Amazon Fire TV Soundbar review: Simple but reasonably effective

Leonardo da Vinci reportedly said, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”, a sentiment I imagine informs Amazon’s approach towards its Basics range. The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar may not officially be part of that range but it embodies the same philosophy.

It’s a compact budget soundbar, incredibly easy to set up and use, and won’t put a big dent in your bank balance. Despite lacking many of the bells and whistles found on premium soundbars, such as built-in Alexa and Dolby Atmos support, it does offer DTS Virtual:X and has a handful of EQ presets.

And if you’re looking for a space-efficient soundbar to pair with a cheap TV and don’t have room for a subwoofer, it’s definitely worth considering. Doubly so, if that TV is the Amazon Fire TV 4-Series or Omni QLED, or you can pick it up at a discount during one of Amazon’s Prime Day sales.

Amazon Fire TV Soundbar review: What do you get for the money?

For £120, you get a soundbar measuring 610 x 90 x 65mm (WDH) and weighing 1.8kg. That’s pretty compact by modern standards and the Fire TV Soundbar’s diminutive frame means it’s a great fit for 32in and 43in TVs. However, it didn’t look too out of place under the 55in TV I tested it with.

If you want to wall mount the Fire TV Soundbar, Amazon includes the necessary wall plugs, screws and mounting rings. Also included are a power cable, HDMI cable and pint-sized remote along with two AAA batteries.

The soundbar itself is a 2.0-channel affair with left and right speakers delivering a maximum output of 20W apiece. Total output of 40W isn’t anything to write home about but is still a step up on the in-built audio systems of most budget TVs and enough to serve small- to moderately-sized living rooms. There’s no built-in subwoofer to look after low-end frequencies, nor do you have the option of adding one to the setup.

Connection options are pretty basic, too. Most people will use the ARC-enabled HDMI port to hook up the Fire TV Soundbar up to their TV but, failing that, you have an optical input and USB-A port. There’s also Bluetooth support but the soundbar can’t be hooked up directly to your Wi-Fi network.

Given this is an Amazon product, you might expect Amazon Alexa functionality as part of the package, but that’s not the case here. The soundbar doesn’t have an integrated microphone, so you’ll require an Amazon streaming stick or Fire TV to experience a Fire TV experience.

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Amazon Fire TV Soundbar review: What does it do well?

The Fire TV Soundbar is sensibly sized and an absolute breeze to set up. Its dimensions allow it to be positioned on relatively narrow TV cabinets and the absence of an external subwoofer means you only need to find room for the soundbar.

Once it’s been plugged into the mains and connected to your TV via the supplied HDMI cable, you’re good to go. It’s worth noting that if you don’t have an HDMI ARC port on your TV, you’ll need to buy an optical cable to get the Fire TV Soundbar up and running as there’s not one included in the box.

Using the soundbar is equally simple. You have power, source, Bluetooth pairing and volume buttons on top of the bar but I didn’t touch these as it’s far more convenient to use the bundled remote. You can also use your TV remote to control power and volume but the included remote is the only way to access the Fire TV Soundbar’s audio customisation options.

The most useful of these is the “Surround Sound” mode. Pressing the corresponding button on the remote engages DTS Virtual:X, a virtualisation technology designed to enhance immersion. I didn’t expect much given the two-channel driver arrangement – and describing it as surround sound is over-selling its capabilities – but I did appreciate the additional width it added to an otherwise narrow soundstage. It was my go-to mode for all content aside from music and is a welcome tool in the Fire TV Soundbar’s limited arsenal.

That arsenal also includes three EQ presets: Movie, Dialogue and Music. Amazon has included voice prompts to let you know which preset is engaged when you hit the EQ button on the remote, which is handy as it means you don’t have to try and decipher a series of LEDs on the Fire TV Soundbar’s front-facing display. You’re also able to control the level of bass output across one of three levels and I found that there was an audible difference between each.

Amazon Fire TV Soundbar review: What could be improved?

Those three bass levels can’t mask the Fire TV Soundbar’s weakness in the low-frequency department, however. While they certainly amp up the bass response, they don’t do so particularly cleanly. With the bass set to level three, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power‘s soundtrack started to sound quite muddy and I had to engage the Dialogue preset to be able to make out conversations in busy scenes.

Even with the Surround Sound mode engaged, the bar’s small size and meagre output prevent it from successfully spreading sound into larger spaces. With the volume cranked up, the Fire TV Soundbar’s audio reproduction palpably loses its way.

Definition falls off sharply across the frequency spectrum and audio takes on a distractingly echoey quality. I found the sweet spot to be around 60% volume; above that, I struggled to enjoy what I was listening to.

It’s also disappointing, if not hugely surprising given the price, that the Fire TV Soundbar doesn’t innately support Alexa. It’s a Fire TV product in name alone and requires a Fire TV Stick or compatible Fire TV to unlock the full Fire TV OS experience. Even then, you’re getting very little in the way of additional functionality.

Amazon Fire TV Soundbar review: Should you buy it?

The OLED TV I tested the Fire TV Soundbar with had a 2.1-channel speaker arrangement capable of outputting more power (70W) and a punchier low-end than the bar itself. If you own a similarly well-equipped television, this cheap Amazon soundbar isn’t going to cut it. There’s merit to its simplicity, but sophisticated it is not.

If, however, you own a cheaper TV, don’t discount the Fire TV Soundbar as an easy-to-use, affordable option. It benefits from the inclusion of DTS Virtual:X – in fact, it would be far less desirable without it – and is economical both in terms of space and cost. It’s also the kind of product that is guaranteed to receive a discount when Amazon sales events roll around. So my advice is this: if you think it meets your requirements, wait until Prime Day or Black Friday and grab it when it falls below £100.