However, if you want a cinema-grade experience, the Roku Streambar may not fit your needs. If you want thundering bass or have a setup that won’t quite work with the streambar, a different soundbar would be a better choice. This streambar works with many different televisions, so you likely won’t have to drop money on a new TV unless you want to. We do recommend splurging on a subwoofer, though, because the bass isn’t all there. Unfortunately, it looks like the only subwoofer that works with the streambar is the Roku Subwoofer, which is significantly more expensive than the bar itself. Go figure. The Roku Streambar also has compatibility on its side. It works with most TVs that have an HDMI or HDMI-ARC port. You don’t need a Roku TV to use it. Ironically enough, the more Roku stuff you have, the harder it might be to get the Streambar working. Our resident Roku stan, Craig, couldn’t get the Roku Streambar to work at first with his Roku TV, speakers, and subwoofer. He figured it out eventually, but be warned that it could be a bumpy road. The streambar has some other neat features, like Night Mode. According to Roku, you can use Night Mode to “reduce the volume level for louder scenes and boost it for quieter ones, letting you watch late-night TV without disturbing others.” That’s cool and useful. Not the end of the world, but before you buy, it’s worth doing some research to see how smoothly your chosen TV will work with Roku. The Roku Streambar also works with Bluetooth, Alexa, and Google (although Roku has said that’s subject to change). With the Bluetooth connection, you can cast music from your smartphone, tablet, or computer to the streambar. And with Alexa and Google, you can pause and play your content and change the volume with easy voice commands. We thought it was an encouraging experience despite the initial mixup. If Roku is always this patient and willing to revisit issues they’ve already addressed, that’s a good sign. If you’re intense about your sound or use a specific setup, you might need to do a little more research to see if you can make the Roku Streambar work for you.
Pricing: The Roku Streambar is one of the more affordable soundbars on the market. Equipment: The Roku Streambar looks nice and will probably work with your existing TV equipment. Features: There’s a Roku player built right into the Streambar and some other cool features like Night Mode. Home automation: Roku works with most home theater devices and also works with Bluetooth, Alexa, and Google. Installation: The installation process is quick and easy. Customer experience: Roku was willing to hop on multiple calls to figure out some equipment issues.
To create our product star ratings and inform our reviews, we always consider:
Price Features Installation Customer experience Customer support
Most folks looking for soundbars want to replicate cinema sound quality in their home theaters, and this streambar comes up short minus the subwoofer. You can probably find better sound with a different brand that doesn’t require extra pieces. But if you love Roku and want to get the most out of that Dolby Atmos sound while using your favorite brand, investing in the subwoofer will help. Add a few more Roku speakers, and you can even enjoy surround sound. So with Roku, you’ll probably be able to watch your favorite TV show on your favorite streaming service. There’s also the Roku Streambar Pro, which is a more updated version of the Roku Smart Soundbar. If you’re all about the streaming part of the streambar and less about the sound, you might want to opt for the or another cheaper, more basic Roku player.
