X96 Max+ is a new Android TV-Box model of which we present today in his review, a low-cost Box that integrates the interesting Amlogic S905X3 SoC, a chip that includes ARM Cortex-A55 CPU cores that replace the ARM Cortex -A53 of the previous S905X2.
This device is a powerful version of the X96 Air that we saw a few days ago in an analysis, it has several hardware versions that differ in their internal storage, Wifi and RAM but all with the Android 9 Pie system. An excelent device for use with EmuELEC emulator system or similar. Let’s see in our review how this device behaves and how it defends itself against its rivals.
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Table of Contents |
PRODUCT DETAILS
Unboxing
The X96 Max Plus comes in a standard cardboard box with a image of the device in the top, inside we found the TV-Box, IR remote, HDMI cable 4K@60fps compatible, Manual and a DC 5V 2A adapter.
Description
This Android-TV X96 Max Plus is made in plastic and has a box design with round corners. On the front we have an LED display that indicates the time, on the sides and in the back area we have all the connectors in a classic configuration. This model includes a simple IR remote control that allows us to perform basic functions in apps like KODI but is limited for more complex ones.
Hidden inside the audio jack we have the update button in case it is necessary to update the firmware. On the motherboard we can see the Wifi ac Dual Band + Bluetooth 4.2 (Fn-Link 6222B-SRC) chip little known and has two internal Wi-Fi antennas, the 2GB model only mounts Wifi b/g/n without Bluetooth. The cooling system is extremely simple, rubber ends and metal plate, it could be better.
- Remote Control: Basic IR Remote with copy keys/ NO microphone / We can choose other alternatives.
- Alternate control: Does not have its own control app / We can try Cetusplay in our smartphone.
SYSTEM AND PERFORMANCE
Environment and Android system
We tun on the X96 Max Plus boots automatically, we arrive at a simple and quite clear launcher, it is valid for use with the default remote, it has a lower row that we can customize with the icons of the apps we want. The installed apps include Miracast and KD Player, which is a version of KODI full of addons. The performance of Android 9 is very good at the desktop level or with heavy apps and works stable and without forced app stops.
If we are going to play and make intensive use of this model we recommend buying the variant with 4GB of RAM, if we want to adjust our budget and we are only going to use it as a media player we may have enough with the 2GB model.
- Launcher: As an alternative we have Pixel launcher to use mouse or Ugoos for IR control / Android UI rendering at 1080p.
- Multitasking and access: Multitasking NOT available / NO lower Android bar or upper bar.
- 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 Pie (32 bit) / IS root by default / NO root menu / Model X96Max_Plus2 / Board Franklin.
- Support: X96 don’t have support site / Firmware available / Custom firmware not available yet.
Network, storage, RAM and ports
The model X96 Max Plus has eMMC memory for internal storage and DDR3 RAM, it has two USB 3.0 port and SD card reader. In the network section it has a wireless adapter Wifi ac Dual Band + Bluetooth 4.2 (Fn-Link 6222B-SRC) and Ethernet Gigabit port. As we can see in the tests results are good, we have an acceptable wifi speed in the 5G band and a normal range for a model with an internal antenna.
- Storage: Total 32GB – Free 29GB / NTFS + exFAT compatible / Expandable with a USB or SD external memory.
- RAM: Total 4GB – Free 3GB / DDR3.
- Network: Basic speed with two internal wifi antennas / Range 452dBm, fine. / Bluetooth OK.
- We recommend reading our Tutorial SAMBA on Android networks if we are going to use files from our network PC.
| USB 2.0 | USB 3.0 | microSD | SATA | |
| Read / Write | 21/17 MB/s | 101/37 MB/s | 20/19 MB/s | – |
Power and performance
At the performance level the X96 Max Plus has installed the Amlogic S905X3 a Quad Core SoC with ARM Cortex-A55 processors and in the graphic section a Mali-G31 MP2 GPU that is in the mid-range. This SoC is manufactured in 12nm, has a fairly low consumption but as we have seen the cooling system is basic and temperatures are somewhat high in normal use.
- Check our Amlogic S905X3 SoC Comparison against all SoCs in the sector for more details.
- CPU performance: Min 500 MHz / Working 1ºC / Max 1,9 MHz
- Thermals: Min. 40ºC / Working 62ºC / Max. 75ºC / Maintains performance up to 100% / Heat zone on the top / Noise 0db
- Consumption: Off 0.6W / Min 3W / Working 4.1W / Max. 7.9W
- Games and emulators: IS possible to play titles such as PUBG with low settings / Emulators with EmuELEC / NO Vulkan support.
- Controls: Compatible with Gamepads by cable or bluetooth.
VIDEO AND AUDIO TEST
Video playback test
In the video playback aspect, the X96 Max Plus features the Amlogic S905X3 SoC and a VPU Advanced Video Engine Gen10 compatible with most modern video formats such as h.265 and VP9 with 4K HDR native resolution or even 8K@60fps support, don’t have video quality settings. 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 S905X3 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, see manual / Automatic refresh rate with root + AFRd.
- Audio Settings: HDMI and SPDIF up to 5.1 audio / Stereo Jack.
- Media sharing: Chromecast NO / Miracast YES / DLNA with BlubblePnP / Airplay NO.
- LibreELEC: This model will be compatible with LibreELEC or CoreELEC.
- Tutorials: Install add-on in KODI / Judder effect, how to fix it / Multi-channel audio guide / Correct dark video playback in Android.
- We recommend reading the Setup Guide of our TV to get the best picture quality.
Video and audio results
| Formats | Result |
| h.264 / 1080i / 8bit | OK |
| h.264 / 1080p / 4K / 8bit | OK |
| h.264 / 1080p / 10bit (anime) | Frameskip (SW) |
| h.265 / 1080p / 8bit | OK |
| h.265 / 1080p / 10bit (anime) | OK |
| h.265 / 4K@24fps / 8bit | OK |
| h.265 / 4K@60fps / 10bit HDR | OK |
| VP9 P1 / 4K@24fps / 8bit | OK |
| VP9 P2 / 4K@60fps / 10bit HDR | OK |
| VP9 P2 / 8K@60fps / 10bit HDR | Frameskip (SW) |
| AV1 / 4K@24fps / 10bit | Frameskip (SW) |
| Max. Bitrate | 100 Mbps = 12,5 MB/s. |
- The maximum bitrate depends on the port used to connect or the limitations of SAMBA Networks.
- SW = does not have hardware acceleration and may have have some frameskip in very heavy files.
| Support | Format |
| Native | Dolby 5.1 – Plus / DTS 5.1 – Master Audio |
| Core | Dolby HD – Atmos / DTS HR – X |
| PCM | All |
- Native – Supports the format directly in our AV receiver or similar / More info.
- Core – Only the 5.1 core of the format is played so we go to the Dolby or DTS base system / More info.
- PCM – Only stereo downmixing from DD or DTS.
Streaming services
In our usual tests with streaming services we see how the most popular services work. The X96 Max Plus presents the classic configuration without certifications which limits us in quality in several streaming services, luckily if it is compatible with most services even if they are in its most basic quality of SD video
- DRM: Google Widevine L3.
- Audio certification: No.
- Tutorials: Change the size of the captions and the mouse pointer on Android / Install Addons in KODI in a simple way
| Streaming service | Calidad / Audio* |
| Youtube | HD (720p) / Stereo |
| Google Play Movies | HD (720p) / Stereo |
| Netflix | SD+ (540p) / Stereo / Netflix Guide |
| HBO Max | No compabile / HBO Max Guide |
| Disney+ | HD (720p) /Stereo / Disney+ Guide |
| Amazon Prime Video | SD (480p) / Stereo / Prime Video Guide |
| Apple TV+ | No compabile / Apple TV+ Guide |
| DAZN | HD (720p) / Stereo |
| IPTV | FullHD (1080i) / Stereo |
- Multichannel audio only available via HDMI connection in streaming services, via SPDIF stereo only.
CONCLUSIONS AND BUY LINKS
Score
X96 Max Plus
0.00
Pros
- Wifi ac and Ethernet Gigabit
- Cheap
- SPDIF
- Android 9
- Stable OS
Cons
- No android navigation bars
- Cooling system can be better
Opinion
Once passed the tests on the TV-Box X96 Max+ we can say that we are facing a fairly correct low cost model with positive points compared to its rivals. In this TV-Box we have the Amlogic S905X3 SoC that improves its Cortex-A55 CPU cores and updates its VPU with VP9 video support up to 8K. The GPU allows us to play powerful titles like PUBG although if we are going to play we recommend the 4GB model over the 2GB model to do it without problems.
At the level of WiFi connectivity the X96 Max Plus has quite good performance with its Dual Band Wifi aC adapter and its Gigabit Ethernet port that allows us to get the most out of our local network. As shortcomings we have a very basic IR control, which does not have Android navigation bars and also has a basic cooling system that does not help much to get better thermal performance.
In short, the X96 Max Plus is an interesting low-cost TV-Box, in its version with 4GB of RAM it has Gigabit Ethernet and a decent Wifi adapter, as conventional media player is valid at several levels.
Where to buy
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Add-ons
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Hi!
Is it possible to switch to 64bit android with this box?
Emuelec run on these boxes?
Anyone have Emuelec running on this? I have a 4gb 32gb X95 Max and its a nightmare getting Emuelec running off an SD card. Any idea?
I also had issues, it only worked with the 2gb ram emuelec dtb. Running Fill RAM it crashes around 49% so I wonder if this is a fake 4g and really its a 2gb one
There’s many with the faked ram with this model, x88 pro x3, x99 max plus, the motherboard is blue bot like the one on this article
There’s many with the faked ram with this model, x88 pro x3, x99 max plus, the motherboard is blue not like the one on this article
Mine’s also has same issues but resolved by upgrading to emuelec 4.2
I think this is bug.
But 1000M ether model has WiFi problem.
It’s quite unstable.
I tested with both model. 1000M and 100M with 4/64
Interesting thing is 1000M ether model can be use also 100M ether dtb.
It working perfectly.
Dont work for me wifi and bluetooth on same time ..can hear nothing with my earbuds connected with bluetooth and YouTube with wifi.. connection ever Lost ..solution?
Hi… could you please tell me which one is better for gaming? X96 max plus or A95x f3 Air? TIA.
Are similar, if you want emuelec go for X96 max plus, the wifi adapter is compatible.
but x96 has overheating issue, right? isn’t it a downside for gaming?
Depends on the batch, lucky and firmware, maybe the last is better… but you can do a mod if you want.
A95x f3 air is cooler in our review.
I have an issue with this box in that I am only able to get 10/100 network speeds, is anybody else aware of this issue?
I’ve got the same problem. My model is 4GB RAM and 32GB flash storage but the ethernet speed is limited to 100mbps.
I have just purchased a X96Q Max it has to be the worst box i have brought wifi connect is terrible waiting some times up to a 2 minutes for it to download lists of movies and other things in kodi addons, its not my internet, because i have a H96 max on the same WIFI and theres no problem, hope the update the firmware for the Wifi to improve the speed. out of 10 , 3
Between X96max plus and TX6s, which one is more reliable for long hours usage . Note both have overheating issues. Appreciate advice . Tq
None. Go for A95X F3.
https://androidpctv.com/comparison-best-android-tv-mini-pc-buy-tv-box-android/
this box has a serious “Overheating” problem, that causes it to reboot. Anyway to fix this? Thx
Open the box, change thermal pad.
I had a reboot loop problem. I changed the AC adapter. Now the device works perfectly and stay on for days without failing.
i’m torn between the x96 max plus and a95x f3.,which would you recommend? which ia more durable of the 2?
a95x f3, better thermals, look our review.
Hi Good review one of the things i noticed is 2.4GHZ USB wireless gamepads are not detected by these boxes can you review pls.
It seems to run quite hot. Is this caused also by the fact that the cpu is facing down? I saw that not so much tv box uses this design.
Sure, put the box upside down, will be better for cooling it.
Play box upside down and place 3″ box fan on top like mine
I install Private Internet Access VPN apk and this box could not run it well. It always disconnect from the internet as the network device (wifi or wired) lost it’s IP address as soon as PIA app try to connect. My 2 years old android box running on Android 7 using Amlogic S905X runs PIA app beautifully though. With this, i learn the hard way that not all android boxes run VPN app well. I certainly hope that you could add one extra VPN test in your review for future Android box to inform viewers whether the boxes run VPN… Read more »
Thanks for the great review. I bought this box and i found that it can indeed playback H265, VP9 4k and so on BUT noticed that it will output the video up to 1920x1080p to the TV (FHD or 4K). You also show that the screen resolution is only 1920×1080 from your AIDA64 snapshot in your review. Not believing what i saw. I verify from Kodi system info and found that the screen resolution is also 1920×1080. Still not happy with it, i open Youtube and play Japan in 8K video, change the settings to 4k streaming and from the… Read more »
Hi.
You have a mistake in a basic concept.
Android have 2 resolutions:
– One for the Android UI at 1080p
– One for the Video layer at native resolution 4k max.
Check with this samples:
https://androidpctv.com/calibrate-image-smart-tv-monitor/
Have a nice day.
Thank you very much Kim for the clear reply. This explains why i’m seeing 1080p. It’s for Android UI. Cheers.
Hi guys, Thanks for this great review! I was looking for an Android TV box in this price range. My intention is obviously to connect it to the TV, but also to connect my mobile phone to it through USB, tether the data connection from the mobile (as I do now) to the TV box and from the TV box create a hot-spot to share with the rest of devices. Can I do that with this device? I was considering this device versus the A95X F3 [1] because this one has two WiFi antenas. If you are wondering why I… Read more »
Hi.
No tether option.
A95X F3 is better if you don’t need ethernet gigabit.
Many thanks Kim for your quick reply!
Will A95X F3 have the tether option (mobile -> tv box) if both are Android 9?
Cheers!
This option don’t work well in tv-boxes in general.
Mmm, many thanks Kim. I was asking cause I have no experience with Android TV boxes. I might consider a Mini PC instead.
Cheers!
Issue with Surfshark VPN app it disconnects the ethernet port!
Firmware: X96Max_Plus_S905x3_2GB_20191101
Netflix runs at 540p on this box ?
which tv box would you recommend me to run Netflix in 1080p ??
Yes 540p, see the test table.
For netflix 1080p you need to go to Xiaomi Mi Box, Nvidia Shield or Fire Stick.
https://androidpctv.com/comparison-best-android-tv-mini-pc-buy-tv-box-android/
Or install Netflix as Kodi 18 addon and run it fron there @ up to 4K resolution.
Yes… but… With Widevine L3 is only 720p/1080p no HDR:
https://androidpctv.com/install-netflix-addon-kodi/
And you need to deal with the installation, have a dull UI and some problems.
no android navigation bar….. do you have tv set top box with that feature? Usually 99,99% chainease android for set top box has no navigation bar
A lot of them have navigation bars.
You can see our other reviews.
https://androidpctv.com/review-magicsee-n5-max-opinion/
All the minix or beelink have bars… the previous X96 Max S905X2 have bars…
[QUESTION] Where is the SPDIF port? There is only AV port?
OPTICAL port, look the pictures, in the rear area.
How do I get / convert this into simple AUX 3.5mm stereo jack?
Titles: Gigabit Ethernet
Cons: Fast Ethernet 10/100
Cons table is from other model, matrix issue, solved.
I need stock firmware for this box pls