Arguably the AM9 Pro but it’s not as fast or as stable yet versus am6b+. The speed is similar but still a little slower. There are some crashes in dv still. It supports dv fel, av1 and vvc (h266).
One its more mature I’ll have to try it then.
If i’m reading this specsheet right though the new directv streaming box will also have support https://www.androidtv-guide.com/pay-tv-provider/directv-c81kw/ for coreelect so I may have to try that too. Since i already use their streaming tv service and need to upgrade the old box from that too.
Good to see the new TOX5 lite is going back to using a Amlogic SoC, so looking forward to the non-lite version whenever that becomes available.
I have finally decided to replace my AM6 Plus. Note, this is not the AM6B+ version. AM9 Pro appeals because it comes with Google TV and AV1 support, but after spending 2 days reading posts in this thread on the AVS forum, it would seem people are still recommending the AM6B+.
TBH, I only care about running CoreElec off an SD card, and support for DV, and DA. The box will be used with an XGIMI Ultra projector. Now we are midway through 2026, I guess a fair amount of dev work has been done on CoreElec, so is the consensus still to stick with the AM6B+ or should I order the AM9 Pro, please?
AM9 Pro does not come with Google TV but sure it’s Android 14 and will probably get newer Android versions if that’s important, AM6 Plus is basically AM6B+ without WiFi 6, if you want certified Google TV you have the Xiaomi TV Box S 3rd Gen which works too but has worse SoC but good enough.
Whoops! My bad. Well, even without Google TV, I can still install apps on the AM9 Pro. For some reason, it appears to be cheaper than the AM6B+. I also checked out the comments here concerning the Cube 2 which seemed quite positive, but I don’t want Alexa, and even if you don’t pay the monthly subscription, I doubt you can remove Alexa or definitively turn it off.
The Xiaomi doesn’t light my fire, even though it is far more affordable. Portisch said something along the lines of “Buy a cheap Chinese box, get what you pay for.” Ugoos is Chinese too. Their boxes perform well but their customer service is non-existent.
Totally agree
A cube that can boot CE is rooted, you can do anything you want. Alexa/Google wake word listening takes CPU processing, it’s something cost-free that can be hidden. When Alexa is muted, the continuous CPU usage of the app drops off. For the ultra-paranoid who believe privacy options are all lies, there is a ribbon cable to the MICs that can be unlatched internally.
When using CE, GoogleTV/AndroidTV/FireOS apps and features (Alexa) are not available.
If one is to believe what some security sites are saying, Alexa listens even when not being used and that data is used for what? It’s the same with Ask Google. Yes, I’m one of the ultra-paranoid crowd, and with good reason, but that’s not a subject to discuss here.
You’d need to provide a credible source, that’s either a misinterpretation or easily verifiably false.
Yes the devices are continuously using CPU cycles listening for a wake word. When the wake word is detected, the subsequent voice recording is sent to a remote server to be processed. While privacy mode is active, it doesn’t take a lot of knowledge to check for the CPU usage computationally required for processing, or the network activity required in transferring recordings to a remote server.
And yes when using CE there’s no voice assistant support, even if someone wanted it.
This is exactly what YadaYada wrote above.
But it doesn’t say it is sending everything to the cloud. Only recording after wake word.
Still scares me enough to opt for a box that doesn’t have it.
On a slightly different subject, I have decided to order an AM6B+. What specs should the SD card have for CoreElec nowadays? I mean do I need a 32 or 64 Gb and should it have a particular read speed? Perhaps there’s a recommended brand I should go for?
With AM6B+, you can dual-boot from the eMMC. So the SD card used to install is not very important.
Would a 32 Gb card do the trick or do I need more?
Oddly, unless you buy a cheap Chinese brand, 16 Gb cards appear to be more expensive than 32 Gb versions from well known brands.
If you are going to boot CE from removable media, a USB stick is going to be faster than an SDcard. 8GB is the recommended minimum, anything bigger is fine.
Good to know. I already have a clean 32 Gb USB stick. I assume it doesn’t need to have a fast read capability? Would dual boot via eMMC provide any specific advantage?
A couple of other questions.
I run a 7 port USB hub from my existing AM6 Plus but it doesn’t have a USB 3.0 port, as far as I remember. Occasionally, I encounter very brief stuttering, always of only 3 frames. Might this be due to the limitation of read speed via USB 2.0, and if it is, do I need a different cable to use the USB 3.0 port?
Last question. Should I order a new hub to run with 3.0 as well or will it not make any difference?
missing parameters:
where is your media stored
if stored on a single enclosure how many usb 3.0 ports are needed? (am6b+ has 1)
how is it accessed from coreelec
what bitrate is your media
guesswork, yes usb2.0 is too slow for pretty much anything other than keyboards and mice
So, at this point, should I replace my SK1 with an AM9 Pro? 
AM6b+ > AM9 Pro