Two budget upgrades for my old Echo Dot
The old Echo Dots still work pretty well but they do take up some space and don’t sound very good. Instead I mounted mine to the wall with a 3D printed wall mount and connected it to some better speakers.
External speakers
I still have a couple of old (2nd gen) Echo Dots. I use them in several way to control my smart home (via Tasmota, OpenHab or HAbridge). The microphones are still working reasonably well (although I feel like this used to work better) but the audio is really subpar compared to newer models.
Fortunately it is pretty easy to connect the Echo Dots to external speakers. It can either be done via Bluetooth wirelessly or via an audio jack/cable. I have an old radio in my kitchen that I decided to connect to the Echo.
Connecting the Dot to the radio makes for a way better sound. I simply switched the radio to the matching input and connected the Echo. On the Echo side it automatically detects the cable, no changed settings needed. Everything is stored “hidden” on top of my fridge where I placed an power strip to power all the devices.
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Echo Dot (4th gen)
Echo (4th gen)
Echo Show 5
Audio cable to connect external speakers
A wall mount for the Echo Dot
After connecting the Echo to the external speakers the sound “problem” was fixed but I still had the device taking up valuable kitchen worktop space and two dangling cables beside it.
3D printing to the rescue! On thingiverse I found this nice Echo Dot wall mount. I printed the smaller version in around 1:20 hours in black PLA filament and tested it with the Echo Dot: a perfect fit. The holder hooks into the small slot where the cables are connected which holds the Dot securely while also making it easy to remove it. And the light ring is not obscured.
Fixing the mount to the wall was as easy as drilling two holes and using two dowels and screws. After routing the cables behind the fridge and connecting them to the Dot I could simply slide it into its mount. Now it is out of the way but I can still listen to voice controlled music while cooking. Well and feel like Tony Stark while telling my smart home what to do 😉
