REVIEW: A95X F2 a cheap Box with Android 9 and Amlogic S905X2 SoC

PRODUCT DETAILS

Unboxing

The A95X F2 comes in a standard cardboard box with a generic logo on the top, inside we found the TV-Box, the IR remote control, HDMI cable 4K@60fps compatible, Manual and a classic DC 5V 2A adapter.

Description

The box of the A95X F2 is made of plastic and has a box design with upper stripes where only the front display stands out with the time in blue. On the sides and in the back area we have all the connectors in a classic configuration, the IR remote control has copy keys for other controls and keys for YouTube and Netflix. Inside the AV jack we have the update button in case it is necessary to update the firmware. On the motherboard we can see the Wifi b/g/n chip and a single internal wifi antenna.

• Remote Control: Basic IR control / No microphone / No Flymouse / We can choose other alternatives.
• Alternate control: We can control remotely using the app  Cetusplay / It also brings the Cast play app similar to Cetus.

SYSTEM AND PERFORMANCE

Environment and Android system

We connect the A95X F2 to the current and boots the default launcher based on squares, we can customize the lower area by adding shortcut icons to the apps we want. In the installed apps, TVMC Player stands out, which is KODI and Miracast for screen sharing. The performance of Android 9 is good at desktop level or with basic apps and works well without forced closures of classic apps.

• Launcher: We can change launcher but only Pixel launcher works 100% / Android UI rendering at 1080p.
• Multitasking and access: Multitasking only available from lower bar / Account with lower bar but not higher.
• Languages and Google Play: All the international Android classics / Google Play installed.

• On/Off Controls: If we keep press the power button we have reset and power off option / Configurable in settings.
• System version and root: Android 9 (32 bit) / The system IS root by default / YES, menu to deactivate it in settings.
• Support: This box don’t have website for direct support / Firmware available and OTA / Custom firmware not available

Network, storage, RAM and ports

The A95X F2 TV-Box has eMMC memory as internal storage, has a USB 3.0 port and SD card reader. In the network section you have a Wifi b/g/n + Bluetooth 4.0 (AP6212) and 10/100 Ethernet port connector.

• Storage: Total 32GB  – Free 29GB / NTFS + exFAT compatible / Expandable with a USB memory stick.
• RAM: Total 4GB – Free 3GB / DDR3.
• Network: Basic speed with one internal wifi antenna / Range 46dBm, basic. / Bluetooth OK.
• We recommend reading our Tutorial SAMBA on Android networks if we are going to use files from our network PC.

Power and performance

At the power level the A95X F2 has with the Amlogic S905X2 Quad Core SoC with ARM Cortex-A53 processors and in the graphic section a Mali-G31 MP2 GPU that is in the mid / low range. This SoC is manufactured in 12nm, has a fairly controlled power consumption and temperatures are low if we demand performance in powerful games.

• Check our Amlogic S905X2 SoC Comparison against all SoCs in the sector for more details.

• Consumption: Off 0.5W / Standby 2W / Basic use 3W / Maximum 3.5W
• Thermals: Minimum 40ºC / Maximum 70ºC / Maintains performance up to 91% / Heat zone on the top / Noise 0db
• Games and emulators: IS possible to play titles such as PUBG with low settings / Emulators up to Wii / NO Vulkan support.
• Controls: Compatible with Gamepads by cable or bluetooth.

VIDEO AND AUDIO TEST

Video playback test

In the video playback aspect, the A95X F2 features the Amlogic S905X2 SoC and a VPU Amlogic TruLife Gen8 compatible with most modern video formats such as h.265 and VP9 with 4K HDR native resolution support and features an app for quality settings of video. We can use players like KODI or PLEX without the slightest problem, the system comes by default with a version of KODI full of addons that we recommend uninstalling. At the audio level we can play DD and DTS sound up to 5.1 through the HDMI port. Check our Amlogic S905X2 SoC Comparison against all SoCs to see more details about A/V aspects of this SoC.

• Video Settings: Image quality settings / RGB and SDR / HDMI-CEC available / Automatic refresh rate with root + AFRd.
• Audio Settings: HDMI or SPDIF up to 5.1 audio / Stereo Jack.
• Media sharing: Chromecast NO / Miracast NO / DLNA with BlubblePnP / Airplay with Airscreen.
• LibreELEC: This model can be compatible with LibreELEC.
• Tutorials: Install add-on in KODI / Judder effect, how to fix it / Multi-channel audio guide / Correct dark video playback in Android.

Video results

• The maximum bitrate depends on the port used to connect or the limitations of SAMBA Networks.

Audio test results

• PCM – Stereo only doing downmix from DD or DTS
• Core – Only the core of the format is played back with what we passed to the Dolby / DTS base system
  * Our AV receiver does not support these native formats but we verify that it is played back to 7.1

Streaming services

In our usual tests with streaming services we see how the most popular services work. The A95X F2 presents the classic configuration without certificates that limits us in quality in several streaming services, luckily it seems that if it is compatible with most services even if they are in their most basic SD quality

• DRM: Google Widevine L3
• Certification: No
• Tutorial: Change the size of the captions and the mouse pointer on Android / Install Addons in KODI in a simple way

CONCLUSIONS

Score

Opinion

After analyzing the A95X F2 we can say that we are facing a classic low-price TV-Box with Amlogic S905X2 SoC, a device with enough hardware for normal multimedia use with players such as KODI up to 4K or for IPTV. The Android 9 installed system behaves normally, it moves smoothly thanks to the 4GB of RAM installed, we do not have forced closures and it surprises us with several OTA updates even.

At the level of WiFi connectivity, the A95X F2 is basic since it uses a simple Wifi b/g/n adapter in this 32GB version, in terms of power we can play titles like PUBG in low settings and the temperature is kept quite controlled. The included remote control is very simple and only for basic apps that do not require many keystrokes such as KODI.

In short, the A95X F2 is a correct TV-Box for a basic use that does not stand out in anything special except for the root selector in the system settings and little else.

WHERE TO BUY AND ADD-ONS

• Consult our recommended models to see other alternatives.

Add-ons

A95X F2

0.00

6.8

DESIGN AND CONNECTIVITY

6.5/10

HARDWARE

7.0/10

POWER

7.5/10

SUPPORT

6.5/10

PRICE/QUALITY

6.5/10

Pros

• Android 9 with OTA
• 4GB RAM
• Root selector
• Compact
• Cheap

Cons

• Only wifi b/g/n and Ethernet 10/100