a wall-mounted solution and the added benefit of a Fire TV remote, the latest Echo Show 15 is an excellent option. It has fewer sensors but functions more as a small TV or household management display than it does an entertainment center.

For more information, check out our full Echo Show 15 review.

Echo Show 5

For a smaller option that just covers the basics, the 3rd-generation Echo Show 5 offers a lot of the core functions from the Echo Show product line, but it’s less technically advanced and feature-filled.

How I tested the Echo Show 8 (4th gen, 2025)

I used it pretty much non-stop for a week
I tested its smart home features and sensing
I performed our standard audio and movie streaming tests

To put the new Echo Show 8 through its paces, I used all of the advertised features over a week of testing. I tried setting up automations that use its various sensors and connectivity options to ensure everything worked seamlessly, and used Alexa for my everyday household tasks.

I also tested the speakers using a variety of tracks in different genres to see how well the speakers can replicate music for a wide range of customers, and used streaming services like Netflix and YouTube, as well as Amazon Prime Video both to assess the display’s performance and the general user experience.

I’ve been testing smart speakers for four years, and use an Alexa-based smart home setup every day. I’m well-acquainted with the system and its features, but I’ve also spent a lot of time in other ecosystems to learn the pros and cons of each.

Echo Show 11 review: a new, bigger screen size but less for the privacy-conscious

5:14 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Smart Home Smart Home Hubs | Tags: Amazon Echo Show, TV | Comments: Off

Two-minute review

The Echo Show 11 is Amazon’s latest mid-size smart display, releasing alongside the latest Echo Show 8, Echo Studio and the new Echo Dot Max. It’s a new screen size for Amazon’s smart displays, but it’s technically the successor to the Echo Show 10 (2020) with a slightly larger screen.

That being said, its positioning isn’t quite as secure as some of its siblings, nor its predecessor. It lacks some of the features we loved from older generations (and in particular from the Echo Show 10 (2020)), and it’s largely packing the same specs as the Echo Show 8, with the main difference being the larger screen.

Still, it’s far from a bad smart display, and still sees improvements over older devices; it’s powered by the latest AZ3 Pro chip, the screen is now 1080p, audio performance is decent, and there are ample smart home features and connectivity benefits, including the addition of Matter and Thread support.

The refinements to the Echo Show 10’s floating display design are small but mighty, making the whole speaker feel more sleek and less clunky. That is, of course, barring the removal of the rotating screen and a physical camera privacy shutter – but these two features might just be the deciding factor for some customers when choosing the best smart display.

As of writing, it’s also worth noting that there seem to be some software issues when it comes to streaming. I tested the Echo Show 8 alongside the 11 and had no such challenges, so it seems like a bug, albeit one I have seen a fair few consumers complain about online. Still, it’s early days for the product, and I’d expect this to be ironed out within the coming weeks.

Overall, it’s a great option for kitchens and offices, and I’m delighted to see Amazon paying more and more attention to aesthetics with its newer smart speakers. I just wish that didn’t come at the expense of utility.

Echo Show 11: Specs

	Product name
Size	26 cm x 18 cm x 13 cm (W x H x D)
Display	11.95-inch HD touchscreen with 1920 x 1200 resolution
Camera	13 MP with auto framing
Audio	1x 2.8-inch woofer and 2x full-range drivers
Connectivity	Zigbee, Matter & Thread Border Router, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth
Processor	AZ3 Pro with AI Accelerator
Sensors	Ambient Temperature Sensor, Presence Detection, Camera
Privacy features	Microphone & camera enable/disable button, dedicated physical and in-app camera controls, voice recording management – but no physical camera shutter.

Echo Show 11: Design

Refines on Echo Show 10 (2020) design
Bright and beautiful floating display
No physical camera shutter

Much like the Echo Show 10, the Echo Show 11 sees a thin and light display mounted on a rounded speaker stand. While the Echo Show 10 may have introduced Amazon’s newer floating display design language, the Echo Show 11 refines it, squashing the height of the speaker a little into a pill shape and expanding the screen to a lovely 11.95-inches. These subtle changes make an impact, making the latest Echo Shows much more appealing for the home versus the older wedge-shaped devices.

The net size is still pretty minimal at 26 cm x 18 cm x 13 cm, comprised of the mesh fabric-covered speaker base and affixed screen. This marks a slightly negative departure from the Echo Show 10, which allowed you to adjust the screen for optimal viewing; it’s an important feature if you’re often using the device in your kitchen and don’t want to stoop down every time you need to check a recipe.

Otherwise, the screen is a solid upgrade; as well as the size boost, the screen now offers a resolution of 1920 x 1200 (versus the Echo Show 10’s 1280 x 800 pixels). In use, the color HD display is rich and bright, easily enjoyed even from wider viewing angles.

At the center of the top of the screen is its 13 MP camera with auto framing, but there’s no physical privacy shutter this time. This is likely due to the design constraints of thin screens, but privacy-conscious buyers might not like the change. You can kill the camera feed in-app or use the on-device mute button, but you can also just as easily grab an affordable stick-on shutter or a bit of tape.

Located on the screen’s right side are the mute buttons and volume rocker, and the rest of the controls are touch-based on the screen. The speaker houses a 2.8-inch woofer and two front-facing, full-range drivers that can deliver spatial audio.

Overall, it’s a great all-around upgrade for Amazon’s mid-sized screen, and I doubt anyone will disagree that it’s a much-needed improvement, visually. The whole unit feels a lot more premium and of better build quality, but it’s taken a long time for Amazon to come this far. It’s a shame that two really useful, functional design features had to come at the cost of a fresh look, too.

Design: 4.5/5

Echo Show 11: Performance

Zippy and bright touch screen, decent audio
Sensors are accurate and help with home automation
Streaming features didn’t work very well

So we know the Echo Show 11 looks good, but how is it in use? In short, it’s fast, facile and feature-filled, but it doesn’t always stick the landing.

Let’s start with the display. It’s bright and beautiful, perfect for enjoying TV and movies up close or to glance at your calendar or reminders from across the room. It is, of course, cluttered with suggested content a lot of the time, but that’s par for the course with Echo Shows (as well as other smart displays), and it becomes far less of a problem if you set up an album of your favorite photos to display throughout the day.

The user interface (UI) is generally quite clean and easy to navigate, with widgets rendering nicely on the large canvas screen. Recipes are easy to follow, video content is bright and vibrant, and animations are pretty slick, barring the occasional stutter.

Touch controls are quick and responsive most of the time, though I have had to reboot it a few times after it becomes unresponsive. Some users have also reported some mild to moderate issues with input delay; however, I couldn’t replicate these issues myself. Interestingly, I’ve not faced these issues on the Echo Show 8 I tested in parallel to the 11-inch model, so I have to assume it’s an issue with the UI’s screen optimization. The touch interface is easy to navigate, though; swipe down for the control center and left for your widgets. The screen hasn’t got any smudge-proofing, though, so it becomes grubby rather quickly with regular use.

Audio performance follows suit with other Amazon Echo devices I’ve tested; it’s not one for audiophiles (those would be better off with the Echo Studio or even the new Echo Dot Max) but the performance is nonetheless decent for its price category.

I tested the speakers by streaming lossless tracks through Spotify, starting with Laufey’s Falling Behind, which was rendered warmly through the Echo Show 11’s speaker base. It had lost some of the crunch from the bossa nova-style acoustic guitars, but Laufey’s voice shone through with great clarity. Fleetwood Mac’s The Chain was muddy, losing the vocals a little more than usual, but still packed a good punch with clear highs.

Overall, it lacks drive, and some tracks make that clearer than others; Jeff Buckley’s haunting vocals get lost in the weaving higher layers of Last Goodbye, while Portishead’s Glory Box felt flat overall, compressing those wonderfully breathy vocals and the big fat bass into a thoroughly clipped mid-range. Still, the clarity and volume are impressive, especially at its size and price point, and the speakers really are room-filling; I had to stand a good 5m away before I felt the volume drop become noticeable.

The Echo Show 11 houses a range of sensors, too. The camera, centered at the top of the screen, is the same as the last generation; a 13MP auto-framing peeper that works as described, accompanied by microphones that offer great, clear audio pickup for video calls or quick drop-ins to check on your pets and loved ones. Elsewhere, its temperature, motion and brightness detectors all work as expected, and can be used for Alexa Routines. Facial recognition, personalization and screen scaling all work smoothly in the background, just the way all smart devices should.

As always, the range of compatible software and services is great, with a native app for Netflix and Prime and browser-based access to most of the more popular streaming services. For some reason, however, the Echo Show 11 I tested had an issue with launching and searching on streaming services via voice control at first. Using the control center to manually open apps worked fine, so I had to perform a hard reset before I could summon streaming apps hands-free.

Speaking of Amazon’s voice assistant, Alexa is faster than ever with the AZ3 Pro chip on board, and replies come incredibly quickly – once or twice, before I’d even finished speaking. Asking for recipes elicits lightning-quick responses, music loads quickly even through third-party services, and all of Alexa’s standard commands work as expected. I’m based in the UK, so I couldn’t test Alexa+, but we’ll have a full separate review soon.

Performance: 4/5

Amazon Echo Show 11 on Stage — (Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

Echo Show 11: Price and availability

List price: $219.99 / £219.99 / AU$429
Announced September 2025, launched in November.

Priced at $219.99 / £219.99 / AU$429, the Echo Show 11 is the middle child of Amazon’s smart displays inbetween the Echo Show 5 and 8 and the larger, wall-mountable Echo Show 15 and 21. It’s available in black or white, and there's also a stylish optional stand, which costs $34.99 / £34.99 / AU$69.95.

The Echo Show 11 largely packs the same specs as the smaller Echo Show 8, rather than carrying over some of the defining features from the Echo Show 10 such as its rotating screen. That does make it marginally more affordable than the Show 10 ($249.99 / £239.99 / AU$399.99), but it’s still $40 / £40 / AU$80 more than the latest Echo Show 8.

I’m not entirely convinced that the larger screen alone justifies the price difference between the Show 8 and Show 11; I'd have hoped to see one or two extra premium features exclusive to this slightly larger screen to convince me it has a reason to exist beyond offering more real estate (often swallowed up by suggested content in standby mode). Plus, the price drop from the Echo Show 10 comes at the expense of features I’d really like for this more functional screen. Still, fundamentally it’s still a relatively affordable smart display and a huge upgrade if you have a 5+ year-old Echo Show 5, 8 or 10.

Value: 3.5/5

Value: 3.5/5

Should I buy the Echo Show 11?

Buy it if...

You’ve got an older Echo Show

Whether you just fancy a change or specifically want one that makes you more Alexa+ ready, the Echo Show 11 is a solid purchase that brings some much-needed attention to design and performance.

You use a lot of smart home features

Packing in a range of smarts from Omnisense technology to its smart home connectivity, the Echo Show 11 is well-equipped to help you automate and monitor your home.

Don't buy it if...

You want a physical camera privacy shutter

For peace of mind, that physical shutter is a must-have, and while you can mod your own, it’s a shame to see this dropped from the design.

You don't desperately need the screen size

You can save some money by opting for the slightly smaller Echo Show 8, which packs pretty much identical features and perforance barring the screen size.

Amazon Echo Show 11: also consider

Scorecard
Value	3.5/5	Despite being cheaper than the Echo Show 10 it replaces, it's slightly less feature rich, and can't step out of the better value Echo Show 8's shadow.
Design	4.5/5	Refines the Echo Show 10's floating display design, great improvements to the screen, but removes the privacy shutter.
Performance	4/5	Muddy but powerful, room-filling audio with a decent enough streaming experience once you work around slight software bugs.

If you're not sure the Amazon Show 11 is the right Alexa smart display for you, here are further options to consider from Amazon:

	Echo Show 11	Amazon Echo Show 15 (2nd gen)	Echo Show 5
Price	$219.99 / £219.99 / AU$429	$299 / £299.99	$89.99 / £79.99 / AU$129
Size	26 cm x 18 cm x 13 cm (W x H x D)	410 x 260 x 36mm (W x H x D)	147 x 91 x 82 mm (W x H x D)
Display	11.95-inch HD touchscreen with 1920 x 1200 resolution	15.6-inch HD touchscreen, 1920 x 1080 resolution	5.5-inch touchscreen, 960 x 480 resolution
Camera	13 MP with auto framing	13MP wide angle camera with shutter	2 MP
Audio	1x 2.8-inch woofer and 2x full-range drivers	2x 2-inch woofers & 2x 0.6-inch tweeters	1x 1.7-inch driver
Connectivity	Zigbee, Matter & Thread Border Router, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth	Zigbee, Matter & Thread Border Router, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth	Matter, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth
Processor	AZ3 Pro with AI Accelerator	AZ2 neural engine	MediaTek's 8169 B chip
Sensors	Ambient temperature sensor, presence detection, camera	Camera, presence detection, ALS RGB, Accelerometer	Camera, presence detection
Privacy features	Microphone and camera enable/disable button, dedicated physical and in-app camera controls, voice recording management – but no physical camera shutter.	Microphone and camera enable/disable button, dedicated physical and in-app camera controls, voice recording management, physical camera shutter.	Microphone and camera enable/disable button, dedicated physical and in-app camera controls, voice recording management, physical camera shutter.

Echo Show 15

For more information, check out our full Echo Show 15 review.

Echo Show 5

For a smaller option that just covers the basics, the 3rd-generation Echo Show 5 offers a lot of the core functions from the Echo Show product line, but it’s less technically advanced and feature-filled.Echo Show 15

For more information, check out our full Echo Show 15 review.

Echo Show 5

How I tested the Echo Show 11 (2024)

I tested it at home for a week
I tested its smart home features and sensors
I performed our standard audio and movie streaming tests

To test Amazon’s Echo Show 11, I tried all of the advertised features over a week of testing, from Alexa queries to Omnisense monitoring and automations to streaming.

I played music from a variety of genres, as well as the spoken word, to test the speakers and examine how well the Echo Show 11 replicates sound, and also watched movies and TV through streaming services like Netflix and YouTube, as well as Amazon Prime Video to test out the display’s performance and general user experience.

I’ve been testing smart speakers and other smart home devices for years, and my home runs on an Alexa-based setup. While well-acquainted with Amazon’s system and its features, I’ve also tested other ecosystems to learn the differences, strengths and weaknesses.

Proton VPN review: an impressive security package

5:13 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets VPN Services | Tags: VPN | Comments: Off

Proton VPN is one of many internet privacy products developed by Proton, the team of scientists and privacy advocates behind Proton Mail. The suite Proton offers is certainly impressive, but how does its VPN hold up against dedicated VPN providers like NordVPN and ExpressVPN?

The answer is pretty well. The completely free tier is something no other competitor on our top five list offers. With no ads and the same privacy guarantees as paid accounts, it’s an ideal way to trial the service. The paid version?

Starting, currently at $2.49 per month, it’s about the average for a top-tier VPN. Stay with me and I’ll go into whether the paid features are worth paying for, as well as how Proton VPN stacks up to the rest of our top five for speeds, unblocking capabilities, privacy, and overall value for money.

Features

There are lots of extra features built into Proton VPN’s paid version of the app, most of which are designed to either enhance your privacy or make the VPN harder to block.

For example, there’s Secure Core, which sends your VPN traffic through an initial hardened, physically owned VPN server in a high-security location before sending it on to a second endpoint VPN server. This secures the traffic you’re sending twice, so you can connect to locations without worrying that the endpoint server you use might be hacked, exposing your IP. Although it’s overkill for everyday use, it’s useful if you’re connecting to countries where VPNs are being heavily monitored by the government.

At the other end of the spectrum, there’s Alternative Routing. When enabled, this routes your VPN traffic along a route provided by external third-party servers such as AWS. While this does allow servers outside of ProtonVPN’s remit to see your home IP, it also allows you to connect to services that are otherwise blocking access from Proton VPN’s servers. You’re not going to get past an ISP’s DPI monitoring with this, but it’ll get you access to some sites that would otherwise detect you’re using a VPN.

As you can see so far, Proton VPN provides expert features that fit specific use cases. The same is true of the VPN over Tor feature, which allows you to access the Tor network directly from certain Proton VPN servers. Not everyone will need to access the Tor network, but if you’re a journalist or whistleblower, it might be the standout feature here when you need the extra anonymity.

Not everything is about privacy, though. Proton VPN uses a technology called VPN Accelerator, which uses multithreading and advanced TCP routing to provide you with better speeds when connecting to servers on the other side of the planet. It doesn’t do much when you’re connecting to servers you have a good connection with, but in situations where there’s high latency or excessive packet drop, it allows you to keep a significant portion of your bandwidth where you’d otherwise be slowed to a crawl by network instability.

Of course, there are all the conveniences here too. The VPN also includes a NetShield Ad-blocker, which blocks ads, trackers, and malware, enhancing both privacy and browsing speed. There’s also a kill-switch and split tunneling across all its apps, as well as DNS leak protection thanks to Proton VPN’s own private encrypted DNS servers.

Features score: 8/10

Server network

Proton VPN’s server network is impressive, to say the least. While the rest of our top 5 (barring Surfshark) offer more locations, Proton VPN is right up there for countries to choose from, offering a staggering 126. Although this leaves it just one short of NordVPN (127) when it comes to country coverage, there are some significant differences in terms of where they cover.

What sets Proton VPN apart is the focus on serving areas of the world that have been traditionally underrepresented by VPNs, such as Africa (with 26 locations) and the Asia (with 44 locations), both of which are more than any other provider on our top five list.

Of course, if you’ve already started doing the numbers, you’ll realize that this comes at the cost of offering less impressive coverage in Europe and North America than its competitors. This isn’t to say that Proton VPN doesn’t offer an acceptable range of locations, but if you need state-by-state coverage across the US, you’re better off looking at Private Internet Access instead. Similarly, ExpressVPN has you covered if you want in-depth access to Europe.

Server network score: 8/10

Apps

There’s a Proton VPN app for every major platform, including Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Linux. There’s some feature disparity between versions of the app, but you can expect roughly the same experience from all of them, including the Linux app, which is a full GUI program. It’s roughly on par with the Windows version, whereas the macOS version doesn’t offer OpenVPN or split tunneling. Not ideal, but all of the security features are available across every platform.

There’s an interesting quirk in Proton VPN’s desktop app design that sets it apart from the rest of the apps in our top 5. When you unfurl the home menu, it displays a map of every VPN location you can access. It’s a very cool piece of design flair, which, when combined with the pleasing purple and black color scheme Proton VPN has going on, results in a piece of software that looks like something out of a spy film.

Proton VPN recently unveiled a major revamp to some of its apps, including its previously less appealing mobile apps. This update has improved not only the customisability of the service, but also how intuitive it feels to use across different platforms, since the apps now match almost entirely across all major platforms.

The Chrome version is rated significantly lower than the other browser extensions from our top 5 VPNs, but it seems a little unfair. With a score of 2.4 on the Apple App Store, many reviews seem to focus on the lack of a free version of the browser add-on. This isn’t the case anymore, as ProtonVPN has recently released a free version of all its browser apps. Some of these complaints are a little more valid, though. While I haven’t noticed it myself while testing the Chrome extension out, there are a lot of complaints about it requiring multiple log-ins to keep connected, which is an easily avoided frustration for users.

Apps score: 8/10

Ease of use

There’s nothing very difficult about the install process, and once you’re logged in, Proton VPN is easy enough to deploy. There’s a guided tour you can take to check out some of the more advanced features, but it’s easy to ignore if you just want to get started. You click the quick connect button, and you’re connected to the nearest server.

For everything else, Proton is functional if a little intimidating for new VPN users. The world map interface lets you plot out your Secure Core connection by hand, giving you a much better idea of how each location will impact your overall connection path. It’s a great way to optimize your connection speed, but it's a little more involved than just clicking a button and closing the app.

Ease of use score: 8/10

Speed and performance

Our latest testing across Proton’s protocols indicates an overall increase in its average speeds.

Over its fastest VPN protocol, WireGuard, Proton VPN (1521 Mbps) was second only to Surfshark (1615 Mbps) when connecting to our nearest VPN server.

What's more Proton VPN (1242 Mbps) maintained that excellent performance over a transatlantic server connection far better than Surfshark (355 Mbps). Proton VPN (1242 Mbps) was second only to ExpressVPN's Windows-only Lightway Turbo protocol (1373 Mbps) this time.

Our latency and jitter readings didn’t pick up anything particularly alarming either.

How we perform speed tests

Broadband speed test on a laptop — (Image credit: Shutterstock)

Our testing setup uses a cloud PC with a 10 Gbps connection. We use this to record VPN speeds between its Dublin location and a given VPN server. Then, to calculate the averages, we use multiple speed testing sites at different times of the day while connected to the various protocols of each VPN. You can find out more in our VPN testing methodology.

Sadly, Proton VPN's OpenVPN speeds are less than we’d hope, only measuring 240 Mbps (local) and 173 Mbps (long distance). Compare that to ExpressVPN (1038 Mbps / 808 Mbps) and NordVPN (974 Mbps / 857 Mbps) and it's quite a difference.

To be clear, these are all speeds that will completely suffice for almost all your internet activity. If you’re on fibre, you might struggle a little to get the most out of your connection while you’re downloading, but otherwise, it’ll handle 4K streaming without any issue at all.

Speed and performance score: 7/10

Unblocking

Given Proton VPN promotes itself as a privacy-first VPN, you'd be forgiven for thinking streaming might not be a strong suit. However, that’s thankfully not the case. We’ve tested the servers against a wide range of streaming services, including regional variants of Netflix (US, UK, Japan, Canada, and Australia) as well as other streaming giants like Amazon Prime and Disney Plus.

In all cases, the Proton VPN servers provided instant access to the services we tested. All you have to do is pick the location you want to watch from and get streaming.

We also tested Proton VPN with more regional services such as BBC iPlayer, Channel 4, ITVX, 10Now, and 9Play, all of which were easily accessible from Proton VPN.

As for torrenting? It’s a breeze. Proton VPN supports port forwarding, so you can easily connect to other peers in a P2P network. There are also a few P2P optimized servers available on Proton VPN, which allowed me to fully connect to the rest of the swarm when downloading Linux ISOs to test.

Unblocking score: 10/10

Privacy and Security

Like every other tool from the Proton team, Proton VPN has been built from the ground up for privacy and security. Depending on which platform you’re using Proton VPN on, you’ll have the choice between OpenVPN, WireGuard, and its proprietary Stealth protocol. OpenVPN and WireGuard have both been stress-tested a thousand times over by real-world deployments and audits, so you don’t have to worry about accidentally choosing an insecure protocol when setting up the service.

WireGuard is built to always use the most secure encryption by default, while Proton has set up its OpenVPN deployment to use AES-256, which is about as secure as can be.

Stealth is an obfuscated version of WireGuard that runs over TLS, making it look like normal encrypted browsing data to anyone who’s trying to analyze your traffic to spot a VPN in use. It’s mainly useful for ducking past enterprise rule-based firewalls, but your mileage may vary in how well it works on DPI-based firewalls that ISPs in countries with harsh internet restrictions use.

Of course, Proton has a strict no-logs policy, which has been verified by multiple independent audits, most recently from Securitum in July of 2024. This marks its third consecutive annual no-logs audit, all of which are available to see on Proton VPN’s website without registering for an account.

Most providers, including ExpressVPN, will ask you to sign up first, but Proton VPN is demonstrating a commitment to transparency that few VPN providers can match.

While Proton VPN doesn’t use RAM-only servers to run its service, they do employ full-disk encryption on all of its servers, which essentially achieves the same thing. None of your browsing or connection data is ever written to disk, and anyone who attempts to remove one of the servers by force would be completely unable to decrypt the hard disk without an encryption key. Not that they’d find anything useful, anyway.

Proton VPN’s Secure Core architecture adds an extra layer of protection by routing traffic through multiple servers in privacy-friendly countries, effectively defending against network-based attacks. Forward Secrecy is implemented, generating a new encryption key for each session to ensure that even if a key is compromised, past browsing history remains secure.

I can’t say Proton VPN’s malware blocking was particularly good, though. To test it out, we picked 100 brand-new phishing URLs from the anti-phishing experts at OpenPhish and connected to each one with Proton VPN open to see how they’d do. At 11% of malware sites blocked and only 19% of phishing results, Proton VPN could do far better.

Privacy and security score: 8/10

Track record

When you claim that you’re a privacy-first company, you’re going to get a lot of eyes on you. Proton VPN is no exception, which means that some privacy issues from related products tarnish its reputation slightly. In 2019, ProtonMail was forced to log the IP address of a climate activist after a law enforcement request, which significantly undermined its perception as a private email provider.

However, Swiss law works slightly differently for VPN providers. They cannot be compelled to carry out bulk surveillance by either foreign law enforcement or the Swiss government, so Proton VPN as a product is significantly less vulnerable to the same sort of requests.

As for individual accounts, Proton VPN has to comply with legally valid cases brought forth by the Swiss courts, even if these are made by a foreign entity. However, Switzerland has no official ties to EU, NATO, or US intelligence sharing pacts, and tends not to recognize law enforcement requests from countries with a poor judicial reputation.

Track record score: 9/10

Customer support

More so than other VPNs in our top 5, Proton VPN feels like it expects you to do a bit of reading to get the most out of your VPN. There’s an incredibly comprehensive knowledge base that very clearly outlines how the whole app works, as well as offering a ton of solutions for common troubleshooting problems. The live chat is only for paying customers, so if you have any trouble signing up, you’ll have to email them or send a support ticket.

Speaking of, its live support isn’t 24/7, unlike NordVPN. Instead, you’ll need to get in touch with a support representative between 9 AM and 5 PM CET. While my interactions with the Proton VPN support staff have been useful, if delayed a little bit (there’s a 24-hour turnaround on any issue when you open a ticket), there have been some poor interactions that resulted in a 2.4 score on Trustpilot.

Customer support score: 7/10

Pricing and plans

Proton VPN starts at $2.49 a month with the currently Black Friday VPN deal. That makes it a very good offer, right now, coming in significantly lower than NordVPN Basic ($2.99) and ExpressVPN Basic ($3.49).

A Proton VPN subscription protects 10 devices on a single plan. Upgrading your plan to Proton Unlimited won’t remove this restriction, but it will give you access to Proton Drive, Mail, Calendar, and Pass for another three dollars a month. If you’re trying to migrate all of your data away from another provider like Google, this is a truly great deal.

There’s also a free version that only offers 10 locations (The US, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Poland, Switzerland, Singapore, Mexico, Canada, and Japan) but does so with no ads or restrictions whatsoever.

You won’t get access to all of the premium features, such as Multi-Hop or Secure Core, but it’s functional enough if you need a secure VPN to cover a single device without paying for it.

Pricing and plans score: 10/10

Should you use Proton VPN?

If you’re looking for a free VPN, get Proton VPN. With an unlimited bandwidth policy, no time-outs, and no ads, Proton VPN is just about the best free VPN you can get today. As a paid VPN? You could do a lot worse. Proton VPN will satisfy just about everyone who uses it, but it falls short in a few key areas where other VPNs simply work better.

It’s fast when it counts, but Surfshark and NordVPN both consistently outdo Proton VPN. All the rest of our top five perform better than Proton VPN at both European and North American locations, especially ExpressVPN and PIA, respectively. Still, these are minor complaints at best. Proton VPN has an extensive list of privacy-focused features, and you can try all of them for yourself with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Overall score: 83/100

Proton VPN – from $2.49 per month
A great pick for small businesses

Proton offers a huge package for an impressively low cost. Offering services such as email, a password manager, and, of course, an impressive VPN, Proton offers a close competitor to Surfshark in terms of breadth of offering and value. Despite falling short in some areas of our testing, it's a surefire solution to anyone's day-to-day security concerns and offers speeds and security more than good enough to put your mind at ease.View Deal

Proton VPN alternatives

1. NordVPN – from $2.99 per month
The best VPN overall

A VPN with a focus on security, NordVPN not only offers a high-speed VPN but also a built-in antivirus, URL safety checkers, additional server protection with Double VPN, and an ad-blocker using their encrypted DNS solution. It’s slightly more expensive than Surfshark but offers a VPN service second to none. View Deal

2. Surfshark – from $1.99 per month
The best cheap VPN (and also the fastest)
Don't be fooled by the price tag. Surfshark isn't just cheap, it's a full-blown privacy suite with the best value-for-money toolkit I've seen in the market so far. Beyond its great features and even better pricing, it's also the current champion in our speed tests, and has been for a while. Check out this budget-friendly privacy demon with a 30-day money-back guarantee and see how it compares to ExpressVPN.View Deal

3. ExpressVPN – from $3.49 per month
The best VPN for beginners and the most secure

With its lightning-fast speeds and excellent unblocking capabilities, ExpressVPN is one of the best choices out there if you’re willing to pay a premium for performance. Its apps are incredibly polished, and its custom VPN protocol, Lightway, combines high speeds with obfuscation to allow you to connect from anywhere on the planet. View Deal

Proton VPN FAQs

How does Proton VPN keep your data safe?

Proton VPN is based in Switzerland and adheres to a strict no-logs policy, verified by independent audits. It also employs strong encryption standards in addition to security features like Secure Core.

Does Proton VPN work with Netflix?

Yes, Proton VPN successfully unblocks Netflix in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, and Japan. Its speeds are also more than enough to watch 4K content, which makes it a good choice for streaming.

Is Proton VPN good for torrenting?

Proton VPN supports P2P file sharing on dedicated servers. They also use a combination of powerful encryption techniques and audited privacy practices, ensuring your IP won’t be leaked while torrenting.

Echo Dot Max review: Amazon’s best mid-range speaker, but not by much

4:20 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Smart Home Smart Home Hubs | Comments: Off

Two-minute review

Amazon announced its new Echo Dot Max alongside the new Echo Studio, Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 11 in September 2025, heralding a new generation of its mid-range smart speakers and smart displays with a focus on better audio, Alexa+ compatibility, smart-home connectivity and a fresh new design-led look that brings them closer in terms of appearance to competitors from Google and Apple.

Although its name suggests that it succeeds the 5th-generation Echo Dot released in 2022, technically, the Echo Dot Max model replaces the 4th-generation Echo speaker, which is quietly phasing out across global markets. Regardless, Amazon is pitching the Max as more of a ‘Pro’-grade improvement to the Echo Dot than a direct follow-up, and it's gearing up to be one of the best smart speakers in Amazon's current line-up.

So, what does the ‘Max’ moniker get you versus the standard model? According to Amazon, a two-way speaker system that offers three times the bass, faster processing thanks to the new AZ3 chip, and a stylish re-fit – oh, and it’s twice the price.

Broadly speaking, these upgrades all pay off in one of the best Alexa speakers I've tested: music is noticeably more bassy and carries more weight, Alexa is quick to respond, and the design looks more chic than the rather basic base model. Each of these points comes with a caveat, though: yes, the audio is decent with some smart features for home theatre fans, but still not enough to satisfy audiophiles, and I wouldn’t argue that audio is always strictly “better” than the regular Echo Dot. The speaker’s processor is clearly superior, but without Alexa+ to put it to the test, that difference is hard to notice. The redesign is lovely, but the front-facing controls are a little awkward to use.

All in all, given that the Echo 4th-gen offers a solid audio experience and is only marginally larger, and that Amazon didn’t bring back the 3.5mm jack it removed between the 4th and 5th-generation Echo Dot, calling this Echo Dot a ‘Max’ model feels only partially justified, and it’s hard to tell quite who Amazon has made this speaker for at times.

If ‘Max’ denotes its Alexa+ compatibility, well, that service is still in Early Access and exclusively available in the US as of writing, with no firm plans for global rollouts. From what we do know so far in the US, reception has been mixed. If ‘Max’ denotes audio performance, then yes, the speaker is impressive for its size, but it's still far from audiophile-approved.

Still, I enjoyed my time with the Echo Dot Max, and it's exciting to see this new direction for Amazon's smart speakers take form.

Amazon Echo Dot Max — (Image credit: Future)

Echo Dot Max: Specs

	Echo Dot Max
Dimensions	4.27 x 4.27 x 3.9 inches / 10.8 x 10.8 x 9.9cm
Speakers	0.8-inch tweeter and 2.5-inch woofer
Processor	AZ3
Connecivity	Zigbee, Matter, Thread Border Router, eero
Voice assistant	Alexa
Weight	17.8oz / 505.3g

Echo Dot Max: Design

New, more premium materials
Neat and petite
Control placement isn’t great

The Echo Dot Max, along with the new Echo Studio, features a new design language – a chunkier knit-fabric exterior, new front-facing controls, and a slightly larger frame than the standard Echo Dot.

Star Wars fans will surely delight in this Death Star-esque design refresh, but if you regularly use touch controls on your Echo speakers you might not love the new button placement. Prodding the controls leads the speaker to scoot across the surface, so you have to hold onto it during use – not a deal-breaker, but a little annoying.

The iconic blue Alexa ring has also moved to surround the control panel, and as with some more recent Echo speakers, it can also show the volume percentage and provide other status cues like notifications, connectivity issues and mute mode. Under the hood, the Echo Dot Max packs a 0.8-inch tweeter and 2.5-inch woofer as well as the new AZ3 chip.

On the rear is a single power port, and just like the last-generation Echo Dot, there’s no 3.5mm jack on this model. That feels like a slightly more glaring omission; this is a really useful utility for streaming music through a better home audio system via the Echo, and while its removal from the 5th-gen Echo Dot could just about be excused given its price and positioning, it’s unfortunate that it hasn’t made a return in this pricier model.

While I do like the new fabric-mesh coating and control panel, overall the Echo Dot Max redesign ends up being more inconvenient in manual operation, and it really is a shame that Amazon opted not to include the 3.5mm jack. The heavier, more robust Echo Studio suits the new form factor quite nicely, but the Echo Dot Max, especially in the purple colorway I tested, isn’t quite as convincing in its Death Star-ness.

Design: 4/5

Echo Dot Max: Performance

New two-way speaker system
Decent audio features and performance
Alexa is zippy

Amazon’s new Echo Dot Max is a solid all-rounder, with iterative upgrades to the 5th-gen Echo Dot, but it generally comes in just below the 4th-gen Echo base model.

The Echo Dot Max is the first Echo Dot from Amazon with a two-way speaker system. There’s a single 20mm tweeter and a 6cm woofer, meaning your favorite playlist will fill the room better than ever before. However, it’s marginally less powerful than the 1.73-inch speaker found in the 5th-gen Echo Dot, and the Echo 4th gen’s 3-inch woofer and two 20mm front-firing tweeters offer a better all-around audio experience. It’ll be a matter of taste, in some cases, as well as positioning that determines if the Echo Dot, regular Echo or the Echo Dot Max is technically ‘better’ for your audio needs, but it’s nonetheless impressive.

The Echo Dot Max can be surprisingly loud, with lovely clear vocals and highs. Laufey’s Falling Behind is plenty warm and rounded, and while you lose the crispness on the syncopated acoustic guitar hits, the vocals still poke through well. Tracks with less complexity in the rhythm and bass come out quite cleanly, and at times fare better than when played on the Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 11 I tested alongside the Echo Dot Max. Jeff Buckey’s Last Goodbye is an excellent example of this, with his dulcet tones ringing out gorgeously, and Bowie’s vocals are also beautifully clear on Heroes, even as the intensity amps up throughout the track.

Other tracks feel far flatter through the Dot Max, which can’t always deliver a rounded, powerful bass; Fleetwood Mac’s The Chain is missing the punchy drive of the drums and feels weaker all round, and the same goes for Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush, where what should be the driving, insistent rhythm lacks the force to lift the emotion of Bush’s chirping vocals. Glory Box by Portishead is far less muddied and clipped than when I played it on the Echo Show 11 and 8, though it still feels compressed too much into the mid-range, and can’t deliver the nicely rounded bass I love in the track. For its size and price, it’s still impressive, and I can forgive its weaknesses, but I wouldn’t say it quite delivers the ‘Max’ experience I’d expect based on audio quality alone.

However, the Echo Dot Max redeems itself with the audio smarts it packs under the hood, including Lossless High Definition and Automatic Room Adaptation. In practice, that means the speaker is able to adapt its audio to wherever it’s placed, and it’s the first time we’ve seen this tech in an Echo Dot. I really value immersive sound over and above a speaker’s power, so these audio smarts make the Echo Dot Max much more to my liking.

Soon, the Echo Dot Max will gain another feather to its audio cap; you’ll soon be able to connect up to five Echo Dot Max or Echo Studio speakers plus an optional Echo subwoofer to Fire TV Stick 4K (2nd-gen), Fire TV Stick 4K Plus, Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd-gen), or Fire TV Cube (3rd-gen) to use Amazon’s new Home Theatre feature. Simply set it up using the Alexa app and Amazon’s voice assistant will automatically configure the placement and tune the sound using its spatial awareness sensors for an immersive surround sound experience. This setup will support Dolby Atmos from selected streaming services, and you’ll be able to control volume with voice commands or a Fire TV remote.

The Echo Dot Max has the same temperature and ultrasound motion sensors as the Echo Dot (4th gen), but also adds a new Wi-Fi sensing capability. All of these worked well on test, and are great for setting up even smarter Alexa Routines. For instance, I set up an automation that turns on my smart lights when I enter a room as well as one that turns on my electric heater when the temperature drops too low for my liking.

When it comes to the more standardized Alexa features, the Echo Dot Max performs as expected. If you’ve used more recent Echo devices, you likely won’t really feel the speed boost from the AZ3 chipset, but it’s a marked difference compared to older models. Alexa responds in rapid fashion, pulling up information and executing commands quicker than ever; it’s unlikely that the base version of Amazon’s voice assistant can actually get much quicker without pre-empting your query – and given that Alexa on the Dot Max actually cut me off once or twice, we should be careful what we wish for here.

Of course, all that new computing power is really in service of powering Alexa+, which, at the time of writing, is not available in the UK, where I’ve been testing the Echo Dot Max. We’ve got a full review of Amazon’s agentic AI platform coming soon, so keep your eyes peeled for that or check back here for updates.

Personally, I enjoyed my time with the Echo Dot Max. Along a similar vein to my verdict on the design, I'm not sure its performance improvements justify the price increase, and the fact it won't quite be good enough for audiophiles yet still offers better audio makes it hard to place in Amazon's line-up of Echo Speakers.

Performance: 4/5

Echo Dot Max: Price and availability

List price: $99 / £99 / AU$199
Released November 2025

The Echo Dot Max sits in the mid-range of Amazon’s Echo family, positioned as a step up for Echo Dot fans who want a slight boost to audio, and better AI experiences when Alexa+ is eventually available to them. It’s available in black, white, and a bold purple colorway.

It’s $50 / £50 / AU$100 more expensive than the 5th-generation Echo Dot, which for the foreseeable future, is still available for purchase. For that extra cost you do get some decent improvements, but it still can’t beat the 4th-generation full-size Echo for audio, which sold at a similar price point.

For me, the differences between the Echo Dot and Max models aren’t quite enough to justify the jump in list price; and especially not when one of the key selling points – that being Alexa+ compatibility – is only available in Early Access the US at the time of writing, and costs more on top – unless, of course, you have an Amazon Prime subscription. I probably wouldn’t buy this at list price, but as we all know, Amazon loves a juicy discount around sales events.

Value: 3.5/5

Should I buy the Echo Dot Max?

Buy it if...

You want room-filling audio

While I’m 50/50 on whether or not the Echo Dot Max’s audio performance can be considered truly “better” than the regular Echo Dot, it’s certainly better at filling a space thanks to the addition of Lossless High Definition, and Automatic Room Adaptation.

You’re upgrading from an older Echo speaker

More recent Echo smart speakers pack fairly similar specs and performance, but the AZ3 chip brings a marked improvement.

Don't buy it if...

You are an audiophile

It’s impressive what the Echo Dot Max does within the boundaries of its size and price point, but the speaker is still far from perfect and won’t render your favorite tracks perfectly.

You don’t like Death Stars

I’m being a little tongue-in-cheek here, but the design won’t be for everyone - especially if you’re a fan of using the manual controls, which, when pressed, can push the speaker across surface.

Amazon Echo Dot Max: also consider

Scorecard
Value	3.5/5	Far from pricey, but doesn't quite live up to its premium positioning or price point
Design	4/5	New design shape may be divisive, control panel a bit annoying, but lovely build quality
Performance	4/5	You win some, you lose some; smart, both in sound and home automation, but not quite powerful enough.

If you're not sure the Amazon Dot Max is the right Alexa smart speaker for you, here are further options to consider from Amazon:

	Echo Dot Max	Echo Dot (5th-gen)	Echo (4th-gen)
Dimensions	4.27 x 4.27 x 3.9 inches	3.53 inches x 3.94 inches x 3.94 inches	5.7-inch x 5.7-inch x 5.2-inch
Speakers	0.8-inch tweeter and 2.5-inch woofer	1.73-inch front-firing speaker	3.0" (76.2 mm) neodymium woofer and two 0.8" (20 mm) front-firing tweeters with Dolby Audio support
Processor	AZ3	AZ2 Neural Edge	AZ1 Neural Edge
Connecivity	Zigbee, Matter, Thread Border Router, eero, Wi-Fi 6	Zigbee, Matter, Thread Border Router, eero, Wi-Fi 6	Zigbee, Matter, Thread border router. Dual-band Wi-Fi, eero, Bluetooth 3.5mm audio line-in/out.
Weight	505.3g	328g	970g

Also consider Echo Dot (5th-gen)

The 5th-gen Echo Dot is the predecessor to the Echo Dot Max, and while its audio specs aren’t quite as adaptable, the sound quality will be slightly better for some owing to the slightly more powerful speaker.

For more information, check out our full Echo Dot (5th-gen) review.

Also consider Echo (4th-gen)

The 4th generation of Amazon’s base model Echo speaker may be getting long in the tooth, its audio performance is admirable, it’s often on sale at bargain prices, and offers a similar performance.

For more information, check out our full Echo (4th-gen) review.

How I tested the Echo Show 15 (2024)

I used the Echo Dot Max as part of my personal smart home setup
I played lossless audio through Spotify
I tried the standard Alexa and other advertised features.

I tried all of the advertised features of the Echo Dot Max (barring Alexa+, which is not currently available in the UK) to examine its value for money, performance and how successfully Amazon’s redesign accounts for user experience.

In addition to using Alexa for a variety of tasks like browsing, searching and connecting to third-party apps and services, as well as controlling smart home devices, I also used my Echo Dot Max as a speaker for lossless tracks streamed through Spotify. I tested a range of genres of music and different moods to see how well it represented some of my favorite tracks and testing playlist.

I’ve been using Alexa speakers for years, and professionally testing smart home devices for 3+ years. In addition to my at-home Alexa setup, I’ve also used both Google and Apple devices to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the most popular smart home ecosystems.

I’ve been testing the Shark Glam Multi-Styler, and it’s a cool concept ruined by one baffling design decision

1:18 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Hair Care Home Small Appliances | Tags: UK, US | Comments: Off

Shark Glam: two-minute review

Product info

There are a few bundle options, with different accessories included.

US:
Shark Glam HD6051S
Shark Glam HD6052S
Build your own bundle HD6000

UK:
Shark Glam HD6051SUK
Shark Glam HD6052SUK

For this review, I tested the UK version. There may be minor differences between models offered in different countries.

The Shark Glam is a does-it-all styling tool that combines a tube-shaped hair dryer and various attachments for creating curls, waves, straight styles and anything in-between. The USP is two new tools that have heated ceramic elements, which work alongside the airflow to lock in styles and eliminate frizz. Named the "Silki" (the straightener attachment) and the "Glossi" (the round brush), both are designed to be used on either wet or dry hair.

It's an innovative idea that could have been a game-changer... if only Shark had provided a way to turn each one off. Surely, using hot plates on wet hair is likely to cause damage? Shark insists it's fine, because the ceramics drop to a cooler temperature when the Glam is in Wet Hair mode, but they're still too hot to touch, so I'm not convinced. Similarly, when using the Glam in Dry Hair mode, I could have done without air blowing my already-dry hair all over the place as I tried to create some shape with the Glossi round brush the day after wash day.

It's a shame that, in my opinion, this fundamental part of the Glam concept is flawed, because on other levels this tool is excellent. The dryer itself feels pleasingly compact, well balanced and comfortable to use, and it delivers powerful airflow. I was also impressed with the other accessories – the auto-wrap curl barrels work very well, the diffuser has adjustable prongs for different lengths of hair, and the double-walled concentrator feels a cut above average, too.

There's a lot to like about the Glam; but, unfortunately, it isn't the parts that are exclusive to this styler. This means it won't be knocking the Shark FlexStyle off our list of the best hair stylers any time soon. Read on for my full Shark Glam review.

Shark Glam Multi-Styler tool with Glossi barrel attached — (Image credit: Future)

Shark Glam review: price & availability

List price: from $399.99 / £369.99
Launch date: September 2025
Available: US and UK

The Shark Glam launched in September 2025, and is currently available widely including the US and UK (although not yet in Australia). There are a few bundle options available, with most including the dryer, Silki straightener attachment, Glossi heated brush attachment, and auto-wrap curl barrels; but beyond that they have different accessories.

In the US, you can opt for the HD6051S bundle, which includes a concentrator and FrizzFighter finishing tool. Alternatively, if you have natural curls or coils, you'd be better off with the HD6052S bundle, which has a wide-tooth comb and diffuser. Both of these options cost $449.99.

Alternatively, you can build your own bundle (HD6000) for $399.99. With this option, you get the Silki and Glossi attachments and choose two further accessories (the curl barrels are an option, but not included as standard).

In the UK, it's the HD6051SUK bundle, which comes with a FrizzFighter finishing tool, or the HD6052SUK, which swaps the finishing tool for a diffuser. Both cost £369.99.

Given the sheer variety of accessories and tools included here, the Shark Glam isn't a bad price. It's especially strong value if you'll be using all the attachments – buying an individual set of straighteners, dryer and hot brush would cost far more. However, if you don't need all the attachments, there are simpler muti-stylers available that will cost far less.

If you don't want the integrated ceramic plates (which I wouldn't personally pay extra for), you have many more options. The older Shark FlexStyle has a list price around $279.99 / £269.99. The Dyson Airwrap i.d. is notably pricier $599.99 / £479.99 – but it feels like a more premium option, and boasts a better auto-wrap curling system.

Value for money score: 3 out of 5

Shark Glam specs

Wattage:	1,500W
Temperature settings:	3 + cool shot
Speed settings:	3
Cord:	CHECK
Size w/ no attachments (L x W x H):	CHECK 4.3 x 4.1 x 27.4cm
Weight w/ no attachments:	~338g (no cord)/ 740g (with cord)
Airflow:	Not provided

Shark Glam review: design

Compact, tube-shaped dryer with lots of styling attachment options
Two attachments – Glossi and Silki – combine hot air and ceramic plates
Wet and dry modes, but no way to turn off air or ceramic plates in either

The Shark Glam is what I'd describe as the Swiss Army Knife of hair tools. The base machine is similar to that of any modern breed of multi-styler: a tube-shaped dryer, with a top section that twists to sit at 90-degrees to the handle, for easier drying. Where things get a little more exciting is in the accessories. The two most notable additions are the Silki and Glossi attachments.

Shark Glossi and Silki attachments for the Glam multi-styler, on a shelf in tester's bathroom — (Image credit: Future)

The Silki is a straightener attachment for creating sleek, straight styles. It delivers a directed blade of air (à la Dyson Airstrait) to dry hair, alongside hot ceramic plates of the type included in a traditional straightener, to smooth and remove frizz.

The Glossi is a round (or, more accurately, teardrop-shaped) brush tool. This, too, includes ceramic elements for smoothing. The asymmetrical shape is designed to enable you to get closer to the root of the hair.

Close-up of the controls on the Shark Glam Multi-Styler tool — (Image credit: Future)

These tools can be used in Wet Hair or Dry Hair mode, but the hot plates and the air will be on in both modes. Shark's instructions state that the hot plates will be at a lower temperature when used in Wet Hair mode, which makes the presence of settings to adjust the windspeed and temperatures manually even more baffling. Overall, the settings are confusing – even if you leave on the sticker that explains what each button does.

All the attachments for the Shark Glam Multi-Styler on a shelf in reviewer's bathroom — (Image credit: Future)

The other attachments are more standard. You get a pair of curl barrels that attract the hair, wrapping it around the barrel and setting it into curls as it finishes drying it. One barrel wraps clockwise, while the other wraps anti-clockwise; the Dyson Airwrap is still the only hair tool that offers both directions on one barrel (even the best Airwrap dupes can't manage this).

There's a variety of other compatible accessories available for the Shark Glam, but which you get will depend on the bundle you choose. Accessories include a FrizzFighter finishing tool for taming flyaways, a concentrator, a diffuser with extendable pins, and a wide-tooth comb.

Plug for Shark Glam Multi-Styler tool — (Image credit: Future)

The off-white and gold colorway of my review model looks stylish, but is ruined slightly by the bulky, somewhat ugly-looking plug. You'll also need to earth it by pressing two buttons simultaneously before each use (this is for the UK version; I'm not sure what the situation will be in other countries). My review model came in a soft carry case.

Design score: 3.5 out of 5

Shark Glam review: performance

Attachments feel secure, and airflow is powerful
Silki straightener is a bit unwieldy and can't get right to the root
Concerns about heat damage from using hot plates on wet hair

While I like the idea of combining hot air and ceramic plates in one do-it-all tool, I'm baffled that there's no way to turn either element off. Shark assures me that the hot plates won't cause damage when used on wet hair, but I remain unconvinced. In Wet Hair mode, the plates are meant to drop to a lower temperature; but this temperature is still too hot to touch with your fingers. Similarly, when used for a second-day touchup, I don't really need the Shark Glam to be blowing hot air onto my already-dry hair. It's just annoying.

During the review period, I also found the controls confusing. It isn't clear if the Wet Hair / Dry Hair mode slider switch overrides the manual controls or vice versa.

Shark Glam Multi-Styler tool twisted into hair dryer mode — (Image credit: Future)

My experience with the Silki straightening tool was mixed. One side of the straightener is much chunkier than the other, which makes it feel a little unwieldy if you're coming from using traditional straighteners. It also means that on one side of your hair, the chunky bit will be next to your head, and you won't be able to get close to your root (worth flagging that we had the same complaint with the Dyson Airstrait; the other major wet-to-straight option on the market). However, it did leave me with fairly smooth, straight locks once I was done.

Close-up of Silki attachment for Shark Glam Multi-Styler, on a shelf in tester's bathroom — (Image credit: Future)

It was a similarly mixed experience with the Glossi brush tool. The ceramic elements are tucked in on one side, and again you can't get right up to the root, despite the teardrop shaping. When used on wet hair, I found this setup did help deliver a smoother final look compared to using just a hot brush. However, when used on the day after washing, the hot air blasted my dry hair around and made styling tricky.

Tester holding Shark Glam Multi-Styler, with curl barrel attached — (Image credit: Future)

In terms of the basics, things are much more positive. The dryer itself is lightweight and comfortable to hold, and delivers strong airflow and a good range of temperatures at which to style hair. The attachments clip on and off securely, and I like the way the top section of the dryer can be twisted and redirected for more comfortable use.

I could also tell that a good amount of thought had gone into the design of the other attachments (the ones that don't have ceramic elements). The diffuser, for example, has pins that can be made longer or shorter to suit your hair length. And although the bubble-shaped curl barrels look a bit odd, they work perfectly well in practice.

Close up of attachment lock on Shark Glam Multi-Styler tool — (Image credit: Future)

Overall, though, I'm struggling to get on board with the Shark Glam because of my earlier complaint. Without the ability to switch off the air and heated elements on and off independently of one another, I can't see myself reaching for the Shark Glam as my preferred styling tool in any situation. I'd use it with the curl barrels attached as an Airwrap alternative... but that part is the same as the (cheaper) Shark FlexStyle.

Performance score: 3 out of 5

Should you buy the Shark Glam?

Attribute	Notes	Rating
Value	You're getting a lot of tech for your money, but there are cheaper options if you don't want the ceramic elements.	3 / 5
Design	The decision to combine air and heated ceramics is innovative, but it's baffling that you can't use each one independently. Otherwise, well-designed and built.	3 / 5
Performance	Decent results, but using hot plates on wet hair surely isn't great for long-term hair health, and it's annoying to have air blowing at dry hair. Good results from the other tools, including curl barrels.	3 / 5

Buy it if...

You want the most versatile multi-styler

To my knowledge, this is the only multi-styler on the market to offer both hot plates and airflow in one tool. There's no style that the Glam couldn't (theoretically) create.

You struggle with frizz

The ceramic elements help smooth out frizz in a way that air alone can't do.

You spot a great deal

Although I wouldn't pay a premium to get the Glossi and Silki tools, if I spotted a deal I'd be very tempted – the basics are great here, including the auto-wrap curl barrels.

Don't buy it if...

You're worried about hair health

There's no way to switch off the ceramic plates on the Silki and Glossi tools, even in Wet Hair mode. Shark says it's fine, but I can't see how that wouldn't cause heat damage.

You already have a straightener

The Silki attachment is a little unwieldy – and considering you can't turn off the hot plates and just use the directed airflow, if you already have a pair of straighteners, then you might as well use them.

How I tested the Shark Glam

I used the Shark Glam as my main styling tool over the course of several weeks. I have frizz-prone, armpit-length wavy hair with some particularly curly patches. I tested the Glam in Wet Hair mode and Dry Hair mode (on wet and dry hair), and used all the different attachments, including the Glossi and Silki. I compared the results to what I could achieve with other multi-stylers I've tested, including the Dyson Airwrap i.d., the Shark FlexStyle and the Dreame AirStyle Pro.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed November 2025

EasyWP review

10:20 pm | November 24, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Website Hosting | Comments: Off

EasyWP isn't a web hosting brand like others. EasyWP is the Managed WordPress hosting solution offered by Namecheap. What you get here is an opportunity for a smooth journey into the world of convenient, high-powered web hosting. The key is that EasyWP runs on Namecheap's Cloud infrastructure, giving it a leg up in performance and reliability.

Want to try EasyWP? Check out the website here

Pricing and plans

EasyWP plans are straightforward: Starter, Turbo, and Supersonic. These follow a tiered pricing system that offers more resources (CPU, RAM, storage) as you progress through the price tiers. On the two higher tiers, you also get Brizy PRO, a website builder plugin for WordPress.

SSL certificates and CDN are also free, but most other hosts offer that as well, so it's not a significant consideration.

For subscription duration, you can choose between monthly, yearly, or two-year plans.

Like most other web hosts, there are significant incentives for longer subscriptions. Savings vary by tier and duration, with the steepest being a 44% price cut.

My advice, however, is to treat that price cut as the short-term bonus it is. Once the honeymoon period is over, you'll be paying full price anyway.

The only problem I see here is the lack of transparency around system resources. Aside from storage space, you have no idea how much CPU and RAM you're getting. For example, all EasyWP mentions are vague intangibles, such as "1.5x more CPU."

Regardless of which plan or duration you choose, however, you essentially get a one-month free trial. You pay nothing up front for the Starter plan on a monthly subscription. For the other plans, you get a one-month money-back guarantee.

Use

This image shows resource usage on the EasyWP user dashboard — EasyWP's custom dashboard offers quick access to hosting management and analysis tools. (Image credit: Future)

Getting on board with EasyWP is a seamless experience. It's similar to most website builders that prompt you for some information as you build your site. Ultimately, it boils down to two choices: Are you starting a new WordPress website, or moving to EasyWP from another host?

The former is what you should choose if you're starting from scratch or if you intend to perform a manual site migration. If you choose this option, EasyWP immediately creates a clean WordPress installation for you.

If you're performing a migration from another host, EasyWP asks for your hosting details so that it can move your entire site on your behalf. It's a hands-off experience that should suit most newbies.

EasyWP's custom dashboard is also impressive. It offers quick access to most of the tools you need to manage your hosting account. From here, you can also jump quickly into your WordPress admin dashboard or access your database via phpMyAdmin.

The user experience as a whole here is positive. The dashboard is comprehensive enough that you get most of what's necessary. At the same time, it's not excessively overwhelming for new users. It's a difficult balance to challenge, but EasyWP has managed it admirably.

Note: Usability in this case comes at the cost of some control over your server. For example, you can't choose the PHP or database version, nor can you easily toggle or restart individual services.

Speed and reliability

When it came to testing, I was at first somewhat apprehensive. I'd signed up for a starter plan and had no information on resources, apart from the 10GB of storage space. Rather than overpromising and underdelivering (or vice versa), EasyWP took the easy way out and simply omitted such information.

Anyway, the show had to go on. For testing, we have a WooCommerce website and database that we upload to all web hosts. This helps us standardize things and evens the playing field between web hosts.

WordPress benchmark testing
CPU & Memory	Operations with large text data	9.25
	Random binary data operations	7.27
	Recursive mathematical calculations	4.91
	Iterative mathematical calculations	7.08
	Floating point operations	6.96
	Filesystem write ability	8.63
	Local file copy and access speed	8.94
	Small file IO test	9.53
	Importing large amount of data to database	1.82
	Simple queries on single table	5.57
	Complex database queries on multiple tables	3.65
Object cache	Persistent object cache enabled	0
Wordpress core	Shortcode processing	4.86
	Wordpress Hooks	7.64
	Wordpress option manipulation	7.29
	REGEX string processing	5.87
	Taxonomy benchmark	6.86
	Object capability benchmark	7.44
	Content filtering	5.26
	JSON manipulations	4.78
Network	Network download speed test	10
Overall	Your server score	6.4

Our core server performance tool is a WordPress benchmarking plugin. This tests the server's performance on a one-off basis and provides a score for vital areas such as CPU and memory, database, and other related metrics.

It was here that I got my first surprise. Despite not listing resource details, EasyWP did remarkably well in CPU and storage performance. Operations with large text data, for example, clocked in at 9.25, which is one of the best results I've seen so far.

The problem is that EasyWP's database operations were quite poor. Its score for importing data was appalling at merely 1.82. Comparatively, hosts like Kinsta and Bluehost scored well over 8 for database performance. For WordPress sites, this is a significant issue since it relies heavily on database operations.

To compound the issue, I was also unable to run Siege, which is what we use for load testing. Attempts to execute the test saw constant errors. Finally, I checked with customer support and was simply told that they block all such tools.

Customer support and knowledge base

EasyWP offers several channels for customer support. That includes access to a knowledge base, how-to videos, a Telegram channel, and live chat via their website. Being the impatient person I am, my first port of call was their live chat.

It was here that the magic happened. I was connected within seconds to an autoresponder bot, and from there quickly escalated to speaking with a customer service agent. There were no loops involved in getting there, and I didn't even have to repeat my problem to the live agent.

Even better, their customer support agents were helpful and extremely problem-resolution focused. I initially had issues doing a manual website import due to server restrictions. The customer service agent offered to do it for me; all I had to do was upload the zip files.

Usage scenarios and recommendations

Here, we come to the million-dollar question: Who should use EasyWP, and why? It's never easy to recommend a specific product or brand because many of us have different needs. What works for me may not work for everyone.

Let's relook at the facts. EasyWP is priced well above most shared hosting plans, but less than premium managed cloud service providers like Cloudways. However, it's also much easier to use but does have a less-than-stellar performance.

Because of this, I'd recommend EasyWP to the following categories of users:

Those looking to upgrade from shared hosting
Those who want a cheaper alternative to premium managed WordPress hosting
Those who are running small to medium-sized WordPress sites.

However, if you're planning for the long term and are more focused on performance, I'd recommend Cloudways instead. It's fast, powerful, and offers more control than EasyWP.

Final verdict

EasyWP sits at a rather unique position in the Managed WordPress hosting space. It offers those with less experience a good first glance into the world of Managed Cloud hosting at prices that don't break the bank. The newbie-friendliness is further amplified by excellent customer support that's easily accessible.

EasyWP FAQs

Is EasyWP worth it?

EasyWP is a great choice if you aren't exceptionally technically inclined but want more power than shared hosting. It's also far cheaper than many managed VPS plans available today.

How do I access SFTP from EasyWP?

To access SFTP on EasyWP, you must enable the feature from your dashboard. EasyWP lets you enable SFTP for 1 hour, 12 hours, or 24 hours at a time for security reasons. It will then provide you with a username, password, and URL that you can use with an FTP client like FileZilla.

How do I migrate my WordPress site to EasyWP?

The easiest way to migrate your WordPress site to EasyWP is to use its built-in migration tool. Simply provide your existing host details, and EasyWP will automatically create a clone. You can also use a WordPress plugin to export your site and import it to EasyWP.

Is the Brizy PRO website builder useful?

From a personal standpoint, WordPress today comes with powerful page-building capabilities. It would be more useful to focus on site performance with a lightweight theme such as GeneratePress, rather than allow Brizy PRO to potentially build heavy (albeit beautiful) pages for your website.

How do I cancel my EasyWP subscription?

If you want to cancel your EasyWP subscription within the free trial period, you have to contact their support team. Otherwise, simply disabling the auto-renewal feature in your account will suffice.

We've also highlighted the best managed WordPress hosting

I tested the entry-level turntable that everyone raves about, and I totally get it

9:30 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Hi-Fi Turntables | Comments: Off

Sony PS-LX310BT: Two-minute review

I'd heard of the Sony PS-LX310BT by reputation, before I'd heard it with my own ears: TechRadar’s own esteemed audio editor, consider it one of the best turntables for entry-level vinyl fans. And that’s how it ended up in the living room currently being lived in by me, a person who thought a ‘B-Side’ was just a track designed for insects.

Let's get something abundantly clear: the big selling point of the Sony PS-LX310BT is chiefly its price; this is an affordable turntable that may not offer the same sonic dexterity as pricier options, but also doesn’t cost you the same as a mid-level car to purchase it. And it's got a great rep – not just at TechRadar but among those who know about these things.

For me, the price isn’t the only factor that makes this a great entry-level position. Once you’ve set the thing up – which may take one or two missteps compared to the easiest options I’ve tested, but is still fairly simple – it’s a dream to use.

Press button to play. Press button to stop. If you love vinyl audio for its hands-on approach, you might feel redundant when it comes to this Sony deck, but turntable newbies will find it a lot less scary to operate because you'll never actually need to touch the tonearm, or lower a headshell and needle onto a delicate sliver of vinyl and potentially hear it scratch.

It’s easy to like the look of the PS-LX310BT too. Sure, it’s understated in the exact same way that almost every other turntable is, but a design like that screams ‘sonic excellence’ irrespective of price.

It goes without saying that deep-pocketed audiophiles should skip over this option; it doesn’t offer the audio nuance (or the five-figure price point) that top-end vinyl aficionados will be looking for. And some novice buyers will find that it doesn’t offer the connectivity options required for them, with Bluetooth and RCA but no simple 3.5mm out. But for most newbies, it’s a dream.

Sony PS-LX310BT review: Price and release date

Released in April 2019
Typically sells for $449 / £179 / AU$399
Now available for around $199 / £179 / AU$395

The Sony PS-LX310BT was released in April 2019, so it’s not exactly one of the newest turntables on the market – although six years in analog audio isn't a long time at all. And perhaps because of this, it’s still officially ranged by Sony, as one of only two turntables on its store.

The recommended retail price of the deck is $449 / £179 / AU$399 – that’s not a typo, it’s a lot pricier in the US – although at the time of writing, it’s hard to find it for full price. Instead, I’ve found the PX-LX310BT going for roughly $199 / £179 / AU$395 in sales, which seem to happen very frequently.

It goes without saying that you should try to pick this turntable up in said sales if you can. But either way, the price marks this as a fairly entry-level turntable; it’s not the cheapest I’ve ever seen, but it’s still a more affordable option for people who don’t need audiophile-grade kit, and it still looks the business.

The Sony PS-LX310BT on a table. — (Image credit: Future)

Sony PS-LX310BT review: Specs

Dimensions	43 x 36.7 x 10.8cm
Motor	Belt drive
Platter	Aluminum
Phono preamp	Yes
USB	NA
Bluetooth	4.2
Speeds	33, 45RPM
Stylus	Not specified
Extras	45RPM adapter, attached RCA cable, rubber mat

Sony PS-LX310BT review: Features

Not the easiest set-up (but also not the hardest)
Simple and easy to operate, though a tiny bit slow
Some connection options, but not 3.5mm

Newbies setting up the Sony PS-LX310BT might find it a little fiddly during the set-up process; you only have to attach the platter and mat and set the pulley belt, but I somehow managed to unknowingly twist the belt during placement which took a tiny amount of deconstruction to fix. I also religiously forget to remove the stylus cover every time I want to listen, but I can’t mark Sony down for that.

At least Sony doesn’t require you to do anything to the cartridge or counterweight or anything like that, and the entire set-up process took me under 15 minutes. And once you’ve done the initial set-up, it’s really easy to listen thanks to Sony's use of an automatic system in the PS-LX310BT. Press ‘play’ to play, or ‘stop’ to stop, and the tone arm will move all on its own.

I do find the turntable a little slow to react to these button presses, and if I wanted music on quickly I’d place the arm myself – because I'm experienced in such things. Thankfully this is a valid option too, with the platter spinning automatically if the tonearm is raised.

Connections wise, there are wired or wireless options. Wirelessly, you can connect devices such as headphones via Bluetooth, and I found it a quick and reliable connection. You can connect up to eight devices this way, but I don’t know anyone who isn’t a tech journalist who owns this many wireless gadgets. Wired, you can use the built-in RCA cable which plugs into the left and right jacks of an amplifier or stereo speaker. There’s no 3.5mm jack in the turntable for you to plug in your wired headphones. In this way, it slightly limits who can use the wired connection – you need compatible tech, or at least an adaptor.

Features score: 4/5

Sony PS-LX310BT review: Sound quality

Energetic audio
Some detail missing
Avoid Bluetooth if you can

Not wanting to upset audiophiles (and being indecisive), I tested the Sony PS-LX310BT alongside multiple devices, including wired and Bluetooth.

There’s a lot of energy in music played through the turntable; evidently the understated design contrasts the music played out. The Police’s Zenyatta Mondatta felt playful and fun, and Al Stevens’ ode to the feline annum reveals the singer’s vocal range and zest well, with glissandos and harmonies far more audible than if you just listened on Spotify.

You’re sadly not getting quite the level of clarity that you would on a… well, a non entry-level setup, with some detail lost, especially in the mids. But it’s still decent for the money, and there’s a reason that cut-price music-lovers have been turning to the PS-LX310BT for over half a decade.

Note to Bluetooth users: I did find that the speaker peaked Bluetooth-connected devices on occasion, which isn’t something I’ve found as much from other Bluetooth turntables I’ve tested.

Sound quality score: 4/5

Sony PS-LX310BT review: Design

Minimal, understated look
Buttons hidden on front edge
Dust cover could open further

The Sony PS-LX310BT has a minimalist look, going for the black on black (on silver) look, small unadorned dials and buttons and a businesslike tonearm. I like ornamentation as much as the next guy, but this product hits that ‘audio equipment’ serious aesthetic pretty square-on.

The turntable measures 43 x 36.7 x 10.8cm, and weighs 3.5kg; it wasn’t too heavy to stop me toting it around my apartment when I wanted to connect it to various speakers and devices dotted in different rooms. That height includes the dust cover, which you don’t have to use (TechRadar's audio editor never fits them, and removes them if they're pre-fitted), but I’d recommend. My ‘tiniest-violin-in-the-world’ opinion is that it would have been nice if the dust cover would open a little wider, to make getting vinyl records onto the mat a little easier.

The almost-straight, no-nonsense tonearm was light and easy to manipulate, though some audio purists might take chagrin at the lack of a counterweight.

Sony has hidden most of the PS-LX310BT’s buttons on the front edge. This is where you’ll find the buttons to play, to stop and to move the tone arm up and down. On the top there’s only the Bluetooth pairing button,, a dial to set the vinyl speed and the speed rotary knob. There is also a little hidey-hole on the right edge for the 45RPM adaptor, something I only noticed after 10 days of the adaptor being plonked awkwardly on the turntable’s body.

Design score: 4.5/5

Sony PS-LX310BT review: Value

While the Sony PS-LX310BT is priced as an entry-level device, and has a feature set to match, there are a few areas in which it stands out from the budget crowd.

The ease of use and svelte design are two such departments, but these are hardly small perks, with the aluminum platter, bespoke (though un-removable) cartridge and lightweight tonearm keeping better care of your records than some super-cheap options might.

My only small value concern is this: you either need to connect it to a Bluetooth device, or something which accepts RCA-in, so your wired headphones will need an adaptor to work. But that's hardly a deal-breaker.

Value score: 4/5

Should I buy the Sony PS-LX310BT?

Sony PS-LX310BT score card
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Features	It's easy to use and misses some of the complications of more premium alternatives.	4/5
Sound quality	The sound is energetic and zingy, though with some missing clarity.	4/5
Design	It's understated, with a smartly-thought-out design.	4.5/5
Value	Several aspects, including the price, make it a good entry-level pick.	4/5

Buy it if…

You want a first-steps turntable
If expensive turntables put you off, this cut-price alternative will be a great option instead – and it's Sony, with all of the gravitas that name carries.

You're scared of using turntables
It's simple when you get used to it, but if you'd rather an automated way to play vinyl, then this option is great.

You have compatible pieces of audio kit (or don't mind using Bluetooth)
Hey, I don't mind using Bluetooth, but some vinyl fans turn their nose up at it. If you insist on wired connections, then you'll need something that can take RCA.

Don’t buy it if…

You want to manually operate your turntable
I've seen a few people unhappy at the PS-LX310BT because its automated process cuts them out of the vinyl playing process. I understand.

You're building an audio empire
If you're an audiophile with cash to burn, then you should put something at the center of your sound system that's a little pricier.View Deal

Sony PS-LX310BT review: Also consider

	Sony PS-LX310BT	Majority Folio	Audio-Technica AT-LP70XBT
Dimensions	43 x 36.7 x 10.8cm	412 x 323 x 142mm	110 x 400 x 330mm
Motor	Belt drive	Belt drive	Belt drive
Platter	Aluminum	Die-cast metal	Aluminum
Phono preamp	Yes	Yes	Yes
USB	No	Die-cast metal	No
Bluetooth	4.2	Die-cast metal	5.2
Speeds	33 1/3, 45RPM	33 1/3, 45RPM	33 1/3, 45RPM
Cartridge	Not specified	AT3600L	AT3600L
Extras	45RPM adapter, attached RCA cable, rubber mat	Dust cover, rubber mat, 45 adapter, RCA cable.	33 1/3, 45RPM

Majority Folio
This more affordable turntable has a built-in speaker, and while it's good, it makes it a better pick for first-time turntable users who don't already have a Hi-Fi set-up in place.
Read our Majority Folio review here.

Audio-Technica AT-LP70XBT
Our favorite budget turntable, the AT-LP70XBT undercuts the Sony's MSRP in some countries, though costs more than its deal price. It's another solid beginner turntable with better Bluetooth transmission.
Read our Audio-Technica AT-LP70XBT review here.

How I tested the Sony PS-LX310BT

Tested for ten days
Inputs included a series of vinyl records
Outputs include headphones and a speaker via Bluetooth, and speakers via cable

The Sony PS-LX310BT review process covered ten days, not including the time it took to write the review itself. I have a decent-sized collection of vinyl which I used for this testing.

As mentioned, after running it in for 48 hours, I listened on multiple devices including a pair of speakers via the RCA connection, a smaller speaker via Bluetooth and a pair of headphones, also via Bluetooth.

I've been tested tech for TechRadar for nearly seven years, which has included many audio players and another turntable; I've also used turntables and other Hi-Fi kit outside of reviewing.

First reviewed November 2025

I tested the entry-level turntable that everyone raves about, and I totally get it

9:30 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Hi-Fi Turntables | Comments: Off

Sony PS-LX310BT: Two-minute review

Sony PS-LX310BT review: Price and release date

Released in April 2019
Typically sells for $449 / £179 / AU$399
Now available for around $199 / £179 / AU$395

Sony PS-LX310BT review: Specs

Dimensions	43 x 36.7 x 10.8cm
Motor	Belt drive
Platter	Aluminum
Phono preamp	Yes
USB	NA
Bluetooth	4.2
Speeds	33, 45RPM
Stylus	Not specified
Extras	45RPM adapter, attached RCA cable, rubber mat

Sony PS-LX310BT review: Features

Not the easiest set-up (but also not the hardest)
Simple and easy to operate, though a tiny bit slow
Some connection options, but not 3.5mm

Features score: 4/5

Sony PS-LX310BT review: Sound quality

Energetic audio
Some detail missing
Avoid Bluetooth if you can

Not wanting to upset audiophiles (and being indecisive), I tested the Sony PS-LX310BT alongside multiple devices, including wired and Bluetooth.

Note to Bluetooth users: I did find that the speaker peaked Bluetooth-connected devices on occasion, which isn’t something I’ve found as much from other Bluetooth turntables I’ve tested.

Sound quality score: 4/5

Sony PS-LX310BT review: Design

Minimal, understated look
Buttons hidden on front edge
Dust cover could open further

The almost-straight, no-nonsense tonearm was light and easy to manipulate, though some audio purists might take chagrin at the lack of a counterweight.

Design score: 4.5/5

Sony PS-LX310BT review: Value

While the Sony PS-LX310BT is priced as an entry-level device, and has a feature set to match, there are a few areas in which it stands out from the budget crowd.

Value score: 4/5

Should I buy the Sony PS-LX310BT?

Sony PS-LX310BT score card
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Features	It's easy to use and misses some of the complications of more premium alternatives.	4/5
Sound quality	The sound is energetic and zingy, though with some missing clarity.	4/5
Design	It's understated, with a smartly-thought-out design.	4.5/5
Value	Several aspects, including the price, make it a good entry-level pick.	4/5

Buy it if…

You want a first-steps turntable
If expensive turntables put you off, this cut-price alternative will be a great option instead – and it's Sony, with all of the gravitas that name carries.

You're scared of using turntables
It's simple when you get used to it, but if you'd rather an automated way to play vinyl, then this option is great.

Don’t buy it if…

You want to manually operate your turntable
I've seen a few people unhappy at the PS-LX310BT because its automated process cuts them out of the vinyl playing process. I understand.

You're building an audio empire
If you're an audiophile with cash to burn, then you should put something at the center of your sound system that's a little pricier.View Deal

Sony PS-LX310BT review: Also consider

	Sony PS-LX310BT	Majority Folio	Audio-Technica AT-LP70XBT
Dimensions	43 x 36.7 x 10.8cm	412 x 323 x 142mm	110 x 400 x 330mm
Motor	Belt drive	Belt drive	Belt drive
Platter	Aluminum	Die-cast metal	Aluminum
Phono preamp	Yes	Yes	Yes
USB	No	Die-cast metal	No
Bluetooth	4.2	Die-cast metal	5.2
Speeds	33 1/3, 45RPM	33 1/3, 45RPM	33 1/3, 45RPM
Cartridge	Not specified	AT3600L	AT3600L
Extras	45RPM adapter, attached RCA cable, rubber mat	Dust cover, rubber mat, 45 adapter, RCA cable.	33 1/3, 45RPM

How I tested the Sony PS-LX310BT

Tested for ten days
Inputs included a series of vinyl records
Outputs include headphones and a speaker via Bluetooth, and speakers via cable

The Sony PS-LX310BT review process covered ten days, not including the time it took to write the review itself. I have a decent-sized collection of vinyl which I used for this testing.

I've been tested tech for TechRadar for nearly seven years, which has included many audio players and another turntable; I've also used turntables and other Hi-Fi kit outside of reviewing.

First reviewed November 2025

LiTime X Mini battery and accessories review

2:20 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro | Comments: Off

The LiTime X Mini 12V battery is more than just an ordinary LiPo battery with high current and capacity.

LiTime X Mini Battery - Specification

Battery capacity: 4096Wh

Number of charge cycles: Over 4000 before 20% drop

Output power: 2560W

Fastest charge time: 2 hours

Additional features: Bluetooth, IP65

Weight: 25kg

The 4kWh type is approximately the same size as a car battery. It features an intelligent BMS, Bluetooth telemetry, self-heating capability, and durability of over 4,000 charge cycles before experiencing a 20% drop in charge. What is even more remarkable is the unit's compact size and relatively light weight, at just 25kg.

LiTime provides a slew of accessories to support the 12V battery. Users can build the best portable power station for their needs with a charging time as fast as one hour and an output power of 2.56kW.

The companion 2kW inverter is ideal for retrofitting in an RV, providing remote access to a substantial amount of power. The battery supports low-temperature operation down to -20 degrees Celsius.

LiTime X Mini Battery: Price and Availability

The 12V battery with a 320Ah capacity has an MSRP of $930 and is currently on sale for $650. A battery alone will not do much, though, and a complete system with a 720W charger and 2000W inverter adds an extra $730, which is relatively cheap, considering that similar 4kWhr/2kW stations have a $2000 price tag.

LiTime X Mini Battery inverter. — (Image credit: Future)

LiTime X Mini Battery: Design

From the outside, the LiTime LiPo battery looks strikingly similar to a lead-acid battery, having an identical form factor but with smaller posts.

The battery ships with a product manual, screws, and a quick start guide. The 25kg unit measures 38cm x 19cm x 25cm. The IP65 certification protects against water ingress should the product come into contact with water.

Since the case is hermetically sealed, the plastic enclosure will dissipate heat during charging at the maximum allowed power. Two handles, one on each side of the battery, allow the unit to be transported with some effort.

The tested 12V, 320Ah battery outputs 12.8V with an internal resistance of less than 40mΩ, providing a maximum power of 2.56kW. The charging current is limited to 200A continuously, resulting in a charge time of approximately two hours.

LiTime recommends using a 20% current capacity to prevent heat build-up. Two nuts embedded in the case act as positive and negative terminals. A torque wrench set to 12 Nm secures the provided M8 bolts to cable lugs and the battery.

LiTime sells two essential accessories for lithium batteries. The AC inverter is built around a pure-sine wave generator that can output up to 3kW for the 12V model. The 2kW model we tested features four 120V AC sockets, two USB ports, a remote-control port, and a high-power terminal connector.

The second, but equally important, accessory is the battery charger. We tested an 800W unit that generates significant noise through its fan. This kind of energy storage is generally unsuitable in an office and better suited to a remote location or a garage.

LiTime X Mini Battery charger. — (Image credit: Future)

LiTime X Mini Battery: In use

A complete battery system is inherently passthrough, where the charging current passes through both the battery and the inverter, thus doubling as a Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) in the event of a blackout.

The ability to adjust the setup according to the owner's usage is also a great feature that other non-modular units lack. A second inverter can be easily added, turning the system into a 240V station, or the battery capacity can be increased by connecting up to 16 batteries in parallel and in series.

The LiTime mobile app is available on both Android and iOS platforms and supports only the battery. The setup involves adding the unit via Bluetooth using a combination of QR code and barcode.

The battery’s state is available from the main menu and includes capacity, output voltage, current, and power. The app can turn off the unit’s Bluetooth module, thereby saving energy. Bluetooth is re-enabled automatically when charging the battery.

LiTime battery products feature a built-in battery management system with over 20 protection safeguards, including overcurrent and temperature protection. The LiFePO4 chemistry is also more stable than other lithium chemistries, significantly reducing the risk of thermal runaway. The battery is protected against high temperatures and is certified by organizations such as the FCC and CE.

LiTime X Mini Battery: The competition

Renogy’s Core Mini, the closest model to the LiTime battery we tested, only supports 300Ah instead of 320Ah. Since the Core Mini is a 12V model, the net power reduction is about 16Wh, for a similar size, weight, and price. The Core Mini's output power of 1800W is also lower than LiTime's 2560W.

LiTime X Mini Battery: Final verdict

Lithium power storage cannot be more modular than LiTime’s X Mini battery and its accessories.

Upgrading the system simply involves connecting wires to additional batteries and inverters. At the same time, it can go into more places than its integrated counterpart for the same amount of energy.

The X Mini has a reasonable price, good build quality, and great online support. The Bluetooth connection is a nice addition, allowing constant monitoring of the battery’s vital signs.

The documentation could be better, with more detailed diagrams showing how to expand the system. Since only the battery supports Bluetooth, one cannot remotely control the inverter outputs or examine the overall system efficiency.

Buy the X Mini if ... you are looking to increase battery capacity or output power later.

Don’t buy the X Mini if ... DIY isn't your cup of tea.

We've listed the best rugged laptops and the best rugged phones.

LiTime X Mini battery and accessories review

2:20 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro | Comments: Off

The LiTime X Mini 12V battery is more than just an ordinary LiPo battery with high current and capacity.

LiTime X Mini Battery - Specification

Battery capacity: 4096Wh

Number of charge cycles: Over 4000 before 20% drop

Output power: 2560W

Fastest charge time: 2 hours

Additional features: Bluetooth, IP65

Weight: 25kg

The companion 2kW inverter is ideal for retrofitting in an RV, providing remote access to a substantial amount of power. The battery supports low-temperature operation down to -20 degrees Celsius.

LiTime X Mini Battery: Price and Availability

LiTime X Mini Battery: Design

From the outside, the LiTime LiPo battery looks strikingly similar to a lead-acid battery, having an identical form factor but with smaller posts.

LiTime X Mini Battery: In use

The LiTime mobile app is available on both Android and iOS platforms and supports only the battery. The setup involves adding the unit via Bluetooth using a combination of QR code and barcode.

LiTime X Mini Battery: The competition

LiTime X Mini Battery: Final verdict

Lithium power storage cannot be more modular than LiTime’s X Mini battery and its accessories.

The X Mini has a reasonable price, good build quality, and great online support. The Bluetooth connection is a nice addition, allowing constant monitoring of the battery’s vital signs.

Buy the X Mini if ... you are looking to increase battery capacity or output power later.

Don’t buy the X Mini if ... DIY isn't your cup of tea.

We've listed the best rugged laptops and the best rugged phones.

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