Amazon's new smart speaker is the cheapest we’ve seen it for Boxing Day, but we’d still recommend this one instead

With Boxing Day now upon us, some fantastic deals on great products have started rolling in. Some deals, however, we’d urge you to avoid, such as this one for the Amazon Echo Dot Max.

The wireless smart speaker is currently reduced to £80 on Amazon, which is 20% off its original price and the cheapest we’ve seen it. But while the Echo Dot Max is well-made, its sonic presentation is muddled and uninspiring, and when we reviewed it back in November, we ended up giving it two stars.

The good news, however, is that the Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) is still reduced to £30 on Amazon, a five-star wireless speaker that's both easy on the eyes and the ears. If you’re looking for a Boxing Day bargain on a quality smart speaker, we recommend you get this deal instead.

Five stars

Save £25

Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen): was £55 now £30 at Amazon

If you’re after a smart speaker that punches well above its weight, look no further than the Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen). Its impressively expansive sound is sonically superior to the Echo Dot Max. Plus, it has a pleasing, understated aesthetic, and integrates with Alexa superbly too.

Deal price available on Deep Sea Blue finish only

View Deal

We’re such big fans of the 5th generation of Echo Dot that we had high hopes for the newer Max, and while the latter might be the louder of the two smart speakers, it cannot compete with the older Echo Dot in terms of sound quality.

Upon its release Amazon promised the Echo Dot (5th gen) was its “best-sounding Echo Dot yet”, a claim that still holds true thanks to the lacklustre performance of the newer Dot Max.

The fifth-gen Echo Dot is equipped with a 44mm front-firing speaker and when we played Greta Van Fleet’s Meeting The Master through it during testing, we found the dynamics, range and balance of presentation were impressive. Brighter numbers, such as Katy Perry's Hot N Cold, fared even better thanks to the clear, nimble presentation offered by Amazon's plucky smart speaker.

In addition to Amazon Music, Spotify, Deezer and Apple Music are supported, so there are plenty of music streaming options at your disposal which can be added to your Echo Dot and accessed via Alexa.

Aesthetically, it retains the round shape and understated appearance of previous Echo Dot iterations, but it feels reassuringly solid despite its relatively small stature.

If you’re after a quality smart speaker, we’d urge you to avoid the Amazon Echo Dot Max and opt for the 5th generation Echo Dot instead. Grab it for £30 on Amazon and have yourself a bargain this Boxing Day.

MORE:

Check our our list of the best smart speakers

I review wireless speakers for a living – I'd steer clear of this enticing Amazon deal if I were you

Amazon’s new Echo speaker lineup lands with Alexa+, surround-sound shenanigans, and more