![]() ![]() MORE: How to Use Roku - Tips, Tricks and SolutionsĪll three features work well, and activating and deactivating them is as simple as hitting a menu button. Speech Clarity puts dialogue first and foremost, to the detriment of anything else, which is useful in an hourlong drama but perhaps not the best choice for an action movie. Night Mode emphasizes dialogue and quieter sound effects while limiting the boom of explosions, gunshots and anything else that could wake up nearby sleepers. This could prevent an errant commercial from blasting through your home after a nice, quiet scene in a drama, for example. Volume Leveling limits the high and low range of sounds. Like the Roku Wireless Speakers, this smart soundbar lets you activate Volume Leveling, Night Mode and Speech Clarity. For shows like this, I enjoyed toying around with the soundbar's various soundscape options. ![]() The soundbar performed similarly well for sitcoms like BoJack Horseman, where bass is not quite as important and dialogue clarity is everything. ![]() ![]() If your roommate or spouse doesn't mind listening to your game, this soundbar is a worthy alternative to a gaming headset. I was pleased to find that the soundbar did a good job carrying the roar of spaceship engines and pulsing gunshots, along with the myriad colorful conversations. I also gave the Roku Smart Soundbar a shot with video games, like The Outer Worlds on PS4. The starship battle scenes boomed and crackled at all the appropriate moments, although I sometimes had to turn the volume up a little louder than I liked to catch all the dialogue during big, heated action scenes. While watching Star Trek: Nemesis, I could hear the gentle hum of the Enterprise's engines during quiet scenes and the clear voices of the characters. You'll also have a few customization options at your disposal, although you won't be able to toy with EQ or any other true audiophile features.įirst and foremost, the Roku Smart Soundbar gave me much better bass than either my living room or bedroom TV (an old Samsung 1080p model and the aforementioned Sony, respectively). The soundscape feels balanced, and the device can get quite loud. As such, you can expect it to provide better sound than your TV's built-in speakers but not the kind of audio you'd expect from a premium Samsung or Yamaha model. The Roku Smart Soundbar is on the cheaper end of the soundbar spectrum. Tom's Guide has not tested the subwoofer yet but will have a full review coming soon. The soundbar is also compatible with the Roku Wireless Subwoofer ($180, although you can buy the soundbar and the subwoofer together for $330 and save $30 overall). One big advantage to note here is that while the Roku Wireless Speakers worked with only Roku TVs, the Roku Smart Soundbar should work with just about any TV produced in the last 10 years. (If you have a very old or very cheap TV that lacks both HDMI ARC and optical audio, do not buy the Roku Smart Soundbar you will not be able to use it.) The Roku recognizes the optical audio output automatically, although you may have to tweak a menu option on your TV somewhere to channel sound externally. If you have an older TV without HDMI ARC technology, you can connect an (included) optical audio cable as well. You connect the soundbar via HDMI ARC port, then follow the instructions on screen. ![]()
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