Try the usability of the Amazon earphone "Echo Buds". What kind of person do you recommend?

Echo Buds (2nd generation) black

Amazon's completely wireless earphone "Echo Buds (2nd generation)" began shipping from February 24th. The price is 12,980 yen with a USB-C charging case and 14,980 yen with a wireless charging compatible case. [Photo] Echo Buds, which can mute the microphone, is a product that has already been deployed in the United States, which is rare for completely wireless earphones, and Echo Buds (2nd generation) has been on sale since 2021. This time, it has been newly introduced to the domestic market. I immediately tried the usability. Fully wireless earphones that can call Alexa, a "smart speaker that fits in your ear" voice assistant, have already appeared from many manufacturers, but the "genuine" Echo Buds (2nd generation, hereafter Echo Buds) is finally available. Also available in Japan. As it bears the name of Echo, Alexa can be called hands-free, and it has the taste of "a smart speaker that is small enough to fit in your ears." There are two colors, black and glacial white. This time I tried black. Although it is made of plastic, it has a smooth texture on the outside, and the glossy and beautiful finish on the side that touches the ears attracted the eye. It has a "piano black" feel that you can see in high-end speakers, and it doesn't feel cheap. By the way, the earphone body is equipped with a wear detection sensor that plays / stops music and turns the power on / off by attaching / detaching it to the ear. It seems that you can use it by putting it on your ear as it is, but in addition to the standard M size earpiece, you can support the S / L / XL replacement earpiece and the earphone in your ear so that it will not come off easily. Three wing tips are in the bottom of the package. The information screen about earpieces and wing tips will be displayed during the initial settings in the Alexa app, but you may choose the one that fits your ears first. Thanks to the rubber material, it is easy to pinch with your fingers. It looks generally completely wireless and looks somewhat larger than other products, partly due to its original size. It fits my ears fine, but may be a little unsuitable for people with small ears. The initial setting requires the "Amazon Alexa" app for iOS / Android and an Amazon account. Due to the firmware update on the earphone side, the Alexa application is required only for the first time. I tried the first pairing with Echo Buds directly from the Bluetooth setting screen of the smartphone without using the Alexa app, but it does not work because of the announcement such as "Set using the Alexa app". (After the initial setup, you can pair without the Alexa app). As with other Echo series, tap the [+] button at the top right of the "Device" tab of the Alexa app, tap [Add device], and select [Headphones] from the list to wait for pairing. Echo Buds will appear. After this, follow the instructions on the screen to perform a fit test of the earpiece and check how to operate the touch sensors of the left and right earphones. Set up "Search by Alexa" or register training settings in "Alexa Workout" to complete the setup. Although the Alexa app is a must, I'm curious that it doesn't come with detailed instructions for initial setup. It's not a difficult task for those who are already familiar with the Echo series, or for those who are accustomed to gadgets and who like new things, but for those who are not accustomed to it, the hurdles seemed to be a little high. Once the link with Alexa is complete, you can basically perform various operations without launching the Alexa app. In addition to playing music such as Amazon Music, you can also read news and Audible aloud, and operate Alexa compatible home appliances that have been set by voice. You can also set up an Alexa workout to record information such as how long you've been exercising, how far you've traveled, calories burned, and how many steps you've taken by simply calling your Echo Buds "Begin your workout." Uses the built-in microphone to support hands-free calling in combination with a smartphone. Furthermore, not only Alexa but also Siri and Google Assistant can be started, and it is completely functional. As a small and unique function unique to Echo Buds, the built-in microphone can be turned off (mute) by touch operation of the Alexa app or earphone. The ability to "explicitly turn off" the microphone is a rare feature of fully wireless earphones, but it's familiar to the Echo series of smart speakers, and may be a sign of thorough privacy protection. Listen to the sound. Is it convenient to work with "deferred" Echo? For music playback, if you have the Echo series of smart speakers, you can just say "Alexa, play the continuation" and continue the music you listened to on the Echo Buds on the go at home. Playable on your Echo device. On the contrary, Echo Buds can take over the continuation of the songs that I was listening to on my Echo device at home and listen to them on the go. When I tested it in my environment, I was able to realize the above "continue" if the song was played by Alexa. On the other hand, if I was listening to Amazon Music or Apple Music music on the Echo Buds by operating it from the app of each service instead of via Alexa, I could not play the continuation on my home Echo device. You may not be able to take over the songs you choose and listen to from Alexa to your Echo Buds → your home Echo device, but you don't necessarily want to let Alexa do all the music for you. This is a point I would like to see improved. I also checked the sound quality. Equipped with a 5.7mm dynamic driver unit, Amazon says that you can enjoy "clear and well-balanced sound". When I listened to various music after confirming how well it was attached to my ears, the vocals seemed to be a little withdrawn, but I got the impression that they sounded smoothly regardless of genre such as J-POP, Western music, and anime songs. Hikaru Utada's "First Love (Remastered 2014)" sounds more like a vibrant sound with a clear rhythm, like Philosophy's dance "Double Standard". Amazon Music Unlimited has a lineup of songs that support "spatial audio" in addition to high-quality songs, but when I checked with the person in charge of Amazon, Echo Buds does not support spatial audio. However, as previously reported, it may have meant that "there is no special support (such as head tracking)" because you can enjoy spatial audio content with a combination of iPhone or Android smartphone and general earphones / headphones. .. In fact, when I tried it with Echo Buds, I enjoyed the songs of Dolby Atmos and 360 Reality Audio with a three-dimensional sound. NC / external sound capture is practical. Wireless charging is good Echo Buds is equipped with Amazon's proprietary custom-designed noise canceling (NC) technology, and adopts a hybrid method that uses two outer beamforming microphones and one inner microphone. The NC effect is by no means strong, and white noise is a little audible in a quiet environment, but it is generally at a practical level. You can also use the ambient sound function that allows you to listen to outside sounds while wearing the earphones on your ears. Like the Echo series products, you can switch between these functions by saying "Alexa, turn on noise canceling" or "Alexa, turn on ambient sound". Of course, you can also switch between NC / ambient sound by tapping the earphone body. In addition, although the feeling of sealing when wearing the earphones is reasonable, I personally have a strong "feeling of being stuck in my ears", and I felt that I wanted to use it while putting it on and taking it off at an appropriate timing. The Alexa app is required for the initial settings, but once the settings are complete, you can enter the Bluetooth pairing mode by pressing and holding the button on the back of the charging case. Even if you pair it with a smartphone or PC that does not have the Alexa app, you cannot use Alexa's voice service, but you can use it as a general completely wireless earphone. Amazon has not announced a compatible codec for Echo Buds, but as far as I tried it on my smartphone, it seems to support both SBC / AAC. When playing videos such as ABEMA and YouTube, there is a slight gap in lip-sync (video and audio synchronization), but it is not noticeable. However, 3D action shooting called "Smash Hit" had a large delay in experience, so it seems that it is not suitable for game use. As for battery life, it can be used for up to 5 hours on a single charge, and can play music for up to 15 hours including the charging case (when the hands-free function of NC and Alexa is on). When NC / Alexa hands-free is off, it takes up to 6.5 hours for the earphone alone and up to 19.5 hours including the charging case. It also supports quick charging, which allows you to play music for up to 2 hours with a 15-minute charge. Basically, it is charged by connecting it to the USB Type-C terminal on the back by wire, but if it is a model with a wireless charging case, it is convenient to charge it just by putting it on a Qi compatible wireless charging pad. When you open the case with the Echo Buds in it, the LED light in front of each earphone will illuminate to let you know the battery status. If it is 40% or more, it glows green, if it is less than 40%, it glows yellow, and when the remaining amount is low, it turns red. When I put on the Echo Buds and said "Alexa, how much battery power is left?", I was able to confirm the battery level of the left and right earphones and the charging case by voice. High cost performance NC complete wireless. Expected to improve functions When you try Echo Buds, it incorporates NC / external sound capture and smart functions that would be required for Imadoki's completely wireless earphones in the 10,000 yen range, and seamless function cooperation by Alexa. Also firmly supported. The cost performance is good, and it can be said that the degree of perfection as an "ear hole size smart speaker" that can be taken out is high. On the other hand, if you take a closer look at the Echo Buds from the perspective of a non-Alexa user, you might be happier to choose another option for the same fully wireless, as it doesn't have any outstanding and unique features. Personally, I was also worried about the lack of explanation of the initial setup and the fact that the cooperation between Echo Buds and smart speakers when playing music does not work in certain situations. I would like to expect future improvements. Anyway, the Echo Buds are full of features for this class of complete wireless, and they are earphones that can be fully utilized if they fit your needs, so "I want an affordable complete wireless, but there are too many choices. If you don't know what to choose, you can say, "If you buy this and read this article, you can start using it!" It is also suitable for people who "use Amazon's services a lot". Amazon devices are often price cuts during large sales, so it's also recommended for gadget lovers looking for such opportunities.

Ryoichi Shoji