While the Echo won’t rival the highest-end smart speakers, it should be an exceptional value at its lowered price. The sound is significantly richer and bassier than its predecessor, to the point where it compares more closely to Sonos’ entry-level models. And then there’s the ecosystem — Alexa remains a go-to choice if you’re hoping to start a smart home setup or tap into services like Spotify and Apple Music. As long as you’re happy to live in Amazon’s universe in the first place, you probably won’t have many complaints.