2nd Gen Echo Dot with WIRED Speakers

[pittsburgh]

All,

I have searched on this forum but not found this specific issue.

I have a problem that Amazon support has not been able to help me solve.

Is anyone having success having a 2nd gen Echo Dot connected 100% of the time to wired speakers?  I'm not.

BACKGROUND:
I had an Amazon Echo but wanted better sound quality for music.
So I bought a 2nd generation Echo Dot and wired it (3.5mm stereo mini cable) to a Bose SoundDock II.
At first, this works GREAT!  Echo Dot hears my commands great and the music sounds much better than from the Echo.

But after about 2 hours, the Echo Dot loses the connection with the speakers somehow.  When I issue a command, the Echo Dot ring glows blue and then continues to be blue to show me that Alexa *thinks* she is responding.  But no sound comes out of the Bose speakers.

TROUBLESHOOTING:
1.   I connected an old iPod touch to the speakers to see if it was the speakers that were falling asleep.  However, I can come back after many hours and press "play" on the iPod, and the music plays perfectly.  In other words, the iPod Touch connection to the Bose SoundDock II works exactly how I want the Echo Dot connection to work - on demand, any time.

2.  I called Amazon customer service.  The person with whom I spoke agreed with me that this is a problem with the Echo Dot and suggested that I will need to wait for a fix to be pushed down by the developers.

ASK OF YOU
I cannot be the only person having this problem - the wired output is a major selling point of the Echo Dot!  So, are others having this problem?  If not, what wired speakers are you using?  Does anyone know how to overcome this problem so that I can use my Echo Dot 2G with my Bose SoundDock II?

Thanks!
A in Pittsburgh, PA

[Dasym]

I've got 2 Dots, one connected to a Bose set of PC speakers and the other to the line-in of a Sonos Play 5. Neither loses connection. Sounds like something is wrong with your Dot. Maybe you could get it replaced?

[tazman]

I have one of my dots connected to my home theater but I do not leave the sound on all the time but whenever I turn the receiver on it has worked. I can give it commands that it will carry out even without the stereo on I just can not hear any response but it does what I ask it. If there is something I can try to test something for you let me know

Tom

[jwlv]

I have one of my dots connected to my home theater but I do not leave the sound on all the time but whenever I turn the receiver on it has worked. I can give it commands that it will carry out even without the stereo on I just can not hear any response but it does what I ask it. If there is something I can try to test something for you let me know

Tom

Whenever something is plugged into the Echo Dot, it will use that audio output exclusively until you unplug it. If your home theater is turned off, you will not hear any audio even though Alexa still hears you. There's no way to change that.

But there is a workaround. Just attach a 3.5mm audio Y-splitter cable and connect one side to your home theater and the other side to a cheap computer speaker. See diagram below.

I recommend using the Amazon A100 speakers. They're cheap and can be powered by any USB adapter. There's a volume control so you can adjust it loud or quiet to your liking. Normal price is $13.99 USD ($11.99 GBP).
https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Powered-Computer-Speakers-A100/dp/B00GHY5F3K/

[tazman]

Thanks but I am happy wit the way mine works. I was just relaying my experience that when ever I turn on my receiver the audio works fine to the OP. The primary function for that dot is to connect my online music collection into my home stereo and I can also give it commands to carry out when the stereo is off.

[Kwackers]

I have a dot connected to an (hi-fi) amplifier and it works fine - even if days have gone by since I last used it.

Either your dot is faulty or your speakers are going to sleep, just out of interest have you tried winding the volume up on the dot? My computer speakers 'wake up' when the computer sends audio to them - but not if the audio is quiet.

[flowersrj]

I have it plugged to a VIZIO vsb200 soundbar with a 15 ft cable and works like a charm.

-Rich