The Roku Streambar is a budget-level 2.0 setup. This impressively small soundbar allows you to access different streaming platforms like Netflix and Hulu in one place via Roku's media streamer. It can also be upgraded with a separate subwoofer and satellites down the line. However, it really struggles to produce low-bass and has a veiled treble. It also doesn't get very loud and doesn't support Atmos. On the upside, you can wirelessly stream audio via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Its center channel also reproduces dialogue clearly and is well-suited for vocal-centric content.
The Roku Streambar is disappointing for mixed use. Its sound profile really lacks low-bass. It also struggles to get loud and doesn't support Atmos content. Its surrounds performance is bad, as it has to downmix surround content into stereo. However, it can reproduce dialogue clearly. You can also wirelessly stream audio content to the bar using Bluetooth as well as Wi-Fi, and it offers a few EQ presets so that you can tweak the bar to your liking.
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. However, it doesn't get very loud.
The Roku Streambar is subpar for music. It has a very underemphasized bass, which doesn't really make it suitable for thumpy genres like EDM and hip-hop. It also doesn't get very loud and doesn't have a room correction feature. That said, its mid-range is fairly well-balanced, so vocals sound clear. It also has a few EQ presets so you can slightly customize its sound.
The Roku Streambar is poor for movies. It really struggles to reproduce thump and rumble, and it doesn't support Atmos content. Its surrounds performance is also poor, as it downmixes this content into stereo. Luckily, it has a few EQ presets, so you can customize it to your liking.
The Roku Streambar is a 2.0 soundbar from this manufacturer's 2020 lineup. Just like the Roku Smart Soundbar, it offers access to several streaming platforms in one place thanks to Roku's streaming media player. You can also purchase wireless satellite speakers and a subwoofer separately to upgrade your setup. There's a mic built into its remote, so you can control some features using your voice. However, it doesn't come 'Roku TV Ready' so you can't connect it to a Roku TV to use that TV's remote to control the bar. Its main competitors are the Sony HT-S100F, the LG SK1, and the Bose Solo 5.
The Roku Streambar doesn't come with a subwoofer, but you can purchase a Roku Wireless Subwoofer separately.
This setup doesn't have any satellites, but you can buy Roku Wireless Speakers separately.
This setup doesn't come with a subwoofer.
There aren't any satellites in this setup.
The Roku Streambar has a great build quality. Its top and rear sides are made of dense hard plastic, while the front and sides of the bar are wrapped in a tight fabric, so it doesn't feel like it can easily rip. That said, dust and dirt may still collect on the fabric. There's rubber underneath the soundbar, which is a nice touch.
The Roku Streambar's stereo frequency response is disappointing. It really struggles to produce a thumpy low-bass and the treble sounds a bit veiled. That said, it can reproduce vocal-centric content like audiobooks or podcasts clearly.
The Roku Streambar's stereo soundstage is decent. The soundstage is a bit wider than the bar, which is quite impressive for such a small bar, but it doesn't do any tricks to make it sound larger. The soundstage's focus is okay, but sounds seem to accelerate towards the far sides of the bar. That said, the focus is much more consistent towards the center, so objects are perceived as coming from accurate, pinpoint locations.
The Roku Streambar has okay stereo dynamics. It doesn't get as loud as many other soundbars we've tested, and won't be loud enough for a large or crowded room, but that's to be expected of its small size. While it also has a few compression artifacts present at max volume, it shouldn't be too noticeable.
This soundbar has a decent THD performance. There isn't a lot of distortion at normal listening levels, resulting in clean and pure audio reproduction. However, if you push the bar to its max volume, there's a jump in THD. That said, this may not be noticeable with real-life content.
The Roku Streambar has a decent center channel performance. It uses its left and right-firing speakers to mimic a center speaker, which doesn't sound as clear and detailed as a dedicated center speaker. Still, it can reproduce clear and accurate dialogue.
The Roku Streambar has a terrible surrounds performance. It has to downmix this content into stereo to play it, which doesn't sound as immersive as a setup with dedicated satellite speakers. It also doesn't result in a clear representation of objects in the surround image. Its audio reproduction is bass-heavy, and objects are perceived as coming from in front of you rather than from beside or around you.
The Roku Streambar doesn't support Atmos content.
This soundbar has poor sound enhancement features. It offers four EQ presets: 'Normal', 'Reduce Bass', 'Bass Off', and 'Bass Boost'. There's also an auto-volume/night mode as well as a dialogue enhancement feature. However, it lacks room correction.
Update 12/01/2020: Thanks to user feedback, we updated the HDMI Out to 1 (shared). Even though this soundbar doesn't have a Full HDMI In port, it has a Roku source built-in, so you don't need to have an ARC port on your TV to use the streaming features.
This soundbar has a couple of inputs. It doesn't have an HDMI In port, so you won't be able to use this bar as a hub between your TV and devices like a Blu-ray player. If you have an external hard drive or a flash drive, you can play audio from these devices using its USB port.
Update 01/13/2021: We re-evaluated our methodology for ARC support and concluded that DTS and Dolby Digital+ support should be reported the same over an ARC connection as over an HDMI IN and Optical connection, so we updated our results from "Yes" to "No". Some TVs, like the one we initially used for testing, may convert this content, but other TV brands may not. Ultimately, your experience may vary depending on your TV.
The Roku Streambar has mediocre audio support via its ARC port. It supports Dolby Digital content, which is commonly found on Blu-ray discs as well as streaming platforms. However, depending on the TV you use, it may not support DTS or Dolby Digital Plus.
This soundbar doesn't have a Full HDMI In port.
The Roku Streambar has mediocre audio format support via its Optical In port. It can only support Dolby Digital content and can't play DTS content, which is commonly found on Blu-ray discs or streaming platforms.
This soundbar has great wireless playback options. You can wirelessly stream your favorite audio from your mobile device via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. However, you can't connect to the bar using Chromecast built-in or Apple AirPlay.
This soundbar doesn't have an HDMI In port, so it doesn't support 4k passthrough.
This soundbar doesn't come with a subwoofer, but you can purchase one separately.
There aren't any satellites in this setup, but Roku sells these separately.
The Roku Streambar doesn't have a display. Just like the Roku Smart Soundbar, it has a light in the center of the bar. It turns solid red when you've plugged it in and turns green when it's ready. The light also slowly pulses when you're on mute and it turns white for a moment to indicate that you've made a command. Unfortunately, there's no way of knowing its volume level if the TV is off.
This bar doesn't have any standard controls. It only has a reset button on the rear of the bar.
The Roku Streambar comes with a small and simple remote. You can control almost all of the bar's features. However, its companion app gives you access to Private Listening mode, so that you can listen to your TV's audio using headphones connected to your mobile device. The manufacturer also advertises voice control, although we don't currently test for this.
The Roku app controls all of the Roku Streambar's settings. You can turn the bar on/off, adjust volume levels, access channels, cast device files, change EQ presets, and adjust the auto-volume and dialogue enhancement features. There's also a unique feature called Private Listening mode which lets you listen to your TV's audio from headphones that are connected to your phone or tablet.
The Roku Streambar comes in one color: 'Black'. You can see its label here. If you come across a Roku Streambar that's different from our test unit, let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.
The Roku Streambar is a budget-level 2.0 setup from 2020. This small soundbar offers access to several streaming platforms in one place by using Roku's media streamer. You can also expand its setup with satellite speakers and a subwoofer down the line. However, on its own, it offers a disappointing overall performance as it struggles to get loud and produce low-bass. That said, it does a better job of reproducing vocal-centric content. Check out our recommendations for the best small soundbars, the best soundbars under $200, and the best soundbars for dialogue.
The Roku Smart Soundbar is a better 2.0 soundbar than the Roku Streambar. These two soundbars have the same physical inputs as well as sound enhancement features, and they support the same wireless playback options. However, the Smart Soundbar has a significantly better-balanced sound profile and its surround performance is much better, too. It can also get louder, although with more compression artifacts than the Streambar. That said, the Streambar has a better center channel performance.
The Sonos Beam is a significantly better soundbar than the Roku Streambar. The Sonos is a 3.0 setup that's better-balanced and has a better center as well as surrounds performance. It also has more sound enhancement features and can get a lot louder, though with some compression artifacts present. However, the Roku is a 2.0 setup that has a couple more physical inputs. You can also use it to wirelessly stream your favorite audio to the bar using Bluetooth.
The JBL Bar 9.1 is a significantly better soundbar than the Roku Streambar. The JBL is a 5.1.4 setup that has both a wireless subwoofer and satellites. It can produce a deeper bass, its sound profile is better-balanced, and it has room correction. Its center, surrounds, and height performances all perform better as well, and it even has a Full HDMI In port. However, although the Roku is a 2.0 setup, it's smaller and can be upgraded down the line with a separate subwoofer and satellites.
The Bose Solo 5 is a better 2.0 soundbar than the Roku Streambar. The Bose has a significantly better-balanced sound profile and can get a bit louder. Its surround performance is better too and it has an AUX port. However, the Roku is better-built, has an HDMI ARC port, and supports Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. It also has EQ presets.
The Sony HT-S100F is a better 2.0 soundbar than the Roku Streambar. The Sony has a better-balanced sound profile that's capable of reproducing more low-bass. It can get louder with fewer compression artifacts and has a virtual surround feature. It also has a shared HDMI ARC and HDMI Out port. However, the Roku is smaller and better-built. Its surrounds performance is much better too.
The Sonos Arc is a better soundbar for mixed use than the Roku Streambar. The Sonos Arc is a 5.0.2 setup with a better-balanced sound profile. It has a better center, surrounds, and height performance, and it also has room correction. However, while the Roku is a 2.0 setup, it has a few more physical inputs, like a USB port, and you can wirelessly stream audio to the bar using Bluetooth.
The LG SK1 and the Roku Streambar are similarly-matched soundbars, but the LG is better for dialogue and TV shows. The LG has a better-balanced sound profile, and it can get louder with fewer compression artifacts. Its surrounds performance is better, too. However, the Roku offers more sound enhancement features and has an HDMI ARC port as well as a USB port. It can also wirelessly play audio via Wi-Fi.
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