Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus review: an easy TV upgrade

Amazon’s new Hearth TV Soundbar Plus isn’t only one product — it’s three. Relying on the model, you’ll spend $250 for simply the soundbar, $375 for those who add a wi-fi subwoofer or $490 for the model with the sub and two wi-fi {surround} audio system. Nonetheless, the primary two variations aren’t upgradeable. You may’t add a sub or surrounds to the soundbar-only mannequin and you may’t add surrounds to the one which comes with a sub.

All three have the identical capabilities (Dolby Atmos/DTS:X compatibility and Bluetooth streaming), however every will ship a special listening expertise. For this evaluation, Amazon despatched us the complete $490 model. Since most of my testing time was spent utilizing that configuration, our official rating and professionals/cons record pertain to that mannequin. Nonetheless, I additionally tried the system in its two different flavors and I’ll present some ideas on these choices all through the evaluation so you will get a way of the variations.

Is the Amazon Soundbar Plus a Hearth TV gadget?

I’ve mentioned it earlier than, nevertheless it’s price repeating: Regardless of its title, the Hearth TV Soundbar Plus is only a sound system. It connects to your TV by way of HDMI-ARC/eARC (or optical), however there’s no built-in video streaming performance. In case your TV doesn’t have sensible TV options, the Hearth TV Soundbar Plus gained’t make it any smarter.

As close to as I can determine, Amazon gave it this title as a result of for those who personal a appropriate Amazon Hearth TV, your present distant can management the soundbar, and you may entry sure sound settings out of your TV’s menus.

Amazon Hearth TV Soundbar Plus specs

Amazon Hearth TV Soundbar Plus: what’s within the field?

Within the field, you get the soundbar, the wi-fi surrounds and subwoofer, and all the pieces it’s essential to arrange the system and join it to your TV by way of HDMI. Energy cables, an HDMI cable, a distant with batteries, and even wall-mounting {hardware} for the soundbar are all included.

You’ll additionally discover an easy-to-follow quick-start information. The one factor it’s possible you’ll want to purchase is an optical cable (or an optical to HDMI adapter) in case your TV doesn’t have an accessible HDMI-ARC port.

Amazon Hearth TV Soundbar Plus: design

After I reviewed Amazon’s first Hearth TV Soundbar, I famous that the corporate had managed to create a budget-friendly speaker that didn’t look low cost. That method has been maintained with the Soundbar Plus. It could not win any design awards, however its easy black chassis and tasteful charcoal material grille (additionally used on the surrounds) ought to look good in nearly any room.

The one change that Amazon made with the Plus mannequin is the addition of a small however noticeable Hearth TV brand underneath the top-mounted controls (it additionally seems on the sub and surrounds). I’m averse to any seen branding on house theater merchandise, but when it needs to be there, no less than it’s refined — you’ll solely discover it when standing straight above the audio system.

At 37-inches vast, the soundbar needs to be slender sufficient to sit down in entrance of a 40-inch TV. Simply needless to say at 2.5 inches tall, there’s an opportunity it may block your TV’s infrared (IR) receiver. Since there’s no IR repeater on the again of the speaker, it’s possible you’ll wish to measure fastidiously before you purchase. As an illustration, the legs on Amazon’s latest Hearth TV Omni Mini-LED are 3.1 inches tall, which gives sufficient house for this soundbar. Nonetheless, its 43-inch  Hearth TV Omni has 2.2-inch legs, which could not create sufficient peak for the bottom-mounted IR receiver.

I actually like that Amazon put in normal threaded mounting holes on each the rear and the underside of the {surround} audio system. This significantly will increase placement flexibility, letting you employ stands or wall-mount brackets for those who don’t have flat surfaces (or wall retailers) close to your very best areas.

The distant may be very compact. The buttons are clearly labeled and straightforward to make use of, although they’re not backlit (not that I count on them to be at this value). The highest rubber membrane will finally put on out, however till that occurs it ought to present good safety from unintentional spills.

Amazon Hearth TV Soundbar Plus: Setup and connections

Truthfully, it doesn’t get a lot simpler than this. Plug the soundbar into an influence outlet, then plug it into your TV’s HDMI-ARC port with the supplied cable or certainly one of your personal. The soundbar will routinely energy up and (in case your TV is already on) swap to the HDMI enter. And … you’re achieved.

In case you purchase the mannequin with a sub or sub+surrounds, you’ll additionally hear a voice immediate telling you these equipment aren’t related. That’s shortly remedied by plugging them in. There are backup connection buttons on every unit, however mine related to the soundbar routinely as soon as they powered up.

There’s no app to obtain, and no Wi-Fi connection to configure. Simply begin watching TV.

The Soundbar Plus has three ports: HDMI ARC, optical, and USB. I doubt many of us will use the USB function (for accessing music saved on a tough drive or thumb drive) when Bluetooth goes to be extra handy, nevertheless it’s a pleasant contact, particularly because the distant is supplied with playback controls (you is perhaps shocked at what number of remotes don’t have them anymore).

Assuming your TV has HDMI-ARC, you should utilize the optical port for a second digital audio supply. My vote could be to attach an reasonably priced community music streamer just like the Wiim Mini, however you would use a CD participant or every other audio gadget as a substitute.

Switching the soundbar to Bluetooth for the primary time routinely prompts the pairing mode. As soon as paired together with your cellphone, it would reconnect routinely the following time you employ Bluetooth.

Amazon Hearth TV Soundbar Plus: settings

For a soundbar with no companion app, on-screen settings (on non-Hearth TVs), and even an alphanumeric entrance show, Amazon has managed to pack the Soundbar Plus with loads of tweaks.

Through the distant, you might have entry to bass, treble, EQ modes, dialogue enhancement, {surround} mode, and for those who get the model with {surround} audio system, a set of devoted buttons only for these items.

The draw back of the design is that almost all of those settings are step-based, which means you repeatedly press the related button to cycle by way of the accessible ranges. Bass, as an illustration, goes from 1 to 9. You’ll want to press the button every time you wish to go up a degree. Go too far and also you’ll should round once more.

Though what’s extra annoying is that the speaker broadcasts every degree change as a substitute of simply utilizing the bar’s built-in row of LED indicators.

Talking of these LEDs, they’re the one option to get a affirmation of whether or not your audio sign is acknowledged as Dolby Atmos. Whether it is, the center three LEDs flash inexperienced — simply as soon as — while you start playback.

You get used to all of this, however Amazon, for those who’re listening, I believe that is an space for enchancment.

Amazon Hearth TV Soundbar Plus: sound high quality

Even for those who go for the soundbar-only model, the Hearth TV Soundbar Plus has loads of energy and might ship surprisingly good low-end bass. In case you’ve been getting by in your TV’s built-in audio system, you’ll discover an enormous distinction the second you flip this speaker on.

Dialogue readability (essential for any soundbar) is particularly good out of the field, and also you get an extra 5 ranges of non-obligatory dialogue enhancement. I ended up sticking with degree 1 — by the point I bought to five, I discovered the impact too intense.

Including the subwoofer, as you would possibly count on, does wonders for the low finish, taking it from one thing you possibly can hear to one thing you possibly can start to essentially really feel. In brief, it does what a sub ought to do (no less than in a house theater context) by making films really feel extra dramatic and immersive. Simply hold your expectations in test: it’s a very good little subwoofer, nevertheless it doesn’t pack the facility or precision you’ll discover in pricier techniques.

However ultimately, it’s Amazon’s surrounds that shocked me probably the most. They don’t seem like a lot on the surface, however utilizing the distant’s discrete {surround} quantity and steadiness buttons provides you an enormous quantity of management over these audio system. Positioned on the ends of my sofa (about 5 ft on both aspect of my listening place) I may make them nearly as loud because the entrance proper/left channels. This not solely bodes effectively for getting the extent of immersion you’re personally comfy with, however it would additionally assist with placement — I’m fairly positive I may have put them thrice as removed from me and nonetheless heard them clearly.

The one draw back to the Soundbar Plus is that it shares the common Hearth TV Soundbar’s weak midrange. Regardless of having a number of EQ modes to select from (film, music, sports activities, and evening) and separate controls for bass and treble (spectacular when you think about that Sony’s flagship soundbars don’t have this), I nonetheless couldn’t get the system to sound the best way I wished.

The highs (even with dialogue enhancement off) felt too peaky. Pushing treble ranges down helped with this, however the aspect impact was that issues began to get muddy.

I’m in all probability overstating the problem. I are inclined to hear for this stuff, so I have a tendency to listen to them. You is probably not bothered by all of it.

Music listening may be thrilling on this method, however to listen to it, you’ll should sacrifice the comfort of Bluetooth. Streaming over Bluetooth is ok. Need some background music for a get-together? It’s excellent for that. However, listening to a music app from a streaming gadget (or your sensible TV) over HDMI/optical, is manner higher.

On the soundbar-only model, stereo separation is nice in regular mode and utilizing the {surround} mode expands the soundstage with out overly diluting the main target. The surround-equipped system is much more enjoyable. It someway manages to take the sounds from the outer edges of the left/proper channels and pushes them — and simply them — to the rear audio system, one thing I observed when listening to Fleetwood Mac’s Desires. I wasn’t anticipating such a classy impact from a sub-$500 set of audio system.

What I can say definitively, is that you simply shouldn’t purchase this method for those who’re in search of a real Dolby Atmos expertise.

Sure, technically the Hearth TV Soundbar Plus is a Dolby Atmos and DTS:X appropriate speaker. Nonetheless, the standalone soundbar mannequin is restricted to three.1 channels (it processes the low-frequency results channel utilizing its personal woofers) as is the subwoofer-equipped mannequin. Solely the mannequin with the surrounds and sub can do extra, nevertheless it’s nonetheless restricted to five.1 channels.

All this to say, every of those techniques depends on virtualization for the height-channel results that we are inclined to affiliate with 3D codecs like Atmos and DTS:X. And although some virtualized sound techniques have satisfied me that there are phantom ceiling audio system above me, the Soundbar Plus isn’t certainly one of them.

Don’t get me flawed, Atmos (I didn’t attempt any DTS:X) doesn’t sound dangerous. In actual fact, operating by way of all of my typical check scenes from films like Mad Max: Fury Highway, No Time To Die, Unbroken, and Ford v Ferrari, proved loads pleasant. It’s simply that I didn’t hear as lots of the distinct spatial components that I’ve heard from extra succesful techniques.

Conclusion

Apart from the small critiques I’ve talked about all through the evaluation, I actually just like the Amazon Hearth TV Soundbar Plus, in all of its flavors. The issue is that while you take a look at a competitor like Vizio, which sells a wide range of 5.1 Dolby Atmos fashions — some for as little as $200 — it’s laborious to provide you with good the reason why you need to spend extra on Amazon’s model.

We haven’t checked out Vizio’s newest 2024/5 fashions, however we’ve reviewed and been mightily impressed by their predecessors and we now have no motive to suppose the brand new ones will carry out any worse.

I believe you’ll benefit from the Hearth TV Soundbar Plus, however it’s possible you’ll discover a higher worth elsewhere.