Oct 28, 2020 ·  The Roku Streambar easily adds good sound to any TV along with Roku’s well-known streaming interface and ridiculously simple setup. This versatile compact soundbar sells for $130 /£130, making it... 

Nov 13, 2020 ·  Roku Streambar review: Streaming performance Since the Streambar has most of the same features as a Roku Ultra, it performed wonderfully — steady, clear 4K streaming and fast navigation with little... 

Nov 17, 2020 ·  The Streambar looks like a smaller version of the Roku Smart Soundbar, measuring just 2.4 by 14.0 by 4.2 inches (HWD) and weighing 2.4 pounds. It’s a tiny speaker, and should be easy to tuck under... 

Dec 01, 2020 ·  The Roku Streambar is alright for dialogue and TV shows. While it doesn't have a dedicated center channel, it can reproduce dialogue clearly. There's also a dialogue enhancement feature to further improve vocal clarity. You can even stream audiobooks and podcasts to the bar via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. 

The Roku Streambar not only sounds better than the speakers built into most TVs—including some of the higher-end models—it also features Roku’s 4K HDR streaming hardware and operating system. 

Nov 19, 2020 ·  (Image credit: Roku) In terms of the on-screen action, it is a well-ordered and slick experience. The layout is basic, which here is very much a compliment, and the picture is decent irrespective of the resolution at which it’s being played. 

Oct 15, 2020 ·  Roku is the most popular streaming platform in the U.S. and other markets because the interface is dead simple to use and the relatively low cost of hardware makes the platform accessible to people of every budget. With the Streambar, Roku now has the de facto option for those looking to up their streaming video and audio experience with a single device. 

Nov 27, 2020 ·  The Roku Streambar is miniscule by soundbar standards. Measuring at 61 x 356 x 107mm (HWD), it is positively diminutive in stature. So small, in fact, it’d be tempting to cart it over to someone... 

Jan 04, 2021 ·  Roku Streambar review: Roku OS Roku’s operating system looks the same on the Streambar as it does on other Roku devices such as the Roku Express and Streaming Stick+, albeit with a couple of... 

Dec 26, 2020 ·  Roku Streambar Soundbar Review The Roku Streambar is a product aimed at a specific segment of the market – those looking to beef up the audio on their older TV, while simultaneously adding a comprehensive smart platform or plugging any streaming app holes in their TV’s current operating system. 

Dec 16, 2020 ·  The Roku Streambar feels like a good starting point for media consumption, with a simple compact design and clear vibrant sound. It is hard to go wrong hooking this little guy up to your new 4K TV. 

Nov 18, 2020 ·  The Roku Streambar slots into a position where its offering is somewhat unique: it kills two birds with one stone, boosting audio performance without costing a lot of money, while providing access ... 

Oct 28, 2020 ·  The Roku Streambar was announced alongside the new Roku Ultra in September 2020, with its release date set shortly afterwards. The cost of the Streambar is only $130/£130, which makes it only slightly more expensive than the Roku Ultra and its rival, the Amazon Fire TV Cube . 

The Roku Streambar is snappy and responsive and works well for 4K HDR video, even over wireless. Unfortunately there's no HDR10+ or Dolby Vision support but you can't win everything. Obviously the factor that isn't common to other Roku devices is the fact that this one handles audio too - and it's pretty good offering clear sound. 

Well, the Roku Streambar might just change that – because it’s a streamer and a soundbar in one temptingly affordable box. We’re fans of Roku’s little Streaming Stick+, a simple device for bringing quick access to all your on-demand TV services in one place – with 4K HDR support – for just £50. 

Roku

The soundbar-slash-streamer is a simple one-stop upgrade and now offers optional surround speakers.

Roku Smart Soundbar

Roku Smart Soundbar review: A simple, potent streaming combination

Roku Smart Soundbar review

Streaming TV is blowing up, from Netflix to&nbsp;Disney Plus to Apple TV Plus to HBO Max to... well, you get the idea. And that means&nbsp;media streamers are being built into not only smart TVs but also soundbars. I was pretty disappointed in the first hybrid soundbar-streamer I saw, the JBL Link Bar, but after reviewing the capable and affordable Roku Smart Soundbar, I'm thinking it's a worthwhile combination after all, especially if your main priority is simplicity. The Smart Soundbar upgrades both your audio and streaming experience with a single device and one remote -- just add any TV. Its sound quality is good for a subwoofer-less bar and the streaming section works as smoothly I've come to expect from any Roku streamer, running the company's simple software to stream thousands of apps to your TV.&nbsp; Roku also offers two optional add-ons -- a wireless subwoofer that pumps up the bass for $180 and wireless rear speakers&nbsp;that deliver true surround sound for $150. Both work well improve the bar's audio capabilities. But if you're choosing between them, I'd recommend the sub. The bar has been rock-solid in my tests but there are some minor trade-offs made in the name of simplicity. For example, there are no buttons on the bar itself, which can be a pain if you lose the remote or need to quickly pair a Bluetooth device. And there's the larger issue of redundancy: Roku streamers are cheap, most new TVs are capably smart and many separate soundbars are better overall values. But if you don't already own a Roku or other streamer and want a soundbar too, the Roku Smart Soundbar makes a slick all-in-one entertainment system that's ideal for older TVs or smaller living areas.  	Design Unlike last year's Roku Wireless Speakers&nbsp;the smart soundbar works with any TV (although pairing it with a Roku TV would be the height of redundancy since both TV and bar have Roku built-in). The design is slick for a sub-$200 soundbar with its rounded ends and seamless plastic construction. It bears a greater similarity to a Bowers and Wilkins Panorama than any of its budget competition. The speaker is relatively compact at 2.8 inches high and 32.2 inches wide, and it includes a cloth-wrapped front with a single operation LED light. Behind that grill the unit incorporates four 2.5 inch full-range drivers. There's no controls or even a power button on the unit itself -- just a Roku logo. Everything is handled by the remote.&nbsp; As someone who misplaces the remote a lot I found the lack of buttons a massive hassle. While there is a remote finder on the Roku Ultra, there isn't one on the soundbar. Yes, you can use Roku's phone app to control the bar in a pinch, but that's not ideal for many people. At the back of the unit is an HDMI ARC&nbsp;port, an optical port and a USB port for playing media files. There are also a couple of wall-mounting screw holes. The Roku includes Bluetooth as well as compatibility with Spotify Connect&nbsp;if you use the Spotify app. Since the bar lacks buttons you'll need to navigate to the Bluetooth tile on the TV to pair your device, although once a device is paired you can stream via Bluetooth with the TV off. The system will decode PCM and Dolby Audio soundtracks -- no fancy immersive codecs like Dolby Atmos here. The Roku system includes 4K video and support for&nbsp;HDR10, which means that apps like Netflix and Vudu will look great on a 4K HDR TV. &nbsp; If you're familiar with Roku TVs you'll know that the interface offers all of the inputs at the top and they helpfully display the device each port is connected to. The Roku Smart Soundbar, on the other hand, doesn't offer input switching. The idea is you connect the bar to the TV via HDMI and then connect everything to your TV.&nbsp; It's not possible to switch manually to the optical audio input, and optical will only work if there's nothing plugged in the HDMI port. Roku says the optical port is provided for TVs that lack ARC support via HDMI. The Roku comes with the company's familiar voice remote. It lets you search with your voice by hitting a button in the middle of the wand, as well as offering volume controls on the side. It's a fun little clicker. If you want to use Roku's headphone feature to listen without disturbing others, using the Roku app is the only option because some Roku streamers, the bar's remote doesn't have a headphone jack. For more bass the company offers a $179 Wireless Subwoofer as a complement. It's a sizable unit for the money, too, at 12 inches cubed, and it incorporates a 10-inch driver. To disable the sub while it's connected -- say, if the neighbors complain during a loud movie -- you can hit the "Bass Off" setting in the sound settings menu, accessible via the asterisk key. In February the company added the ability to pair a couple of&nbsp;RokuTV Wireless Speakers with the system to use as rears, or you could use the $149 Onn Roku Wireless Surround Speakers, exclusive to Walmart.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Setup of the soundbar was easy and much simpler than the competing Yamaha YAS-109, which needed a specific app (from a dozen Yamaha apps) to work at all. In comparison, the Roku steps you through every step of the process and I was ready to go in minutes.&nbsp; Adding the Roku TV Wireless Speakers took a little bit longer -- I had to plug and unplug them from the power a few times before they registered. After they were connected I did have a slight issue with lip synch that I needed to fix via the M series Vizio TV (there's are no sync controls on the unit).  	How does it perform? Video quality was fine and identical to other Roku units I've tested recently, such as the Streaming Stick Plus, and I didn't notice the extended loading times I've seen at home on my older-gen Roku Ultra. My test Vizio 4K TV was able to glean and display the HDR information the soundbar was sending from The Mandalorian on Disney Plus.&nbsp; The sub-less Roku doesn't offer much in the way of home cinema slam, but it has a convincing amount of clarity and pop with both music and movies. There is some bass weight in there for the music, but you may want to experiment with the controls nestled in the menus depending on the content. For example, I found the bass was a little overpowering for our test track Red Right Hand by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. The song sounded much better with the Reduced Bass setting enabled. I compared the sound against the Yamaha YAS-109 and found that the Yamaha made the song bigger and more majestic sounding, with still discernible bass. Yet no matter which sound mode I chose on the Yamaha, the song's stabby organ chords sounded too harsh and difficult to listen to. Going back to the Roku I found the organ sounded much more, er, organic and integrated within the song. The Roku doesn't go all that loud, but least it doesn't distort at maximum volume. It was still perfectly audible within the CNET's compact testing room, however, and I found the dialog at the start Avatar's Thanator chase scene admirably clear. There wasn't as much of the jungle's ambient buzzing, however, and neither was there any thump when the shell trees collapsed. There were glimpses of ambience on certain sounds, but it wasn't as involving when the action ramped up: I felt a lack of danger or dynamics as the Thanator was attacking.&nbsp; The Yamaha's dialog wasn't as clear -- Dr. Grace Augustine's voice sounded a bit more chesty -- but the jungle came to life: Bugs appeared from on high and the noises of the pachyderm thing that charges Jake reverberated around the room. The Yamaha offered more of a thump with the shell trees resulting in more drama, more dynamic range and more bass. I also compared the Roku to my favorite budget soundbar, the Vizio SB3621. It has the unfair advantage of a subwoofer and made its prowess with the content clear. The jungle came alive, as it had before with the Yamaha, and the Vizio's sub made my chair move in a way the sub-less Roku simply couldn't. I needed to add the Roku sub for better punch, but it makes the product twice the price. It's worth considering the sub though, as it makes it an even better system. Lastly, I tried the soundbar with the Roku TV, and quickly found that while there's different sound modes -- movies and TV, music and surround only -- there's no way to control the volume of the surrounds. As a result I needed to experiment with placement, as the suggested setup in the picture above made the satellites too loud. The best surrounds are the ones you need to concentrate on to hear, and I found that about 3 foot away sounded good.&nbsp; While I found the the speakers and the sound bar were in sync they were both slightly out of sync with the TV but with a bit of adjusting the sound was acceptable. It did add a lot of ambience to movies, but was it worth the $150-$200 upgrade? No. Not in the same way that the subwoofer is. Get that first.  	Should you buy it? What do you want a soundbar for? Is it to play from your existing sources? Get the Yamaha YAS-109. If you're starting from scratch or just want to keep the number of devices to a minimum, however, the Roku is a fine choice. As good as the Roku sounds, it's outclassed for home theater by the Vizio SB3612, and so if you're not fussed about the streamer aspect, or having HDMI, the Vizio is a cheaper, better option. While its streaming is redundant for people who already have a Roku or other streamer in their system, the smart soundbar brings a wealth of content and enjoyable sound quality to older TVs for not very much money. 

https://cnetvideo.cbsistatic.com/vr/2019/09/04/1597420611684/FLRoku_soundbar_89897_740.mp4

The Roku Smart Soundbar is a set-and-forget soundbar-slash-streamer which offers ease of use and engaging sound in a single bar design.

The new speaker builds in a 4K HDR Roku streamer, and there’s an optional sub too.