Yes, Black Friday is basically here and, though we're not sure where this year went, all the sales are softening the blow. Amazon, sure to be the home of a lot of shopping this year, has already marked down some of its most wanted products. Included in the sales is our choice for best smart speaker under 50, the fifth generation Amazon Echo Dot. Right now, you can pick up the speaker for just 23 -- an all-time low price. The fifth-gen Amazon Echo Dot came out in 2022 and has great features, including exceptionally loud and clear audio for its sticker price (let alone the discounted one).

Not all connected speakers have a voice assistant built in. The Sonos One SL, for instance, doesn't have a microphone. So, if you want to use your voice to control such devices, you may need to pick up a secondary smart speaker, such as Amazon's Echo Dot. As luck would have it, that little Alexa-enabled device is on sale for 28. The Echo Dot is a solid smart speaker, especially at this price.

With Prime Big Deal Days being a little more than one week away, Amazon has kicked things off early by discounting most of its Echo smart speakers. You can get up to 69 percent off Echo devices and bundles right now, and that goes for any Amazon shopping -- not just Prime members. Of note is the Echo Dot for $23, a record low that matches its July Prime Day price, and the Echo Dot bundled with a Kasa Smart Plug Mini for just about $1 more. Considering the Echo Dot is one of our favorite smart speakers and the Kasa accessory earned a spot on our list of best smart plugs, that bundle is an affordable way to get your smart home started. As part of a big Echo speaker sale, this bundle that includes the Echo Dot and a Kasa smart plug is 67 percent off. The Echo Dot was not one of the many Amazon devices to receive an upgrade last month during Amazon's hardware event, which means you're getting the latest model of the speaker in this sale.

Amazon Prime Day is upon us, and with it comes great deals on many of our favorite smart home devices, including already well-priced speakers. This 54 percent discount brings one of the most affordable smart speakers on the market down to a small fraction of what its competitor's cost. Amazon released the Echo Dot fifth-gen last year with improved sound quality compared to previous models. It plays Amazon Music, Spotify and Apple Music, has Alexa on hand to answer any questions or tell you the weather and comes with a mic off button for when you don't want her listening. Echo Dots are compatible throughout your home, making them ideal for parties or larger spaces.

If you've been patiently waiting for a sale on the 5th-generation Echo Dot, now is the time to buy one. A handful of models are on sale. To start, you can get the basic model for $30 or 40 percent off. Moreover, all three colorways – charcoal, deep sea blue and glacier white – are part of the sale. Alternatively, the Echo Dot with Clock is also on sale.

Prime Day is still a week away, but Amazon is getting the jump on one of its biggest events of the year by putting a bunch of its own products on sale a little early. One of those is the fourth-gen Echo Dot. The company has slashed the price of the Alexa-powered smart speaker by 60 percent for Prime members. It's down to $20, which is $30 off the regular price. That's the best price we've seen to date.