Fire TV Cube, with AI-powered Fire TV Search, Hands-free streaming device with Alexa, Wi-Fi 6E, 4K Ultra HD

I’ve been a loyal Fire Stick user for years, but I finally hit a breaking point with the constant lag and "loading" wheels. I decided to splurge on the Cube during a sale, and after two weeks of heavy use, I can honestly say I should have done this a long time ago. The Speed is Real: If you’re coming from a Stick, the first thing you’ll notice is how snappy it is. Apps like Netflix and Disney+ open almost instantly. There’s no stuttering when scrolling through the home screen, which used to drive me crazy. It feels more like a high-end gaming console than a little streaming box. Hands-Free Alexa (The "Magic" Factor): This is the feature I thought I wouldn't use, but now I’m hooked. Being able to walk into the living room with a bowl of popcorn and just say, "Alexa, play The Bear on Hulu" without hunting for the remote is a game-changer. It even turns my TV and soundbar on for me. It basically turned my living room into a hands-free Echo Show. Pros: • The Processor: Zero lag. Period. It handles 4K content like it’s nothing. • Connectivity: It has an Ethernet port and an extra HDMI-in port. I actually plugged my cable box into it so I can switch to live TV just by asking Alexa. • Wi-Fi 6E: My router is in the other room, but the connection has been rock solid with no buffering. Cons (The "Real Talk"): • The Price: It’s definitely an investment. If you only watch TV for an hour a week, it’s probably overkill. • No HDMI Cable: For this price, Amazon really should include an HDMI cable in the box. Make sure you have a spare 4K-rated one ready to go. • The Ads: Like all Fire TV products, the home screen is still pretty cluttered with sponsored content/ads. You get used to it, but it’s there. If you’re a "power user" who hates waiting for apps to load, or if you just want to control your entire home theater with your voice, this is the best device Amazon makes. It’s powerful, smart, and actually makes the TV experience feel "premium."

Update 11/12/25: So after having written the below review I decided I should give an update to the issues below. I've had other streaming devices since then and I have to admit that the fire tv cube beats them all. Reasons: The" best available" setting is actually the best setting. What it does is that ot converts DD+ sound to Multichannel pcm which is a lossless and uncompressed quality and passes it to the AVR. The AVR will show Multichannel 5.1 . It is the best sound you can get. I came to this conclusion after months of testing and research. Roku ultra has passthrough but it just passes the compressed format DD+ to the AVR so the AVR displays DD+. The TV turning off big is fixed. 10/4/23 update: Now another bug has appeared. When I watch on my LG C3 OLED TV the TV turns off automatically after a while. Sound continues but no picture. I initially thought it was my tv. Got another unit ,same TV, and the same issue happened. Then I decided to watch ony Roku ultra and have not had any problems so far. Tried the cube again 2 days ago and issue returned. I even turned off equipment control and reset the cube but didn't work. So now I'm not using it. It's just sitting there looking pretty. 7/23/23: Just to update that the video issue has been fixed. The audio issue not so. 11/23/22: Still no fix. Reverts to 1080p despite setting to Auto. Now noticing jitter or stutter on video when playing 4k content. Changed settings of Match frame rate to on but didn't resolve issue. Constantly checking display settings. Given up and using my other streaming device with no issues. Did not expect this from Amazon. 11/15/22: So since purchasing this there have been a number of updates installed but NONE have fixed the issue of sound and display settings as mentioned in my previous updates. This is truly disappointing and makes me want to use this device less often than I would like to. 11/9/22: Still issue with display resolution defaulting to 1080p. Always have to check before playing something. No fix. Not acceptable for a "high-end device" Update 10/29/22: Still no luck on best available sound settings outputting DD+. But now another issue. Whenever I awaken the cube the display resolution defaults to 1080p even though I set it to Auto(up to 4K). It's frustrating to have to change this every time I want to watch something. So many bugs! I've had many fire tv sticks over the years and also a 2nd Gen cube which I returned because it wouldn't play Dolby vision. Thought I'd give this a try since all the upgrades were compelling. Faster, built-in Ethernet port, HDMI in, supporting all sound and picture formats. So I set it up withy TCL tv and Sony receiver . Setup was a breeze. It recognized my TV and receiver. For some reason the picture quality in display settings was defaulted to 1080p. I changed it to upto 4K. Sound settings were "best available ". When I played content it would only play in PCM (stereo). I tried Dolby digital and Dolby Atmos content. Dolby Atmos would play as Atmos +PCM, not Atmos +DD+ as it should. I checked ally settings on the TV and receiver and all was good but couldn't get DD+. Called tech support and was told that it may be a software issue and may get fixed in a future update. Really??. All the hype about how this device is the fastest and best on picture and sound yet it can't output "best available" sound. I'm sure best available is not PCM. Tech told me to set the sound settings to Dolby digital plus. That corrected the issue but it was a let down. I'm hoping it doesn't revert back to PCM. Will see how it goes and update but so far disappointed. The super resolution setting really doesn't add much to enhance the picture quality of SD or even 720 or 1080p resolution. And that was one of the main features that enticed me to buy it. Update 7/2/23: The video resolution issue is now fixed but the audio issue still persists.

I have used one for streaming for around 6 months now and just purchased a second Fire TV Cube for another TV. This has replaced an earlier generation Fire TV unit that I often had to power cycle and could be quite slow to respond. The Fire TV cube has worked flawlessly. I power up TV in the morning and it is right there ready to go. I recently switch from cable TV to all YouTube TV (I have gigabit fibre internet) and the picture is great, no delay or picture quality issues. If you take a little time to arrange the channel icons so you frequently accessed ones are conveniently located the ease of use matches a cable box pretty well. Set up is really simple as well.

I bought this Fire Cube on a whim, based on the hardware specifications and I'm glad I did. Pairing this up with a 65-in LG OLED TV 2 Amazon echo studio first generation and one echo sub and I've got one heck of a nice looking and sounding setup. My ultimate goal is to get true Dolby Atmos via a 13.1 surround sound system my currently have not set up but I'm confident the fire cube will work fabulously. I would generally say this device is easy to use, if you can use a fire stick you can use the fire cube. My problem is however when I pay full price for an item I should have an option to turn off ads. Granted they are not full screen but make the main menu / home menu seem very cluttered. I should be able to turn the ads and the recommendations off so I can only see what I want. Additionally the limitation on the number of favorited apps is kind of lame. With everything going to streaming apps and still coming out cheaper than cable or satellite I should have more space to have my apps on the home screen rather than ads or even more infuriating ads for the apps I can't add to my favorites because I already have the favorites bar filled. Why not let us customize the home screen? Voice commands tend to work really well and I've gotten used to Alexa + and apparently it's gotten used to me. The only issue I have there is no matter what I choose for the wake word it randomly will pause whatever I'm watching because it thought it heard the trigger word even if I said it to Ziggy. I mean how many freaking conversations can you have that involve any words that come close to saying Ziggy? It's a minor nuisance and it's rare. Outside of that with Alexa + any of my other devices can also control the fire cube which is nice because if I'm in the other room longer than I expected I can tell the nearest echo to pause the TV. Volume control has become a little bit wonky the last couple weeks. Somehow it switches to try and control the television volume rather than the home theater setup with the Echo Studios and Subwoofer. Something that was quite surprising to me is it's range with IR control. I have a really expensive Logitech remote that I have not had to use once since getting the fire cube as the fire cube seems exceptionally capable of controlling any nearby devices. This may change as the surround sound unit that is currently being set up for full theatrical style Dolby Atmos is in the room behind the living room. This may require me either simply get the additional IR blaster extension device or go back to the Logitech remote. And while the remote that comes with the fire cube is quite nice, the pro version of the remote is much better in function and actually feels a lot more sturdy and just seems like it has a much better build quality. Totally worth the price and definitely worth the addition to the fire cube. I'm picking up a second fire cube to hook up to a really nice computer gaming monitor for my bedroom, since I don't have a TV in there and I can play Xbox game pass games, in addition to the fact that the fire cube supports higher frame rates adaptive frame rates and other game related features, I see it as a great inexpensive way to play Xbox series X games without buying another Xbox or moving the Xbox into my bedroom. The additional HDMI in is fantastic because I can plug in the Apple TV and verbally I can just tell the fire cube to switch to HDMI and Bob's your uncle Apple TV. I find a lot of times I switched to the Apple TV because of its home screen layout and customizable folders so you can sort all your apps nice and neat, but the downside is just keeping track of that tiny remote from Apple. To be clear I'm not a fanboy of Apple or Alexa so the only comparison I will make between the two is the fact that Apple had the foresight to allow you to put all of your apps out there on one screen, let you move them around and sort into folders that you can put custom titles on such as games, streaming services, etc. And no ads none. So quick summary, the Amazon Fire Cube is a really nice device. Hardware wise it seems to be very well thought out and implemented, and some of the updates have brought cool features like being able to set up a home theater using the studios, the downside is the clutter of the home screen. It's not like a fire tablet where I pay an extra fee to not see ads on the lock screen, I'm paying full price right out of the gate and once it's set up you're greeted with ads for shows that a lot of times you can't watch because you don't subscribe to that service ads for apps you may already use and it can't get rid of, or ads for apps You have no interest in. And if you have a Fire TV recast, it is a nice addition and works fantastically, it's the only part of the home screen that makes any sense. It shows you the last channels you watched to quickly switch to them or you can go to the guide. Outside of that Amazon should let us turn all these ads off, or give us a discount for renting the movie or downloading the app or heck a discount on a purchase from Amazon but I'd rather be able to just simply not see the ads especially the bar ads that decide the home screen. Grapes aside, I still really recommend the Fire Cube over the sticks simply because the Cube is still and Echo device when the TV is off. Two in one.

I own 2 Fire TV Cubes 2nd Gen, 1 Fire TV Cube 1st gen, 1 Fire TV Max, 3 Fire TV 4K Sticks, 1 Omni Fire TV and 1 Insignia Fire TV. To say that I am invested in the Fire TV Echo System is an understatement. I can state that the Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen is by far the best of the Fire TV's sold by Amazon. I replaced one of my 2nd Gen Fire TV Cubes and the set up was super easy with integration to my Wifi and downloading of already owned apps a breeze. (setting up the passwords for all the apps continues to be a pain and took a long time to do). The aesthetics of this Fire TV is the best of the lot, it looks really premium. The interface is the same as the others however, the speed of navigation is fantastic. It is really fast making it a real joy to use. The Wifi 6E is supported however I can't tell the difference in the speed, but I can tell you that application buffering is really almost non existent. I have a T-Mobile 5G Gateway that averages 306 Mbs and supports wifi 6E, so perhaps that does make a difference. I have this cube attached to an LG 4K 65 inch TV and use a Yamaha 800 sound bar (attached via an optical cable). My Fire TV also controls a Sony DVD player, and Sony Playstation. I can switch between all HDMI inputs with no problem by voice. I do think that the 3rd gen cube produces a better sound quality through my Yamaha sound bar since it does support a wider range of output. Alexa works flawlessly as well, so no complaints. . So my net net is 1) Really fast performance, 2) better sound quality, 3) looks like a premium streaming device with the cloth enclosure, 4) very nice upgraded remote, 5) Alexa works great at controlling my TV and Sound Bar, 6) Integrated IN and OUT HDMI connectivity ports (which I don't use). My only negative is that one of the hot key's on the remote is Direct TV, which I would never use and would love to be able to change it. Also for the price, Amazon should have included the premium remote (backlit) with this Fire TV. I would recommend this Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen for your main viewing area over all other Fire TVs. I would buy this on sale vs. the list price. I was able to purchase this Cube for $119 plus my trade in. In my book speed is king and this Fire TV will not disappoint you. I am confident that I will be using this Fire TV for the next 5 years minimum.

4/1/24 - Amazon Fire TV Cube, Hands-free streaming device with Alexa, Wi-Fi 6E, 4K Ultra HD I've owned several different platforms for digital TV, including the old NVidia boxes. Technically speaking the NVidia boxes were exceptional with great, extensive flexibility, but if you want a box to streamline TV viewing without going through searching multiple data sources, upgrading apps and downloading TV shows & movies, Amazon's Fire TV Cube is a great way to do that. Amazon streamlines all of those processes I mentioned so that all you have to do is select the TV show or movie you want to watch, hit Play and it's playing. I still have my NVidia boxes, if I want to tinker, but, in all honesty, ever since I bought my first Fire TV Cube in 2019, they've been gathering dust. I received a FireStick for Christmas a couple of years ago. I used it in the kitchen. Last summer, I was watching "1883" in the living room when dinnertime rolled around. With the FireStick, I was unable to download the App to watch it. So, I decided to buy a new Fire TV Cube so I could put my old cube in the kitchen. That way, I could avoid the limitations of the FireStick. (I could have added added memory to the FireStick, but I figured it would be beneficial to have a 2nd Cube around, just in case one failed.) Going from one Cube to the other was pretty much seamless. There are very minor differences, that you might notice if you look closely. With the Fire Cube, you can buy subscriptions to other TV Sources through Amazon Prime, like MAX (formerly HBO MAX.) or you can subscribe directly with the sources, download their apps and watch TV shows & movies outside of the the Amazon Prime app. Amazon makes he entire process consistent and intuitive. I'm not particularly fond of the hold that big IT sources have on different entities in the IT world, however, Amazon products have been operationally consistent, technically reliable and their prices are very reasonable. If I have issues, I don't hesitate to call their customer service department. Amazon's Customer Service is still exceptional. For the reasons specified, I highly recommend the Fire Tv Cube. From a critical IT perspective, it's one of the best devices on the market for IT-based digital TV.

I just bought this product. Easy to install and the picture quality is wonderful. However, I can't get the sound to work for Alexa, the cube doesn't respond to any commands and doesn't talk to you. Both my LG TV and this version of the new Fire Box are brand new. It may be my issue and I haven't figured it out yet. Moving into a new home is hard enough, then to try and find time for the items you purchased to make your home amazing takes time. I started ordering last year since it took a year for this house to be built. I won't order things a year in advance anymore. New versions have come out and they are the same price or a little more. I'd rather have the latest version. I have other Alexa devices at home, so I am not worried about that part not working. The remote is great and easy to use, and I normally don't ask my TV to turn the channel...lol. I used to use foil on the antenna so I could get a fuzzy picture or a coat hanger so my brother and I could watch Batman as kids. It will get a higher rating if I figure this sound issue out. However, right now it is worth the price just for the picture quality. WOW, an Amazon Rep. phoned me and fixed my issue. She was wonderful and fixed the issue which was my own fault. It took about 5 minutes, and it was talking up a storm. Update: This cube has caused a lot of issues. I gave my old cube away to my sister, so I am SOL. This cube got so hot on so many occasions that it burned the top of my dresser. It freezes and will not work. It doesn't connect to my new Echo or old Echo devices. Tech support told me that it was because "I didn't buy them together!" So, I now use my Yamaha soundbar. I don't even like to call foreigners anymore. Please bring back the English-speaking techs and operators, it is so frustrating that I hang up and just deal with the fact I bought an expensive POS. I even wrote to Amazon and nothing, left my phone number, and asked for a return call. I bought a bunch of Echos for this new house and haven't even taken them out of the box. Nothing is pairing with the TV, Echo shows, or Echos. They do not support each other. I also have the Eero 6 Pro system in my house and the new Echo won't even connect to that. I'm terribly upset and the resolutions the tech team talks about are ridiculous.

Update: Reduced rating from 2-star to 1-star because I will be returning this third Fire TV Cube Gen 3 for the exact same reasons I returned the previous two, except now I can add "vanishing menus, frequent disconnect from remote control, and repeated disconnect of 3 different bluetooth headphones/earbuds" to the list of problems. Most importantly, the problems with Ring announcement settings continue to reset back to being on, and we continue to be woken up in the middle of the night to maximum volume announcements of "MOTION DETECTED IN DRIVEWAY/FRONT DOOR!!!" My wife, who is highly technical herself and actually works for Amazon as a Principle Security Engineer, is really annoyed with me for continuing to try to get this working when this device (or at least a recent update) is clearly defective. As a replacement for the Fire TV Cube Gen 3, tried the Onn 4k Plus Streaming Device (GoogleTV) as well as the Google 4k TV Streamer (also GoogleTV). Both of these performed better than the Fire TV Cube Gen 3, but unfortunately, both of these devices had other show-stopping issues that made them simply not a solution I was willing to go with on my primary TV. I am actually appalled at the current state of the latest streaming devices. So, my solution was to go back to what I had (and was very satisfied with) -- the Fire TV Cube Gen 1. This bumped my various Fire TV devices around again (FireTV 4K Max Stick, FireTV 4K Stick, etc.), but guess what? They all work great. I just don't know what I'm going to do when Amazon forces this new OS on all these devices, because I'm sure it's going to mess them up as well, and then I have no idea what streaming device I will use. Maybe go back to Roku? ============================== I'm not going to discuss the specs or capabilities -- it's actually a top-of-the-line streaming device (or at least it should be). Unfortunately, I'm on my 3rd unit in 3 months. They keep locking up, stuttering, buffering, failing to load apps, and no matter what I do and how many times I turn it off in multiple locations in Alexa, Ring, and Fire TV, my Ring doorbell and Ring Camera keep reconnecting with the Fire TV Cube Gen 3, which results in the Fire TV Cube Gen 3 literally SCREAMING in the middle of the night (when a lizard, frog, or baby opossum crosses the driveway) "MOTION DETECTED IN YOUR DRIVEWAY" or "MOTION DETECTED AT YOUR FRONT DOOR". I even have the volume on the built-in Alexa turned down to zero, and it keeps resetting to full volume. I suspect this happens because I frequently have to reboot the Fire TV Cube Gen 3 because it locks up multiple times per day. And that's usually by unplugging the power adapter and plugging it back in because the reset feature in the Fire TV Cube Gen 3 menus will lock it up, too! On all three of these Fire TV Cube Gen 3 devices I have only had the usual streaming services apps -- Netflix, HBOMAX, Disney+, YouTube, YouTube TV, Prime Video (even AMAZON Prime Video locks up this AMAZON device!), ESPN, etc. Still locks up multiple times per day, usually when simply trying to load one of these apps to watch a movie. The third unit I received does seem to be doing a little better than the previous two, but if this one starts acting up the same way as the other two, my next return will not be an exchange -- it will be for a refund, and I will simply move on to something else like the Onn 4K Pro or Google 4k TV Streamer. Like the title of this review says -- I LOVE my Fire TV Cube Gen 1! The only reason I bought the Gen 3 was because it was on Black Friday sale and I needed another Fire TV device and didn't want to go with a Stick. The only Fire TV Cube model available now is the Gen 3, so that's what I had to buy. Amazon product support was zero help, and in fact became frustrated and gave up long before I did. All they ended up concluding was that it will likely be corrected in a future system update. So, until then I just have tolerate a $140 device locking up multiple times per day? Honestly, giving the Fire TV Cube Gen 3 a two-star review is generous.