Echo speakers have become an integral part of our daily lives. The speakers simplify the process of finding information on the internet through voice commands. The Echo speakers can also be connected to other Bluetooth speakers for enhanced audio output.
I recently connected my Echo plus speaker to a Bluetooth speaker and realized that sound only came out of the Bluetooth speaker and not the Echo speaker.
I intended to have both speakers play audio simultaneously, but that was not happening. So, I went searching for answers on the internet. Read on to find out if it is possible to have the audio come out of an Echo speaker and a Bluetooth speaker simultaneously.
Key Takeaways
- You can connect an Echo speaker to an external third-party Bluetooth speaker.
- However, once the Echo speaker is connected to the external speaker, you cannot simultaneously play audio from both speakers.
- Alternatives include connecting compatible Amazon speakers through the multi-room and stereo pair features.
- The Multi-room feature allows you to pair multiple Echo speakers together, and they can play audio from various streaming services.
- The stereo pair feature allows you to connect two compatible speakers so they can output stereo audio.
- Stereo audio entails two speakers, one playing the right audio channel and the other playing the left audio channel.
- The involved Echo speakers should be connected to the same Wi-Fi network and Amazon account to use the multi-room and stereo pair features.
Connecting a Bluetooth Speaker to an Echo Dot
How to Connect an Echo Speaker to a Bluetooth Speaker?
Assuming you have successfully set up your Echo speaker and connected it to a Wi-Fi network, you can also connect it to another Bluetooth speaker.
The steps below describe how you can do this.
- Ensure your Bluetooth speaker is in pairing mode and your phone’s Bluetooth is enabled.
- Also, ensure you have the latest version of the Amazon Alexa app.
- Launch the Amazon Alexa app and click on the Devices icon at the bottom of the screen.
- Tap the Echo & Alexa option on the top right corner of the screen.
- Then select the Echo speaker you want to connect to your Bluetooth speaker.
- Next, select the Bluetooth devices option, then select pair a new device.
- A list of all the available Bluetooth speakers will appear under the ‘Available speakers’ list. Select your speaker, and it should be connected to the Echo speaker.
The next time you want to connect the Bluetooth speaker to your Echo speaker, you can use a voice command. Simply state ‘Alexa pair Bluetooth,’ and the Echo speaker will connect to your Bluetooth speaker provided your phone and the Bluetooth speaker have their Bluetooth turned on.
Some Bluetooth speakers will automatically connect to the Echo speaker if they are in range and the Bluetooth speaker is in pairing mode.
Connecting a Bluetooth Speaker to Amazon Echo Speaker
Can Audio Play Out of the Echo Speaker and Bluetooth Speaker Simultaneously?
Once you have connected your Echo speaker to a Bluetooth speaker, the hope is that you can output audio on both speakers at the same time.
Unfortunately, that is not the case, as audio will come from the Bluetooth speaker, not your Echo speaker. In other words, the Echo speaker will only receive your voice commands as the paired Bluetooth speaker handles audio that would otherwise be coming out of the Echo speaker.
There are various speculations and reasons why you cannot output audio on both the Echo and Bluetooth speaker simultaneously. But the prevailing reasons are that Amazon did it to force users to purchase more Echo speakers because if you connect two or more Echo speakers, they can play audio simultaneously.
Also, even if it were possible to output audio on both speakers simultaneously, you would notice a significant lag out of the Bluetooth speaker as audio transmission via Bluetooth is known to have a delay.
What Options Are Available?
The available options entail purchasing additional Echo speakers. Once you have a compatible Echo speaker ecosystem, you can simultaneously play audio out of several speakers.
Amazon provides a Multi-room music group feature that allows you to connect various compatible Echo speakers. It also has a Stereo pair feature that allows users to connect two compatible Echo speakers so they can output audio in stereo, i.e., separate left and right channels.
Both features require you to have the Amazon Alexa app that is available on the Play store and App store. Also, all the involved Echo speakers should be connected to the same Wi-Fi network and registered under the same Amazon account.
Connect Two Echo Speakers with the Stereo Pairs Feature
The steps to connect two Echo speakers in a stereo pair are as follows:
- Open the Amazon Alexa app and select the Devices option at the bottom of the screen.
- Next, tap the + sign at the top right corner to reveal the following options; Add device, Add group, and Combine speakers.
- Select Combine speakers, then select Stereo Pair/subwoofer on the next page.
- Select the speakers you want to pair; the app will guide you through the remaining steps. You can only connect two speakers and a subwoofer in this setup.
- Remember to ensure the speakers and subwoofer you intend to connect to are online and in the same room.
Check the Amazon website for a list of compatible Echo speakers that can be connected in a stereo pair.
Pairing Two Compatible Echo Speakers Together – Creating a Stereo Pair
Connect Multiple Speakers with the Multi-Room Music Group Feature
You can connect multiple Echo speakers by following the steps below:
- Open the Amazon Alexa app and select Devices.
- Tap the + sign at the top right corner of the screen.
- Tap Combine speaker on the pop-up menu that will appear, then tap the Multi-Room Music option.
- The app will show all Multi-Room Music group-compatible speakers; select the speakers you want to connect from the list of Echo speakers.
- You can tap the Rescan option if you do not see your speakers.
- Tap Next once you have selected the speakers you wanted.
- The next app window will prompt you to choose a preset room name or enter a custom one. Go with the option that is suitable for you, then select Save.
- The app will take you back to the Device screen, where you will see the newly formed group.
- You can now use voice commands to get the speakers from that group to play audio at the same time. For example, you can say, ‘Alexa, play music (state the name of your newly formed music group),’ i.e., ‘Alexa play music downstairs.’
Setting Up Alexa Multi-Room Speaker System
Once you have set up this feature, you can use voice commands like ‘Alexa play music everywhere’ or ‘Alexa play music downstairs’ to play audio on selected speakers.
Alternatively, you can open the Alexa app and select the Play option on the bottom menu and select a linked service, your rooms will appear, and you can select a room you want audio to play in.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Question: How do I play Echo and Bluetooth speakers at the same time?
- Answer: Unfortunately, there is no way to play audio out of the Echo speaker and Bluetooth speaker at the same time. If you connect an Echo speaker to a Bluetooth speaker, audio will come out of the Bluetooth speaker, and the Echo speaker will receive your voice commands.
- Question: Can you use Alexa and Bluetooth speakers together?
- Answer: You can connect an Alexa speaker to a Bluetooth speaker, but you cannot simultaneously play audio from the two speakers.
Conclusion
It is easy to connect an Echo speaker to one or several Bluetooth speakers, but once done, audio will only come out of one of the Bluetooth speakers and not the Echo speaker.
This is inconvenient for Echo speaker users who already have Bluetooth speakers lying around and would wish to use them alongside the Echo speakers. The only available alternative is to purchase additional compatible Echo speakers and use the Stereo pair or the Multi-Room Music group feature.
