After dabbling in wireless speakers last year, Roku has announced two new audio products - a new soundbar and wireless subwoofer - that are coming to the US in October.
First up, the Roku Smart Soundbar will combine a 4K Roku player with a 32-inch 2.0 soundbar for $179 (around £149, AU$265). The ‘bar is packing four speakers (two for each channel) and will be capable of playing content from services like Netflix, Amazon and others in 4K HDR. The Soundbar will include Roku’s handy Voice Remote and run the latest version of Roku’s OS.
On the hardware side of things, the bar will have a single HDMI Out that’s ARC compatible but can also use optical audio if your TV doesn’t have an HDMI port. In our briefing Roku wouldn’t specify which processor the Smart Soundbar would use, but says that it’s a quad-core chip that stacks up almost identically to the one in the Roku Ultra.
Given the 2.0 speaker configuration the Roku Smart Soundbar won’t do Dolby Atmos but Roku says it will offer Dolby Sound with automatic volume leveling, night mode and speech enhancing features.
Dropping the bass with the Wireless Subwoofer
If you’re looking to add a deeper sound to your Roku setup, Roku also announced a new Wireless Subwoofer that will be compatible with both the Smart Soundbar and the Roku TV Wireless Speakers and will cost $179 (around £149, AU$265).
In terms of specs, it's a 250W sub with a 10-inch woofer and can reach frequencies of around 40Hz. Once it's paired with Roku's Wireless Speakers or Smart Soundbar, the system will automatically allocate low frequencies to the Sub to unlock a more cinematic experience.
Like last year's Wireless Speakers, the main draw of the Wireless Subwoofer is that it’s interconnected through its software to other Roku products, like the Wireless Speakers or Smart Soundbar, and can be setup in seconds. The drawback here is that it’s not a standalone sub and will require one of those two audio products to work.
Both the Smart Soundbar and Roku Wireless Subwoofer are available to pre-order on Roku’s website today, and are expected to land on store shelves in the US in October with global availability to be announced at a later date.
- Not sure where to start with streaming? Here's our guide to the best streaming services
