Welp MagazineHave you ever tried to watch a movie in your home cinema, only to find the dialogue’s too muffled for you to hear? Or maybe that big loud action flick just seems underwhelming, as those deep bass explosions don’t land like they should. If you’re a TV and movie aficionado, you might have made the smart choice to invest in a streaming-focused smart TV, or Roku TV. But how do you get the best quality sound possible from your new home cinema? And once you realise that you need a soundbar, how do you know which is the best soundbar for Roku TV?
That’s where we come in! We’ve looked across the market to bring you our top five best brand new soundbars for Roku TV. Our expert picks have all been evaluated based on the factors that matter most to you: sound quality, connection options, design, and overall value for money. So, whether you’re a movie buff, a sports fanatic, or a binge-watching addict, we’ve found you the best soundbar for Roku TV. Let’s get listening!
Product Comparison Table: Best Soundbar for Roku TV
| Title | Price | Rating (Amazon) | Best in class | Buy | |
 | Bose Soundbar 500 | $$$ | 4.5 stars | Best Voice Control | Amazon |
 | JBL Bar 9.1 | $$$$$ | 4.4 stars | Best Surround Sound | Amazon |
 | Yamaha SR-B20A | $ | 4.5 stars | Best Value | Amazon |
 | Sonos Beam | $$$ | 4.5 stars | Best Compact | Amazon |
 | Roku Streambar | $ | 4.5 stars | Best Smart Soundbar | Amazon |
Bose Soundbar 500
The Bose Soundbar 500 is slim and powerful, offering an excellent sound experience at an excellent price. It also has built-in voice assistants – including Alexa and Google Assistant – with superior voice pickup from a noise rejecting eight microphone array. Plus, Bose Voice4Video expands your Alexa control to your TV and cable or satellite box, so you can start watching instantly with just one voice command.
The Bose Music app personalizes your experience, and keeps all your music in one place. Jump between stations, playlists, and services, set up presets, and more. The most unique feature, however, is Bose SimpleSync. This allows you to group your Bose Soundbar 500 to your Bose Headphones 700, with independent volume controls, so you can instantly switch and watch without disturbing those around you.
Pros
- Great value low price
- Multiple connection options
- Noise-excluding voice control
Cons
- Average sound quality
Verdict
The Bose Soundbar 500 is low-cost, slim and powerful. However, don’t let its small size fool you. This pint-sized powerhouse is capable of producing high levels of volume – even if the sound quality isn’t the best on this list. But the best feature of the Bose is the quality and accessibility of its voice control system. With microphones of this standard, you’ll never have to call Alexa twice again.
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JBL Bar 9.1
The JBL Bar 9.1 has 820 Watts of system output power, so you’ll hear your Roku TV movies, shows, games and music like never before. Punchy, precise bass from a mighty 10″ wireless subwoofer brings the action to your action movies, whilst Dolby Vision compatibility means it fits perfectly with all other genres too.
As for connectivity, built-in Wi-Fi and compatibility with Chromecast means you can stream all your favorite online music in high clarity from any enabled device. Or, if you prefer Apple products, you can use Airplay to connect to enabled devices too. You could even opt for Bluetooth connection if you’d like. Best of all, you can place the two detachable surround speakers anywhere in your room to enjoy true surround sound. They’re battery powered, but after 10 hours of playback you can simply dock them in the soundbar to recharge.
Pros
- Detachable surround speakers
- Comes with subwoofer
- Range of connection options
Cons
- Very expensive
Verdict
The JBL Bar 9.1 may be the most expensive soundbar on this list, but it’s without a doubt the best soundbar for Roku TV when it comes to surround sound. The multiple pieces that come along with this speaker allow you to built a fully-functioning cinematic soundscape – without leaving the comfort of your living room. Maybe the battery life on the detachable pods could be longer, but that’s being very picky.
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Yamaha SR-B20A
The Yamaha SR-B20A has dual built-in subwoofers, giving you deep bass sound within one compact unit. If even that level of bass isn’t enough for you, it goes even deeper; just hit the Bass Extension setting and you’ll get even richer, more resonant sound. There’s also a setting to enhance the treble – Clear Voice technology specifically works to enhance dialogue, ensuring you can hear spoken lines in all your movies and TV shows.
Virtual 3D surround sound creates a more spacious, lifelike sound, whilst four sound modes give you even more customisation. Connection-wise, you can only connect via Bluetooth or HDMI cable, and only two devices can be wirelessly connected at a time. There’s also no support for voice assistants like Alexa or Google Assistant.
Pros
- Great value price
- Customisable sound modes
- Built-in subwoofer
Cons
- Limited connection options
Verdict
Do you have problems hearing mumbling actors in prestige TV dramas? Or maybe you just can’t get the bass to hit right? With the Yamaha SR-B20A, you won’t be suffering from those problems any more. Although the connection options are fairly limited, it has more than enough sound-focussed features to be excellent value for money. This is our best soundbar for Roku TV if you’re on a budget.
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Sonos Beam
The Sonos Beam offers panoramic, room-filling sound; with five powerful internal speakers, you can fill your space from wall to wall with crisp highs, vibrant bass, and impressive depth. Even when the TV’s off, the Sonos Beam has good enough sound for music, audiobooks and radio, too. Dolby Atmos compatibility means you can experience a full 3D sound effect, just to top it all off.
You can control the Sonos Beam with Airplay-enabled devices, your TV remote, or Bluetooth. However, even if you don’t have an Apple device, the Sonos app means you can still control your soundbar from your phone. Lastly, it has exceptionally easy setup, with just two cables to plug in and automatic TruePlay tuning.
Pros
- Range of connection options
- Quick and simple setup
- Compact build
Cons
- Only works with network connection
Verdict
The Sonos Beam is our best speaker for Roku TV in the compact class. Even at such a small size, the Sonos offers extensive, all-encompassing sound that really creates an immersive viewing experience. However, sound quality aside, there are some connectivity issues. Most significantly, the issue of needing a network connection for the soundbar to function – even if you’re using a cable connection with your Roku TV.
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Roku Streambar
The Roku Streambar is an innovative combination of streaming and sound. In terms of sound, it’s Dolby Audio calibrated for boosted volume and crisp dialogue, whilst advanced audio engineering within the Roku OS specifically alters the soundscape to fit the media you’re watching. There are even special adaptations available: automatically lower loud commercials, boost the volume of voices, or optimize the sound for night listening so you don’t wake the whole house.
However, what really sets the Streambar apart is its built-in streaming capability. It has a built-in 4K streaming device, with an easy fast interface that connects you to popular channels and endless free entertainment. Everything you need is included in the box too—just plug it into your TV and connect to the internet.
Pros
- Built-in 4K streaming
- Range of sound modes inc. Dolby Audio
- Great value price
Cons
- Not necessary if you already have Roku
Verdict
What if you don’t actually have a Roku TV? Or do you have more than one TV, and only one of them’s a Roku? If the first one’s you, then this article was a strange choice. But still, whether either answer sounds like you, the Roku Streambar is your perfect solution. You could double-Roku and use both if you really love the brand – and the sound is solid enough to make this a pretty good idea – but you’d be making a lot of features redundant.
