![]() If you have an older TV that lacks HDMI-ARC support, you can connect the Streambar Pro’s HDMI port to one of your TV’s HDMI inputs, and then send audio back down to the soundbar via an optical (Toslink) cable. If your TV has an HDMI-ARC port (which, unless it’s more than 10 years old, it probably does), you can connect it to the Soundbar Pro’s HDMI port, with both video (4K and HDR10/HLG are supported, but not HDR10+ or Dolby Vision) and audio being transmitted over a single HDMI cable. Like Roku’s other soundbars, the Soundbar Pro has just one HDMI connector. If you wish, you can also mount the Streambar Pro under your wall-mounted TV, although you’ll have to pony up extra for mounting hardware. Measuring 14 x 4.2 x 2.4 inches (WxDxH) and weighing in at a mere 2.4 pounds, the Streambar Pro is relatively compact as budget soundbars go, and was short enough to sit in front of my low-slung 55-inch LG C9 OLED TV while barely grazing the bottom of the screen. Then again, the Vizio soundbar doesn’t include its own streaming player, much less AirPlay 2 support. Doing so, however, brings the overall cost up to $510, at which point the Streambar Pro will be outshined by such sonic performers as Vizio’s Dolby Atmos-enabled M512a-H6. If you’re willing to spend some more money, you can easily upgrade the Streambar Pro to a full-on 5.1-channel system by adding the Roku Wireless Subwoofer ($180) and Roku Wireless Speakers Remove non-product link ($150 for a pair). The recent Streambar won’t be getting the update, with Roku saying that the Streambar’s angled front drivers already offer “that immersive experience.”) ![]() (Incidentally, Roku’s older Smart Streambar will also be getting the new virtual surround mode via a firmware update. Keep reading for my impressions of the Streambar Pro’s virtual surround mode. Virtual surround processing never sounds as good as actual satellite speakers, but they can be effective at expanding the soundstage of an otherwise narrow soundbar while adding a sense of atmosphere. That said, the Streambar Pro does mark Roku’s first soundbar with a virtual surround mode, which (according to Roku) delivers a “rich and immersive sound experience” without physical surround speakers. While the Streambar Pro supports Dolby Audio, it does not offer any object-based 3D sound modes such as Dolby Atmos or DTS:X, although that would be asking a lot of a budget soundbar that already has a built-in streaming player. The soundbar doesn’t come with woofers or passive radiators for low-frequency effects, but as I’ll describe in a bit, the Streambar Pro manages to crank out a respectable amount of bass without them. ![]() The Roku Streambar Pro comes equipped with four 1.9-inch full-range drivers that supply the front and right channels, which combine to create a “phantom” center channel for dialog. Still, we are talking about a $180 soundbar-plus-streamer here, so as long as you keep your expectations in line, you won’t be disappointed. And while you can upgrade the Streambar Pro with Roku’s wireless speaker pair and subwoofer, doing so vaults you into a price range with other soundbars with much better audio quality. It’s otherwise solid sound is a tad weak on high-end detail, and it falters a bit when it comes to music playback. The Streambar Pro has its limitations, of course. Click that link to read reviews of competing products, along with a buyer’s guide to the features you should consider when shopping. This review is part of TechHive’s coverage of the best soundbars.
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