The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus with Subwoofer & Speakers downmixes vertical audio channels to the left, right, and surround channels. The general tonality also colors vertical queues bright and lacking in the bass, though this likely won’t be noticeable outside testing conditions. If you pick up a variant without the satellites (standalone bar or bar with subwoofer), you’ll notice a further reduction in expansiveness and clarity in soundscape.
As you’d expect, the absence of up-firing drivers weakens the overall perception of verticality. That said, subjectively, the bar’s overall listening experience with Atmos content is decent. Object panning is a bit vague in overhead and back-to-front panning until helicopters and passing vehicles are right in front of you. While there’s bass present when towers fall and explosions erupt, the soundbar’s reproduction is on the muddy side and lacks detail. Additionally, sound queues downmixed from Atmos can be somewhat piercing at times.
If you’re looking for a listening experience with more height, consider the TCL Q85H, which has up-firing drivers on both the bar and satellites.
