This might be the most useful Echo Dot accessory we've seen
The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.
AmazonThe Echo Dot may be the most basic product in Amazon's growing Echo family, but it has a standout feature the others lack.
Unlike the regular Echo and Echo Tap, the Dot can connect to any speaker through a wire or over Bluetooth.
Accessory-maker Ninety7 used that feature to create the Surround Dot Speaker, which effectively turns a second-generation Echo Dot into an Echo Tap.
After sliding the Dot into the top of the speaker and connecting it through an integrated Micro USB and audio cable, the two are instantly paired. The speaker's built-in battery powers the Dot and can last up to six hours.
There are two reasons this pair could actually work better than an Echo Tap or full-sized Echo for some people.
The first is price. If you already own an Echo Dot, you only have to pay an additional $50 for the speaker. Even if you don't have own one already, the two together cost $20 less than an Echo Tap.
The second is versatility. If you like the Echo Dot for its small size, you could slip it in and out of this speaker when necessary. If you use the Dot to control your dining room lights, but also want to use it to listen to music while you cook in the kitchen, this is a good solution.
Ninety7 also did a nice job matching Amazon's hardware aesthetic — so much so that most people probably wouldn't be able to tell the two pieces could be separated.
Although the Echo Dot can be connected to any speaker, you won't find a more neat, integrated solution than this one. It addresses the only real downside of the Dot: the poor sound quality of its small, integrated speaker.
If you've been debating which Echo to get, pairing the Dot with this speaker shell should get some consideration.