Roku Streambar & Smart Soundbar Comparison
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.ค. 2024
- Does the sound on your TV suck? Want to make it louder or just sound better? Well you probably know that a soundbar is one option that can help with this problem. If you know anything about Roku you know they make some of the best video streaming players you can buy. In fact we have Roku devices connected to every TV in our house. Recently Roku released two new streaming devices that also happen to offer upgraded audio for your big screen, flat panel TV. I love how amazing looking and affordable TV's have become but as TV's have gotten bigger and thinner one thing that has suffered is the sound they output. Many of the nicest televisions on the market have some of the worst sounding audio money can buy. The solution to this? The Soundbar. Soundbars can get much louder than a TV's built in speakers and offer a much fuller audio experience and Roku has two soundbars that aim to not only give you better sound but can stream online video too. Now I know what you're thinking; Roku makes streaming video players not audio equipment! Are their soundbars any good? What's the audio like? And how are the Streambar and Smart Soundbar as streaming devices? In this video I not only take a look at the Streambar and Smart Soundbar but compare their audio to a Samsung QLED TV's built-in speakers and to a stand alone Samsung soundbar (HW-S40T). We'll also take a look at what all comes with the soundbars in the box (all their accessories), how to connect them to your TV, what the initial setup is like and how they perform compared to other Roku streaming devices. If you're in the market for a soundbar for your TV and could use a nice online video streaming device then taking a look at what Roku has to offer just may be worth your time.
Like my videos? Want to help support the channel? Leave a comment, click the "Like" button, subscribe and share my videos with your friends. You can also purchase items I feature in my videos by shopping at my Amazon store here -
United States - www.amazon.com/shop/maraksot78
United Kingdom - www.amazon.co.uk/shop/maraksot78
Canada - www.amazon.ca/shop/maraksot78
Wanna skip to a particular part of the video? Use the Time Stamps. :)
Time stamps
0:00 - intro
1:08 - introducing the Roku Streambar & Smart Soundbar
1:55 - Roku Streambar dimensions
2:24 - here's what our TV speakers sound like
3:02 - here's what the Roku Streambar sounds like
3:56 - comparing our TV speakers to the Roku Streambar
4:27 - Roku Smart Soundbar dimensions
5:25 - here's what the Roku Smart Soundbar sounds like
6:03 - comparing our TV speakers to the Roku Smart Soundbar
6:46 - comparing the Roku Streambar to the Roku Smart Soundbar
8:12 - How do these Roku soundbars compare to a stand alone soundbar?
9:44 - comparing the Roku Smart Soundbar to the Samsung HW-S40T
12:05 - what accessories come in the box?
12:36 - how to connect the Roku Streambar or Smart Soundbar with your TV
13:39 - setting up the Roku Streambar or Smart Soundbar for the first time
15:12 - what is the performance of the Streambar and Smart Soundbar like?
16:21 - both the Streambar and Smart Soundbar support bluetooth
16:36 - the Roku Voice remote
17:12 - cast your iOS or Android device to the Roku
17:37 - my final thoughts
18:14 - Thanks for watching! Like, Share, Comment & Subscribe! :)
Music in this video - "Apolllo" by Patrick Patrikios from the TH-cam Creator Studio Music Library
#Roku, #Streambar, #SmartSoundbar, #Soundbar, #improveyouraudio - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
Wanna skip to a particular part of the video? Use the Time Stamps. :)
Time stamps
0:00 - intro
1:08 - introducing the Roku Streambar & Smart Soundbar
1:55 - Roku Streambar dimensions
2:24 - here's what our TV speakers sound like
3:02 - here's what the Roku Streambar sounds like
3:56 - comparing our TV speakers to the Roku Streambar
4:27 - Roku Smart Soundbar dimensions
5:25 - here's what the Roku Smart Soundbar sounds like
6:03 - comparing our TV speakers to the Roku Smart Soundbar
6:46 - comparing the Roku Streambar to the Roku Smart Soundbar
8:12 - How do these Roku soundbars compare to a stand alone soundbar?
9:44 - comparing the Roku Smart Soundbar to the Samsung HW-S40T
12:05 - what accessories come in the box?
12:36 - how to connect the Roku Streambar or Smart Soundbar with your TV
13:39 - setting up the Roku Streambar or Smart Soundbar for the first time
15:12 - what is the performance of the Streambar and Smart Soundbar like?
16:21 - both the Streambar and Smart Soundbar support bluetooth
16:36 - the Roku Voice remote
17:12 - cast your iOS or Android device to the Roku
17:37 - my final thoughts
18:14 - Thanks for watching! Like, Share, Comment & Subscribe! :)
Can we please give him some credit on covering almost every way he could compare the audio for us. Truly amazing! Ty so much. Thinking of buying one of them this year for my Roku tv.
This video is absolutely genius! Thank you for taking the time to break these down, especially in the manner you did! Gotta love TH-cam!
I "like" "shared" and "subbed"
..again- Thank you, this was so perfect!
You're welcome. Thanks for checking out the video. I'm always happy to hear when a video teaches someone something new or provides them the information they're looking for. :)
Congrats on your 30k subs milestone. Love from Philippines
Thanks so much!! or should I say maraming salamat po! The only problem is I don't know Tagalog... but I do know Bisaya so I'll say daghan man gayud salamat bay. :)
@@Maraksot78 Hahaha bisaya sad ko bay, that's nice knowing you know bisaya. Continue making more contents :)
Great informative video. I already have the StreamBar and managed to get it for £100. The Smart Soundbar is not available in the UK, but I would definitely recommend the StreamBar. I got it to replace my bedrooms TV's rubbish audio quality and am very happy with the results. A great feature with it, is via the app you can use your speakers to listen to the audio or just play it through your mobile (god knows why you would want worse audio though lol). I use that a lot when the wife is asleep ;)
I think rerouting Roku audio output to certain Roku remote types (like the remote included with the Roku Ultra) or the mobile app does work for what you mentioned, private listening without disturbing others.
This was a fantastic ROKU comparison. Exactly what I was looking for! ROKU prices go up and down depending on their whims I guess. Last month the ROKU Streambar Pro was $149.99. Today it's $179.99. A few months ago it was $149.99. When I finally found online CHAT with ROKU they said they sometimes offer discounts during "festivals..." They offered no coupon or discount when I just outright asked for it. (no surprise there, ROKU has never been a customer service first company.) So I guess I'll just have to wait to save $30 ! I did not see the Smart Soundbar that you talk about here on their site. But the Streambar Pro remote has the headphones feature (like the ROKU Ultra includes) and so for that I would wait for the PRO price to come down.
Thanks for
doing this comparison ...much appreciated
Thanks for all the info.
I'm currently using the smart soundbar,rear surround speakers and subwoofer. An amazing experience for the price.
can you use ps5 and other stuff with it ? or only works with roku products?
@@depecheddurand I have the sound bar,speakers and sub connected to my Samsung TV
Great job Maraksot! 👍🏼
Great review! Just got my sound bar off Amazon 👍🏿
I own a stream bar and it's a subwoofer. At times not sure the sub is a major leg up but I do enjoy the system and being in a space that I cannot have way too much volume it was a huge upgrade.
You are being kind. I have the soundbar and subwoofer. The sub, while it looks big and beefy, falls flat in all respects. The soundbar is mediocre as well. I guess I can't expect too much for $150 for each (on sale).
Great review!
hello, great video. do either of thise 2 roku products have a center channel for louder voice/dialoge? if so, thats the one i need.
Hey, great video, I have had a soundbar for a while now and it's been good! However, I want to know if I can use this soundbar with my PC as a speaker. I have not had luck trying to connect it through HDMI or a Digital audio port. Roku customer service was also completely unhelpful and couldn't answer my question. Just wanted to know if you could figure out a way to do it!
Do they work with Roku tv , the remote wants to run both operation system at the same time
Thanks
Looking at the Streambar for travel to AirBnB locations. Most places only have a TV and they are hard to hear.
Thanks.
I purchased the smart sound bar along with the TLC 65S4 TV with Roku in it. Is there NT any advantage of buying both. Should I have two different accounts, can I preview new channels twice
Thank you for all your info! Question... I have installed the Roku Streambar on my Roku TV.
In settings should I turn off TV speakers or leave on? I want to maximize sound. Thanks!
That's interesting you're able to have both the TV and Streambar speakers on at the same time. The couple TV's I tested with only allow one or the other as far as I can tell. If I were you I would try watching/listening to some different TV shows and movies with just the Streambar on and then toggle the TV speakers on and off and see what sounds the best to you.
I just ordered a Streambar based on this review and all the helpful copmments. My current Streaming Stick+ suffers from the overheating problem. Has anyone here had any overheating issues with the Roku Soundbar?
The Roku Streambar excels with its dynamic range control options, particularly the Night Mode setting. It enhances the gaming experience on my PS5, making dialogue clearer and immersing me in games like RD2. For movies, it handles loud explosions, gunshots, and music transitions seamlessly, thanks to Roku OS's superior audio engineering via HDMI ARC.
Love my Roku stream bar. I usually have to have the voice setting on over bass boost though to really hear voices much clearer so that kind of sucks
You forget to mention you can add the satellite and bass speakers... 👍👍
I have a streambar i'd recommend it for a bedroom, it sounds amazing in my bedroom
IF sound bar dont comes with Subwoofer , i dont even look at it!
@@SFBenjaminK To each of their own. I prefer a soundbar with a separate subwoofer, but for the bedroom I like a balance.
@@wturner777
U know if i don't get speakers all around me like regular surround sound system, thats not "surround sound" or sound bar whatever call it to me with subwoofer or not better off just dont buy one..i end up buying 5.1/Dolby vision surround sound system package for living room & bedroom cost me under $400 each with all speakers & whole 9 yard, u can find good deals like that In Amazon like Onkyo... sound bar is just a Gimmick, everything is packed up in one box IN front the TV , is NOT surround sound u getting , Not believe or buying that B.S
You should mention the Amazon affiliate link right at the beginning - by the time I got to the end of the video I had already placed my order! I cancelled it and ordered again through your link though. Thanks for the good comparison.
Thanks for the suggestion. It's one of those things I've had my own internal debate about for sure. I feel if I put it at the beginning I may come across as being pushy or sounding desperate but at the same time by the end many people are either no longer watching or have already bought the product on their own. 😅 Anyway, I've just decided to let come what may for now. I may take another look at ideas for letting people know about my Amazon store earlier on. Thanks again for the suggestion and for the Amazon support. I really appreciate it. Best wishes to you and yours. And I hope you enjoy your new soundbar. 😀
Is there any difference between the Roku Smart Soundbar and the Roku streambar pro?
I'm looking for a bit of a bass boost for my 24 inch Panasonic bedroom TV, I don't need theatre quality surround sound or anything, and don't want to disturb my neighbours with blasting volume (even though they are a holes I don't get on with lol). I think the streambar might be a good option.
So which one is better? The smart soundbar or streambar?
Question: Does the soundbar only work when streaming roku? I have satellite tv as well as a DVD player that i need to use the soundbar... i've been unable to get Roku to answer my question...
if i connect a dvd player to the tv, does the sound come through the roku soundbar or streambar?
Disappointed that the response is not up to par with the ultra. That is really our hang up with our older Roku. I might still get the soundbar pro though. We may upgrade our TV later and move that to one of our non smart TV's.
Just a heads up BestBuy on chat offered me a discount on the ROKU Streambar Pro. Not the whole sale price but $22.02. off. Pretty nice and free shipping. I guess you just gotta ask!
Just a quick note for your next video. The repeating sub and like comments should only be made once at the end. AUDIO - all of the different audio comparisons must be made back to back without any of your vocals. The mind can only compare sounds accurately when made within about 20 seconds of one another (approximately) so they must be back to back and then repeated again. Otherwise we can't get the real feel. You can Google more on this.
My thoughts exactly. Remind me not to watch this guy's videos again.
Hi. Which one has more crisp dialogue?
Sound bars start on fire.
Do I have to have internet to use this? I just want the sound bar and speakers to work I don't need the Roku streaming
We have the Roku 5.1 system. Great sound and user experience for the price! I'm crying on the inside though ever since I learned about "butt kickers"... there is currently NO WAY to integrate anything from outside of their ecosystem. Yes, the 11.5 upgrade now supports Bluetooth output, but it is still limited since you cannot simultaneously play on the paired bluetooth device AND the 5.1 speakers... so sad!
Yea, but I need Louder as my tcl tv is to low even at 100. Does it go loud
I'm really looking for this info but can't deal with the sing song, in character presentation you have. Sorry guy, just me. But so much of this, I just can't take it. Glad ppl are luvin it, you've done your homework. Best to ya.
Maybe dial it back, please!
No worries man. I get it. We all have our own style and preferences and some people resonate with us individually and others don't. Hope you find the info you're looking for. Cheers. :)
Do you get the larger sound bar and the remote???? Like in the smaller bar. I also have a Roku tv.
Yes. At 12:06 when I show what all comes in the box with the Stream Bar I address this question.
Just got the Roku Sounbar but can’t use headphones with it? Want this feature to listen so others won’t be bothered. Any advice?
The Roku app has the option to listen to audio through Bluetooth headphones if you use your phone as the remote
The TV i want to use this on does not have an ARC HDMI port and does not have an optical out connection. Will this work still?
It will work for anything you're streaming on the sound bar but any over the air content or stuff playing on a DVD/blu-ray player or game console won't be able to play the sound on the sound bar. Perhaps there's an adapter of some kind out there that may help you get around this though?
I have one, you need HDMI-ARC or optical on your tv or stereo. It will not work.
I have a TCL TV with built in Roku. The Roku soundbars have built in Roku also, which I don't need. Should I still get a Roku soundbar?
In your situation, if you're happy with the performance of the Roku built in to your TV I'd just go with a regular stand alone sound bar.
Actually i was ROKU user for many years, till last NOV , since i am Google/android user , bought the NEW Chromecast TV & LOVIN IT ..just like U i rapped up all my ROKU ultras & replaced them with CHROMCAST TV ...comes with Remote 2, but i like the feathers what Chromecast TV offer , not same old feathers & interface Roku have for decades ROKU is boring & blah same ole same ole over & over ...about Surround sound thing ..i have around sound system & all over speakers for my 3 TVS ..not worry about that part! basically if u over 50yo would love ROKU like my Grandparents lol
He said he likes Roku a lot, but has Apple TV lol
Question
You really just gonna spam the subscribe to my video pitch. Thumbs down
Roku is the only device that does not have an off switch!
I paid 150 dollars for the tcl alto 8i with dolby atmos
Its back to 149.99 on Amazon.
So if one has a Roku ultra and wants better sound- buy just a regular (non-roku) soundbar?
Yah, that would be my recommendation. :)
The roku tv's built in speakers are pretty darn good, best tv speakers i've heard. Of course they dont beat a sound bar, but If you aren't interested in theatre sound then the built-in speakers are good enough.
My LG tv was like listening to a small transistor radio, so a sound bar was a necessity.
The Roku tv sound sucks. I'm going to call them and. Ask about the lg sound bar and remote.
They all sound the same to me
Does the streambar help improve audio in video games?
I have the soundbar and sub. Save your money and get a regular soundbar/sub combo for half the price, and it will sound twice as good as this one.
Pero cuál sería esa soundbar? Xq cuestan mucho más
Además la barra Roku es mejorarble. El resto no :/
Should’ve played inside out
I was in luv with it, trouble is it only lasted 3 months, so disappointed
So I own a roku tv..... is the setup process still similar?
I don't know... but I imagine it's the same.
dont get either of these if you have a roku tv.. get the tcl roku alto r1 wireless, plug it in to the wall. all set.
2:24 - 6:03 Movie dialogue too short. :(
I just purchased the streambar and the audio is not right I don't understand it should be much louder than my TV but it seems much lower
i have a samsung curved LED...and the audio coming from it is very nice and has decent bass for tv speakers. you can see under the panel it has ports for the speakers and that samsung in the video sounds decent too.....with all that being said i do have a yamaha soundbar and also an AV analog receiver from the 90s that weighs 40lbs+ and only decodes dts and dolby digital. also have 4 subwoofers. :)
Well - what sound system you set up for your mother's TV? The Soundbar or Streambar?
In the end she decided to keep the Samsung sound bar. She already had an Apple TV connected to her TV and likes how easily it integrates with her iPhone so we felt there was no reason for her switch to the Roku.
Why does it sound like you're yelling over something
could not hear a diff.
Streambar Pro beats them both.
I would find it more informative if you would quit enterupting with your own commercial every 30 seconds. How can we compare the sound differences with your enteruptions? I am not even going to finish watching this video.
I own the Roku soundbar and subwoofer. Not impressed with any facet of it. The remote that comes with it is cheap quality compared to the Roku Ultra remote. Buttons are like crap and have to be pressed more than once to work. Soundbar looks nice, but has mediocre sound. Ok for dialogue. Not good for music. Apple Airplay doesn't work with anything other than the Roku app. Bluetooth works fine, but sound quality is not as good as Airplay. Doesn't have wired ethernet like the Ultra (was going to use this in my garage, but wifi doesn't reach that far). ZERO sound quality settings like a basic high/mid/low equalizer, and no subwoofer volume level control. The only thing it has is a cheesy dialogue enhancement feature, and more/less/no bass option. Pretty useless. They obviously designed this item for the technically challenged. No power button, no input selector, no real audio controls. It works just like a regular Roku player, but as a speaker. For the subwoofer, build quality appears good, but the design is totally flawed. The driver is pointing down at the floor, so if you have carpet, you lose all your crispness (if it had any) and half your volume. They should have included a passive radiator as well. No controls on the sub at all. No level control, no power switch....nothing. Plug it into the outlet and pair it in the bluetooth settings of your Roku soundbar. That's it. I would highly recommend NOT getting this, and go with a regular soundbar instead - especially if you don't need a Roku player, or have other items you want to play audio through it. Do not get it for music.
So is the Ultra the best remote?
Dunno, through my monitors built-in speakers all three sounded kinda the same - tiny and unpleasant. Shame on you, Roku!
Good video but wayyyyyy too long
? no thanks
I like jbl better
How many times are you going to ask me to like and subscribe?
Don’t need 20 minutes to describe two sound bars and choice.
The steambar sucks. We returned our Roku TV and just got a regular smart Tv with a Roku thumb drive. That way we could Bluetooth our JBL speaker to the TV instead of having to buy new speakers.