I have been obsessed with high-quality audio my entire life, owed to my deep love of music and entertainment, but this has often brought me face-to-face with just how expensive a good sound system can be.
But recently I discovered that you can still majorly upgrade your home entertainment setup without spending the steep costs that a Sonos, Bose or Samsung soundbar demands.
The Affordable Fire TV Soundbar Plus Has Elevated My TV and Movie Experiences
The Fire TV Soundbar Plus adds some well-needed oomph to everything I watch, powerful enough to vibrate the room during booming action scenes.
For such a low price, I was not expecting the Fire TV Soundbar Plus to deliver such a significant upgrade to my home entertainment. Everything is amplified – the bass, the dialogue, the background surroundings – making every scene fill the room with a more encompassing sound.
After testing premium flagships like the Sonos Arc Ultra and the Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar, I was half-expecting the Fire TV Soundbar Plus to underwhelm.
But while it may not have the masterful sound balance or sophisticated hardware of those bestsellers that cost so much, this is a fantastic alternative that costs far less (even with the Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar's $300 Black Friday discount...).
It has two built-in subwoofers, which is rare for a budget soundbar. This means it can deliver thumping bass and the deep rumbles that add tension to big action scenes, as I felt when watching crashing waves in Our Planet II and the flaming creatures in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.
Typically, budget soundbars are essentially big speakers. They turn the volume up on everything, but they're not really enhancing the sound quality or any of the details.
But the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus can play Dolby Atmos titles, meaning it can achieve at-home surround sound by sending soundwaves above and around your head. This is one of the most exciting ways to turn your living room into a movie theater.
I felt this when watching The Trial of the Chicago 7, where I could hear voices coming from different directions during hectic courtroom arguments.
Its surround sound can be a little limited at times, though, and if you want to step it up a notch, I'd recommend the Yamaha True X Bar 40A, which is currently discounted to $199.99, just $50 more than the Fire TV Soundbar Plus. Its sound quality is more impressive across the board, and its bass is more powerful for a deeper, fuller sound.
Setting up the Fire TV Soundbar Plus could not be simpler. As there's no app to download, all you have to do is connect the power and HDMI cables, and the audio will start playing. Every feature can be controlled on the remote:
Unlike premium soundbars that need an app to adjust the settings, everything can be controlled using the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar's small remote.
Its black, muted design will happily blend in with most interiors, too, but if you prefer a colorful space, then there are ways to hide your soundbar in your living room without compromising on sound.
You can also add on extras, like the Fire TV Soundbar Plus with subwoofer that costs $100 more, with the subwoofer delivering powerful bass while letting the soundbar take care of the mids and highs.
The Fire TV Soundbar Plus is discounted to $149.99 from $249.99 at Amazon for Black Friday.
More to Shop
Costing only $50 more than the Fire TV Soundbar Plus, the Yamaha True X Bar 40A is a huge step-up in terms of sound quality, multi-directional surround sound, and deep bass. It usually costs $200 more than this.
Read more in my full Yamaha True X Bar 40A review.
It's a bit more expensive, but the Yamaha True X Bar 50A brings an extra subwoofer that drives powerful bass and beneath-the-feet rumbles, making everything from big action scenes to tense dialogue sound deeper.
Read more in my full Yamaha True X Bar 50A review.
One of the very best soundbars I've had the pleasure of testing, the Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar delivers gorgeous sound quality, whatever you're watching, and its surround sound capabilities are so advanced that it feels like you've been dropped into the scene.
Read more in my full Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar review.
Next, see what else our shopping editors are loving in the Black Friday home deals.
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