This X96 Max Android TV Box Review was written by Troy from TROYPOINT after using the Android TV Box on a regular basis for one week.
I received the X96 Android TV Box from GearBest in late December as a product to review.
I finally unboxed the unit after seeing numerous positive comments regarding this device in my Best Android TV Box post.
It’s important to note that even though I received the X96 Max for free from GearBest, I still provide my true feelings and give you both positives and negatives.
This IPTV Box is available in various configurations and the one that I received comes equipped with 4GB DDR RAM, 64GB storage, and a US power adapter.
If you are going to purchase one of these after reading the review, I suggest the same configuration that I have due to its outstanding powerful components.
What’s An X96 Max Android TV Box?
Before diving into this review, you should understand how a box like the X96 Max differs from other Android-based streaming devices.
Hide Your Digital Fingerprint
The X96 Max runs on the stock Android 8.1 Oreo operating system, not Android TV.
You can think of stock Android as the same operating system found on phones and tablets.
Android TV is Google’s operating system optimized for television screens found on products such as the NVIDIA SHIELD, and Mi Box.
Amazon has a similar Android-based operating system (Fire OS) that powers the Fire TV Stick/Fire TV which is also optimized for the TV screen.
I often refer to boxes such as the X96 Max as a “generic Android TV Box” because it isn’t using the true Android TV operating system.
Boxes such as the X96 Max are perfect for those who don’t use any of the paid services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, etc. If you use any of those services, I would suggest either the Fire TV Stick/Fire TV, NVIDIA Shield, or Mi Box. Those apps perform much better on Android TV and Fire OS operating systems.
Most of these boxes are distributed in China which means customer support is usually very limited.
The great thing about these generic Android TV Boxes is that you can get a lot of bang for your buck because there aren’t any license requirements from the manufacturers so they pass the savings onto you.
I strongly suggest purchasing the iPazzPort Wireless Keyboard/Remote Combo if you are using one of these stock Android units. It will make it much easier navigating the screen in apps that aren’t remote-control friendly.
What I Like
Let’s start with what I like about this box.
Exclusive Surfshark Discount
Your online activity is currently monitored by your ISP, app/addon/IPTV developers, government agencies, and the websites you visit.
- Become 100% anonymous while streaming and downloading.
- Use on Unlimited Devices & share 1 account with the entire family.
- Save 85% with the 24-Month Plan + Get 3 FREE Months.
The fairly new S905X2 CPU is a fast processor and I experience absolutely no lag when using this Android TV Box.
This processor also allows for USB 3.0 support on the device which will greatly speed up data transfer when using an external drive.
Currently, I won’t consider purchasing an Android TV Box if it doesn’t include Android 8 Oreo. The X96 Max comes with Android 8.1. (not Android TV).
Another requirement for me in 2019 is WiFi support for both 2.4 and 5 GHz which this does include. See my download speed tests below with VPN on and off.
This device comes with 4GB of DDR4 RAM which is a huge plus for any Android-powered device. This helps with buffering and multi-tasking while using the box.
One of the biggest complaints of the popular Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K is its lack of internal storage at only 8GB. The X96 Max includes 64GB of ROM storage which is perfect for holding movies, TV shows, games, etc.
I like the simple launcher that comes with this streaming box.
Everything is displayed on one screen and I can easily add my favorites to the top row of the home screen.
You can also click the multiple square icon at the bottom and that will take you to a screen that displays all apps installed on the X96 Max.
The following ports are also found on the X96 Max and it isn’t missing anything that I would personally need; USB 3.0, USB 2.0, Micro SD Card, Optical, Ethernet, AV, and IR.
I like the LED screen on the front of the X96 Max which provides current time and other important system information as well.
I used this extensively for a full week with IPTV playing from sun up until sun down. The unit never became overheated which is usually the case when running these boxes that hard.
I also played several movies with both Cinema APK and Kodi with no problems whatsoever.
The price for this powerful Android TV Box as of this writing is only $57.99! That’s pretty darn good considering the amount of CPU, RAM, and storage on this system.
What I Don’t Like
The X96 Max comes with the same type of cheap IR remote that we see with most of these generic Android TV boxes. But, this isn’t a huge problem for me as I always use an iPazzPort Wireless Keyboard Remote Combo with boxes like this.
When clicking the mouse button on the remote, the keyboard always appears. I must click back button on remote to remove the keyboard and start using the built-in mouse. Again, not a deal-breaker because I am using my iPazzPort as the primary remote.
Paid service apps such as Netflix and Amazon Prime don’t work well on the X96 Max. As stated earlier, in my opinion if you use paid services, you will want to stick with Amazon Fire TV devices or NVIDIA SHIELD which come with the proper licensing.
Please don’t confuse paid services with the IPTV solutions that I often mention on this site. IPTV works great on the X96 Max.
I wish that the download speeds were a little better and maybe the tests below indicate where this manufacturer cut costs (network adapters). There wasn’t a huge reduction in speed when VPN was active which is great to see.
Also, we all know that most servers that we stream from will only allow for so much speed an the rest is overkill. In my opinion, people shouldn’t get too hung up on download speeds with their streaming devices. I can live with anything over 20 Mbps with my VPN on.
I have a feeling that this will be like the majority of other generic Android TV Boxes where we won’t be provided with any Android OS updates in the future. Many of us are continually upgrading our devices so maybe this isn’t a huge deal. But, if you are looking for something that will receive future updates, you may want to go with an Amazon Fire TV device or NVIDIA SHIELD.
X96 Max Download Speed Tests
The following tests were conducted through my 200 Mbps Internet service. The WiFi testing was done through the 5 GHz band on my Asus AC3100 router.
The VPN that I am using in this speed test is IPVanish VPN.
Ethernet
VPN On: 39.4 Mbps download & 28.7 Mbps upload
VPN Off: 63.9 Mpbs download & 30.1 Mbps upload
WiFi
VPN On: 31.2 Mbps download & 28.1 Mbps upload
VPN Off: 49.5 Mbps download & 29.1 Mbps upload
What’s In The Box
Package Contents: 1 x TV Box, 1 x Remote Control, 1 x English Manual, 1 x HDMI Cable, 1 x Power Adapter
X96 Max Android TV Box Specs
- Brand: X96
- Type: TV Box
- System: Android 8.1
- CPU: Amlogic S905X2
- Core: 2.0GHz,Cortex A53
- RAM Type: DDR4
- Decoder Format: H.263,H.264,H.265,HD MPEG4
- Video format: 4K,H.265
- Audio format: AAC,APE,DDP,FLAC,HD,MP3,OGG,TrueHD,WMA
- Photo Format: BMP,GIF,HD JPEG,PNG,TIFF
- Support 5.1 Surround Sound Output: Yes
- 5G WiFi: Yes
- WIFI: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth4.0
- Power Supply: Charge Adapter
- Interface: AV,DC 5V,Ethernet,HD,Optical,TF card,USB2.0,USB3.0
- Antenna: No
- Language: Multi-language
- HDMI Version: 2.0
- Other Functions: 3D Games,3D Video,DLNA,ISO Files,Miracast,NTSC,PAL
- External Subtitle Supported: Yes
- HDMI Function: HDCP
- Power Consumption.: 2W
- RJ45 Port Speed: 1000M
- System Bit: 64Bit
- Product weight: 0.1500 kg
- Package weight: 0.4250 kg
- Product size (L x W x H): 10.50 x 10.50 x 2.80 cm / 4.13 x 4.13 x 1.1 inches
- Package size (L x W x H): 17.00 x 11.00 x 5.50 cm / 6.69 x 4.33 x 2.17 inches
Final Thoughts
I’ve reviewed quite a few of these generic Android TV Boxes in the past and I really like this one, especially when considering the price.
Its a powerful device capable of playing 4K video with no problems whatsoever. Plus, the storage capabilities make it attractive for those who like to download movies, TV shows, and games.
If you like the pure Android experience, the X96 Max Android TV Box may be for you.
Tell us in the comments what your thoughts are on the X96 Max. If you have one, give us your own review below!
This page includes affiliate links where TROYPOINT may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Many times, visitors will receive a discount due to the special arrangements made for our fans. Learn more on my Affiliate Disclaimer page.
Where can I buy an X96 Android box from a trusted retailer?
The X series is by droidlogic and my go android box over anything else that is non-google certified if you want one of them the top box in Europe is the Strong Leap S3 which is made by sky worth basically the same as twice the cost Mecool boxes.
The vast majority of new users and at least half of all current users are only using 50% of their boxes potential.
Stay away from Rockchip CPU Allwinner are pretty good from the H6 H16 and H18 found in tanix boxes and HK1 RBOX Models.
All TV Boxes comes with utter crap remotes but google certified boxes are much better but you still require a mouse for some essential apps and when you see bad reviews its mostly down to remotes its the main reason for sluggish performance as this box above runs on 4gb of DDR 4 fast as hell ram and the 32 and 64g GB SSD is also very fast even in modern day computers.
Last the CPU in both the max runs the AI S905X3 and the Ultra the S905X4 outpaces even the likes of 2022 Chromebooks, the latter is around 20% faster in benchmarks but unlikely to be noticeable in the real TV Box world.
As author of the soon to be released tvboxreviews.com website and reviewed over 300 TV boxes you cant go much wrong with any X96 model, just get a good air mouse but don’t get a G10 they are crap lol
For those reading this thread just follow all the apps on this page and make sure your installing the 32 bit app download and not the 64 bit versions.
Today’s date; 13 Mar 2024. My last post was 12 February 2024 and, before that, there were posts from October 2023. Is this shutdown or what? I have followed Troy now for the past 8-9 yrs. I just HOPE i haven’t said or done something out of order? I purchased this “x96 box” after viewing TP’s review. After owning a MeCool km device for several years, I thought a change was due? I just didn’t think there would be NO response in asking for assistance. To any and ALL that i have offended i truly apologize. I have only asked simply because I need the HELP! Not sure what else I can say on my behalf. I do hope this msg reaches someone? Thank you in advance for your response!
Hi Larry. I have a futuristic TV setup, and it uses the Max96+. I have encountered several issues when attempting to stream German TV stations listed on the service . Have a lot of buffering issues every 2 minutes or so. What can I do? Have I been scammed?
Hey Troy, I read your review on the X96 box. I am excited to get one soon. Do you have a setup for the box as for the firesticks(I’m sure you do)? I will keep in touch and hope to be installing in another week or so. Thank you again for ALL the help and instructions you offer. Take care. Staysafe!
Hi again. Well, I did it. I purchased one of the X96 only, w/32 GB. As of yet, I have had to treat the installation as if the box is my MeCool KM2. I did learn using the mouse makes maneuvering a lot better. Also, for the life of me, can I figure how to successfully get my ipvanish to operate as normal. What I mean is, I have to literally start the app with use of the mouse(Only). And, if that’s not crazy enough, I have to dig down in the Apps menu to “Force Close”. It’s annoying but, it gets the job done(very strange). I have asked several users on the Insider site and searched on YouTube with not good success. So, to my awesome dealer of many good choices of TP apps and videos. What is your suggestion to my success? I continue to tinker with it but, am lacking something that I can’t SEE! I look for your response. I am sorry to be such a bother. TIA!
pluto won’t work on mine, and it gets awfully hot after bout an hour of use.
The inability to shut down apps is also irritating…. Anyone else had these problems or found any fixes? Other than that it works pretty well.
In reference to “x96max ultra”
I’m having issues with subtitles- even if I have the option to turn them on, they don’t show. I also can’t download subtitles from the internet. Please help! Or do you know of any movie streaming downloads that come with english subtitles. Thanks!
I have the X96 max + ultra and I am unable to properly play movies via Kodi with the various Codecs such as Dolby Atmos and Dolby Digital. If I have paused the film or series, the sound is no longer synchronized and the image also stutters and falters ? No problems with that with the streaming apps ? Do you have any tips for me to still be able to use Kodi for watching movies and series with Dolby Atmos and Digital ?
there is an extension called debrid if you can work out how to install it runs ultra quick and finds 1,000’s of extra channels it’s around $16 for 180 days’ worth every penny
Does anyone have X 96 box? What are you watching live TV? Does it frees up on you a lot
I have the X 96 max box and I’m watching Fox news TV why does my TV keep freezing up every couple of minutes and I got to keep going back hit the FoxNews and then it goes back to regular TV what I want to know is why it keeps freezing up
You mentioned “Netflix and Amazon Prime don’t work well on the X96 Max”. Is that the case with most Stock Android boxes? If I have a smart TV that has Netflix and Amazon apps on it, then I could continue watching Netflix or Amazon Prime using those apps on TV even after installing this Android box, right?
If I am using this box for IPTV only, would the not-so-great remote be an issue?
would like to know how to add remove favourite on x96max william
Hi William, favorites for what?
I have the X96 Max ultra. It does not provide me to enter the url in the portal. Can anyone explain if it could be configured ?
Thanks
i own the x96 max plus for almost 1 year. my wife watches Netflix on it with no problems. i would have liked more sports channels, and i will eventually find them. lots of kids channels also available .. would definitely reccommend.
We have one of these boxes in uk and generally works well. We do have to pay every year for an activation code which has gone up to £90. Keen times know if anyone knows a way round this?
Also I am lead to believe there are more channels if I knew how to find them