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OEcho (4th Gen)
Interacting with Alexa always
felt like talking to a crystal ball,
and now the Echo has had a
makeover to match. The new
spherical smart speaker has
an AZ1 Neural Edge processor
for speedier responses.
£
OEcho Dot (4th Gen)
Like the full-size Echo (not to
mention the Apple HomePod
Mini on p9), the little Dot has
also rolled up into a ball. With
its 1.6in speaker and optional
LED clock (£10 more), it’s still
a cheap way to get Alexa.
£
OFire TV Stick Lite
Not bothered about streaming
4K with Dolby Atmos audio
or any of that jazz? The new
Fire TV Stick Lite sticks to the
essentials, offering 1080p
streaming and an Alexa
remote for a bargain price.
£
Squash & show
ROKU STREAMBAR
With Wash & Go espousing the benefits of convergence since the
1980s, it’s about time the world of home cinema caught up. So while
Roku’s Streambar won’t change how many bottles you take into the
shower, its combination of a room-filling quad-driver soundbar and
a 4K HDR streamer will certainly save you some space under the telly,
especially considering it’s just 35cm long and 6cm high. It’s got apps
from Netflix, Amazon and Disney+ on board, Dolby Audio is supported,
and you can control it using both Alexa and Google Assistant, with
HomeKit support on the way. Chuck in Bluetooth and AirPlay 2 and
it’ll even triple up as a wireless music speaker. Take that, Wash & Go.
£130 / roku.comNoise keep swinging
MARSHALL MAJOR IV
Those big Marshall speaker cabinets look just the same as they did 50
years ago, so why should the company’s headphones be any different?
That’s why its new Major IV Bluetooth headphones are almost identical
to their predecessors – but they’ve had the battery boosted to a
whopping 80 hours, with a 15-minute quick charge getting you 15
hours of playback. They can now be charged wirelessly too, although
there’s still a 3.5mm port, and the multi-directional knob lets you control
your tunes, change the volume and answer calls while your phone
stays safely stowed in your pocket. With custom-tuned 40mm drivers,
they should sound every bit as meaty as those classic cabinets.
£130 / marshallheadphones.com