seems my Echo is getting deaf :(

[LeKeiser]

Hello,
I have 2 Echos, and well 2 Google Homes.
I don't know why, one of my Echo is, it seems, getting a bit deaf. I have to lower my manly voice for it to get my commands. Otherwise, it'll stay off. And when I do lower my manly voice, I sometimes have to repeat more than once my command. And when there is some noise in the room, I see the light is searching the origin of my voice, but fails all the time to locate it. I have to turn off the TV or the radio and repeat my commands again...
I restarted electrically this Echo, but it didn't change anything.
The other Echo is working a bit better, but there is less noise in the room, so less confusion.

It was working better before. Is it because of a change in the software, or...?

Thanx for your feedback

[engineno9]

Same here, glad to hear that I'm not alone! I think she's trying to ignore me.

[Alpha Bitch]

When I first started having the "hearing me" issue when I first got my DOT 2nd gen, I took the Voice Recognition setup.  I had to take it 3 times.
After doing the above, I unplugged the DOT for 15 minutes.
Once a month, I unplug the DOT overnight.  2 yrs latter, this is all I do now.  DOT works perfectly.  The above has worked for me.  Maybe for you too!

HTH GOOD LUCK!

[LeKeiser]

Hello,
My Echo is getting more deaf as days go by. If there are sounds in the room, TV on or musing being played, that's it! Echo doesn't hear a thing. Doesn't have to be loud at at all, she's lost. And the weird part is that I raise my voice, the Echo still stays off, but my Show in the kitchen hears me and does what I say.
I did unplug and replug ("Have you tried turning it off and on again?") but that doesn't change a thing. I blew some air over the holes at the top of my Echo, but...
So what you I do now? Once there is no noise in the room, the Echo works well. What gives?

[reeve11]

I would have to agree. I've had my Echo Dot for about 6 weeks now and definitely feels like she is not answering as well since the past Sunday, Feb. 18th or so. The volume seems to have lowered as well. I thought maybe I was going deaf and mute, but it's Alexa!!

[LeKeiser]

Yes I really think there's something wrong with Alexa...
I have to lower my voice, manly voice, for the Echo to listen to me :O
"Alexa?" <-- nothing
"ALEXA?" <-- blue ring and she's waiting for me

But if there is the TV on, or some music playing in the room, then nothing... Won't acknowledge my voice
It did before! Not anymore. Not after I unplug it to restart it...
Damn!

[tennisfantum]

Same issue:
Several weeks ago I started using the Echo and the Leviton DW3HL-1BW Decora Smart Wi-Fi Plug-in Dimmer to control my under cabinet lights. Worked great. However, now I must be standing no more than a couple feet away from the Echo and shout "Alexa" before it wakes. There were absolutely no other noises in the room/house. Hope someone has a solution.

[jwlv]

This is a topic that's been discussed before and the solution given.

The gist of it is Echo will get deaf over time. To unplug its ears and clean the wax out, just unplug the power and re-plug it. A less common issue is the small holes that's on the top of the Echo. It could get clogged up by dust, hair spray, pet hairs, any other household particles. If that's the case, clean it out. 

[zroger73]

I came here to post about the volume on my three Echos turning itself down to 1 on 3/1, but saw this thread and realized that my Echos, too, have all seemed "hard of hearing" the last week or two. I hadn't really thought much about it until now, but I do recall having had to raise my voice or repeat commands recently.

A few weeks ago, I bought a HomePod that I've been very pleased with except for one thing...About every two days, Siri becomes so hard of hearing she's almost deaf - I have to raise my voice and stand right over the device in order for it to hear me while music is playing. Unplugging and replugging the device restores proper operation...temporarily.

Apple was very helpful initially, but they kept wanting me to "try different things" before they were willing to replace the weeks-old device. Strangely, they agreed to a refund when I became impatient and upset even though it was slightly past the 14-day return policy. Why they wouldn't just replace it is beyond me. That was a very un-Apple-like experience.

[zaphod]

myself as well. unplugging not a solution having done this more times than i can count. the unit i use primarily is in my home office. it is quiet so i can work. the echo plus is located 3' from my desk. there are no obstructions. wifi is solid and not an issue. it only affects the echo plus. we have four or five dots and an echo 1st gen and those all function as expected. the issue was not present during 2017 or so sporadic it was not noticed. i even went and did voice training on the off chance it would help, it did not.

symptoms for example, alexa set a reminder...when? Tuesday at 9am. when?...and the loop goes on and on. so i cancel do it again and most often second attempt it hears and stops asking when. Or as others have cited the ring lights up and behaves as if it is listening but it isn't. the light stays lit the default time then goes off again as if it heard nothing.

these hearing problems have been increasing in frequency for some reason. now each time i send a report to amazon but after a month of reporting back i still have heard nothing back?

related or not i also have started having 'feedback' squealing and my voice half the time when using the intercom feature. that also never happened before. that part makes the intercom also useless as they cannot understand what i am saying and i get a horrible feedback squealing at my end.

hopefully minor bugs that will be resolved one way or another