Hi all…1st post on here so hooe I can find some help. I have 4 R3 speakers and 2 M5 speakers with a sound bar. They are connected on the WAM250 hub. I bought the new echo plus because it has the hub included and i want to add my speakers as devices so I can control them through Alexa. I was lead to believe I did not need a Smarthings hub as the echo has one in it but I cannot get anything to be seen by Alexa. I have downloaded the Samsung audio skill and the Smarthings skill but nothing sees my speakers. Do I need a ST hub?
This is an Echo question and probably best answered in a forum for Echo users.
I have a single R1 speaker connected to echo via Bluetooth. It works great but last I checked, the speaker disconnects when I use the echo to play something in MultiRoom settings.
With a Smartthings hub your speakers are connected to Smartthings, not to echo. Smartthings will not enable you to play music from Echo directly to your speakers. You can use your speakers to speak text notifications or install custom apps to play songs - but not directly from echo.
It does have a Hub but it’s not a SmartThings Hub and is totally unrelated to Smartthings.
If you want to add devices to the SmartThings ecosystem then yes you need a SmartThings Hub.
Here’s how to add your speakers:
https://support.smartthings.com/hc/en-us/articles/205833690-Samsung-Multiroom-Speakers
Here’s how to add Alexa:
https://support.smartthings.com/hc/en-us/articles/205275404-How-to-connect-Amazon-Alexa-with-SmartThings
My advice would be to get a regular Echo (or many!) and a SmarThings Hub. More flexible. However the Echo Plus can connect WiFi devices which the ST Hub can’t natively.
Oh BTW, QVC has a 2 pack of Echos for $110 with a $10 off coupon for new accounts.