Amazon's $130 Echo Sub isn't a standalone smart speaker like many other Echo devices out there. It's a 100W subwoofer that's meant to provide bass for an existing audio setup. You can connect the Echo Sub to either a single or up to two Echo speakers and create a group to play the same audio on all three of them for a full stereo setup.

Thankfully, the setup process for the Echo Sub itself isn't too tedious. You can get it up and running with just a few taps, but there are a few things to keep in mind before pairing an Echo Sub to a compatible Echo device. Well, that's exactly what we're going to check out in this article. Here's how to pair an Echo Sub to an Amazon Echo speaker to greatly improve your music experience.

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Prerequisites

You're going to need a couple of things before you're ready to pair your Echo Sub:

  • A compatible Echo device: The Echo Sub, as we mentioned earlier, isn't a standalone speaker, unlike many other Echo devices. It doesn't have Alexa, meaning it has no brains of its own to process commands or play music. It's meant to be a subwoofer only, which is why you're going to need a compatible Echo speaker like an Echo Dot, Echo Plus, Echo Studio, or more. Amazon even mentions this in its Echo Sub listing.
  • Amazon Alexa app: You'll also need the Amazon Alexa app installed on your phone, which you probably already have if you own an Echo device. For those that don't, this particular app is available to download for free on both Android and iOS, so be sure to grab it.
Amazon Alexa Developer: Amazon Mobile LLC
Price: Free
4.3
Download

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id944011620

That's it, you're all set to connect your new Echo Sub to the Alexa app and pair it with a compatible Echo device.


List of Echo devices compatible with Echo Sub

Amazon Echo

Here's a complete list of Echo devices that are compatible with the Echo Sub:

  • Echo Studio
  • Echo Dot 4th Gen
  • Echo Dot 3rd Gen
  • Echo 4th Gen
  • Echo 3rd Gen
  • Echo 2nd Gen
  • Echo Show 15
  • Echo Show 10 3rd Gen
  • Echo Show 2nd Gen
  • Echo Show 8 1st Gen
  • Echo Show 8 2nd Gen
  • Echo Show 5 1st Gen
  • Echo Show 5 2nd Gen
  • Echo Plus 2nd Gen

Before you try pairing an Echo Sub, you'll need one of these compatible Echo devices on your Amazon account. Make sure the existing Echo speaker is already online and ready for use. We'll pair the Echo Sub to an Echo Dot (4th gen) in this tutorial, but the setup process is going to be the same for all the Echo devices mentioned above.


How to set up the Echo Sub

Once you have all the prerequisites in place, you'll have to connect the Echo Sub to the Alexa app before pairing it with another Echo speaker. Here's how to do it:

  • Connect the Echo Sub to a power source and make sure it's in the same room as your existing Echo device.
  • Once it's powered on, you'll see a pop-up on the Alexa app showing that you're Echo Sub is ready to pair. If you don't see this option, then select the Devices section from the bottom menu and tap on the Plus icon to add a new speaker.
  • Follow the on-screen instructions after that to connect the Echo Sub to the same Wi-Fi network as your existing Echo device to set it up. It's important that you connect the Echo Sub to the same Wi-Fi network as the existing Echo device or else you won't be able to use it.
  • Once connected, the app will show a confirmation screen after which you can pair the Echo Sub to your Echo device. It'll also show up on top of the Devices section, notifying you that it's ready to be paired with another speaker.
How to connect Echo Sub to the Alexa app

How to pair the Echo Sub with an Amazon Echo speaker

Now that your Echo Sub has been added to your device list in the Alexa app, you can follow the steps below to pair it with a compatible Echo speaker:

  • First, open the Alexa app and select the Devices section from the menu at the bottom.
  • Now, look for the Plus icon on the top right corner of the screen and select it to open a pop-up menu.
  • Select the Combine Speakers option to create a new group of speakers to play music.
How to pair Echo sub with echo speaker in alexa app
  • You'll see a list of Echo speakers on the following page. Select the Echo Sub and the Echo speaker(s) to create a group and choose the Next option on the top right corner of the screen.
  • Once done, select one of the predefined names for the group and choose the Save option on the top right corner.
how to pair echo sub to echo device instruction

If you followed all the steps carefully, then you've now paired your Echo Sub with your existing Echo speaker. You can test the connection by playing music on your preferred streaming platform. Make sure to select the right group to play music on all speakers.


Closing Thoughts and Troubleshooting

Pairing an Echo Sub with your existing Echo speaker(s) is a relatively simple task. However, the connection itself can be a little finicky at times. A lot of users face connectivity issues while trying to pair the Echo Sub. If you get a network error while pairing the Echo Sub then we suggest you deregister both devices from your account and start the pairing process all over again. After first registering each of them on the same Wi-Fi network. As we mentioned earlier, just make sure your Echo Sub and the other Echo device are connected to the same network, otherwise, it won't work.

If you don't have a compatible Echo device to pair with the Echo Sub then you can pick one up right now as most of them are readily available on Amazon. You can also pick up the Echo Sub as a part of a bundle along with either Echo Studio or a couple of Echo Dot speakers.

  • Almost all the benefits of the full-sized Amazon Echo complete with Skill support for a more wallet-friendly price.
    Amazon Echo Dot (4th gen)
    $60 $115 Save $55

    The Echo Dot received a much-needed facelift with its fourth revision. It's now a speaker ball that also has better audio output compared to its predecessor.