Does the new 2nd generation Amazon Echo sound better?

You know the answer already. Maybe. Actually, likely. The original Amazon echo had two speakers, one woofer and one tweeter, both pointing down according to the diagrams on the top right. According to Amazon the 2nd generation Echo (diagram on top left) has a 2.5” downward-firing woofer and 0.6” tweeter powered by Dolby to deliver crisp vocals and dynamic bass throughout the room. Note the tweeter in the new Echo point up and is apparently smaller than the previous model.

This seems a bit odd given the disruption the two frequencies will have on hitting each other on their way out of the device. But hey, it's difficult to tell from just this diagram. Also the missing Reflex port from the original Echo appears to be gone, likely due to the shorter size. All this said, there are many factors that go into how a speaker will sound. Then there is the "powered by Dolby" aspect which I'm sure has some audible effect but is likely there more for marketing purposes than actual sound quality.

But it's difficult to tell until we have one in hand, which of course we will.