After having a look at ARNU Box Mach 10 Pure Linux earlier today, I’ll move on to its little brother ARNU Box Mach Q featuring an Amlogic S805 processor with support for H.265 video playback at Full HD. I’ll start by listing the specs, then I’ll take a few pictures, and finally check the board.
ARNU Box Mach Q (Pure Linux) specifications
Again, the hardware specifications are pretty standard:
- SoC – Amlogic S805 quad core ARM Cortex A5 @ 1.5GHz with quad core Mali-450MP GPU
- System Memory – 1 GB DDR3
- Storage – 8 GB storage + SD card slot
- Connectivity – 10/100M Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
- Video Output – HDMI 1.4 up to 1080p60, AV output
- Audio Output – HDMI, AV, optical S/PDIF
- USB – 2x USB 2.0 ports
- Misc – IR sensor, Status and Net LEDs
- Power Supply – 5V/2A
- Dimensions – 107.5 x 107.5 x 19.5 mm
- Weight – ~220 grams
The box runs Linux and Kodi 15 Isengard with the company’s Cloudword installer that will fetch and install add-ons specific to your country.
ARNU Box Mach Q Unboxing
ARNU Box Mach Q is sent in the usual black package from the company.
The media player comes with an IR remote control requiring two AAA batteries, an HDMI cable, a 5V/2A power adapter, and a user’s manual in English for both Linux and Android versions of the box.
The box is made of the same material as Mach 10, and appears to be of good quality. The front panel features status and network LEDs, and a window for the IR receiver, the side has a micro SD slot, and two USB 2.0 host port, and the front panel comes with the WiFi antenna, AV and HDMI video ouputs, Ethernet, optical S/PDIF, and the power jack.
ARNU Box Mach Q Teardown
The model is actually refered to as S805a on the back of the case. Please note the MAC Address prefix (04:E6:76) looks up to AMPAK Technology, the company that provides the WiFi module…
I had to take off the sticky rubber pads, and loosen four screws, before inserting a tool in one of the ventilation and pull firmly to open the box.
The board is named M6, which I have not seen in other hardware platform I have tested. However, you may have noticed that the MAC Address sticker refers to a different MAC Address with prefix C4:4E:AC (for Ethernet), looking up to the usual Shenzhen Shiningworth Technology. The small chip “IC+ IP101GR” is a Fast Ethernet transceiver.
There aren’t any screws holding up the board to the case so it’s easy to just take it out for further inspection. A gray “sponge” attached to the top of the case is used to dissipate heat from the Amlogic processor. Ampak AP6210 is a 2.4GHz 802.11 b/g/n + Bluetooth WiFi module, two Samsung K4B4G1646Q-HYK0 DDR3L chips are used to get 1GB RAM, and a Micron 29F64G08CBABA NAND flash provides 8GB storage.
I’d like to thanks Theater in a Box for providing ARNU Box Mach 10 and Mach Q samples for review. ARNU Box Mach Q Pure Linux can be purchased for $99.99 on their site, or $109.99 + shipping on Amazon US.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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