The Echo Dot is a powerful smart speaker in disguise. The small form factor could easily fool someone into thinking it is low powered and won’t have much oomph for playing tunes. That’s not true. While it isn’t the speaker for the next blowout party, it is plenty for a dorm or bedroom. Plus, with Alexa built-in, you can control all your other smart home devices, set reminders and get help with random questions that pop up while hanging with friends.