Is the Amazon Fire TV soundbar a bargain?
The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar is said to provide hassle-free, room-filling sound for just under 140 euros. A practical test by ntv.de shows what the speaker actually has to offer.
Good soundbars usually cost a few hundred euros. But not everyone wants to spend that much money to improve the sound of their TV, especially if it's a more affordable device. For such users, the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar could be the ideal choice, as it's said to provide room-filling sound for just around 140 euros. ntv.de has tested whether this is true.
Simple and compact
The soundbar is compact, measuring 61 x 9 x 6.5 centimeters, making it suitable for smaller TVs or monitors. It can also be mounted on the wall, with Amazon providing screws, wall plugs, and plastic spacers. This is sufficient, as the box weighs only 1.8 kilograms.
The design, with a black plastic housing and matching fabric cover in front of the two forward-facing speakers, is simple but appealing. There are no issues with the build quality.
Easy setup
Setting up the soundbar is a breeze, and no one should be intimidated by it. The box comes with a small manual that clearly explains every step and function. You connect the soundbar to a power outlet and an HDMI cable to your TV, then turn it on using its remote control or the button on top.
If your TV has an ARC or eARC input, that's it. After that, you can control the volume with your TV remote, and the soundbar will go into standby mode with the TV. For older TVs without an ARC connection, you may need to select the input.
No Wi-Fi, but USB and Bluetooth
If there's no free HDMI port, you can connect the soundbar and TV using an optical cable (not included). Additionally, you can plug in a playback source using the USB-A port on the back of the box.
The soundbar is not Wi-Fi enabled, but you can use it as a Bluetooth speaker. Devices can be quickly paired by pressing the corresponding button on the remote or the box. The soundbar will announce its connection readiness in English via voice output (other languages are not available). If this becomes annoying, you can turn off the announcements by holding down the mute button on the remote.
Pleasantly good sound
So far, so good, but ultimately, the sound is what matters. And the little, simple soundbar with Dolby Audio was able to surprise in the practical test. Its sound can't be compared to that of significantly more expensive boxes, but it doesn't sound much worse either. The sound is clear, distortion-free, and offers very decent mid and high ranges. Unfortunately, you can't connect a subwoofer, but the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar still manages to produce a reasonable bass that is much stronger than that of most TVs.
To get the most out of the two speakers, you need to press the bass button on the remote twice. The front of the box has three LED lights that indicate which bass level you've set. All three lights will be on if you select surround sound.
This option is not standard in the Fire TV Soundbar's price range, and ntv.de suspected that Amazon's touted DTS Virtual:X could be a PR stunt. However, if the source material allows, the bar opens up a fairly wide stereo stage, placing voices, instruments, or effects well. Don't expect "full 3D sound," as advertised by Amazon, but even pricier soundbars without satellite boxes struggle with this.
You can choose from three different sound modes using the EQ button, which enhances voices or optimizes playback for movies, series, or music. In our practical test, the soundbar performed best with video games in cinema mode. It makes a decent racket during action scenes without distorting and keeps voices clear. It also performs well with 5.1 audio streams. Music playback is decent, with many similarly priced Bluetooth boxes sounding worse.
The soundbar's power consumption is reasonable. We measured about 4 watts during operation and 1.4 watts in standby.
Conclusion
For around 140 euros, the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar is a good and affordable way to upgrade the thin sound of a TV. It delivers acceptable sound for its price, is easy to set up, and simple to use.
The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar's performance in the audio testing by ntv.de was commendable, particularly in terms of its room-filling sound quality. Despite being priced under 140 euros, it was able to provide a clear, distortion-free sound with decent mid and high ranges, and a reasonable bass. The inclusion of features like Dolby Audio and DTS Virtual:X was also noted, even though it may not deliver "full 3D sound" as advertised.
