Amazon's hi-fi orientated Echo devices are now available to buy in the UK, having previously been available in the US

The £290 Echo Link Amp is coming 9 May, while the £190 Echo Link is shipping immediately. The devices, first announced at Amazon's big Echo event last September, enable you to you amplify or stream music to your existing home audio system. 

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Echo Link connects to a receiver, an amplifier or directly to powered speakers. It has a bunch of outputs including analogue, optical or coaxial outputs.

There's also a subwoofer line-output with adjustable crossover frequency, and a 3.5mm amplified headphone jack plus wired Ethernet port for reliable connectivity - so there are several features that mark it apart from Amazon's other, more basic devices that can connect to a hi-fi system like the Echo Input and Echo Dot. 

Echo Link also has analogue, optical, and coaxial line-inputs so you can direct-connect a CD player or turntable with integrated pre-amp. 

Echo Link Amp adds more oomph with a 60W per channel stereo amplifier with speaker binding posts for wiring directly to non-powered speakers.

Amazon

Naturally, you can also set up your Echo Link or Echo Link Amp in an Echo group for multiroom music but aside from their relatively high price compared to other Echo devices, they do have one major flaw - they don't have their own microphones for use with Alexa so you'll need to use them in tandem with another Echo device for voice control.

Of course, you can create an everywhere group from all your Alexa devices to hear music throughout your home. Once set up, simply say; “Alexa, play music everywhere.” 

 

 

Amazons Echo Link and Echo Link Amp are now available in the UK image 2
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