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Amazon Basics 2.1 Channel Review

A good step up over built-in TV speakers, but falls short of premium sound quality
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Amazon Basics 2.1 Channel Review
Credit: Amazon
Price:  $105 List
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Manufacturer:   Amazon
By Max Mutter and Steven Tata  ⋅  Jun 12, 2017
46
OVERALL
SCORE
  • Sound Quality - 40% 2.0
  • Ease of Use - 30% 7.0
  • Sound Customization - 15% 7.0
  • Style/Design - 15% 4.0

Our Verdict

As of spring 2020 the Amazon Basics 2.1 Channel is no longer available.
REASONS TO BUY
Inexpensive
REASONS TO AVOID
Mediocre sound quality
Flimsy looking design
Is this soundbar for audiophiles? Definitely not. Is it still worth buying? For some people, certainly. TV's have been getting thinner and thinner, leaving less and less room for speakers. This has resulted in state of the art, 4K TVs that somehow sound worse than the 20-year old cathode ray behemoth rotting in your basement. That is where the Amazon Basics 2.1 Channel comes in. For a fraction of the cost of many other models you get a substantial step up in audio quality from most flat-screen TV speakers. If you're looking for the most refined, high-quality listening experience possible, this isn't the soundbar for you. But if you just got a great new TV and love everything about it except for how it sounds, this is the least expensive option we've found for fixing that issue.

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Amazon Basics 2.1 Channel isn't a stellar performer, but at least adequately fixes most of the problems with the tinniness and lack of depth that comes with the speakers that get crammed into most flatscreen TVs.

amazon basics 2.1 channel
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Performance Comparison


While the Amazon Basics 2.1 Channel earned the lowest overall score in our testing, we still think it offers value to the right person. If you're looking for the best quality sound possible, you might as well stop here and jump back over to our main review. But if you're looking for a cheap way to make your TV sound a bit better, read on.

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Amazon Basics 2.1 Channel
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Sound Quality


The Amazon Basics 2.1 Channel picked up the lowest score in our sound quality testing, earning just a 2 out of 10.


Some context would be helpful here. 2 out of 10 sounds like (and is) a terrible score. But that low score is in comparison to other soundbars. When compared to the sound quality of the built-in speakers of all the TVs we listened to, the Amazon Basics 2.1 Channel is head and shoulders better. Comparatively, it makes dialogue sound less tinny and more crisp, it adds depth and nuance to cinematic scores, and even adds some punch to loud sound effects. Yes, every other soundbar we tested does this better, but they also all cost a lot more. The Amazon Basics 2.1 Channel doesn't cost much and doesn't feel like a huge investment to make your TV sound a lot better.

Ease of Use


The Amazon Basics 2.1 Channel keeps true to its name and keeps things simple. That simplicity earned it an above-average score in our ease of use testing.


We had it up and running in less than 5 minutes, and its interface was straightforward enough that we didn't need the manual to get things started. The remote control is simple and streamlined, and the soundbar itself has some simple controls in case you lose the remote. We also had no issues pairing Bluetooth devices with the soundbar, and the connection always stayed solid.

amazon basics 2.1 channel - the amazonbasics' controls are simple and indicate which sound mode...
The AmazonBasics' controls are simple and indicate which sound mode is engaged.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Sound Customization


While the Amazon Basics 2.1 Channel doesn't provide any EQ adjustments, it does provide a few preset sound modes. These include standard, new (similar to the enhanced dialogue modes of many other models) and movie. We did notice that the movie mode provided some better bass, and that the news mode made speech a bit crisper.


Design/Style


The Amazon Basics 2.1 Channel was the worst performer in our design/style metric, earning only a 4 out of 10. This was for one reason: the construction just looks and feels cheap. The all plastic body and cloth cover give a sense of low quality manufacturing. Luckily the all black body is fairly inconspicuous, so it won't create a huge eyesore in your living room. However, it doesn't look nearly as nice as most of the other models we tested.

amazon basics 2.1 channel - the amazonbasics looks ok from a distance, but up close the...
The AmazonBasics looks ok from a distance, but up close the construction looks low quality.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Value


For what it is, that feels like a fair price. If you've already sunk a bunch of money into a TV that pleases your eyes but not your ears, this is an effective and cheap way to bring the sound up to snuff. Yes, you can get better sound by paying more on the Yamaha YAS-108, but if you're just looking to ditch some of the tinniness and lack of depth that comes with modern built-in TV speakers, this is a better deal.

Conclusion


The Amazon Basics 2.1 Channel doesn't sound amazing, but it is the least expensive option we've found for significantly improving the sound of your TV.

Max Mutter and Steven Tata