[Review with video] Enjoy car audio with comfortable streaming playback without brought in CDs or USB.What I noticed in two months I spent with Amazon Echo Auto

"Echo Auto" released at the end of September.As soon as Amazon released, many media introduced it in the news, so its existence should be widely known.In addition, many drivers will attract attention because this unit is the first in -vehicle Echo product in the Japanese market.In general, the manufacturer lent a product and used it for about February.I want to spell out the impression I actually used.

Sentence / photo = Kei Hasegawa

I'm not familiar with smart speakers, but I tried using it

First of all, I confess that this is almost the first time to use Echo."Almost" means that you have never mentioned the kind of smart speakers, but you do not own and use it on a daily basis.A little more, I'm not good at communicating conversations with the machine, and I never talked to navigation except for the work function check, no matter how good the car navigation system had an excellent audio recognition function so far.。I can say it myself, but I have a little anxiety about my tongue, and I am confident that I can not hear it.In other words, it is afraid of being rejected without understanding the bloody opponent, and it becomes angry.The point is not good.

In -vehicle Alexa has been gradually increasing the affinity of the car environment, such as being built -in to Cadillac genuine car audio and functioning on the carrozzeria display audio released this summer.In terms of function operation in cars, it is natural to think that if you can operate with a voice command as much as possible, you can realize a more secure drive environment, considering that you can operate physical actions in addition to driving operations.See.In that case, it is natural that a tool like Echo will be introduced to the car.

Until now, I realize that it is not suitable for smart speakers, but how about Echo Auto?When I actually put it on the vehicle, I felt my misunderstanding.

When you get on the car, first "Alexa!"

Echo Auto is installed and setup is really simple.The Echo Auto body is fixed to the vehicle room, and the power supply is secured from the cigar socket via a USB cable.Connect with the smartphone with the "Amazon Alexa app" wirelessly and connect to the existing vehicle audio system.Cigar sockets and USB cables for power supply are included in Echo Auto, so there is no need to purchase them.

However, if you try to crawl the connection cable to Echo Auto so that it is inconspicuous, you will need a longer cable.In this area, I would like to choose one with high heat -resistant performance, and please consult at a supplies store or car audio shop.

I would like to choose a place where Echo Auto is installed personally that is less noticeable and easy to pick up.I don't want to hit direct sunlight if possible.And don't block the eight microphone rays at the top of the main unit ...For example, it might be a good idea to embed the roof in the center part, or fix the clip to the sun visor if you don't do that.This time, I fixed it to the dashboard center as an easy -to -understand place.

The Echo Auto experience was fresh.Three days after I started using it, I didn't talk to the machine more than the function check, and as soon as I got into the car and started it, I started to say "Alexa!"Now that I am writing this article, I'm talking about "Alexa!"

Talking to Echo Auto so far is not the loneliness for running alone, but because of the high audio recognition performance.Even if you have a lot of road noise or wind noise while running, or play music at a reasonable volume, you can almost hear and respond to this.It's fun to play it as you think of the song you want to listen to.

Listen to various songs with Amazon music

However, there seems to be a trick in the instructions on the playback song.First of all, because it is a dialogue in Japanese, the songs of overseas artists do not recognize that the title is not spoken in katakana pronunciation.Also, if the title is too long, you will stop listening while you are talking, and the song you think to search for the words that Echo Auto heard will not be played.It also regenerates the soundtrack of the movie, but if you simply say the title of the song, you will try to regenerate the movie itself, so you should not be instructed by saying, "Play the soundtrack of the movie with Amazon Music."I can't afford it.

Here is one example that I have tried many times but does not work.When I listened to Van Halen, which I personally loved, I said, "Alexa, played Vanheyren's album" 1984 "," but Alexa said, "I will play Vanheylen's songs."Play.Even if "1984" is called "Ichikyuhachion", or "Senkyu Hyakha Jujuong" does not work even if it is called "Ninety -teen Aytfour".If you know if the album "1984" will be played, please let me know.

Also, it is difficult to search for classical music.If you are a PC or smartphone, if you enter the song name, you will get a candidate song list, and you can choose the music of the conductor or performer you want to listen to, but if you just say it is a title, you will not be able to get a point.The title you want to listen to is not played.Even in jazz, major numbers are covered by many artists, so it is useless if the combination of the artist name and the song name cannot be conveyed well.

Therefore, for music such as classical and jazz, it seems good to make a playlist in the Amazon Music self -accounted account in advance.

Return the history of car audio?Promising tools as an interface for streaming playback

At present, smartphones will be the mainstream, but Carrozzeria's exclusive Wi-Fi routers will also appear in the future.Changes in the communication environment are likely to be a factor that supports Echo Auto.

In terms of sound quality, if you can do it, you can enjoy the playback sound more than CD quality with Amazon Music HD, but there is nothing more than playback via Bluetooth.If HD playback will be fulfilled in Echo Auto in the future and digital output will be provided, the existing car audio -main unit may generally be a white flag.The car audio market where streaming playback is becoming the mainstream accelerates at once, and the CD playback is to be fossilized.The appearance of Echo Auto was a great shock.