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

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Don't fall for it this Black Friday

Amazon Echo Dot Max wireless speaker
(Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

With Black Friday essentially having lasted since somewhere in the first half of November (it feels like it's been about 70 years), you'll have had plenty of time to spend your hard-earned cash on a range of Amazon goodies. That basket looks pretty full to me, and while my superiors won't thank me for saying it, I think you've had enough. You don't need any more deals.

Not really. What I would say is that you don't need this particular deal. The new Amazon Echo Dot Max is £10 off at Amazon – taking the price down to £90. But it's one deal that, all things considered, we'd urge you to stay away from.

The best Amazon Echo Dot Black Friday deal

Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen)
Five stars
Save £25
Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen): was £55 now £30 at Amazon

This is the Dot we'd go for. The Echo Dot (5th Gen) is a great value smart speaker when it's £55, but now that it's down just £30, it's practically unbeatable. It's nicely made, has well-integrated Alexa smarts, plus it sounds far better than you'd imagine for the budget price. It's a lot more sonically rewarding than the Max, that's for sure.

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We had high hopes for the new Amazon Echo Dot Max. We liked the older (but still current) Echo Dot (5th Gen) very much, and when the announcement for a Max addition with a larger footprint, dual drive units and the latest iteration of Alexa was mooted, we were keen to see what it could do.

Sadly, the Max is a startling misfire. During our tests, we found that it sounds bland and muddled, struggling to nail even the most basic requirements of what we look for in a decent smart speaker. It's clever and made to a reasonable standard (it looks like the far superior Apple HomePod Mini), but sonically, it's a huge let-down.

Our advice, if you're seeking an Amazon smart speaker, would be to nab the fifth-gen Echo Dot instead. It won't go as loud and doesn't feature a few of the latest Amazon features, but for playing music, it's far better. Plus, it will do all of the things you need from an Amazon smart speaker, such as accessing Alexa and playing ball with the company's expanded ecosystem.

Or, of course, you could just get the aforementioned five-star HomePod Mini if you're not bothered about being part of the Amazon family, and prioritise sound quality instead.

Either way, if it were our money, we'd avoid the Max regardless of how big the discount was.

MORE:

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Black Friday home cinema deals live: our experts’ picks of the best savings on TVs, Dolby Atmos soundbar, projectors and more

Black Friday 2025 hi-fi deals live: our audio experts picks of the top savings on speakers, headphones, vinyl and more

Harry McKerrell
Harry McKerrell
Senior staff writer

Harry McKerrell is a senior staff writer at What Hi-Fi?. During his time at the publication, he has written countless news stories alongside features, advice and reviews of products ranging from floorstanding speakers and music streamers to over-ear headphones, wireless earbuds and portable DACs. He has covered launches from hi-fi and consumer tech brands, and major industry events including IFA, High End Munich and, of course, the Bristol Hi-Fi Show. When not at work he can be found playing hockey, practising the piano or trying to pet strangers' dogs.

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