X96 Max+, review: ideal TV-Box for KODI, IPTV and EmuELEC

X96 Max+ is a new Android TV-Box model that we present today in his review. An interesting low-cost Box fully compatible with EmuELEC and LibreELEC OS.

This device is a powerful version of the X96 Air that we saw a few days ago in an review, it has several hardware versions that differ in their internal storage, Wifi and RAM but all with the Android 9 Pie system.  Let’s see in our review how this device behaves and how it defends itself against its rivals.

An excellent device for use with EmuELEC emulator system or similar.

X96 Max Plus 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 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.

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

• 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.

• 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

• Multichannel audio only available via HDMI connection in streaming services, via SPDIF stereo only.

CONCLUSIONS AND BUY LINKS

Score

Opinion about the X96 Max Plus

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 the X96 Max Plus

X96 Max Plus

0.00

7.2

Design

7.0/10

Hardware

7.0/10

Conectivity

7.5/10

Support

7.0/10

Price

7.5/10

Pros

• Wifi ac and Ethernet Gigabit
• Cheap
• SPDIF
• Android 9
• Stable OS

Cons

• No android navigation bars
• Cooling system can be better