Hi all
Just wondering if we could use the Amazon dot as a speaker connected to HA i.e. as a component speaker?
Or maybe could be introduced in future updates?
Dot doesn’t have audio input port. The only way to transmit audio to Dot is via Bluetooth. If your HA machine can connect to Bluetooth speaker, then you can connect it to the Dot. I am using RPi 3 for my HA. Bluetooth in RPi is hit and miss. It doesn’t work most of the time.
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@masterkenobi Bluetooth range is short and wall penetration poor. Could this be cause of your intermittent function?
Wonder if we can use Drop In feature somehow?
@tmjpugh no. it’s not due to range issue. they were next to each other.
@bachoo786. I just purchased this for my Dot…
It comes with 3.5mm AUX input. So this speaker not only output sound from my Dot, it can also output sound from any source. I plan to plug in my RPi (with HA) to this. Can’t wait for it to reach me!
I read the OP as asking if we can use the dot as a networked speaker.
In same way we can use a Sonos for TTS
The trouble with this is that you cannot connect it to HA as a component, you can only connect it to your RPI3 via bluetooth.
I wanted something like Sonos but less expensive which can connect to HA without bluetooth.
What are the alternatives of Sonos but less expensive which are compatible with HA?
Get another Pi, install HA in it, install VLC and TTS component and then plug in to any normal speaker. From your main HA, send whatever you want the other Pi to say or play via MQTT.
Of course, this is not a multi room audio solution like the Sonos. But this one way to have your TTS work in network environment.
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I suppose a chromecast audio can also be used to mimic the same setup with the rpi as you described.
Correct me if I’m wrong. Chromecast is something u need to plug in to ur tv, right? Doesn’t that means you need to leave ur tv on in order to hear your TTS?
There is two versions of Chromecast, one for TV and one for Audio Only.
Yeah. I just found it out. Apparently, there are also speakers with built-in Chromecast. That way, Dot can be plug into the speaker as well and have both audio streams come out from the same speaker.
Yep, Speakers, TV’s, Tablet’s and Laptop’s, it’s the race to the top between Google and Amazon 
Update on Vaux speaker:
The speaker has finally arrived. Unfortunately, the speaker can accept only 1 input at a time. That means, when I plug in the Pi to the speaker, there will be no more sound from the Dot. So my initial idea doesn’t work out.
Not sure if this helps but I have an external speaker fed from a PC. I then have the Echo into the Line in via 3.5mm plug.
Using windows sound mixer, I can have both the PC sounds and the Echo outputting into the same speaker at the same time and each of their volume is individually adjustable.
I use this for firing off canned, recorded Alexa phrases.
Could you use a USB sound card on the RasPi with a line in ?
I found that bluetooth mode on the speaker was unusable as there was a short delay and it missed off the 1st bit of Alexa’s response.