Amazon Echo Studio (2025) Review 2026: Alexa households that want one speaker to handle both music and the smart home hub role.
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Our verdict
The Echo Studio (2025) is Amazon's larger speaker and hub. Amazon's announcement lists it at $219.99 (as of 2026-10-02) with the AZ3 Pro chip, a high-excursion woofer and three full-range drivers, spatial audio with Dolby Atmos, Omnisense sensing, and a built-in hub supporting Zigbee, Matter and Thread. Amazon describes a new compact spherical design. As a smart home hub it documents the same radios as the $99.99 Echo Dot Max, so the extra money goes toward audio hardware, which Firsthand does not measure. Other trade-offs: Alexa+ is included with Amazon Prime at no additional cost; without Prime it is $19.99 per month, with a limited free text chat at Alexa.com and in the Alexa app, per Amazon (as of 2026-10-02), and Amazon lists it under its standard one-year limited warranty. Scores reflect Amazon's published documentation, not testing.
Score breakdown
- Performance (30%)9.0/10
- Value (25%)7.0/10
- Reliability (20%)7.0/10
- Ease of Use (15%)7.0/10
- Support (10%)7.0/10
Scored per our review methodology.
Who it's for
Best for: Alexa households that want one speaker to handle both music and the smart home hub role..
Pricing
$219.99 (as of 2026-10-02); Alexa+ included with Prime or $19.99/month without Prime (as of 2026-10-02)
| Plan | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Echo Studio (2025) | $219.99 (as of 2026-10-02) | Amazon list price at launch; includes the built-in Zigbee, Matter and Thread hub. |
| Alexa+ (without Prime) | $19.99/month (as of 2026-10-02) | Included at no additional cost with Amazon Prime. |
What the evidence says
- Echo Studio costs $219.99 (as of 2026-10-02), uses the AZ3 Pro chip, a high-excursion woofer and three full-range drivers, supports spatial audio and Dolby Atmos, and has a built-in Zigbee, Matter and Thread hub. (About Amazon, Echo Dot Max and Echo Studio announcement (official))
- New compact spherical design with 3D knit fabric; microphone on/off button. (Amazon Press Center, Echo Dot Max and Echo Studio launch (official))
- Echo Studio (2025 release) is covered by Amazon's One-Year Limited Warranty. (Amazon, Device Warranty for Alexa Devices and Accessories (official))
- Alexa+ is included with Prime; $19.99 per month without Prime (as of 2026-10-02). (About Amazon, Alexa+ availability and pricing (official))
Pros & cons
Pros
- Most capable audio hardware here: a high-excursion woofer plus three full-range drivers, with spatial audio and Dolby Atmos support, per Amazon
- Same built-in Zigbee, Matter and Thread smart home hub as the Echo Dot Max, per Amazon
- Uses Amazon's AZ3 Pro chip, a step up from the AZ3 in the Echo Dot Max, and includes Omnisense sensing, per Amazon
Cons & red flags
- At $219.99 (as of 2026-10-02) it costs more than twice the Echo Dot Max for the same smart home hub radios
- The full Alexa+ assistant costs $19.99 per month without Prime, per Amazon
- Covered only by Amazon's one-year limited warranty, the same as the much cheaper Echo Dot Max
How it compares
Amazon Echo Studio (2025) scores 7.6/10 in our smart home evaluation. See where it lands in the full ranking: Best Smart Speakers of 2026.
- Amazon Echo Dot Max review — 7.8/10, alexa households that want an affordable speaker that also acts as a zigbee, matter and thread hub.
- Google Home Speaker review — 7.7/10, google home users, or mixed iphone and android households, who want a matter hub and thread border router at a low price.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Echo Studio a smart home hub?
Yes. Amazon states both the Echo Studio and Echo Dot Max include a built-in smart home hub with Zigbee, Matter and Thread support.
How is it different from the Echo Dot Max?
Amazon lists the Echo Studio with the AZ3 Pro chip, a woofer plus three full-range drivers and Dolby Atmos support, versus the Dot Max's AZ3 chip and two-way speaker. Hub radios are the same. Prices are $219.99 and $99.99 (as of 2026-10-02).
What warranty does it have?
Amazon's warranty page lists the Echo Studio (2025 release) under its One-Year Limited Warranty for Amazon Devices or Accessories.
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