Amazon Fire TV Soundbar PlusMSRP$490.00 Score DetailsUnbox it, plug it in, and enjoy the sound. The Fire TV Soundbar Plus is as easy as it gets.ProsMultiple configurationsEasy set upPowerful soundVery clear dialogueVersatile surround speakersConsNon-upgradeableWeak midrangeNegligible Dolby Atmos effectsTable of ContentsTable of ContentsIs the Amazon Soundbar Plus a Fire TV device?Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus specsAmazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus: whats in the box?Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus: designAmazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus: Setup and connectionsAmazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus: settingsAmazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus: sound qualityConclusionAmazons new Fire TV Soundbar Plus isnt just one product its three. Depending on the version, youll spend $250 for just the soundbar, $375 if you add a wireless subwoofer or $490 for the version with the sub and two wireless surround speakers. However, the first two versions arent upgradeable. You cant add a sub or surrounds to the soundbar-only model and you cant add surrounds to the one that comes with a sub.Recommended VideosAll three have the same capabilities (Dolby Atmos/DTS:X compatibility and Bluetooth streaming), but each will deliver a different listening experience. For this review, Amazon sent us the full $490 version. Since most of my testing time was spent using that configuration, our official score and pros/cons list pertain to that model. However, I also tried the system in its two other flavors and Ill provide some thoughts on these options throughout the review so you can get a sense of the differences.RelatedIve said it before, but its worth repeating: Despite its name, the Fire TV Soundbar Plus is just a sound system. It connects to your TV via HDMI-ARC/eARC (or optical), but theres no built-in video streaming functionality. If your TV doesnt have smart TV features, the Fire TV Soundbar Plus wont make it any smarter.As near as I can figure, Amazon gave it this name because if you own a compatible Amazon Fire TV, your existing remote can control the soundbar, and you can access certain sound settings from your TVs menus.Price$490ColorBlackSpeakersSoundbar: 8, subwoofer: 1, surrounds: 1 eachConnection portsHDMI, optical, USBVideo passthroughNoneAudio formatsDolby 5.1, Dolby Atmos, DTS:XBluetooth codecsSBCWireless musicBluetoothSimon Cohen / Digital TrendsIn the box, you get the soundbar, the wireless surrounds and subwoofer, and everything you need to set up the system and connect it to your TV via HDMI. Power cables, an HDMI cable, a remote with batteries, and even wall-mounting hardware for the soundbar are all included.Youll also find an easy-to-follow quick-start guide. The only thing you may need to buy is an optical cable (or an optical to HDMI adapter) if your TV doesnt have an available HDMI-ARC port.Simon Cohen / Digital TrendsWhen I reviewed Amazons first Fire TV Soundbar, I noted that the company had managed to create a budget-friendly speaker that didnt look cheap. That approach has been maintained with the Soundbar Plus. It may not win any design awards, but its simple black chassis and tasteful charcoal fabric grille (also used on the surrounds) should look good in just about any room.The one change that Amazon made with the Plus model is the addition of a small but noticeable Fire TV logo under the top-mounted controls (it also appears on the sub and surrounds). Im averse to any visible branding on home theater products, but if it has to be there, at least its subtle youll only notice it when standing directly above the speakers.Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus in front of a 65-inch TV. Simon Cohen / Digital TrendsAt 37-inches wide, the soundbar should be narrow enough to sit in front of a 40-inch TV. Just keep in mind that at 2.5 inches tall, theres a chance it could block your TVs infrared (IR) receiver. Since theres no IR repeater on the back of the speaker, you may want to measure carefully before you buy. For instance, the legs on Amazons newest Fire TV Omni Mini-LED are 3.1 inches tall, which provides enough space for this soundbar. However, its 43-inch Fire TV Omni has 2.2-inch legs, which might not create enough height for the bottom-mounted IR receiver.I really like that Amazon installed standard threaded mounting holes on both the rear and the bottom of the surround speakers. This considerably increases placement flexibility, letting you use stands or wall-mount brackets if you dont have flat surfaces (or wall outlets) near your ideal locations.The remote is very compact. The buttons are clearly labeled and easy to use, though theyre not backlit (not that I expect them to be at this price). The top rubber membrane will eventually wear out, but until that happens it should provide good protection from accidental spills.Simon Cohen / Digital TrendsHonestly, it doesnt get much easier than this. Plug the soundbar into a power outlet, then plug it into your TVs HDMI-ARC port with the provided cable or one of your own. The soundbar will automatically power up and (if your TV is already on) switch to the HDMI input. And youre done.If you buy the model with a sub or sub+surrounds, youll also hear a voice prompt telling you these accessories arent connected. Thats quickly remedied by plugging them in. There are backup connection buttons on each unit, but mine connected to the soundbar automatically once they powered up.Theres no app to download, and no Wi-Fi connection to configure. Just start watching TV.The Soundbar Plus has three ports: HDMI ARC, optical, and USB. I doubt many folks will use the USB feature (for accessing music stored on a hard drive or thumb drive) when Bluetooth is going to be more convenient, but its a nice touch, especially since the remote is equipped with playback controls (you might be surprised at how many remotes donthave them anymore).Assuming your TV has HDMI-ARC, you can use the optical port for a second digital audio source. My vote would be to connect an affordable network music streamer like the Wiim Mini, but you could use a CD player or any other audio device instead.Switching the soundbar to Bluetooth for the first time automatically activates the pairing mode. Once paired with your phone, it will reconnect automatically the next time you use Bluetooth.Simon Cohen / Digital TrendsFor a soundbar with no companion app, on-screen settings (on non-Fire TVs), or even an alphanumeric front display, Amazon has managed to pack the Soundbar Plus with a lot of tweaks.Via the remote, you have access to bass, treble, EQ modes, dialogue enhancement, surround mode, and if you get the version with surround speakers, a set of dedicated buttons just for those units.The downside of the design is that most of these settings are step-based, meaning you repeatedly press the relevant button to cycle through the available levels. Bass, for instance, goes from 1 to 9. You need to press the button each time you want to go up a level. Go too far and youll have to around again.Simon Cohen / Digital TrendsAlthough whats more annoying is that the speaker announces each level change instead of just using the bars built-in row of LED indicators.Speaking of those LEDs, theyre the only way to get a confirmation of whether your audio signal is recognized as Dolby Atmos. If it is, the middle three LEDs flash green just once when you begin playback.You get used to all of this, but Amazon, if youre listening, I think this is an area for improvement.Simon Cohen / Digital TrendsEven if you opt for the soundbar-only version, the Fire TV Soundbar Plus has plenty of power and can deliver surprisingly good low-end bass. If youve been getting by on your TVs built-in speakers, youll notice a massive difference the moment you turn this speaker on.Dialogue clarity (a must-have for any soundbar) is especially good out of the box, and you get an additional five levels of optional dialogue enhancement. I ended up sticking with level 1 by the time I got to 5, I found the effect too intense.Adding the subwoofer, as you might expect, does wonders for the low end, taking it from something you can hear to something you can begin to really feel. In short, it does what a sub should do (at least in a home theater context) by making movies feel more dramatic and immersive. Just keep your expectations in check: its a good little subwoofer, but it doesnt pack the power or precision youll find in pricier systems.But in the end, its Amazons surrounds that surprised me the most. They dont look like much on the outside, but using the remotes discrete surround volume and balance buttons gives you a huge amount of control over these speakers. Placed at the ends of my couch (about 5 feet on either side of my listening position) I could make them almost as loud as the front right/left channels. This not only bodes well for getting the level of immersion youre personally comfortable with, but it will also help with placement Im pretty sure I could have put them three times as far from me and still heard them clearly.Simon Cohen / Digital TrendsThe one downside to the Soundbar Plus is that it shares the regular Fire TV Soundbars weak midrange. Despite having several EQ modes to choose from (movie, music, sports, and night) and separate controls for bass and treble (impressive when you consider that Sonys flagship soundbars dont have this), I still couldnt get the system to sound the way I wanted.The highs (even with dialogue enhancement off) felt too peaky. Pushing treble levels down helped with this, but the side effect was that things started to get muddy.Im probably overstating the issue. I tend to listen for these things, so I tend to hear them. You may not be bothered by it all.Music listening can be thrilling on this system, but to hear it, youll have to sacrifice the convenience of Bluetooth. Streaming over Bluetooth is fine. Want some background music for a get-together? Its perfect for that. On the other hand, listening to a music app from a streaming device (or your smart TV) over HDMI/optical, is way better.Simon Cohen / Digital TrendsOn the soundbar-only version, stereo separation is good in normal mode and using the surround mode expands the soundstage without overly diluting the focus. The surround-equipped system is a lot more fun. It somehow manages to take the sounds from the outer edges of the left/right channels and pushes them and just them to the rear speakers, something I noticed when listening to Fleetwood Macs Dreams. I wasnt expecting such a sophisticated effect from a sub-$500 set of speakers.What I can say definitively, is that you shouldnt buy this system if youre looking for a true Dolby Atmos experience.Yes, technically the Fire TV Soundbar Plus is a Dolby Atmos and DTS:X compatible speaker. However, the standalone soundbar model is limited to 3.1 channels (it processes the low-frequency effects channel using its own woofers) as is the subwoofer-equipped model. Only the model with the surrounds and sub can do more, but its still limited to 5.1 channels.All this to say, each of these systems relies on virtualization for the height-channel effects that we tend to associate with 3D formats like Atmos and DTS:X. And though some virtualized sound systems have convinced me that there are phantom ceiling speakers above me, the Soundbar Plus isnt one of them.Dont get me wrong, Atmos (I didnt try any DTS:X) doesnt sound bad. In fact, running through all of my usual test scenes from movies like Mad Max: Fury Road, No Time To Die, Unbroken, and Ford v Ferrari, proved plenty enjoyable. Its just that I didnt hear as many of the distinct spatial elements that Ive heard from more capable systems.Other than the small critiques Ive mentioned throughout the review, I really like the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus, in all of its flavors. The problem is that when you look at a competitor like Vizio, which sells a variety of 5.1 Dolby Atmos models some for as little as $200 its hard to come up with good reasons why you should spend more on Amazons version.We havent checked out Vizios latest 2024/5 models, but weve reviewed and been mightily impressed by their predecessors and we have no reason to think the new ones will perform any worse.I think youll enjoy the Fire TV Soundbar Plus, but you may find a better value elsewhere.Editors Recommendations