Features:

  • Upgrade your stereo system with high-fidelity streaming music and Alexa.
  • Voice control music selection and playback with your compatible Echo device or the Alexa app.
  • Connect Echo Link to your stereo and group with other supported Echo devices to play music throughout your home.
  • Multiple digital and analog inputs and outputs provide compatibility with your existing stereo equipment.
  • Casting to multi-room music from a line-in or Bluetooth input is not currently supported.
Digital Outputs -- NO Documentation but they do work

I bought 4 Echo Spots and 2 Echo Links -- I must say, what Amazon provided in the way of instructions (both in the box and on-line) must be considered totally insufficient documentation. Here's the story: I installed the two Echo Links, and got thru set-up perfectly. When I told one of my Echo Spots to play music on one Link or the other, it worked fine IF I plugged headphones in to the Link. But the DIGITAL OUTPUTS did not seem to work at all. So the natural question that came to mind was: what SPDIF format is used on these digital outputs? There is no documentation on this at all! What is the sampling frequency and bit depth? 48 x 16? 96 x 24? Amazon should tell us! And, unbelievably, when I spoke to an Amazon Customer Service rep on the phone, the rep said "Developers here will not provide you with that information". This really happened! With the help of a home automation pro, I figured it out with a protocol analyzer: It's 2-channel LPCM at 48 x 16. Just like the old Apple iPod default uncompressed format. (Ordinary CDs are 44.1 x 16, for comparison, and most hi-res files are 96 x 24). With this setting known, I got both SPDIF outputs (optical and coax) on both Links working great, and the sound quality is excellent. So I revised my original 1-star review to this 5-star review. I really like what I hear. "Alexa, play Queen on Living Room Rig". Nice.

Just what I was looking for

It seems a bit expensive. Chomecast Audio had a similar device with optical out for a fraction of the cost. Unfortunately that doesn't work with the amazon ecosystem. Really I just wanted a dot with optical out to go to another DAC. The DAC in this unit does sound much better than the dot though. I picked up a Schiit Modi 3 DAC to pair with this, but it might not be necessary or provide an audible upgrade. Anyways, exactly what I was looking for and then some. My only complaint is I couldn't get the music to stop when I told my Dot I paired it with to pause the music.

I does what it's designed to do.

You just need to understand what this is. Too many reviews here rip this product because they have way too many expectations. The Link is a DAC (look it up) with digital and analog outputs. You can use the digital outputs to run to a different specific DAC if you wish. It has analog inputs of you want to run a CD player or Turntable through it. It does what is says it does, it "links" an Echo voice operated device to digital or analog outputs for a stereo, no more, no less. I have both Amazon music and Spotify premium. Amazon music is decent but has a lower sampling rate and sometimes you hear artifacts or losses. Spotify Premium has a better sampling rate and does sound a bit better. The device is not for super serious audiophiles. It's for people that like using Alexa devices and want decent sound over their single room home stereo. It is not a whole home sound casting device, it will not walk your dog and it was not brought to us by audio gods. It sounds very nice on my home stereo. The Alexa app has many controls for crossover and EQ. The verbal cues can be troublesome for the controlling echo device to hear, so, the app control is important. I like it.

Improved Sound Quality

I linked this to a D.A.C. and then to my vintage tube McIntosh system. Was pleased with the expanded range of sound quality vs that of compressed digital sound.

This gadget is fantastic!

I've been waiting for a product like this from Amazon for at least a few years. I'm an audiophile AV nerd, so when the Dot came out I used that and bluetooth'd it to an Audioengine B1 bluetooth receiver which went into the TOSLINK optical input on my DAC and receiver. With the Echo Link, I can hardwire ethernet to the Link and use the output to go directly into my stereo, which is infinitely more reliable of a connection no cutouts etc, and the sound quality is lossless, bit perfect from whatever output you choose to use. Highly recommended.

Great addition for audiophiles

I bought this to replace my analog cable from my Dot to my amp since it didn’t have the best quality. The link has solved the audio quality for me. While the Link showed in my Alexa app after it was shipped, I did have to go through the setup of the wireless connection for it to work on the ethernet connection. I also set the Link as the default speaker in the room. Asking the Dot to play Spotify will just start playing on the Link. Asking the Dot to stop or play works, just not as fast as if it was playing from the Dot itself. It works quick enough to mute when a phone call comes in. Power source isn't standard USB, its just a mini plug. Hopefully these aren't expensive should it ever break. I did connect my computer to the toslink input and verified that passthrough works. When the Link isn’t playing an Alexa music product, the passthrough is active sending that source to the link. There is no switching needed. Headphone jack and it works and you can change the level using the knob. Not sure exactly why there is a headphone jack since the amp it is hooked up also has a headphone jack if I really wanted to listen via headphones. Only music sources like Amazon music, iHeartradio, Tunin, Spotify, Tidal will play on the link. The flash briefing does not play through the link at all and plays out of the Dot. While a bit pricy, I’m happy that I get high quality audio out of the Link.

Allows remote control via Alexa App on Phone or PC

Set up is a breeze, but would like to be able to assign an IP of my choosing for the Wired Lan Connection instead of the one chosen by the unit. Volume control is and station choice is easy via Alexa App, Voice or Touch Input. I use the Optical output to feed my Emotiva Xmc-1. Great addition for audio fans.

Great option to bring a stereo into the Alexa world.

This unit adds a new dimension to adding your stereo to the "Echosphere". We normally listen to our Echo devices separately in rooms. We keep a Echo Show2 in our kitchen to use for music, timers, etc. I had used Bluetooth to connect it to a Bluetooth receiver attached to our whole house stereo, along with a Harmony Elite remote that is also linked to Alexa. This worked well, you could say "Alexa, turn on the stereo", and the stereo would turn on, and auto connect via Bluetooth to the Kitchen Show and now would play over the whole house. The only issue is that timers etc, also announce over the house etc. By going to this Echo Linc, then I added the Link to a group named "Whole House". We can still turn on the stereo via Alexa, then we can say things like "Alexa, play Pandora Hipster Barbeque on the Whole House". The music is now streaming directly to the Linc, the Kitchen show is showing the Pandora Playlist like a control panel for the stereo link. PLUS, asking the Kitchen show to set timers etc, does not interrupt the music over the house, nice! So, overall this is a nice add-on option to make the stereo work even better than before. I'm a fan.

Works well with whole house audio system

I connected it to a port on my Crestron whole house audio system. I already had Echo Dots and Crestron speakers in each room in the house. I wanted allow the Dots to select music that would play on the Crestron speakers in the rooms. I created a group with all of the Dots and the Link as the preferred speaker. Now when we can select Link device on the Crestron we can control the music from our Dot. It works great. The only limitation is that all the Dots control a single Link, so two rooms can't stream different music on the Link. If someone in one room selects the Link on the Crestron, and someone else was already listening to Amazon music, the second person will hear what was previously playing in the first room. Even with this limitation, voice control of the music is a big upgrade to the existing whole house audio system. The Alexa app also allow control of what is playing on the Link.

Great sound details

I am writing this review from the perspective of someone that is just getting in to higher end audio on a budget. I have an Emotiva integrated amp, Elac speakers, and a project debut carbon turntable. I have been listening to music on my system with a bludento Bluetooth device using aptx codec. It has been working great but I recently had a chance to listen to a 20k system along with a HiFi quality streamer. I realized how much detail I was missing by using Bluetooth. I decided to pick up an Echo Link and give it a go. I also picked up 3 echo dots for the house at the same time for multi room audio. So far I am very impressed with the integration of whole home audio as well as the sound of the echo link. My echo link is hooked up via optical in from a TV and then optical out to a Schiit Modi 3 DAC. Then it is analog RCA cables to my Emotiva amp. The song that really blew me away with this new streamer was Oh Baby by LCD Soundsystem. The synth sounded like it was right there in the room with me and I could really appreciate the oscillation of each voice. I stream Amazon Music unlimited and despiten it not being hi res, I was very pleased by the additional details in was hearing over the Bluetooth setup.

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