FILE – This Wednesday, March 2, 2016, file photo shows an Echo Dot, left, and an Amazon Tap in San Francisco. The Amazon Echo, which listens to you, answers questions and carries out tasks like calling an Uber or turning on your lights, is finding a place in millions of living rooms. The Dot and the portable Tap give the Echo’s Alexa software even broader reach. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

Until quite recent times music was either bought from a shop and played via record, tape, cd or mp3.

Today we can still do this but add to that streamed music, computer downloads and on demand radio and music aps.

To be honest I haven’t really listened to music for ages as its been so expensive to buy or download albums. I didn’t even realise how much I missed it. So when I discovered the Amazon Echo (I know this and the dot have been out for an age)  I decided to give it a go.

It has proved to be one of the best gadgets I have stumbled across for some time and it is simply more than just a speaker for music via bluetooth.

Its fantastic and connects via WiFi so one can stream music, listen to the news, ask questions and set reminders. The sound quality is great for the average home’s rooms and it has opened up new avenues of sounds that I have never come across. Over the last few months I have listened to tracks off albums that bring back so many memories and times.

If one has a Spotify ,Tunelin or Amazon Prime accounts then accessing music for free is simple and for those who want even more can pay a monthly fee. This is still far cheaper than buying or downloading but its not for keeps. Its a cool way of finding new interests and then buying a selected favourite few.

One can connect the smart speakers to HiFi systems, bluetooth speakers and amplifiers so the sounds can travel from room to room with you.

The really cool thing is that you can ask questions too and play games with your speaker. What time is it Alexa and she tells you. She can tell you news headlines, the weather, how tall an actor is all by asking and if you link your diary she can inform you of upcoming events. She can even help you order stuff via the amazon store.

I think every home should have one.

The Amazon Echo has certainly changed my life for the good and has encouraged my love of music back into my life. There are other ones like Google Home, Sonos and maybe the new Samsung one but all do roughly the same thing.

Not cheap at around £150 but when one factors in how much a single track costs to download, let alone an album, and the other things that can be achieved then I feel this is great value for money. Lets face it a reasonable bluetooth speaker comes in at around a similar price.

There you are; I love them and have been very impressed; give one a go and see for yourselves.