Hello There! Let‘s Discuss Roku‘s Impressive New Smart Soundbar

Thanks for reading my review focused on whether Roku hits the mark with their recent foray into premium audio for home theaters. As we cut cables and shift towards streaming-centric entertainment, sound quality lags as an afterthought.

But Roku aims to change that with their brilliant new Roku Smart Soundbar launched in 2019. It packs excellent speaker drivers and Dolby audio tuning into a compact soundbar doubling as a 4K streaming hub.

But does this all-in-one audio upgrade make sense for enhancing modern home theaters on a budget?

In this hands-on review, I‘ll analyze if Roku‘s soundbar merits its reasonable $179 price given the performance and features achieved. We‘ll compare specs to popular soundbars like Sonos‘ Beam, along with key advantages or limitations versus alternatives.

After getting hands-on time with this impressive listening device, I‘m excited to share my insights to help determine if it‘s a smart purchase for your home.

Overview: Roku Smart Soundbar Goals & Capabilities

Televisions keep getting slimmer bezels and thicker spec sheets boasting 4K capabilities, HDR, and slick smart platforms. But despite crisp ultra HD image quality, their built-in speakers often leave us lacking.

This is where soundbars come to save the day! They easily mount below TVs to achieve audio quality leapfrogging those thin on-board drivers. Plus they maintain a compact footprint keeping your space neat and organized without surround speakers cluttering up the room.

Roku‘s Smart Soundbar aims higher by packing excellent acoustics and streaming functionality into one bar. Measuring just 32-inches wide and under 3-inches tall, it fits perfectly in front of 49 to 55-inch television displays.

Four built-in mid-woofers flank left, center, and right channels powered by finely tuned drivers and Dolby Audio signal processing. Factor in Roku‘s refined interface granting access to all your favorite streaming apps, and this soundbar shapes up as a promising single-box entertainment upgrade.

But marketing language only reveals part of the story. Let‘s examine precisely what you gain from Roku‘s streaming and audio package.

Roku Smart Soundbar Key Specifications

Glancing through these hardware vitals, Roku wisely invested in amplification components and acoustical engineering where it matters. Four mid-woofers handle a wide 150Hz to 20kHz frequency range absent distortion or harshness. And Bluetooth plus HDMI ARC connectivity options please both analog and digital audio sources.

But spec sheets only reveal part of the story. Let‘s explore how these components come together sonically when listening to the Smart Soundbar daily in your living room.

Audio Performance: Raising Sound Bar Quality

Positioned below my 55-inch LG C2 OLED television, the Roku Smart Soundbar instantly elevated audio fidelity over the set‘s anemic on-board speakers.

Music streamed through its drivers sounded expansive and full-bodied. Treble tones shimmered with detail lending acoustic guitars and cymbals realistic texture. Meanwhile, midrange clarity put vocals front-and-center so lyrics remained easily discernable mixed against intricate instrument arrangements.

Program content like streaming television shows or Blu-Ray movie playback gained palpable spatial separation. Audio localized precisely left, right, and center corresponding to on-screen actions. While busier sound mixes that overwhelmed my TV speakers remained clean and controlled.

And Roku wisely tunes this soundbar to emphasize all-important vocal reproduction. Dialogue consistently cut through the mix with clarity. I never struggled catching every line, minimizing subtitle reliance simply to decipher mumbled lines.

So for the investment, the Roku Smart Soundbar punches above its weight delivering audio performance rivaling more expensive sound platforms.

Let‘s examine what acoustic innovations hide behind its perforated metal speaker grille…

Acoustic Design: Achieving Fuller Sound

Visually, Roku‘s soundbar cuts an understated profile with rounded corners and a slim rectangular chassis. But the clever audio hardware inside deserves attention for achieving such an immersive listening experience.

Multi-Driver Array

Carefully positioned left, center, right, and surround channel speakers point sound outward towards the central listening position. This allows audio imaging to feel wider than the hardware itself. Voices localize from the center while effects pan smoothly across front channels.

Dolby Audio Processing

Like their streaming devices, Roku collaborated with Dolby technologies to finetune the Smart Soundbar‘s frequency and volume response. This gives audio outstanding clarity free from distortion even blasting movies at higher levels.

Dialogue Enhancement

Through digital signal processing (DSP), Roku boosts midrange frequencies essential for understanding human speech. This way dialogue never becomes drowned out when soundtrack mix levels intensify.

Surround Expansion

While physically limited to front-firing drivers, immersive listening modes widen the soundstage beyond left, center, and right channels. This envelops viewers with an arena-sized environment making films more engrossing.

Bass Adjustment

Not every room sounds identical, so users can tweak low-end levels to taste preventing thin or boomy bass reproduction. I found +3 decibels perfect for my space.

While compact, Roku squeezes impressive acoustic technology into the Smart Soundbar without driving costs astronomically high. Even lacking a separate subwoofer, its 32-inch wide cabinet delivers a full-bodied, room-filling listening experience.

Connectivity & Setup: Plug, Play, and Start Streaming!

Relegating soundbars to strictly dialogue augmentation roles underserves their capabilities. Roku acknowledges we expect streaming access from everything attached to our televisions these days.

That‘s why the Roku Smart Soundbar pulls double duty as a capable 4K HDR streaming hub. Out of the box, it felt instantly familiar to use navigating the same interface popularized on their streaming sticks and smart TV platforms.

Upon powering on, you‘re greeted by an intuitive tile-based home screen with apps like Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Max, and literally thousands more available from their channel store.

Scrolling sideways reveals clever content rows with personalized watch suggestions and options for casual games, fitness programs, music playlists, and podcast episodes. This makes it easy discovering fresh entertainment picks without juggling multiple apps.

And favoriting preferred streaming services pushes their icons front-and-center on your home page rather than digging through an endless app grid.

Setup was similarly painless courtesy HDMI ARC support. Using one slim cable, I linked the soundbar to my television granting seamless control and immediate audio enhancement:

1. Connect the included HDMI cable from the soundbar‘s HDMI ARC input to the HDMI ARC port on your TV. This single wire handles both video and audio signals.

2. Link your existing streaming device and disc players to remaining HDMI inputs if desired. This lets you continue enjoying those sources now with amplified sound.

3. Sync the included Roku remote with the soundbar to easily adjust volume, launch streaming apps, switch inputs, etc. No juggling multiple controllers!

And that‘s it! Within minutes, I was streaming 4K films from Netflix integrating seamlessly with my LG television. No advanced A/V receiver. No confusing speaker wire runs to surround satellite speakers. Just brilliant amplified audio from a compact one-box upgrade.

Streaming device die-hards can actually hide Roku sticks and boxes entirely after adding this soundbar. Its built-in platform grants equivalent access to all the same apps while reducing input switching and remote juggling.

Based on the overwhelmingly positive online reviews, I‘m not alone in praising Roku‘s straightforward setup. And should questions arise, Roku rightfully earned praise for their helpful customer service.

Smart Features: The Icing on the Cake

With excellent acoustics and expansive streaming access covered, Roku piles on additional smart features cementing this device‘s value at just $179.

Let‘s explore clever convenient capabilities elevating it beyond a basic Bluetooth soundbar:

Multi-Room Audio
Send synchronized audio from the living room to wireless surround speakers placed elsewhere in your home. Everything plays perfectly in sync for immersive whole-home listening experiences.

Wireless Subwoofer Ready
Add Roku‘s wireless subwoofer accessory to supplement bass without running pesky speaker wires across floors. I added their sub and was thoroughly impressed by the chest-thumping low-end achieved.

Voice Assistant Compatibility 

Control playback, search shows, launch apps and more hands-free. Use wake words to activate either Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant depending on ecosystem preference.

Automatic Updates
Regular software updates add new features and maintain compatibility with the latest streaming apps and services. Set it and forget!

Energy Efficient
Clever circuitry and components reduce power consumption compared to standalone players/receivers. Saves electricity and your wallet long term.

For under $200, Roku packs incredible functionality into the Smart Soundbar without adopting an excessively complex or confusing design. It feels welcoming for users of all technical skill levels.

And conveniences like multi-room audio and voice control grant helpful smart home integrations that gradually expand its utility over time.

Soundbar Alternatives: How Does Roku Compare?

Roku made an impressively well-rounded entrance into streaming audio with this package. But savvy shoppers should still compare specs and capabilities to popular competitors.

Models from brands like Sonos, Vizio, and Yamaha pose stiff competition. Let‘s see how Roku‘s Smart Soundbar stacks up to its biggest rival — the Sonos Beam Gen 2.

‡ Passive Radiators Not Counted

• Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music Only

Facing off spec-for-spec, the Roku Smart Soundbar impressively holds its own for hundreds less. Sure, audiophiles seeking more premium components may still prefer Sonos. But for budget-conscious buyers, Roku matches must-have functionality at a much more appealing price point.

And they wisely avoid some pain points like restricting streaming access. Owners aren‘t boxed into proprietary ecosystems. This introduces helpful future-proofing while providing broader app support.

Owners Impressed by Roku‘s Debut Soundbar

Beyond my firsthand testing notes, it‘s helpful glancing at feedback from other real-world owners using this sound platform daily:

"Big upgrade from just using my smart TV speaker…clearer dialogue plus more surround effect." – Chase M.

"We cut cable completely thanks to all our favorite apps now built right into the soundbar." – Miranda D.

"Music sounds richer with better bass response from Spotify streaming through it." Emily R.

"Easy setup plugging just an HDMI cable without needing an A/V receiver." – Brian F.

Negative feedback proved fairly scarce during my research. A few people struggled wrestling their television‘s ARC connection to initially handshake. But a firmware update or factory reset typically resolved hiccups. Beyond that, only a desire for finer multi-channel tuning adjustments received criticism.

Otherwise for under $200, this newcomer soundbar impresses owners with the full-bodied stereo imaging achieved from its angled driver array plus built-in streaming‘s convenience perk.

Final Verdict: Whole Package Home Theater Value

If seeking a plug-and-play audio upgrade with excellent streaming functionality baked right in, the Roku Smart Soundbar absolutely warrants your consideration.

Roku Smart Soundbar: 4.5 / 5 Stars

For the investment, no rival model packs equivalent acoustic performance plus Roku‘s polished streaming platform. Everything operates through one intuitive interface rather than juggling multiple remotes.

Factor in helpful voice control and wireless expansion potential down the road, and Roku overdelivers on both features and performance at this reasonable price point.

Of course, alternatives like the Sonos Beam produce marginally more refined sound reconstruction, especially for true surround decoding. But you‘d spend over twice as much money while needing an extra streaming gadget.

If balanced budgets and neat clutter-free setups rank high on priority lists, the Roku Smart Soundbar strikes sublime middle ground. Owners praise its clear dialogue reproduction plus convenience having 4K streaming built right in.

Given the value gained by improving both sound and streaming in one compact package, I happily award Roku‘s Smart Soundbar my hearty recommendation. Enjoy the entertainment upgrades!

Let Me Know Your Thoughts Below!