Amazon has recently unveiled another addition to its line of speakers; the Amazon Tap. The Dot includes its sole set of features that makes it different from its predecessor, the Echo. The Tap is a compact, portable speaker that promises good sound and a wide array of features.
Features
- Plays music from music services like iHeartRadio, Pandora, Prime Music, Spotify and TuneIn
- Makes use of the Alexa Voice Service whenever it connects with Wi-Fi or a mobile hub to play tracks, provide news and weather reports.
- Makes streaming music a possibility by means of Bluetooth technology
- Delivers Dolby-quality sound by way of dual stereo speakers with 360º omni-directional audio
- Offers around 9 hours of playback
- Keeps adding newfangled features and capabilities
- Comes with a charging cradle
Benefits
The Amazon Echo was a surprise hit thus enabling the company to have a go on another model that claims to include as much features as the older model. One of its advantages is it is capable of understanding verbal commands with precision. This case can be attributed to the fact that because the device is button-activated, the user often stands near the unit whenever they try to articulate to it.
For a downsized unit, the audio quality was unexpectedly decent. The model was just as good as or even a bit better than rival units with the same price. However, if you are expecting high-end quality audio with lush bass, you should probably look for another unit.
At this time, there are no portable speaker models that provides Wi-Fi streaming and voice control so the Amazon Tap in fact gives away a huge quantity of value over other models in its price range. It is also advantageous that it supports plenty of music services like Pandora, Prime Music, Spotify, TuneIn and iHeartRadio.
As for the battery life, it was decent thus far. The device was used for sporadically for 2 days without charging and it played well. The device was also travel-friendly because of its size and lightness.
Disadvantages
The Amazon Tap has its fair share of deal-breakers. The unit so far does not feature voice-activation functions. It’s all in the name though; you set the Tap to work by “tapping” the button on the microphone. It was designed to work this way so it won’t hear “commands” from other people nearby.
Also, the battery life will be a lot better if the device is not always out to hear your voice. It would be great to include a voice-activation feature on the model whenever the Tap is on charging mode. Having it activated by way of Bluetooth-enabled devices will make it an even greater unit too.
The sound as mentioned before, is decent, but only by Bluetooth speaker standards. The level of the bass was run-of-the-mill and at times the audio can get a bit fuzzy when played on higher volumes. So if you like speakers with superior bass and overall excellent sound quality, you should take away the Tap on your list and look for another.
Its cover is not a great accessory since it does not cover the entire device. You cannot also charge the unit whenever the cover, which is called the Sling, is on. Fastening and taking it off was a challenge as well which makes the cover worthless.
Verdict
If you are on the hunt for a compact/portable Bluetooth speaker that does more jobs apart from streaming or playing music, then the Tap is highly recommended. It gives a decent sound (just don’t play on high volumes) in terms of its price range, it offers reliable battery life and it has that interesting, distinctive capability of taking in voice commands.
Other than that, it has the benefit of Wi-Fi music streaming from your collection of iTunes tracks and popular music services like Spotify and Pandora. The Tap’s audio quality is the same as its rival units from the same price range and offers a functionality that has yet to be seen in other portable Bluetooth speaker.
However, its obvious lack of voice-activation is a major drawback, something that Amazon has to address drastically since the lack of it has frustrated a lot of people. If you prefer that capability of being able to provide voice commands on the device minus the actual touching, then you should get the Echo instead.
The Tap is still recommended though, if you want something that is smaller than the Echo. This is a great device to take along while traveling because of its size and you can practically take it anywhere with you, just make sure that you don’t forget its charging cradle.
For those who are not finicky with sound and voice features and need something they can pack in their bags, the Amazon Tap is worth checking out.
