And it's under £100
Amazon has announced its Fire TV Soundbar has finally arrived for the UK and Germany. The budget soundbar was first announced back in September 2023, alongside a number of other Amazon announcements, but it’s taken its time to launch anywhere other than the US.
The Fire TV Soundbar is a cheap and cheerful offering, designed to enhance TV audio with dual speakers for a fuller sound, clearer dialogue and deeper bass. There is three-dimensional virtual audio with support for DTS Virtual:X and Dolby Audio, and while it isn’t going to compete with the likes of the Sonos Arc for immersive sound, it’s an eighth of the price.
The compact design of the Fire TV Soundbar means this rectangular black box is just 600mm wide, designed to fit on the majority of entertainment consoles and TV units. It is made from 18 percent recycled materials and it comes in black in terms of colour choices. No white option like the Sonos Beam, but then black is standard for soundbars.
As its name suggests, the Fire TV Soundbar will work with Amazon’s Five TV, and while you still need Fire TV to access content, you can control both your TV and the audio with one remote – which let’s face it, can only be a good thing. The Fire TV Soundbar is compatible with smart TVs and TVs connected to streaming media players and you don’t have to have a Fire TV device to use it, though you of course get a more seamless experience if you do, as we mentioned.
If you’re not watching TV, it’s possible to connect your smartphone, tablet or another compatible Bluetooth streaming device to the Fire TV Soundbar so you can listen to tunes whenever you fancy. For the UK launch, there is the option of adding expert installation when you buy the Fire TV Soundbar, though it does offer easy setup. All you’ll need to do is plug in the included HDMI capable into the HDMI eARC or ARC port on your TV and you’ll be good to go. You’ll need a power adapter however as that’s not included.
“Customers in the US love Fire TV Soundbar and we are delighted to bring the same great product to customers in the UK and Germany” said Emma Gilmartin, Director of Fire TV and Fire Tablets Europe. “Fire TV Soundbar is sleek, affordable and easy to set up, delivering room-filling sound to elevate the home cinema experience,” Gilmartin added.
The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar is available for an introductory price of £99.99 and it will start shipping on 29 July 2024. After the introductory offer is over, the Fire TV Soundbar will cost £119.99.