STEREO GUIDE verdict
The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar 2.0 surprises in the review both in terms of sound and measured values.
It is really top for its price and has earned a STEREO GUIDE buying tip with its spatial imaging and good balance.
Advantages
- Balanced sound tuning
- Relatively wide sound stage for the small size
- Remote control, HDMI connection and Bluetooth interface
Disadvantages
- No subwoofer connection option
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Naturalness / transparency7
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Bass / Dynamics7
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Room7.7
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Practice / Connectivity8.6
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Price/Performance10
The new Amazon Fire TV Soundbar 2.0 could shake up the TV sound market. With a recommended retail price of 140 euros, it is a real price breaker. However, in addition to fuller television sound, Amazon even promises a home cinema-like experience thanks to the integration of dts Virtual:x for surround sound and Dolby Audio (although this explicitly does not mean Dolby Atmos).
The connection to the TV should be particularly easy thanks to HDMI-ARC or HDMI-eARC compatibility. Additional Bluetooth functionality should also make the 60 cm wide bar attractive for music listeners when the TV screen is switched off.
Incidentally, the suffix “2.0” stands for channel processing using two stereo channels without a subwoofer. Not that anyone will get the idea that there was an earlier version of Amazon’s TV sound machine.
Amazon’s affordable soundbar offers these connection options
The HDMI cable included in the accessories can be plugged directly into the small, yellow-framed cut-out at the back. This enables a direct connection to the TV using HDMI-ARC or the newer HDMI-eARC standard. This is particularly convenient because the TV remote control then controls all the important functions such as the volume. The remote control supplied with the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar is only needed when watching TV if you want to switch between the three-stage bass EQ presets or the three sound presets“Dialog“,“Music” and“Movie“.
Of course, Amazon recommends using it with its own Fire TV or compatible hardware, but the HDMI ARC should work with all modern, commercially available flat screens. However, this is not guaranteed or tested, and sometimes you need to select the right audio track on the TV and have a little patience until the two devices synchronize with each other.
Also suitable for older televisions
If you want to connect an older TV without HDMI ARC, you can do so via the optical input. Bluetooth connectivity is available for wireless playback, including from a smartphone or tablet. The manufacturer remains silent about the version and codecs. The additional USB-A connector is purely a power supply for other devices and cannot process any signals.
If you like watching movies via the soundbar, it processes the sound signals via dts Virtual:X, but also accepts Dolby Audio (without support for channel-discrete 3D formats such as dts:X or Dolby Atmos).
Operation and operating modes are otherwise fairly spartan: there are three sound modes via remote control: movie, music and voice accentuation. The bar itself features volume buttons, Bluetooth initialization and source selection as well as an on/off button.
We were somewhat surprised by the fact that there is no voice control or integration into the Alexa world.
This is how much sound technology is in the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar
Behind the fabric cover, the soundbar works as a stereo system with full-range speakers. These are housed as particularly narrow, oval “Racetrack” drivers on the outside of the front, which combines a large membrane surface with a very compact design in height. The Amazon Soundbar 2.0 measures just 9 centimeters in height.
A bass reflex construction with a resonator tube open at the front is integrated into the housing, which should also make it acoustically possible to place the speaker directly against a wall. The two full range drivers are powered by two 20 watt amplifiers.
How Amazon’s affordable Fire TV soundbar sounds
Given the size and price, the expectations of myself and Raphael Vogt from LowBeatsin whose home theater listening room we conducted the review for both online magazines, were not set too high. However, I was not surprised. The day before I set off to Worms for the listening test, the phone rang and the colleague from the cathedral city revealed some interesting news about the soundbar, which had not yet been reviewed by the relevant suspects: “This thing can do something. It actually sounds balanced and measures up very well.”
The surprise was anticipated, but the next day I was amazed at how naturally voices in particular were reproduced by the extremely flat soundbar, which is just 61 centimetres wide, despite all the limits in terms of budget, performance and size. But the bass also had nothing to hide in terms of volume and cleanliness given the compact dimensions of the housing. On top of this, the two full-range drivers also produced fresh, surprisingly well-resolved highs. If your flat screen sounds too thin, the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar 2.0 is a space-saving and affordable way to add volume and authenticity not only to dialog, but also to music videos and concert recordings.
Bass setting for different locations
If you hang the sound bar on the wall with its eyelets on the back under the flat screen, you might be tempted to listen to the bass at level 1 with a slight attenuation. This mode is also suitable for not disturbing the neighbors with bass at night. Otherwise, level 2 or level 3 are ideal for music playback, which also sounds very appealing via Bluetooth. If mobility is not required, you can also simply buy the soundbar as an alternative to simple Bluetooth speakers, which usually don’t offer this balanced fullness of sound or comparable connectivity for 140 euros.
So small and already really stereo
What no other Bluetooth speaker we know of in this price range even comes close to offering is the wide sound stage that justifies the term “stereo”. This is especially true if you activate the Virtualizer for extended spatiality. It really does create a large sound cloud that separates well from the speaker and doesn’t stand out negatively due to pumping effects. You can also turn the soundbar all the way up without fear of distortion. With music, we were able to measure a very decent volume for normal living rooms of 80 decibels at a distance of one meter.
As far as the sound presets are concerned, “Dialog” interestingly delivered the greatest balance, even with music. This was even underlined by the measurements of the various equalizer programs, which are announced by a synthetic voice when switching. Incidentally, the bass emphasis is indicated by three LEDs, which go out again shortly after switching so as not to disturb the enjoyment of the movie. Usually, sound presets with music that are emphasized for voices in the mid-range sound very whiny.
Conclusion and alternatives to the Amazon Fire TV soundbar
Even as a reviewer who has heard many home theaters for the price of a super sports car, I have to say – and I speak for my equally experienced and esteemed colleague Raphael Vogt from LowBeats – that the online retailer’s affordable home theater speaker really gave no cause for complaint. On the contrary: the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar surprised us with a solid sound performance and even impressed us in our measurements.
If you consider that for a pure Bluetooth speaker, which is offered without any connections in addition to its wireless interface, you only get a housing volume the size of a beer can for 140 euros from the brand providers, which does not allow for proper bass or stereo playback, then the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar 2.0 is a special offer. For stationary use in the home, the soundbar is therefore a flexible alternative to conventional Bluetooth speakers such as the JBL Flip 6 or the Sony ULT Field 1. You get significantly more for the same list price – not to mention the practical infrared remote control. And the Bose TV Speaker, the successor to the Bose Solo 5 TV that I reviewed a little while ago, also has a strong rival in the Amazon as a compact soundbar for basic requirements, whose recommended retail price has been reduced by 100 euros.
Technical data Amazon Fire TV Soundbar 2.0
- Manufacturer’s suggested retail price: 140 Euro
- Dimensions (W x H x D): 61 x 9 x 6.5 cm
- Weight: 1.8 kg
- Special features: HDMI-eARC, Dolby Audio, dts Virtual:X, Bluetooth, optical input
- More at: amazon.de
