I’m a long-time Roku enthusiast, ever since its inception. Roku remains my go-to television OS, powering every TV in my home. For several years now, one of these TVs has been enhanced with the Roku Streambar, an all-in-one soundbar and streaming device that superbly upgrades older TVs with both smarts and superior audio.
Roku, known for its continuous innovation, has recently expanded its lineup with the Streambar Pro. This new soundbar bears resemblance to its predecessor in many aspects, yet stands out with a larger size and significantly more powerful performance.
Design
At first glance, you’d think the Streambar Pro is just another soundbar. I think that’s a good thing. The way that Roku has made this look like it belongs under your television is not a negative. It’s simply a speaker box containing four 2.5-inch drivers wrapped in a soft gray fabric casing.
Internally is where the Roku magic really happens. Having essentially a Roku Ultra stored inside a soundbar makes the Streambar Pro unique and a great addition to the home entertainment setup for a TV that needs an upgrade. And yes, you get the same with the smaller Streambar, but going from a 14-inch device to a 32-inch soundbar with larger speakers is a huge difference in practice.
The rear of the Roku Streambar Pro holds the ports array. Here you get a USB-A input, optical audio input, HDMI out, a reset button, and the power port for the included adapter. The HDMI supports ARC which allows most modern TVs to pick up inputs without training the remote or software for actions like volume controls and power button.
Performance
I love everything about this new Roku Streambar Pro. The added size and power pump out a more robust, rich watching experience. The whole setup just feels more cinematic. Does it dwarf the original Streambar? No, but it does make for a compelling upgrade, especially if you have a larger room.
Software wise, I’ve covered many times that I’m a huge fan of Roku’s approach to the streaming wars. It’s out of the way home screen and fantastic app support still make it king of the segment in my mind. All the goodies are here with the Streambar Pro.
This includes the top-notch remote Roku smart remote. If you haven’t used one before, it’s not overly busy, has great feel in the hand, and the new version have tow extra numbered buttons for customizing shortcuts to any app.
Lastly, you get a 3.5mm headphone jack on the left side of the remote. This is for private listening. I love this option for users who may be married to a night owl. By clicking in the included headphones, the audio stops playing on the Streambar Pro and channels thru the headphones instead. Want to go wireless with this experience? The remote tab on in the Roku app mimics the same functionality using Bluetooth over your smartphone connection.
Additional speakers
Yep, you can add even more speakers to this setup to expand the Streambar Pro into a full surround sound experience. This includes the Roku Wireless Speakers, Wireless Bass, or Wireless Bass Pro Subwoofers. Being able to extend the functionality with the Streambar Pro is a truly unique option for those that want to build the fully immersive sound of the cinema.
Conclusion
Roku has another banger with the Streambar Pro. Having the outstanding Roku support and software wrapped in a 32-inch soundbar is a hard-matched option for shoppers at $180. While televisions are cheaper than every, they are still a once a decade purchase for most and can be full of compromise. Being able to upgrade an existing TV with much better sound quality and operating system is a fantastic sales pitch.
You can snag your Roku Streambar Pro from our links below from either Roku.com or Amazon. I promise it will live up to the spec sheets.
Purchase the Roku Streambar Pro from Roku
Purchase the Roku Streambar Pro from Amazon
