The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar has received a £30 discount, bringing it down to £90 from its £120 launch price on Amazon. While this makes Amazon's debut soundbar more accessible, we'd hold off buying it. And here’s why.
The Hisense HS214 is not only £16 cheaper at £74 on Amazon, but it also delivers superior sound quality. That's hard to argue against, but let’s dive into more detail if you need some convincing.
Amazon's Fire TV soundbar features a basic 2.0 setup with just two front-firing drivers, while the Hisense HS214 employs a 2.1 system that includes a dedicated 3-inch down-firing subwoofer.
This additional bass driver provides the low-frequency foundation that budget soundbars typically struggle to deliver.
It’s no surprise, then, that our testing revealed distinct performance gaps between the two models.
The Fire TV soundbar suffers from an undefined bass response, and rather lacks the textural detail needed for impactful cinema scenes.
In contrast, the Hisense delivers enhanced depth that the bass unit brings to the table, with a solid sound to the lows and a kick that gives the sound a touch more musicality.
The Hisense HS214 also excels with dialogue. Our review found that it anchors vocals, making content more engaging without the need to mess around with constant volume adjustments.
The Fire TV soundbar, while offering clear dialogue, sometimes produces voices that sound too smooth, missing the emotion of the performances in the process.
Both soundbars support similar connectivity options, including HDMI ARC, optical inputs, and Bluetooth streaming.
The Hisense, however, provides additional versatility with USB playback supporting multiple file formats (MP3/WAV/WMA/FLAC), coaxial input, and a 3.5mm auxiliary connection – features absent from its Amazon rival’s more limited specification.
Build quality favours Hisense as well. Despite its budget positioning, our testing found the HS214 offers decent-quality construction with thoughtful design elements such as wall-mounting hardware included in the box.
The Amazon model, while properly made, feels less substantial and lacks the premium touches found on the Hisense.
We should note that the Fire TV soundbar does include DTS Virtual:X processing for simulated surround effects – though our review found this creates a bit of a Catch 22 situation where enhanced width comes at the expense of vocal clarity.
The Hisense takes a more straightforward approach, with four EQ modes (music, news, cinema, and surround), that provide useful customisation without compromising core performance.
Music playback goes to the HS214 as well. Our testing revealed a pleasant, uncluttered midrange and a decent stereo image that makes casual listening enjoyable.
The Amazon model, while competent, lacks the punch and detail that make the Hisense engaging across different content types.
In short, the Hisense HS214 is a compact, budget soundbar that will elevate your TV’s built-in speakers.
If you can stretch your budget and space a little further though, then the £99 Sony SF150 is even better – which is why it is recommended on our list of the best soundbars.
MORE:
Read our Hisense HS214 2.1 review
These are the best soundbars currently available
Check out our Sony HT-SF150 review
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