Ditch the soundbar and use your Echo as a home theater speaker
There’s nothing like buying a new TV, setting it up and then realizing it doesn’t have the sound quality you were hoping for. It’s happened to many of us. Some gadgets will even advertise awesome features, but they’re pretty lackluster when we get them home.
There are ways to fix issues like this, though. A few extra surround sound speakers or a new soundbar will spruce up your TV’s sound — but those fixes won’t come cheap. While there are soundbars out there for most budgets, you’ll spend a few hundred dollars on the low end to get one.
So what can you do if you are dealing with crummy TV sound quality but don’t want to invest in a new, expensive fix? Well, you can improvise. There is a way to use an Echo device as a home theater speaker instead — you just need to know how to set it up. Those smart speakers are good for everything!
Using your Echo as a home theater speaker
Amazon Echo devices are a great investment. As you know, these smart speakers can channel Alexa, control your smart devices, play music, entertain the kids, and keep your household schedules on track. What you may not realize, though, is that your Echo device can help improve the sound of your TV.
If you’re hesitant to invest in an expensive new soundbar, you can use your Echo device as a home theater speaker instead. All it takes is an Echo and a compatible Fire TV device to use your Echo as a home theater speaker.
If you have both devices on hand, you can set this up without spending a dime. If you don’t have an Echo or a Fire TV device, you’ll have to buy them. They will still be a lot cheaper than that $2,000 soundbar you’ve been eying, though.
This isn’t just an affordable home theater speaker fix. It’s also a way to create the sound you want in your home. While you’re restricted on where you can place a soundbar, your Echo is compact and wireless, so it can be placed wherever you want.
Need more sound by your couch? Place your Echo on the side table right beside it. Want to expand TV sound into the kitchen? Connect via your Echo in there. Want to have sound coming at you from both sides? Use two Echo devices! The world is your wireless speaker oyster.
Ready to get started? There are tons of different Fire TV and Echo devices you can use for this purpose — so you might even have what you need right now.
Let’s start with Fire TV devices. Do you own a Fire TV Stick Lite or a Fire TV Stick for streaming? Either of those will work fine. If you need to invest in a Fire TV device and you want something affordable, you can get Fire TV Stick Lite for under $20 if you’re a Prime member.
You can also use a Fire TV Stick 4K or a Fire TV Cube. Those two devices will cost you a bit more than Fire TV Stick options would, but they’re all solid devices.
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