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If there’s anything tech-wise that has advanced dramatically over the last few years, it’s voice-controlled technology. For some, it’s already become a staple of home life, as users are utilising commands to read out the weather, set alarms, order takeaway, control home automation and most importantly… control music.
The slight issue here is that the speaker quality is often comprised for all the other clever tech that’s packed into the voice controlled unit. But there is a way to get around this, and we’re going to show you how.
Voice Control: The Main Players
The main platforms you’re bound to come across are Amazon Echo, Google Home and the Apple Homepod. We’re not going to go into the differences between each of them, as they each differ in their offerings and compatibility with various apps and software. That’s something for you to research on your own! For the sake of this blog however, we’re picking the Amazon Echo Dot. Why you ask? Well it’s been around a while longer than the Google Home and the Apple Homepod, so chances are you might already have one at home. Also because its indigo and charcoal fabric variations complement our Yoyo Bluetooth Speakers quite nicely.
Setting Up and Connections
The Amazon Echo Dot is compatible with a range of music services including Spotify and their own Amazon Music platform. Once your device is set up you can select your service in the drop down menu under ‘Music and Books’. Once you’ve linked up a music service, you can start giving it commands for playback through the built-in speaker. We can vastly improve the sound by connecting to a speaker, and there are two ways we can do this.
The Dot has a 3.5mm output at the rear of the unit for an easy wired connection. So not only can you connect it to a Bluetooth speaker, but receivers, powered speakers, soundbars and integrated amplifiers too. Basically, anything with an AUX input using a 3.5mm cable.
Whichever Amazon Echo device you choose, each one contains a Bluetooth transmitter built in, allowing you to send audio to Bluetooth enabled devices including speakers, soundbars and soundbases. All you need to do is ensure your speaker is in pairing mode, head to the settings menu in the Amazon Alexa app, select the Echo device you want to use and then Bluetooth to begin pairing your devices. The quick start guide that comes with the Echo Dot recommends you place your speaker a meter away from the dot for optimal performance.
Once paired, it’s time to start giving commands! You can make requests based on artists, genres, songs or even time periods. Alexa will still hear your requests but your music will be played through your Bluetooth speaker instead. Not only will your music sound much better, but Alexa’s responses will also sound better played through your speaker too. She’s never sounded so good!
Are you making the most of voice controlled tech at home? Have any other tips and tricks for making the most of this technology? Let us know in the comments below.
