All I kept saying to myself while reading this article was "Duh, what did you expect?"
The author complains about the lack of dynamic range and fidelity from the Echo device. Well it only has a 3" woofer. If you are looking for dynamic range and fidelity you had better look elsewhere. The Echo is all about convenience, not good sound. It is good enough for many consumer level listeners, it does not, nor did it ever claim to provide audiophile sound.
Let's be real the echo is a device that contains speakers an amp, a WiFi connection streamer software and a DAC that all retails for less money than many audiophiles pay for a single fuse. How good did she think it was going to sound? This is like bringing a pocket knife to a gunfight and then complaining that the guy with the AR-15 has an unfair advantage.
Then she goes on to complain about the music sounding compressed when she chose a device that plays MP3 files, which is compressed music by definition.
But what took the cake was the statement that "Only if you change your streaming settings to high or very high can you begin to hear a song or piece at near CD quality." Really??? Has this guy ever heard of Tidal or Qobuz???
For somebody who is writing for a supposed high tech web site she is really pretty clueless.
But I don't know what I expected. Anyone who complains that they cannot reproduce the dynamics of a full symphony orchestra with a single 3 inch driver has pretty much lost any sense of credibility with that single statement alone.
You don't go out and buy a Mini Cooper if you need to haul 4x8 Sheetrock for a carpentry business and likewise you don't buy an Echo if you are looking for high fidelity sound.