Review | Tanggula X5 Amlogic S905X4 Android 11 IPTV TV Box

Here is a review of the new X5 Android 11 TV box from Tanggula, I wish to give thanks to Lucy for the review sample of this unusual product (more about that later).

Tanggula X5 makes use of the (pretty) new Amlogic S905X4 chipset which offers some impressive video performance including support for the new AV1 codec.

 

What’s in the Box?

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X5 comes in a shiny small black plastic box, with the logo on top, and a blue-red LED indicator and IR transceiver. It is made of black plastic, but feels pretty sturdy and quite light at 104 grams.

Tanggula X5 Looks

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Here are the items that come in the box: Tanggula X5 TV Box, 1 * IR Remote, 1 * HDMI Cable, 1 * User Manual, 1 * User Guide, 1 * Power Adapter:

Tanggula X5 Specifications

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Operation System	Android 11
Language	English, Chinese …Multi-Language support
CPU	Amlogic S905X4 with Quad-Core Cortex-A55 12nm
GPU	ARM Mali-G31MP2 Open GL ES 3.2 Vulkan 1.0
SDRAM	DDR3: 4GB
Storage Capacity (Flash)	128GB (eMMC)
WIFI	2.4G+5G The wireless module complies with IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n
Bluetooth	BT 4.1, supports voice remote
The Extended Storage	TF Card, up to 64GB
Power Supply	DC 5V/2A
HDR	Supports Dynamic HDR
HDMI Output	HDMI 2.1 Type-A Support maximum 8Kx4K@24 max resolution output
	1*USB 3.0, 1*USB 2.0
Optical Output	1*SPDIF
Led Work Light	Support
Network	1*RJ45 Supports 10/1000M Ethernet interface
AV Out	480/576i standard definition out
Remote Control	Remote controller
Operation Temperature	0~60℃
Storage Temperature	-10~60℃
Humidity Environment	5%-90%(No condensation）
Certificate	CE, FCC
Dimensions	125*85*20mm
Net Weight	109 grams
Giftbox Weight	478 grams

 

Tanggula X5 Benchmarks and Testing

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*All completed benchmarks have been repeated 3 times and results have been averaged to give a more accurate reading (aside for PCMark):

Antutu Benchmark

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The Antutu benchmark tests single core performance over multi-core as it is a better indication of the performance of one device over others in most situations. As the newer (version 9.x) is unable to run properly on this box, I have run the previous (6.x) version and included the results. X5 comes in 7th place, which is pretty respectable for this chipset.

 

GPU Mark Benchmark

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GPU Mark tests 3d gaming performance and also provides a normalized score according to the used screen resolution (for a more accurate result). The test is quite short and should be taken as a supporting result to that of the more serious 3D Mark benchmark.

X5 comes in 7th place in both tests. Again, it is a good placement, especially as the need for good performance in 3d for this box is quite redundant.

 

A1 SD Benchmark

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A1 SD Benchmark tests RAM and flash memory speeds. As can be seen in the provided graphs, RAM is much faster (by a factor of about 40) than flash memory – that is why it’s in smaller amount and is also volatile (does not keep its contents after a reboot).

X5 does surprisingly well in A1SD Benchmark, achieving second place in the storage Read/Write speed tests, and 5th place in RAM copy speed test (with DDR3 RAM)! It does feel pretty snappy in responding to any and all actions.

 

PC Mark Benchmark

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extensive suite of productivity tests which is designed to show a more balanced picture of an android device’s ability to perform various tasks such as spreadsheet calculations, photo editing, complex web page browsing and more.

X5 shows promise by taking 3rd place in this suite of tests, passing by some older but more premium chipsets (such as S922XJ).

 

3D Mark Benchmark

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3D Mark benchmark is considered as one of the best ways to test 3d performance on Android (and other platforms). This result does not mean much as it does not stand up to modern chipsets found in phones that allow playing the newest and most demanding 3d games. It seems that the X5 is not meant for nor optimized for this purpose.

 

Tanggula X5 Extra Benchmarks

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For some more information, see the following screenshots from other benchmarks such as Passmark (could not be run) and Vellamo:

 

Tanggula X5 Bugs and Issues

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1. Game performance is non existent as none of the test games could be installed from the included play store (which shows that the X5 is using some modified version of Android TV OS)
2. Kodi (KDMC Kodi fork pre-installed in this box) seems to perform very well when it comes to trailers and test files, but… cannot update nor install new add-ons, and shows a severe audio-video synchronization issue with all video content tested.

Tanggula X5 Root Function

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X5 comes with a built-in root function which works like a charm.

 

Tanggula X5 Video Playback testing (using Kodi)

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Resolution	Video Format	Local Playback	Network (LAN/Wi-Fi) Playback
720p (1280*720)	AVC (High@L4.1)	Plays Okay	Plays Okay
1080P (1920*1080)	AVC (High@L4)	Plays Okay	Plays Okay
2160P (3840*2160)	HEVC (H.265)	Plays Okay	Plays Okay
4K (4096*2304)	AVC (High@L5.1)	Plays Okay	Plays Okay
4K HDR	HEVC Main 10@L5@High HDR10	Plays Okay	Plays Okay
4K TS HEVC	HEVC (H.265) 10Bit	Plays Okay	Plays Okay
8K Video	HEVC (H.265) & H.264	Mixed results	Mixed results

 

 

X5 Performs quite well in terms of video, although it is not really intended for Kodi playback (In Kodi there is a audio-video sync issue which is not addressed).

Antutu Video shows that the X5 box handles most video formats well.

As can be witnessed from the results of the video trailers playback testing below, the X5 does not perform as well when using WiFi over local network as it does through wired connection (even though network speedtest shows good results):

X5 main intended purpose is to be used as a IPTV box, and as such it does a pretty good job. The TangTV App allows to view a very long list of content ranging from live channels to TV Series (loop channels) to Movies, with EPG and daily update function. On top of that, You can record shows, movies or live channels quite easily.

• Note that this IPTV Service is the main selling point and the reason for this box’s high price. It is claimed to be a lifetime subscription although I have found evidence online that the subscription does not work for over a year – with previous models. Also, this service is not legal in all countries, so proceed with caution and according to your local law.

 

Tanggula X5 Network Performance

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I tested the network performance using the popular Speedtest.net application from the play store. I tested both WiFi (the fastest WiFi supported – in this case 5GHz 802.11ac), and wired network connection. My home connection is a symmetric 1GBit Fiber connection so it would not limit the testing:

The top result is for wireless (Wi-Fi) connection, and the bottom result shows the X5’s Wired LAN performance. For a small box like the X5, these results are excellent (because when PCB real-estate is low, manufacturers tend to skimp on components such as network adapters):

 

 

Tanggula X5 Gaming Performance

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Asphalt 9 Legends – a 3d graphic intensive racing game. X5 Cannot install this game from Google Play store. Some SD Card missing error (even though there was plenty of room on the main storage and on an inserted 64GB micro SD card)

 

Angry Birds 2 – a popular 2d action game. X5 Cannot install this game from Google Play store. Some SD Card missing error (even though there was plenty of room on the main storage and on an inserted 64GB micro SD card)

 

Walking War Robots – an online robot warfare game that requires a game-pad (I don’t have a game-pad). X5 Cannot install this game from Google Play store. Some SD Card missing error (even though there was plenty of room on the main storage and on an inserted 64GB micro SD card)

 

Tanggula X5 Conclusions

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Did I like it? I did, but with the caveat that it is meant for a specific purpose (IPTV) and does it well.

Would I recommend it?  Yes, but only to those who can afford to spend the high asking price… and don’t need it to do other things such as play games, or use as a Kodi box.

You like it! Where can you buy it? X5 can be purchased at the Manufacturer’s Store for 349 USD (!)