AMAZON FIRE TV SOUNDBAR: TWO-MINUTE REVIEW
The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar is the company's first soundbar, and it, like other Amazon-branded goods, is priced competitively at $119. However, it is now only accessible in the United States. Amazon's soundbar is about as simple as they come. It contains a 2.0-channel speaker array, HDMI and optical digital connectors for connecting to a TV, and Bluetooth for music streaming.There are other features present on the top soundbars that Amazon could have included in its model to make it a more tempting alternative, such as built-in Wi-Fi. That functionality would have allowed Fire TV owners to construct a wireless, voice-controlled 'Alexa Home Theater,' similar to how they do use the company's Echo wireless speakers. Currently, despite Amazon's claim that their soundbar is "designed to work with Fire TV," there are no Fire TV-specific functions. This is a low-cost, basic soundbar that is compatible with any TV that has an HDMI eARC/ARC or optical digital connection.
Amazon's soundbar offers a small footprint and superb build quality for the price. It has movie, music, and dialogue EQ modes, all of which may be selected with the included remote control. DTS:Virtual X processing is also available to enhance the sound of movies and TV programs with surround-encoded soundtracks.
For the price, the sound quality is quite excellent. When played at a fair volume, the music sounds fine. Even if the bass is restricted, when virtual processing is enabled, movie soundtracks are greatly improved, with the sound spreading well beyond the limitations of the soundbar and TV screen. Male voices sometimes sound overly heavy with the bar's bass setting, which is otherwise suited for movie playing, although dialogue is generally intelligible.
The Fire TV Soundbar has the benefit of being simple to set up and operate. It will suffice if you're searching for a simple, low-cost soundbar to supplement your TV's built-in speakers that you can set and forget. In terms of value, there are other similarly decent alternatives for approximately the same price, so Amazon's first major home theater audio offering isn't exactly lighting up the budget soundbar market. That might change on Amazon Prime Day or Black Friday, when the Fire TV Soundbar is anticipated to get the same substantial discounts as other Amazon-branded goods.
AMAZON FIRE TV SOUNDBAR REVIEW: PRICE AND RELEASE DATE
- Released in September 2023
- Priced at $119
- Limited to the US
Amazon's first soundbar looks to have been created as a simple, low-cost audio enhancement for its Fire TV series, although it can be used with any TV. At $119, its main competitors are low-cost off-brand soundbars and the Roku Streambar, a higher-spec product with built-in streaming capabilities.
AMAZON FIRE TV SOUNDBAR REVIEW: FEATURES
- Dolby Audio and DTS:Virtual X processing
- HDMI and optical digital connections
- Bluetooth wireless streaming
At $119, you wouldn't expect a speaker, especially a virtualized one, to support Dolby Atmos, and the Fire TV speaker, unsurprisingly, doesn't. It does support Dolby Audio, which in this case translates to 2-channel Dolby Digital with sound processing to increase detail and equalize loudness levels while moving between TV stations or sources.
The Fire TV Soundbar has DTS:Virtual X processing as well as Movies, Music, and Dialogue EQ settings in addition to Dolby Audio.
Features score: 3/5
AMAZON FIRE TV SOUNDBAR REVIEW: SOUND QUALITY
- Good overall dialogue clarity
- Spacious virtual surround
- Light on bass
While watching sequences from the science-fiction film District 9, the interviews interspersed between the action sounded full-bodied, as did Vikus' remarks as he strolled throughout the alien base. When I turned off the surround mode, the movie's soundtrack's effects were constrained, but when I turned it on, helicopters and machine gun fire noises spread beyond the TV's screen, creating a lifelike feeling of ambiance.
When I viewed a sequence from Top Gun: Maverick in which Maverick is reprimanded by Rear Admiral Chester 'Hammer' Cain, I noticed that the conversation, although mainly audible, was very bass-heavy and had a 'boomy' feel to it. When I checked the soundbar's bass setting, the medium option was chosen, so I reduced it to low. Because that alteration thinned and affected the overall balance of the sound, I chose to return to medium and live with too-boomy conversation.
For comparison, I replaced Amazon's soundbar with a Sony HTS2000 soundbar ($500, £449, or around AU$788), a 3.1-channel model with virtual Dolby Atmos processing, and found that with the Sony's medium bass level selected, dialogue in the same Top Gun: Maverick scene sounded significantly cleaner. The comparison revealed the benefit of utilizing a soundbar with a dedicated center-channel speaker, which 2.0-channel versions like the Fire TV Soundbar do not have.
Otherwise, I was surprised with how well the Fire TV soundbar's DTS:Virtual X processing broadened the soundscape in Top Gun: Maverick and other movies while not severely impacting other aspects of the audio mix like music and voice. I found the Amazon bar to be deficient in bass, particularly when compared to the considerably more costly Sony counterpart. However, considering the Amazon's small size, the amount of bass it did provide was really better than anticipated.
I don't anticipate music to sound well on low-cost soundbars, and the Amazon Fire TV soundbar didn't alter my view. Having said that, when I played Endless Time by The Weather Station on the Omni QLED TV through the Tidal app, the song's basic Joni Mitchell-like piano and voice presentation sounded seamless and genuine. With the Surround option active, there was also a nice feeling of vastness. Other, more dynamic songs I played sounded a little harsh and congested with the volume turned up high, but it was good with the volume turned down to a typical listening level.Sound quality score: 3.5/5
AMAZON FIRE TV SOUNDBAR REVIEW: DESIGN
- Compact design
- Remote control included
- Front-panel LED indicator lights
A similarly tiny remote control is included, with controls for volume adjustment, switching inputs, and selecting the EQ, bass, and virtual surround sound settings. Remote instructions activate a series of LEDs on the front of the soundbar, with one to three lights representing the volume level range, for example. Voice confirmation is also available when picking EQ modes, with a robot-like (not Alexa) voice informing you if dialogue, music, or movie mode is chosen.
Design score: 3.5/5
Pairing a Bluetooth device, such as a phone, is also straightforward. Simply click the Bluetooth button on the soundbar's control panel, and a blue LED begins to pulsate to signify connection mode. Then, on your phone or tablet, go to the Bluetooth settings menu, choose the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar, and you're ready to stream.
The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar's remote control provides easy access to audio functions such as EQ modes, bass level, and surround sound. However, one disadvantage of low-cost soundbars like this one is that changes must be made through LED light sequences rather than an alphanumeric display (or control software). However, they were simple to use on the Fire TV Soundbar, and having voice confirmation while choosing EQ settings made things much simpler.
AMAZON FIRE TV SOUNDBAR REVIEW: USABILITY AND SETUP
- HDMI eARC/ARC connection to TV
- Easy Bluetooth pairing
- No alphanumeric front panel display
Pairing a Bluetooth device, such as a phone, is also straightforward. Simply click the Bluetooth button on the soundbar's control panel, and a blue LED begins to pulsate to signify connection mode. Then, on your phone or tablet, go to the Bluetooth settings menu, choose the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar, and you're ready to stream.
The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar's remote control provides easy access to audio functions such as EQ modes, bass level, and surround sound. However, one disadvantage of low-cost soundbars like this one is that changes must be made through LED light sequences rather than an alphanumeric display (or control software). However, they were simple to use on the Fire TV Soundbar, and having voice confirmation while choosing EQ settings made things much simpler.
Usability and setup score: 4/5
Nonetheless, considering its nice appearance and decent overall sound, Amazon's soundbar is a fantastic buy. To obtain consistently higher performance and additions like Dolby Atmos compatibility through virtual processing or upward-firing speakers, you'd have to spend about $500. And, although I believe that better sound is worth the additional money, not everyone wants to spend that much money to upgrade the built-in audio on their television. The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar is a fantastic budget-bar alternative for individuals who believe that $100 is the correct price.
While Amazon's soundbar is a decent buy at the moment, the firm regularly gives significant price cuts on its Fire TV items on Prime Day and during Black Friday promotions. If the Fire TV soundbar receives a 25% or more price reduction during any of those events, as I believe it will, its total value will increase significantly.
Evaluated using both 4K Blu-ray discs and streamed sources
Break-in time allowed before critical listening
Tested using reference movie scenes and music tracks
As sources, I used a 4K Blu-ray player, an Apple TV 4K, and music streamed from Tidal through an Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED TV to evaluate the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar in a 12 x 16 x 9-foot room. I gave it some time to settle in by viewing movies and TV episodes before diving into more critical listening with reference movie snippets and music tracks.
When watching movies, I looked for speech clarity, bass definition, and a feeling of space with the soundbar's surround mode turned on. When it came to music, I focused on the naturalness of the sound with acoustic instruments and vocals, as well as the dynamics in bigger recordings.
I have a reference sound standard to which the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar was compared after reviewing several soundbars in the same room over the years. I also utilized a Sony HT-S2000 all-in-one soundbar for comparison, moving between the two tiny versions on similar movie clips and music tracks.
AMAZON FIRE TV SOUNDBAR REVIEW: VALUE
- Good overall value
- Faces strong budget competition
- Look for Prime Day and Black Friday discounts
Nonetheless, considering its nice appearance and decent overall sound, Amazon's soundbar is a fantastic buy. To obtain consistently higher performance and additions like Dolby Atmos compatibility through virtual processing or upward-firing speakers, you'd have to spend about $500. And, although I believe that better sound is worth the additional money, not everyone wants to spend that much money to upgrade the built-in audio on their television. The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar is a fantastic budget-bar alternative for individuals who believe that $100 is the correct price.
While Amazon's soundbar is a decent buy at the moment, the firm regularly gives significant price cuts on its Fire TV items on Prime Day and during Black Friday promotions. If the Fire TV soundbar receives a 25% or more price reduction during any of those events, as I believe it will, its total value will increase significantly.
HOW I TESTED THE AMAZON FIRE TV SOUNDBAR
Break-in time allowed before critical listening
Tested using reference movie scenes and music tracks
As sources, I used a 4K Blu-ray player, an Apple TV 4K, and music streamed from Tidal through an Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED TV to evaluate the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar in a 12 x 16 x 9-foot room. I gave it some time to settle in by viewing movies and TV episodes before diving into more critical listening with reference movie snippets and music tracks.
When watching movies, I looked for speech clarity, bass definition, and a feeling of space with the soundbar's surround mode turned on. When it came to music, I focused on the naturalness of the sound with acoustic instruments and vocals, as well as the dynamics in bigger recordings.
I have a reference sound standard to which the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar was compared after reviewing several soundbars in the same room over the years. I also utilized a Sony HT-S2000 all-in-one soundbar for comparison, moving between the two tiny versions on similar movie clips and music tracks.