Amazon typically advances its Echo intelligent speakers through incremental rather than substantial changes, and while the Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen doesn't exhibit a significant improvement in sound quality compared to its predecessor, it introduces motion sensors, allowing users to interact with the speaker through taps.

Physically, the Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen closely mirrors its fourth-generation counterpart, presenting as a slightly compact 3.9-by-3.5-inch sphere (HD) available in light blue or white. The sphere is divided diagonally, with the top and front covered in grille fabric and the bottom and back encased in matte plastic. Along the top of the sphere, protruding from the fabric, are four rubber buttons for action, mic mute, and volume adjustments.

Functioning as an Echo speaker, the Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen is tailored for use with Amazon's Alexa voice assistant, which has undergone continuous updates over its eight-year existence to enhance its capabilities. Alexa serves as a robust voice assistant, offering features like retrieving sports scores, weather forecasts, setting alarms, playing music, controlling smart home devices, and making voice calls.

Despite an enlarged speaker driver, the fifth-gen Echo Dot doesn't deliver significantly increased power. In our bass test using The Knife's "Silent Shout," the speaker exhibits weakness, with limited low-frequency response and distortion at higher volume levels. However, it performs notably better with music genres other than those heavily reliant on punishing sub-bass, such as "Silent Shout."