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Customer Review
Reviewed in Canada on July 10, 2022
Just replaced a pair of my 1st Gen Google Home (Air Freshener style) with two of these 4th Gen Echo Fabric covered Globes. The Google system has been choking on failed voice commands for the last year - it typically has to be asked twice. Disruptions in streaming CBC (Canadian) radio was the final nail in the coffin, so I had to try going Echo. Really glad I did.
Here's the difference between the two:
1. Voice commands now work reliably on the Echo - every time so far. Google assistant USED to be reliable, but for the last year, we often get the "Something went wrong" result to the first command. We have to ask the same command again. Having to repeat every command twice is like having a sticky key on your keyboard. It's maddening that it hasn't been resolved after about a year of glitches.
2. The Echo Microphone quality seems to more sensitive. Even with music playing, the Echo picks up the commands the first time. Google seems to have more trouble hearing a "stop" command over the music it's playing - even before item 1) above was an issue.
3. The Quality of audio is massively better - deep bass AND clear highs! It sounds really good! Google has thick bass and mediocre highs even when equalization is tweaked in the app. Granted, I'm comparing the 1st gen Google to a 4th gen Echo, but reviews seem to confirm that Amazon is still beating even the latest generation of Google Nest on sound quality.
4. Ease of set up. Amazon even gave me the option to have my account preloaded when I ordered the product. Setting up in the Alexa app is short and sweet. Google setups require page after page of (marketing) options in the app, and require it even just to change the wifi access point. Stereo pairing on the Amazon app was also a piece of cake - Google stereo pairing seemed just slightly more tedious.
So now we're all upgraded to a richer sounding Echo stereo speaker pair to enjoy, instead of an annoying half broken Google system. I've always been a Google product guy in the past - but Alexa and Echo are absolutely winning this round. I still have my old Google Home air fresheners - I just hope Google gets around to fixing them so I can lean on them again.
Here's the difference between the two:
1. Voice commands now work reliably on the Echo - every time so far. Google assistant USED to be reliable, but for the last year, we often get the "Something went wrong" result to the first command. We have to ask the same command again. Having to repeat every command twice is like having a sticky key on your keyboard. It's maddening that it hasn't been resolved after about a year of glitches.
2. The Echo Microphone quality seems to more sensitive. Even with music playing, the Echo picks up the commands the first time. Google seems to have more trouble hearing a "stop" command over the music it's playing - even before item 1) above was an issue.
3. The Quality of audio is massively better - deep bass AND clear highs! It sounds really good! Google has thick bass and mediocre highs even when equalization is tweaked in the app. Granted, I'm comparing the 1st gen Google to a 4th gen Echo, but reviews seem to confirm that Amazon is still beating even the latest generation of Google Nest on sound quality.
4. Ease of set up. Amazon even gave me the option to have my account preloaded when I ordered the product. Setting up in the Alexa app is short and sweet. Google setups require page after page of (marketing) options in the app, and require it even just to change the wifi access point. Stereo pairing on the Amazon app was also a piece of cake - Google stereo pairing seemed just slightly more tedious.
So now we're all upgraded to a richer sounding Echo stereo speaker pair to enjoy, instead of an annoying half broken Google system. I've always been a Google product guy in the past - but Alexa and Echo are absolutely winning this round. I still have my old Google Home air fresheners - I just hope Google gets around to fixing them so I can lean on them again.
