Related
In comparision to the 1st gen FireTV the FireTV 2 has no SP/DIF output due to the new MicroSD card slot.
So I´m interested if someone has made experience with adding a RCA Cinch or Toslink connector since probably there might be still soldering or test points on the mainboard PCB for SP/DIF output although there are not fitted with a connector.
Are there any (hi-res) pictures of the PCB available? I did look at iFixit but there is only a 1st gen aTV teardown.
If you don't mind me asking, is there a reason why you want to "hack" the circuit board instead of paying about $20 for an HDMI audio extractor?
If it's purely academic, then you have my respect.
If it's more practical, I'd be weary of destroying something in the process just to save $20. That and if you wanted optical (Toslink) instead of digital (RCA) you would already have to buy an adapter. Last, there is possibly the software aspects involved in enabling and configuring the S/PDIF. If I remember correctly (but bear in mind that my memory isn't that great as most of my friends would attest to), the original Fire TV has a settings page to configure the audio, which I would assume would be missing from the second generation FTV.
A HDMI audio extractor needs its own power supply and is still an additional device hanging around with its external power supply in my already too chaotic bunch of devices
Since it´s plugged into the HDMI chain between TV and STB there might be problems with HDCP handshaking. Also 4k isn´t supported (at least I didn't find one which does officially support 4k). So a converter is not my first choice.
On the other hand I had in the past for e.g. STBs and DVD players with enabled SPDIF and existing solder points on their main PCBs but they had no mounted connectors probably to differentiate similar models of the same device. I also wouldn´t be surprised it is similiar on the ATV2 that at the early stage of development SPDIF was specified and included in the PCB layout and just in later stages not mounted due to get space for the MicroSD option. Now with root there are also more possibilities to check/enable settings which are not in the GUI visible. IMHO for many chipsets SP/DIF doesn't need to be extra enabled since it is only a dumb hardware output for which it doesn´t make a difference if it is connected or not. The only settings is IMHO more or less just to change the output mode from PCM to Bitstream out and vice-versa.
I received this item in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
Upon receipt I unpackaged the cable. Pretty basic packaging, nothing fancy just a plastic baggy indicating what was in it.
The link below to a shared Google Photos folder has all the photos I took while unpackaging.
https://goo.gl/photos/ryfL9euY28BHwviF6
The cable is wrapped in a mesh shielding that prevents snagging and pinching of the cable. In my household the blue accents on the cable go nicely with everything my A/V setup in the livingroom.
The connectors are touted to be 24k gold plated – I am no jeweler so I can’t verify this, so lets see if it can handle 4K !
My previous HDMI cable was unable to be used at 4k resolutions, the best I could get was 1080p/1080i, so changing the resolution was the big test.
I used the cable to connect my HTPC (Home Theater PC) to my Vizio 4k TV – I had no problems getting full 4k resolution out of it! I watched some 4k videos off of YouTube, and then played some video off of the PC via KODI (aka XBMC) – WOW – what a big difference over the 1080p I was used to! Everything was so real looking it was like looking out of a window into another world! Seriously, it looked like those TVs you see as demos at your local big-box retail stores!
It’s available on Amazon – here’s the link! Current pricing at the time of me writing this is $10.99 – less than most of the cheap HDMI cables you find at your local stores, with all the benefits of the high-dollar cables!
https://amzn.com/B01KZF7BLA
• HDMI supports high-definition video, plus multi-channel digital audio on a single cable
• HDMI provides a digital audio and video interface between any source,such as a set-top box,DVD player,AV receiver and a digital televison(DTV)
• Premium construction: 28AWG/26AWG/24AWG Pure Copper Conductors, Triple Shielding and Gold-Plated Full Metal Jacket Connectors, which prevent external metal corrosion
• High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection. Bandwidth > 10.2Gbps; Support 3D and advanced color capabilities, which consists of the transmission of two separate 1080p images at the same time. Cables with 4K support these advanced video features.
• HDMI High-Speed 2.0, with Ethernet and unique shielding golden metal component inside and colorful metal case outside, HDMI Male to HDM Male and triple shielding. High-purity copper conductors.
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The good:
Beautiful, neat and compact design.
Excellent build quality.
Licensed Windows 10 Home and Microsoft Office Home.
Decent performance.
Big and fast SSD storage.
Lots of connectivity options.
The bad:
A relatively old Intel Broadwell processor.
Old DDR3L RAM.
HDMI 1.4 port only supports up to 4K/30FPS.
No SD or MicroSD card slot.
Beelink has put out many budget mini PCs in the past, most of them are Atom and Celeron based systems designed for only basic computing tasks. The newly released L55 is a different device, with a much more capable Core-i3 processor and 8GB RAM inside, it is definitely more marketed as a full-fledged PC rather than an HTPC that only sits in your living room for media playback purposes.
Specifications
Brand: Beelink
Model: L55
Type: Mini PC
System: Windows 10 Home
CPU: Intel Broadwell i3 5005U (Dual Core CPU, 4 logical processors)
GPU: Intel HD 5500
RAM: 8GB DDR3L
Storage: 256GB/320GB/512GB
Internet Access: Dual Band Wi-Fi, LAN
Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.0
Ports: 4*USB 3.0, 2*USB 2.0, 1*3.5mm audio jack, 1*HDMI 1.4, 1*DP, 2*1000M Ethernet Jack, 1* DC-in port , 1*SATA HDD port, 1*M2.SSD port
Accessories: 2*HDMI cable, 1*SATA HDD cable, 1*DC adapter, 1* bracket, some screws
Size: 128*126*47mm
Retail Package
Like always, the L55 comes with the typical simple and neat packaging by Beelink.
There are lots of things in the L55’s relatively small packaging. You can find a 12V-3A DC power adapter, two HDMI cables (different in length), a SATA HDD expansion cable, a bracket and some screws which can mount the mini PC to the back of a monitor.
Design and Build
The overall design of the L55 doesn’t stray too far from previous Beelink Mini PC models, in fact it looks almost identical to the U55, the only difference you will notice at first glance is the color. The chassis is made of high-quality plastic. The matte dark blue finish looks nice. The Beelink branding on the top side is quite stylish, there’s also the famous “Intel inside” marking on the bottom right, reminding you that it’s a device powered by Intel chips.
Being as small as it is, the L55 has almost as many ports as a desktop PC does. The front of the L55 is home to a pair of USB 3.0 ports, a 3.5mm audio jack, a red power button, and an activity LED (not lit in the photo) and an RTC hole. One of the USB 3.0 ports supports fast charging (up to 7.5W), and there is a green lightning marking above to distinguish it from the other.
There are lots of vents on the left and right side to prevent the L55 from overheating. The L55 doesn’t apply the fanless design used for many entry-level mini PCs, instead it has a high-speed fan inside the shell to cool the internals down when they are stressed.
The back side sports another pair of USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, an HDMI 1.4 port, a DP port, two RJ45 1000M Ethernet jacks, a DC-in port and some more vents.
Four small rubber feet are hosted on the bottom side, preventing the shell from scratches.
The L55 measures 128*126*47mm, even smaller than the Android-based Remix IO. The build quality is excellent, as the device looks extremely refined, with no ugly mold lines. It also feels extremely robust and sturdy, you won’t break it without some serious force. Also, the matte dark blue coating on the surface is very resistant to scratches. After 2 weeks of reviewing the device and moving it around constantly, I still haven’t found any marks on its surface of the L55.
Setting up
As small as it is, the L55 is a PC and needs to be connected with a display, a keyboard and a mouse to work, and that’s how you should set it up. There’s no conventional mouse and keyboard ports, so you need to get by with USB-mounted or Bluetooth input devices.
During first-time start-up, you will need to go through some of the Microsoft Windows initialization protocols, which is easy but will take some time. After that, you are good to go.
System & Apps
The Beelink L55 ships with a clean version of licensed Windows 10 Home OS, we found no pre-installed 3rd party applications and bloatware at all.
The local disk is a single volume (only Disk C) by default, but it is relatively easy to do disk partitioning on Windows 10.
You won’t need any 3rd party application, the “Disk Management” feature in “Computer Management” can take care of that or you, after less than a minute, we got two local disk volumes.
There are thousands of apps available in the Microsoft Store, if they are not enough, you can also install traditional PC apps. The Microsoft Office Student & Home Edition can be automatically activated once it is installed on the L55, we know a lot of people will welcome that.
We don’t feel like digging into all the main features of Windows 10. For those who is still unfamiliar and curious with this dominant PC operating system, we highly recommend you to watch some tutorial videos on YouTube.
Performance
The L55 is powered by a relatively old 5th generation Intel Broadwell Core-i3 5005 dual core CPU (2.0GHz), not the latest Coffee Lake (8th and 9th generation) chipset. This chip won’t match the latest Intel i5 and i7 chips found in mainstream laptops and desktops PCs when it comes to horsepower, but it is still very capable of handling normal everyday tasks. Like always, we ran some benchmarks on the device to see how much horsepower it was to generate.
In the Cinebench R10 test, the L55 scored in 3,023 Single core, 6,553 in multi-core, and 3999CB in OpenGL. These scores were significantly higher than the Beelink AP34 (single core: 1846, multi-core: 5470, OpenGL: 2782CB), which is powered by an Intel Celeron N3450 processor.
In the more complex Cinebench R15 test, the L55 was returned in 150cb CPU performance and 14.78fps in OpenGL.
The Fritz Chess benchmark returned a score of 3,878, which beats the scores of Atom and Celeron based PCs. But it is definitely not impressive, as the i3-8145U powered Huawei Matebook 13 scored 7190, and even the Core-M powered Xiaomi Laptop managed to score 4,691 in the same test.
In the PCMark 8 Home Accelerated test, the L55 scored 2451, handily beating those Celeron-powered mini PCs and laptops, of which the scores are normally below 2000. But it is still nowhere near the scores of mainstream PCs.
The SSD in the L55 is undoubtedly faster than the eMMc found in entry-level mini PCs and convertible Windows tablets, as the device scored 754 in AS SSD benchmark. The sequential read and write speeds are almost as fast as that of my Surface Pro 3 (539MB/s & 484MB/s), but still significantly slower than the SSD inside my Huawei Matebook 13 (2155MB/s & 1485MB/s). There are 3 variants of L55, which have different built-in storage. The one that we received has 512GB M2. SSD inside. The storage of the L55 is upgradable with SATA HDD up to 2TB. If that’s not enough, you can even replace the stock M2. SSD with a 1TB drive.
Although the L55 is capable of outputting 4K resolution (3840*2160px), we won’t recommend people to set this resolution as default. As there is no discrete graphics card under the hood, 4K will be too much for the integrated Intel HD5500 during some productivity tasks, 1080P is still a far more reliable choice on most occasions.
The L55 was capable of playing all the media files we threw at it, including various 4k video clips, the playback was smooth in Windows Media Player and Thunder Video Player all the time, but there were stutters while playing 4K videos of webm formats in Windows 10’s Movies & TV app.
We also had no problem streaming full HD and 4K YouTube videos in Chrome. But playing 8K videos in YouTube was an extremely laggy experience we won’t recommend anybody to try.
The device was also smooth with most of the productivity tasks. We didn’t notice any lags editing our image-heavy presentation in PowerPoint. Editing photos in Photoshop is also a generally smooth experience, but some of the renderings did take a noticeable longer period of time than they did on my i7-powered Surface Laptop.
The Beelink has 8GB of DDR3L RAM on board, so it is also able to handle some serious multi-tasking. We did hear the fan inside the L55 making some noise when the device was under heavy loads, but it never got unbearably loud. Fortunately, the CPU temperature never got too high to trigger a warning from Ludashi (a Chinese PC monitoring app).
The HD5500 GPU is powerful enough for all games installed from the Microsoft Store, including Forza Horizon 4 and Modern Warfare. All of them ran smooth and remained responsive even at the highest settings. We actually enjoyed playing Asphalt 9 Legend on the L55 quite a lot, it was easy to control, the visuals were stunning, too. Lightweight desktop games such as Plant vs Zombies, Chicken Shoot and Stealth Bastard also ran smoothly on the L55, older versions of big titles such as SEGA Virtua Tennis and Asphalt 5 ran without hiccups as well. However, the L55 doesn’t come with a discrete graphics card, so it is definitely not built for the most graphic-intense titles such as the Metro 2033, GTA 4 and StarCraft. The games took a long time to load, and the frame rates were sometimes unacceptable during gameplay.
To sum it up, the L55 can deliver decent computing performance while running the types of software applications that average consumers use on a daily basis, but it is not designed as a workhorse for multimedia editors or other professional designers, nor is it the right PC for gaming enthusiasts.
Connectivity
The L55 supports dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4GHz & 5GHz). Wi-Fi connection was pretty solid as well. We put the L55 on the TV cabinet in the living room (the WiFi router was placed in another room), it was still able to download files at the same top speed.
The L55 can be connected to input devices and sound systems (headphones or speakers) wirelessly via Bluetooth, which saves you from the messy wires on your desktop, and frees the USB ports for other devices. We connected the L55 with our pair of Bang & Olufsen S3 speakers and enjoyed a lot of music and movies, the audio transmission remained uninterrupted.
There are 6 USB Type A ports (4*USB 3.0 and 2* USB 2.0) on the L55, you can mount lots of external devices at the same time. We mounted a 4TB Seagate mobile drive, a 128GB Samsung mobile SSD drive, and two 128GB flash disks, the L55 has no problem supporting them all at the same time.
The transfer speed through the USB 3.0 port is pleasantly fast. It normally takes only seconds to copy an HD movie from a flash disk.
The DP and HDMI ports will support most of the monitors, projectors and TV sets, but if you are using an old monitor with only VGA or DVI port, you will have to get by with an adapter. Unfortunately, the HDMI port on the L55 is HDMI v1.4 standard, which can only output resolution up to 2K/60fps or 4K/30fps. If you connect the L55 with a 4K TV via an HDMI cable, you won’t be able to get the highest image quality. The DP port on the device does support 4K/60fps output, but very few monitors do, and HDTVs don’t usually come with a DP port.
The Beelink L55 has two 1000M RJ45 Ethernet jacks, allowing you to connect to two network broadband services at the same time. This could be useful if you use the L55 in a workplace, as employees may need to connect both to the internet and the company intranet. Also, for higher-level users, they can combine the broadband width of two network services to achieve higher download and upload speed.
Verdict
Beelink has made a few choices which seem odd to us reviewers. Besides equipping the L55 with a relatively old 5th generation processor in a year when all new releases come with more advanced 8th and 9th generation i-series processors, they have also chosen to feature an old HDMI 1.4 port. Even more, the Micro SD card slot found on the U55 disappeared on the L55, we really wonder if it’s a choice made merely to save cost or for other reasons.
Besides a few puzzling choices, the L55 is still a solid device which has a lot going for it. With a Core-i3 5005U processor and 8GB DDR3L RAM inside, it is definitely not only designed for media consumption. Instead, it is able to get a lot of things done without a hitch. If you don’t use your PC for intensive gaming or complex designer work, the horsepower of the L55 will simply be more than enough for you.
The prices of L55 starts from $269 (256GB version), and the 512GB version costs $299. These prices are definitely higher than the prices of Atom and Celeron powered mini PCs. But we do believe the features, performance and functionalities of the L55 justify the price tag. If you want an inexpensive desktop computer which is small, stylish and compact, but is still powerful enough for everyday computing tasks, the L55 is worthy of your consideration.
Really a lovely piece of tech. I am using it now on a daily basis.
Hope more people could see this review, it took me a long time to test the device.
I don't think this processor is future-proof, it may not be smooth in 2-3 years.
Twitch007 said:
I don't think this processor is future-proof, it may not be smooth in 2-3 years.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It really depends on what you use it for.
Lower benchmark scores than I expected.
And that monitor really looks oooooooooooold!
GadgetSino said:
And that monitor really looks oooooooooooold!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
:cyclops:
jupiter2012 said:
It really depends on what you use it for.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not really, the system will be slowed down by Microsoft on purpose, which is not related to how u use it.
Twitch007 said:
Not really, the system will be slowed down by Microsoft on purpose, which is not related to how u use it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My PC has served for 5 years without slowing down.
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For:
Nice design and solid build.
High-end hardware and impeccable performance.
Lots of connectivity options.
Dual ES9018 Hi-Fi DAC.
7.1-channel audio certified by DTS and Dolby.
Bays for dual HDD with capacity of up to 32TB.
Against:
Operating system is not optimized to match the hardware.
LED cannot be turned off.
The NAS app is not user-friendly.
NAS service is expensive.
Range of Bluetooth is very limited.
Last year’s Beelink GT-King Pro has drawn lots of eyeballs since its release. Not only was it the first TV box to run on Amologic’s powerful S922X-H processor, it also introduced fancy features such as Dolby Audio, DTS Listen, and dual ESS ES9018 Hi-Fi DAC that could drive headphones with an impedance of up to 600Ω. But have you ever imagined a TV box which can also work as a NAS device? Well, Beelink is certainly thinking ahead of most of us. The recently released GS-King X comes with the hardware which made us fall in love with the GT-King Pro, but also supports dual HDD NAS of up to 32TB!
Main Specs
Operating System: Android 9.0
Processor: Amlogic S922X-H chipset
CPU: big.LITTLE Hexa-core CPU (4*[email protected], 2*Cortex-A53*1.8GHz)
GPU: Arm Mali-G52MP6
RAM: 4GB LPDDR4
Internal Storage: 64GB eMMc
Storage Expansion: two 3.5’’ hard drives of up to 32TB. 1 MicroSD card.
HDMI: HDMI 2.1 Output up to 3840*[email protected]
Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.1
Audio: DTS Listen and Dolby Audio
DAC: Dual ESS ES9018 32bit Hi-Fi Audio DAC
Internet Access: Dual-band WiFi 2.4GHz/5GHz, Gigabit Ethernet
Ports: Ethernet port*1, DC-in port*1, BAL port*2，RCA port*2, MicroSD card slot*1, USB 3.0 port*3, USB 2.0 port*1, HDMI 2.1*1, SPDIF*1, 3.5mm audio jack*1, HDD bay*2.
Dimension: 165*118*106mm
Power Supply: 19V DC/3A
Weight: 1070g (without hard drives)
Chassis: dark blue, aluminum
Retail Package: GS-King X media center*1, remote controller*1, HDMI cable*1, power adapter*1, user manual*1, service card*1, HDD bracket*4.
Retail Packaging
The Beelink GS-King X comes with beautiful retail packaging. “Storage” and “DTS & Dolby Audio” are highlighted on the cover of the package, meaning these are the major selling points of this device.
In addition to the GS-King X media center itself, inside the package you’ll also find a DC Adapter, an HDMI cable, a remote, four hard drive brackets, a user manual, a dual-os guide card, and an HDD installation guidebook. The user manual offers instructions in many different languages, including English, German, Russian, Spanish, French, Italian and Japanese.
The DC adapter is rated 57 watts (19V-3A), which is a huge leap from last year’s GT-King Pro (24W), mainly because the GS-King X needs more power to keep an active cooling system and two 3.5’’ hard drives working at the same time.
Design and build
With a premium metal case and matte dark blue finish, the GS-King X doesn't look like a conventional TV box. It has the form factor more of a high-end mini PC. The front of the device displays a skull identical to the one found on Intel NUC Skull Canyon. The eyes of the skull will light up in green when the media center is connected to power, and turn blue when the device is booted.
Audio performance is a major selling point of the GS-King X, that’s why you will find “DTS Listen” & “Dolby Audio” licenses on the front side, along with a MicroSD card slot, two USB 3.0 ports and a nice-looking power button.
A slew of interfaces can be found on the rear side of the GS-King X. The Hi-Fi sound section plays host to a 3.5mm audio jack, two RCA ports, and two Balanced audio ports. The TV box section hosts a DC-in port, an AV port, one USB 3.0 port, one USB 2.0 port with OTG, an HDMI 2.1 port, an optical SPDIF port, and an RJ45 Ethernet jack.
The top side displays the brand logo, as well as small ventilation dots which group into two capital letters: “GS”, citing that this device belongs to the new “GS” series.
Vents can also be found on the left, right and rear side of the GS-King X. Unlike average TV boxes, the GS-King X has an active cooling system inside, which prevents it from overheating.
The device measures 165mm x 118mm x 106mm and weighs 1070g (without hard drives). The build quality is excellent. Not only does the box look extremely polished, but it also feels quite sturdy, thanks to the premium metal build.
But one thing that constantly annoys me and many other testers is that the green LED lighting of the eyes cannot be turned off in the settings or by pressing any button on the box, the only way to make them go out is by unplugging.
The GS-King X is not just another TV box, with NAS being a big part of its identity. But 64GB internal storage is obviously not enough to make NAS out of it, that’s why the box comes with not only one, but two 3.5’’ HDD slots, and supports storage of up to 32TB.
Installing the hard drives is as simple as it can get. The provided brackets also serve as guiderails of the hard drive, all you need to do is to push the HDD into the slot after fixing the brackets on it. The process only takes a few minutes if you follow the instructions of the guidebook and do everything right.
The supplied remote is a little bit plasticky, but still feels fairly well-built. The GS-King X responds quickly to its commands and the infra-red range are acceptably long and broad. The remote also comes with a 2.4GHz USB receiver, which can turn the remote into an air mouse once plugged in. When you run apps not specifically optimized for Smart TV or TV boxes, this feature will be extremely helpful.
The remote also supports voice control, and allows you to ask Google Assistant to launch apps, play videos, mount web searches simply by saying “OK Google” followed by your command. For me, this saves a lot time when I am searching for certain videos in the YouTube app, as typing is not always convenient using the virtual key board on the screen.
Setting it up
The Beelink GS-King X doesn’t need much setting-up. Connecting it to a TV set (or projector) via HDMI, plugging in the DC power adapter and you are good to go. After being powered on, the capital letters “GS” will show up on the TV screen, with some animation going on around it. The startup is quite fast, as the familiar Beelink homescreen will appear only seconds later.
System & Apps
The Beelink GS-King X ships with Android 9.0 Pie, with the very familiar Beelink TV box skin on top. While the operating system may seem dated, considering that the latest smartphones are running either Android 10 or Android R now. But for TV boxes, this is arguably as up-to-date as you can get. Many smart TV and TV boxes on the market are still running Android 6 or Android 7.
The launcher has everything laid out beautifully and is very easy to navigate. The date and time are located at the top left with the temperature widget below. In the center of the screen you have a link to the media center, internet browser and Google Play Store. There are also shortcuts to “clear memory”, app drawer, and settings laying below. To the right is an area where users can pin their favorite apps. Finally, at the bottom left you have shortcuts to power, volume, at the bottom right you have shortcuts to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB Mounted storage and Network Storage. The navigation bar at the very bottom is defaulted to be hidden, but you can bring it up with a mouse. It has many virtual keys, including a power button, a back button, a home button, a recent apps button, a screenshot key, a volume- button, a volume+ button and a hide-bar button.
Like all Beelink products, the GS-King X doesn’t come loaded with bloatware, but there are some preinstalled apps. Besides the stock Google Play Store, Chrome and Gallery, you can also find Beelink’s very own App Store, Bee Files Explorer, Media Center, and Movie Player in the app drawer.
The Google Play Store is the normal phone and tablet variant instead of the TV version found on many other Google certified TV boxes. Although there are more apps in the tablet-version Play Store, you won’t get most of your favorite TV apps here.
Still, you can install the TV version of YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video from Beelink’s very own App Store, those apps work better with a remote. If these are not enough, there’s always an option to directly install .apk files of the apps you want.
Inside the retail package you can also find a MicroSD card which can be used for booting CoreELEC. The CoreELEC operating system provides TV/IPTV entertainment content available through Kodi. Switching from Android 9 to CoreELEC is very simple, you only need to press the power button on the front of the box, and click the virtual “System Switch” button on the screen.
NAS and SAMBA
NAS (Network Attached Storage) is the main difference between the GS-King X and last year’s GT-King Pro. Beelink is working with WeLine to provide NAS service to its users. The WeLine app allows users to access content stored in the HDD anywhere via WiFi or mobile data. We can also upload photos and videos to GS-King X for backup right after we took them. However, the WeLine App isn’t very easy to use, there are a lot of settings you need to get right before using the service.
Everyone who adds the GS-King X to their device list (by scanning the QR code on the bottom of the device) gets 50 credits, which will translate into data rates for you to visit the GS-King X’s storage with a different device. Once you use up these credits, you will need to purchase additional credits to keep the service alive, but they are not cheap. I would personally prefer a monthly or annual plan with unlimited data rate, but that’s not available at the moment. Beelink promises to offer free and better alternatives in the near future, but for now, WeLine seems to be the only answer, and it’s not that ideal.
In comparison, NAS with Linux-based operating system still offers much better user experience. But Android has limitless possibilities, and we have reason to believe that it might be the future of NAS solutions.
Fortunately, we can always use a SAMBA server instead, which allows us to visit the GS-King X storage with other devices (smartphones, PCs, tablets) in the same network. I am using the CX Explorer at the moment, and there are also many other alternatives you can find in Play Store. Beelink is going to integrate a native server into the GS-King X’s operating system, which will surely improve the convenience.
Performance
The Beelink GS-King X is powered by the Amlogic S922X-H SoC., the same processor found on last year’s GT-King Pro. It contains 4 cores of Cortex A73 clocked at 2.21GHz, 2 cores of Cortex-A53 clocked at 1.8GHz, and a beefy Mali-G52MP6 GPU clocked at 846MHz. There’s also 4GB LPDDR4 RAM under the hood to take care of multi-tasking.
Having tested the GT-King Pro, I was returned with predictable results in the benchmarks I threw at the GS-King X. While these numbers might not seem impressive to you, especially when compared to modern flagship smartphones and tablets. In the world of TV boxes, probably the only device beating the GS-King X in terms of horsepower is the Nvidia Shield TV.
The GS-King X is extremely smooth. Even with the HDMI output set at [email protected], I rarely experienced any hiccups, lags or delays when navigating through homescreens and settings, launching and switching between apps, loading image-heavy webpages.
As a pure media streamer, the GS-King X does as well as, if not better than, most competitions, thanks to the Advanced Video Engine Gen10 VPU integrated into the Amlogic S922X-H processor. In the Antutu video tester benchmark, the GS-King X scored 1072, out of the 30 tested items, only two video codecs were not supported.
I also played many videos of different formats in Kodi and MX Player, the GS-King X rarely struggled with anything I threw at it. Like last year’s GT-King Pro, the GS-King X supports Advanced HDR10, HDR10+, HLG, and PRIME HDR, with the right videos and a nice HDTV, it is capable of delivering satisfying video playback experiences.
I haven’t encountered even the slightest of problems streaming 4K videos in the YouTube TV app or in Chrome. Only when I switched the resolution to 8K (in Chrome) did I notice serious lags and delays. Since the GS-King X can only output resolution up to 4K, there’s no point streaming 8K anyway.
Unfortunately, although the GS-King X supports the highest Widevine L1 DRM, you won’t be able to stream high-definition videos in Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, probably due to license issues. This might potentially be a deal-breaker for many devoted Netflix fans, and really a shame given how capable the hardware is.
The GS-King X is not designed to be just a streaming box. The mali-G51MP6 has enough power for most games you can find in Play Store. In the 3DMark app, the device notched 1608 and 1187 respectively in Slingshot and Slingshot Extreme tests.
I tried many games, including some of the most demanding titles on the GS-King X, most of them ran smoothly at moderate settings. But if you want the highest level of visual effects, you should expect some frameskip and even serious delays. A joystick is necessary if you intend to use the device as a gaming console.
Audio
The GS-King X also features dual ESS ES9018 HiFi DAC, which offers DNR up to 135dB, –120dB THD+N, and enables the box to drive headphones with high impedance (up to 600Ω). I plugged in my HiFiMan HE300 headphones and listened to a lot of music during the three weeks of testing, the sound coming from the GS-King X was significantly better than the that from my computer or smartphone. The GS-King X offers a 3.5mm headphone jack, RCA ports, and BAL ports for users to enjoy audio enhanced by the HiFi DAC.
The S922X-H processor has DTS Listen and Dolby Audio licenses, and the box itself is compatible with 7.1 audio systems. If you happen to have speakers certified by Dolby or DTS, you will be able to enjoy discrete surround sound from movies encoded with Dolby and DTS audio. The box features an optical SPDIF port for transmitting 7.1-channel audio,
Connectivity
The GS-King X offers lots of connectivity options. It supports 2.4GHz/5.8GHz dual-band Wi-Fi, but not the latest WiFi 6 or Wi-Fi 6+. Fortunately, the box has solid reception and is able to pick up more Wi-Fi hotspots than most of my older TV boxes and mini PCs. The 1000M Ethernet jack also comes in handy whenever I want enhanced stability and even higher bandwidth. There’s also Bluetooth 4.1 on board to take care of local file transfer and pairing with audio and input devices, saving u from all kinds of annoying wires. When connected with speakers and headphones, the supported codecs are SBC and AAC, you won’t get superior codecs like aptX or LDAC.
The HDMI 2.1 port on the GS-King X can output videos up to [email protected], and should support most TV sets, monitors and projectors. In comparison, the Nvidia Shield TV and many other TV boxes are still using HDMI 2.0 or HDMI 1.4 ports.
Verdict
The GS-King X is an interesting device with many fancy features and a ton of potential. But Beelink needs to work hard to improve the NAS service and make it more affordable to its users.
At $289, the Beelink GS-King X is a lot pricier than last year’s GT-King Pro ($145), which runs on the same processor and serves identical TV box functionalities. But the GS-King X does have its advantages. Besides dual HDD NAS, it also offers more ports, and has an active cooling system to prevent overheating. But are these features worth digging deeper into your pocket? Different people will surely have different answers.
For average consumers who just want a top-of-the-line TV box for video streaming and occasional gaming, I would still recommend the GT-King and GT-King Pro, both of which can handle TV box tasks as well as the GS-King X. Even if storage is important to you, please do not forget that these boxes are also able to mount mobile drives of up to 4TB, only that you won’t be able to use them as NAS devices.
This article should be read b6 more people
Jupit3r said:
This article should be read b6 more people
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Hello and thank you for the article.
I have slow speeds for accessing the Beelink GS-King X with the WeeLine app from outside the network (away from home). What maximum speed did you have? Do you know an alternative for that?
Thank you.
I love the design of the logo.
inrainbows said:
I love the design of the logo.
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A copy of Skull Canyon, lol
Great review -the best I have seen yet on the beelink gs king x
On the NAS front I find WeLink hard to use. You helpfully suggested CX Explorer, but is there any file explorer or preferably NAS s/w that also works on Windows to allow you to transfer data from both Windows and Android or iOS devices to the beelink gs king x hard drives? Even better if it allows you to backup from all devices to the King X
Very good review! kudos
hi,
Is there no way to restrict NAS folder access by app ?!
Beelink GS King X Android 9.0
Hello, can someone please send me the settings.apk system app for android 9.0?
But not the one with the white background, but the black one with the sidebar on the right. Please, I'm going insane and can't find it. Unfortunately I uninstalled it and didn't back it up.
1000 thanks to you.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
ARM-based open-source computers, which often come in the form of SBCs (Single Board Computers), are designed for tech geeks rather than average consumers. However, the Firefly Station P2, which employs the form factor of a mini PC, doesn’t seem all that out of reach. With a Rockchip RK3568 quad-core processor, 2 Ethernet jacks, WiFi6, plenty of storage extension options, and the ability to boot several operating systems, it can be just as fun for ordinary people as it is for tech enthusiasts.
Main Specs
Operating System: Android 11 / Ubuntu / Android TV / OpenWRT / LEDE
Processor: Rockchip RK3568
CPU: Quad Core (4*[email protected])
GPU: Arm Mali-G52MP2
RAM: 2/4/8GB LPDDR4
Internal Storage: 32/64/128GB eMMc
Storage Expansion: 1x 2.5’’ HDD/SSD, 1x m.2 2232 SSD, 1x MicroSD card.
HDMI: HDMI 2.0 Output up to 3840*[email protected]
Bluetooth: Bluetooth 5.0
Internet Access: WiFi 6, 2x Gigabit Ethernet
Ports: Gigabyte Ethernet*2, DC-in*1, Control*1, MicroSD card slot*1, USB-A 3.0 port*1, USB-A 2.0*2, HDMI 2.0*1, 3.5mm Audio*1.
Dimension: 142*89*31.5mm
Power Supply: 12V DC/2A
Weight: 450g
Chassis: black, aluminum
Retail Package: mini PC*1, remote*1, HDMI cable*1, power adapter*1, user manual*1, USB A-C cable*1, 2.5'' HDD/SDD lid *1, Screw driver*3.
Packaging and accessories
The Firefly Station P2 comes with very simple retail packaging, there’s nothing much on the white box besides the branding, the model name and some specs. Inside the box you will find a Station P2 mini PC, two WiFi Antennas, a remote, a 12V-2A power adapter, a USB A-C cable, a tool kit, an HDMI cable as well as a user manual.
Design and build
The Station P2 mini PC employs an aluminum alloy chassis measuring 142 mm x 89 mm x 31.5 mm, so it has a footprint smaller than most mainstream smartphones. The high-precision CNC machining and matte black finish give the machine a rather premium look. Because the Station P2 doesn’t come with an active cooling fan under the hood, it relies on the toothed top panel and various ports for passive heat dissipation.
The front panel plays host to a Gigabyte Ethernet jack, a USB-C port (OTG Only), 3 USB-A ports (2x USB2.0, 1x USB3.0)，a 3.5mm audio jack (with mic support), a MicroSD card slot and a power button. The rear side hosts two more Ethernet jacks, an HDMI 2.0, a DC-in. There is also an opening for users to insert a 2.5-inch SATA HDD/SSD, but you will need to unscrew and remove the lid first.
The connectivity doesn’t just stop here. With the included screwdriver, you can get easy access to the internals of the mini PC. Besides the 2.5-inch hard-drive tray, you will also get a M.2 2242 PCle SSD slot.
But if you only want to add a 2.5-inch hard drive to the Station P2, it will take you even less effort. After removing two screws on the back side, a metal lid will fall off, and then you can insert the hard drive.
The Station P2 comes with 32GB/64GB/128GB eMMc onboard storage. With two SSDs and a MicroSD card, you can install as many as 4 operating systems on the mini PC, and that could be “dream come true” for any tech geek.
The build quality of the Firefly Station P2 is extremely nice. The metal chassis feels perfectly robust and won’t flex even under a lot of pressure. Also, everything on the motherboard is neatly arranged.
Station OS
The Station PC runs Station OS out of the box. Being called an OS, it is in fact a TV box skin on top of Android 11. The Station OS skin is clearly built around media playback. The UI is simple and easy to navigate with the included remote or the Station Control app on an Android phone.
The Movie Library App, which has a widget on the UI’s homescreen, will automatically detect all the videos in the chosen directory and find matching covers, posters, and information for them. I think everyone will grow to love this feature, because when you are navigating through your collection of movies and TV shows, you are not just looking at the titles, there is a lot more information to help you decide which one you are going to watch.
The Station P2 scored 889 in the Antutu Video Tester benchmark. Making it a solid, better than average TV box for media consumption.
There are only a limited number of pre-installed applications. Since this is Android, you can also install any app you want on the Station P2, including apps designed for TV, tablets, and smartphones. Some phone apps, such as Facebook and Instagram, don’t have support for landscape mode, and that can be tricky if your display isn’t rotatable. Fortunately, Station OS allows you to activate “ForceLand” in the settings, which will force the app to show vertically in the middle of a screen, making it easier for you to use the app with a mouse and keyboard.
Station OS might not be the right answer for people who want to use the Station P2 as a mini PC. It is nowhere near the experiences you can have with desktop UIs which allow you to run apps in resizable windows, such as Remix OS, Phoenix OS and Samsung’s Dex Mode UI. Also, there is no navigation bar for you to quickly switch between apps. Fortunately, Firefly has made stock Android 11 OS firmware available for those who want to use the Station P2 as an Android PC.
Other Software
However, you are probably not buying the Station P2 as a TV box or an Android PC, as there are lots of cheaper alternatives out there. What makes this mini PC special is its capability of booting multiple operating systems, and Station OS gives you a portal to do that. Yes, I am talking about the OS Assistant App, which makes installing operating systems as simple as eating a piece of cake. Firefly offers six operating systems tailor-made for the Station P2 right now, including Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 18.04, LEDE, OpenWRT and the aforementioned Android 11. Just choose the OS you intend to install, and the drive you want it installed on, and you are good to go. The Operating system will be automatically downloaded from Firefly’s server and then installed on your local hard drive. When you have multiple operating systems installed on your Station P2, a boot screen will show up every time you power up the mini PC, from which you can choose the OS to boot into.
I have Ubuntu 20.04 installed on a 2.5-inch hard drive, and OPenWRT installed on a TF card. So the Firefly Station P2 can serve as my TV box, my desktop computer, or my router, depending on the OS I choose to boot into.
Ubuntu is a very much liked operating system for tech geeks, and a welcomed addition for average users. But unfortunately, the Rockchip RK3568 quad-core CPU is by no means a powerhouse, scores in Geekbench 5.4.4 told the story.
Also, Ubuntu for ARM has very limited number of apps available. As a result, most people won’t be able to use the Station P2 as their main computer, unless you care very little about efficiency.
With that said, if you want to handle some of the basics, you can. And if you are using the Station P2 to learn about Ubuntu and Linux, and some of the codings, it does provide you with an opportunity here.
The Station P2 also comes with superb networking capabilities. With two Gigabyte Ethernet jacks, and WiFi6, it is an ideal device for soft routing as well as streaming PC games. If you are new to these ideas, there are lots of tutorials online to help you set things up.
I streamed my favorite game “Fortnite”, and enjoyed fairly smooth gameplay, with only a few hiccups in my one-hour session.
You can also run PSP and XBOX games on the Station P2 via emulations, there are quite a lot of tutorials to help you do that in Firefly’s very own forum. But limited by the performance of the Mali-G52MP2 GPU, only those simpler, less intense games can run smoothly on the Station P2, heavier titles will very likely show up like slideshows.
Verdict
With rich interfaces, great expansibility, and superb networking, the Firefly Station P2 is surely an interesting device with a ton potential. Besides a decent collection of official firmware based on different operating systems, you can also find many other third-party firmware in Firefly’s forum, giving you more ways to play with this mini PC.
Some potentials of the Station P2 can be limited by the performance of the relatively old Rockchip RK3568 processor, and some features in Firefly’s very own software may feel a little bit undercooked. But with a sensible price tag that starts from $189 (2+32GB), and a fast-growing Firefly community, the Station P2 is still one of the best open-source computers you can buy right now.
I've been looking into these Firefly/Station PCs and I'm having mixed feelings about them. While they're touted as "open-source", the default OS they come with, "Station OS", is not open source.
I was initially excited about the fact they come with a multiboot-supporting bootloader that (it appears) supports display on a HDMI monitor. That's a step up from most of the other ARM-based pocket-sized computers I've looked at, which usually seem to require a serial terminal for bootloader interactions. However, I'm starting to expect that the bootloader is not open source either. And there seems to be relatively little documentation for it, perhaps because "it's so simple it doesn't need documentation". I would hope that it's fully configurable via config-file like GRUB or U-Boot, but I'm getting the impression that it may be a "it's supposed to auto-detect everything automatically, but if it doesn't you're out of luck" system.
As far as "fast-growing community" goes, I like Firefly has a forum for these computers, but it doesn't seem to have nearly the community of the Pine64 forums or the ODroid forums, let alone the thriving Raspberry Pi community.