Amazon Alexa Auto

M

mcbutler

Senior member
Plymouth
Has anyone tried the Amazon Alexa auto as a method of streaming music to the car?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/echo-auto-add-alexa-to-your-car/dp/B078YP59TT/ref=asc_df_B078YP59TT/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=442997978124&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5468149727850950000&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045313&hvtargid=pla-919336852445&psc=1&th=1&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=104497745482&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=442997978124&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5468149727850950000&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045313&hvtargid=pla-919336852445
 
I have bought one last week but not yet fitted to the car. I was going to put it behind the removable panel below the stereo (E85) and power it from a piggyback fuse.

My reasoning for buying it was I needed bluetooth in the car (for calls and audio) and instead of buying one of those cheap bluetooth dongle things why don't I get a smart bluetooth speaker which has microphones designed for in car use. So I did.

I am not planning to install it until mid-week I'm afraid, so I wont be able to let you know how well it operates until after the black friday / cyber monday deal is over... :(
 
I have one and am impressed with it. I only tried it a couple of times in my Z as it’s off the road for the winter. However, I have tried it out in my merc and have it hidden away in the armrest and it still hears me fine. In the Z I was going to place it upside down stuck under the dash next to the aux socket.
 
Stevo1987 said:
Can't ones phone with the Alexa app do the same? What are the additional benefits?
Click to expand...
Yes thats true, but the main benefit is that the Alexa plugs into the aux socket and connects to your phone through Bluetooth. Once it's set up then as soon as you get into the car it activates, without you having to connect or open an app, plus the voice recognition is much better than through your phone. The downside is that all your dirty secrets get sent to Amazon and the missing gaps in your life, that they don't already know about, get filled in just that little bit more!
 
ShaunKC said:
Stevo1987 said:
Can't ones phone with the Alexa app do the same? What are the additional benefits?
Click to expand...
Yes thats true, but the main benefit is that the Alexa plugs into the aux socket and connects to your phone through Bluetooth. Once it's set up then as soon as you get into the car it activates, without you having to connect or open an app, plus the voice recognition is much better than through your phone. The downside is that all your dirty secrets get sent to Amazon and the missing gaps in your life, that they don't already know about, get filled in just that little bit more!
Click to expand...
ha ha, true but I have this stuff all over my house. Gadget man. Lol
 
I have recently bought one too, use it to connect to phone, play music and radio stations by asking Alexa which seems to work very well, it does come with a air vent magnetic holder but I have put mine in the centre armrest and works fine, answers any questions quickly, bit of a pain to connect to my BMW but eventually it did connect but I had to do this through the Alexa app on my phone and connect through Bluetooth :thumbsup:
 
crabbes said:
I have recently bought one too, use it to connect to phone, play music and radio stations by asking Alexa which seems to work very well, it does come with a air vent magnetic holder but I have put mine in the centre armrest and works fine, answers any questions quickly, bit of a pain to connect to my BMW but eventually it did connect but I had to do this through the Alexa app on my phone and connect through Bluetooth :thumbsup:
Click to expand...
Does it play music over the cars speakers or the ones in the Alexa Auto?
 
mcbutler said:
crabbes said:
I have recently bought one too, use it to connect to phone, play music and radio stations by asking Alexa which seems to work very well, it does come with a air vent magnetic holder but I have put mine in the centre armrest and works fine, answers any questions quickly, bit of a pain to connect to my BMW but eventually it did connect but I had to do this through the Alexa app on my phone and connect through Bluetooth :thumbsup:
Click to expand...
Does it play music over the cars speakers or the ones in the Alexa Auto?
Click to expand...
It would be over the cars speakers.
 
I've had one a few months, to be honest I don't use it much as it duplicates features I already have in a Pure highway, but I'm a sucker for a new gadget!

It streams using your phones data, whereas the Highway is a DAB radio, so doesn't use any data, though the Highway does have a bluetooth/spotify streaming function too if you want to listen to podcasts/Spotify.

Alexa Auto playback is via the car audio, if you can't stream Bluetooth audio, eg in a stock e85/86, you'll need to use the Aux in as well as USB for power and have 2 cables to manage. It seems that whenever I use it, I'm in a dead spot and the wake word won't trigger, but it does do all the usual Amazon features, so you can update your shopping list as you go along! It's quite nicely made like most Amazon stuff and is a doddle to fit and set up. Once you've got the app loaded on your phone and set up, you can put your phone away, you don't need to touch it. Tell Alexa what you want, it tells your phone to fetch the stream, then Bluetooths it to Alexa, which then forwards it via Bluetooth or aux to your ICE.
Of course there are all the frustrations of the Alexa skills being rubbish and that she can't ever understand what you need :rofl: For £30 you can't go wrong though.
 
Nictrix said:
Stevo1987 said:
Nictrix said:
Correct,
Just have to remember not to open that door too wide
Click to expand...
The side door?
Click to expand...
To the house. Looks like it opens into the garage and could hit the car
Click to expand...
True, but the side door doesn't access the house. All change after Christmas when the twin front doors are converted to one electric door and I'll park the car in the middle so we can access the side door. So, all in hand. :-)
 
Tommo61 said:
I've had one a few months, to be honest I don't use it much as it duplicates features I already have in a Pure highway, but I'm a sucker for a new gadget!

It streams using your phones data, whereas the Highway is a DAB radio, so doesn't use any data, though the Highway does have a bluetooth/spotify streaming function too if you want to listen to podcasts/Spotify.

Alexa Auto playback is via the car audio, if you can't stream Bluetooth audio, eg in a stock e85/86, you'll need to use the Aux in as well as USB for power and have 2 cables to manage. It seems that whenever I use it, I'm in a dead spot and the wake word won't trigger, but it does do all the usual Amazon features, so you can update your shopping list as you go along! It's quite nicely made like most Amazon stuff and is a doddle to fit and set up. Once you've got the app loaded on your phone and set up, you can put your phone away, you don't need to touch it. Tell Alexa what you want, it tells your phone to fetch the stream, then Bluetooths it to Alexa, which then forwards it via Bluetooth or aux to your ICE.
Of course there are all the frustrations of the Alexa skills being rubbish and that she can't ever understand what you need :rofl: For £30 you can't go wrong though.
Click to expand...
Tommo, can you post a link to this highway gadget plz...
 
Heres the answer https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01KZ1S46A/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

£11, comes with a charging lead and aux lead. I popped it in the centre console, plugged the charge lead into a small cig lighter socket charger, aux plug in the aux socket, paired it to my phone (you can pair two phones) and thats it, super simple and works a treat.
Best of all it does not fekin talk to you like Alexa......... Or harvest your data without permission........
 
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