Amazon Fire TV Soundbar review

Amazon is one of the best known brands on the planet, so it barely needs an introduction. You may be surprised to learn, however, that this is the retail giant’s first soundbar. It’s a modest initial plunge, focusing on the entry-level market with a simple 2.0 speaker configuration.

For those wanting a more sophisticated soundbar including Dolby Atmos and 3.1 speaker channels, the brand has also released the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus, available for £250 / $250. In this review, though, we’ll be focusing on the cheaper ’bar.

Disappointingly and somewhat misleadingly, neither of Amazon's 'Fire TV' soundbars sport Fire TV smarts. If you were hoping for and expecting a Roku Streambar-style soundbar with streaming capabilities, then, you will be disappointed. In fact, even Alexa is absent here.

However, with its compact dimensions, the very affordable Amazon Fire TV Soundbar could still be an appealing way to boost a TV’s sonic performance without breaking the bank or taking up lots of space. If it sounds any good, of course.

Price

The launch price of the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar is £120 / $120, which is on the cheaper side of the spectrum. We have already spotted discounts on the product, too.

Even cheaper is the four-star Sony HT-SF150 (known as the HT-S100F in the US) which we tested at just £90 / $100 / AU$199. We rated its all-round performance highly and were especially pleased by its impressive scale and width considering its price.

Another soundbar to enter our testing room and challenge the Amazon soundbar is the Hisense HS214, which costs just £79 / $150 / AU$147. For its clear vocal projection and compact size, we gave it a respectable four-star rating.

Design

With this soundbar, Amazon is keeping it simple by including Dolby Digital and DTS Virtual:X, but there is no Dolby Atmos.

For that reason, it has just two drivers, which are situated at the front of the product firing outwards through a plastic grille.

It does include DTS Virtual:X which, when implemented correctly, can give sound a sense of height and three-dimensionality without additional speakers, but don't go expecting proper 3D audio.

Around the back you can find the connectivity options in a nook, consisting of HDMI, optical, and a USB socket that has no practical at-home use. There’s only one gap in the soundbar to house all of the connections, so it does feel a bit cramped.

You can also send music (and podcasts, etc) to the soundbar via Bluetooth. The touch buttons, which control volume, Bluetooth, power and input, are satisfying to press thanks to a tactile feel, with the symbols raised slightly so you can feel them with your finger.

Given the price point, it’s not a shocker that this is not the most glamorous of units – but it is properly made and reasonably solid. Still, it has a small and light build that makes it easy to move to wherever you would like it positioned.

At 61cm wide, the Fire TV Soundbar is a good partner aesthetically for smaller TVs, but it also looks fairly smart alongside the 55-inch LG C5 with which we test it.

That said, Sony’s HT-SF150 appears a little more premium thanks to its textured finish and slightly slicker cosmetic touches.

Features

With no app or Amazon features integrated into the ’bar, there is a lot less than usual to talk about here. As mentioned already, even Alexa is absent.

At this price, we would not expect a full-blown display, and we don’t get one. Instead, what we get are coloured light indicators to show information such as whether the volume has been changed or Bluetooth enabled.

There are times when it is not clear whether a setting has been changed, so it’s sometimes hard to tell just what function the unit has switched on or off.

The remote follows in the main soundbar’s footsteps with its small size. It feels a bit too dinky to fit snugly into your palm, though the button layout is fairly straightforward and the remote is overall easy to use.

Through the remote, you can access the three sound modes: Music, Dialogue and Movie. Music gives you the most cohesive and punchy presentation, while Movie increases the sense of scale at the expense of some precision.

Dialogue mode makes voices clearer – ideal for podcasts or watching the news – but this comes at the expense of the rest of the sound, which becomes more muffled and undefined.

With the lack of an app, you can only access these modes by cycling through the options via the remote, with a voice telling you which one is currently selected.

There are other ways to customise the sound on offer, too. There is a Bass button that allows you to crank up the lower frequencies with three levels to choose between. We decide to stick to the second level as the lowest option does not provide enough bass weight and the highest overpowers the rest of the sound.

On top of that, there’s a Surround option that widens the soundstage to create a bigger sound.

Sound

We kick off with Dune 2, as protagonist Paul attempts to master the art of riding a sandworm. The Amazon’s 2.0 soundbar does an impressive job of capturing the scale of the scene, especially considering the lack of Dolby Atmos.

As the massive worm bursts out of the sand with what should be an ear-splitting boom, the soundbar does not quite achieve that but it does keep the sound balanced and relatively composed.

Compared to our LG C5’s own speakers, the soundbar boosts practically all aspects of the sound to create a more immersive overall experience. Instead of the TV’s thin bass, the soundbar offers a punchier and more expressive sound.

There is also a big improvement in terms of scale and weight, as the sound wraps around you far more than it does when delivered by the LG TV’s speakers.

With the 2018 biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, we play around with the Surround mode to see how it performs with a more musical choice. The iconic Live Aid sequence featuring an incredible performance by Rami Malek boggles the mind with the number of people crammed into London’s Wembley Stadium.

With Surround mode on, we get a real sense of the sheer scale of the stage, but the nuance of Malek’s vocal performance is pushed to the background.

It’s a bit of a Catch 22. When Surround is off, you can hear the subtleties in his voice much more clearly. The problem is now that the sound feels narrower and the size of the performance is underwhelming.

This makes for a slightly frustrating experience, as most people are unlikely to be switching between modes every five minutes. On the balance of things, we decide that if you’re going to pick one setting for all movies, it should be Surround on.

Even in our preferred Surround mode, the soundbar lacks definition in the bass. When Paul runs at the worm in Dune 2, for example, the staggering impact of the creature moving through the sand feels undefined instead of textured and floor-shaking.

In a later scene with Paul having an ominous chat with Fremen Stilgar, both voices are clear and central within the soundstage. It does feel oddly like a voiceover in some parts, however, with the dialogue sounding too smooth and missing the emotion of the performances.

To put the Amazon ’bar to the test with music alone, we switch on Music mode with Radiohead’s Everything In Its Right Place. This setting definitely helps to push the sound to the front, capturing the dream-like vocals and smooth synths well.

Still, it lacks the ability to give the bass an extra punch and the voices sound disconnected from the rest of the track.

The Sony HT-SF150 is not flawless either, but comparing the two soundbars proves that it's comfortably better than the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar, with a richer and more detailed sound that its newer rival can't match.

Verdict

If you are looking for a soundbar to improve upon your TV’s sound for a reasonable price, Amazon’s entry ticks a lot of boxes with its clear dialogue performance and unfussy features. And, if you wait for one of Amazon’s many sales, you should be able to pick it up for much less than the original price.

However, even when discounted it’s not the best option at its level. Based on the more rounded overall performance, we would choose the Sony HT-SF150.

SCORES

• Sound 3
• Build 3
• Features 4

MORE:

Read our review of the Sony HT-SF150

Also consider the Roku Streambar

Best budget soundbars: affordable home cinema sound tested by experts