Black Friday deal: As a part of Amazon’s Black Friday gross sales, the Roku Streambar SE is on sale for $75, which is $25 lower than its normal worth. I used to be already impressed by the remarkably sturdy sound high quality packed into the small speaker, however this cheaper price makes it much more of a discount for anybody trying to improve their TV audio. When I reviewed Roku’s Streambar SE final 12 months, I used to be pleasantly stunned by this mini soundbar that has Roku’s entry-level 4K HDR streamer built-in into it. Given its compact measurement and comparatively low worth, I wasn’t anticipating a lot, nevertheless it carried out higher than I imagined it could, so I assumed I’d spotlight it once more on condition that it is on sale for Black Friday as a limited-time deal on Amazon for $75, or 25% off its record worth of $100.When I say mini soundbar, I actually do imply mini (Roku stopped making its top-end Streambar Pro speaker, which was considerably larger). About the dimensions of a small Bluetooth speaker, the Streambar SE measures 9.6 inches extensive by 3.5 inches deep by 2.4 inches tall and weighs 2 kilos (907 grams). It’s designed to be paired with a smaller TV in your bed room, residence workplace or dorm room, and never your predominant lounge TV (until you’ve got a tiny lounge). I hooked it as much as an outdated 42-inch Vizio I’ve in my residence workplace, and it has been a stable improve over my TV’s built-in audio system. MEDIA STREAMING PLAYER DEALS OF THE WEEK Deals are chosen by the CNET Group commerce group, and could also be unrelated to this text.Roku Streambar SE specsHere are the main points about this compact soundbar.Streaming Resolution: 4K HDR/HDR10 PlusDrivers: Two 1.9-inch full-range drivers and a single bass portCompatibility: Works with any TV with HDMI-ARC or HDMI and optical portsDimensions: 9.6 inches by 3.5 inches by 2.4 inchesWeight: 2 kilos (907 grams)Included: Standard Roku distant and a couple of AAA batteries, energy adapter, high-speed HDMI cable, optical cable Wireless headphone assist: Bluetooth 5.0Expandability: Can connect with a Roku Wireless Bass subwoofer for a 2.1 setupAdditional options: Works with Roku Smart Home, Apple AirPlay, HomePackage, Google Home and Amazon AlexaUniversal distant: Included Roku distant controls most TVsMy Roku Streambar SE setupSetup is easy: It’s mainly the identical course of as connecting any video streamer to your TV, though it helps to have an HDMI-ARC port to simplify issues. (Most TVs launched within the final 10 to 12 years have one HDMI port that is labeled HDMI ARC or HDMI eARC.) If you do not have ARC, there is a workaround utilizing an HDMI cable and an optical cable, however I did not need to take care of that.Hey, do you know? CNET Deals texts are free, straightforward and prevent cash. An improve over my TV audio system’ soundI have Spectrum TV, and Roku has a Spectrum TV app that permits you to flip any Roku streamer right into a cable TV field. For my listening take a look at, I spent a while watching just a few motion motion pictures, together with Ant-Man and Nope, together with NFL Redzone, CNN and a little bit of a Friends episode. I additionally used Roku’s Apple TV app and Peacock to observe an English Premier League match. Maybe as a result of my expectations have been low, I used to be stunned by the quantity of sound this little speaker was capable of produce. While the Streambar SE does not provide the best sound — it may possibly output solely a lot bass by way of its twin 1.9-inch full-range drivers and single bass port — the speaker produces higher audio than you’d assume given its very compact measurement. It’s significantly sturdy within the midrange, producing loud, clear dialogue, and it delivers higher sound than what you get from most TV audio system (by that I imply the audio system constructed into your TV). If you need extra bass, you may hyperlink the speaker with Roku’s Wireless Bass subwoofer, however that separate sub will set you again $130.I am unable to say that the Streambar SE has the widest soundstage or that you just get a complete lot of stereo separation. It does not have the side-firing audio system of the step-up Streambar ($130), which earned a CNET Editors’ Choice award in 2023, nor are you able to pair it with Roku’s wi-fi rear audio system to create a encompass system. But the standard is nice sufficient to go away you feeling such as you obtained a great deal, significantly should you have been already going to shell out $30 or so for Roku’s Express 4K Plus or Streaming Stick 4K.
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The Roku Streambar is considerably smaller than a full-size soundbar like this Sonos Beam. David Carnoy/CNETAs far as sound modes go, you get just a few presets to select from, together with Dialogue, Movie, Music, Night and Standard, and the speaker will reduce the amount down on loud commercials. The soundbar can be outfitted with Bluetooth, so you may join headphones to it, plus Spotify Connect and Apple AirPlay assist.Read extra: Best Soundbar of 2025: Top Picks From Roku, Yamaha and MoreI ought to word that the bundled distant is Roku’s extra fundamental distant and never its step-up voice distant that allows you to problem voice instructions and voice search. However, you may obtain Roku’s cell app for iOS and Android, which does assist voice instructions. The again of the speaker (bass port on left). David Carnoy/CNETThe Streambar SE affords 4K HDR10 and HDR10 Plus video streaming, nevertheless it does not have assist for Dolby Vision. My outdated Vizio is not even a 4K TV, so the Streambar SE’s video streaming capabilities are greater than sufficient.Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content material and lab-based opinions. Add CNET as a most popular Google supply.Why Roku’s Streambar SE makes an incredible rewardWhile Roku’s step-up Streambar ($130) definitely delivers higher sound high quality, the Streambar SE’s extra compact measurement and reasonably priced worth give it a definite attraction, significantly for these of us trying to improve the sound of a extra modest-size TV, maybe an older mannequin like mine. The Streambar SE is not fancy, however the worth is true for what it does. To evaluate this with different choices, take a look at our present record of the most effective soundbars out there. And for extra discounted tech, peruse our record of the most effective Black Friday offers occurring proper now. Join Our Daily Deals Text Group!
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