Amazon now sells nearly a dozen Echo devices, but there's only one you really need to buy

Amazon changed the look of the Dot when it introduced the new model earlier this fall.

The original Dot was a hard, plastic device that had the overall look and feel of hockey puck. But the new Dot adopted the fabric exterior of the standard Echo, giving it a fuzzier, cozier look.

The new design makes the Dot look not only more high-end, but more modern, too, and it should fit into your home's decor better. Plus, the Dot's small size means it fits well into nearly any space in your home — your bedside table, your kitchen counter, your bathroom...you name it.

Perhaps the most important reason to choose the Echo Dot has more to do with what's on the inside than what's on the outside.

The version of Alexa that lives inside the Echo Dot is no better and no worse than the Alexa that lives inside the Echo and Echo Plus. The Echo Dot can still answer random questions, make shopping lists, let you know the status of your package, tell you the news and weather, and more. You're not getting a subpar Alexa just because you buy the less expensive product.

The only area where the Dot may not measure up to other Echo devices is the audio quality. Amazon improved the speakers on the Dot compared to the previous generation, but due to its small size, the sound quality likely isn't as good as a device like the Echo Plus.

However, the Echo Dot has an ace up its sleeve: It has a standard audio jack in the back, so you can plug in any full-sized speakers you happen to have lying around. You can still talk to Alexa via the Echo Dot, but the sound output will come through your sound system — meaning it's a good, affordable way to make your existing stereo a little smarter.

That being said, if you're in the market for high-end audio, and you don't have your own speakers, don't buy an Echo anyway. There are far better speakers out there for playing music, audiobooks, or podcasts.