Some of the most insane deals on Black Friday feature TVs that don’t have streaming apps. You’ll need something external to add that kind of functionality, and since TV sound generally sucks, you might need one of the best soundbars to go along with it. Roku’s Smart Soundbar is one of the best tools for the job. It’s down to $150, a $30 discount that isn’t huge compared to some of Best Buy’s best Black Friday deals, but is intriguing nonetheless.
The Roku Smart Soundbar is a bit more expensive than your average soundbar despite its basic two-channel speaker setup, but that’s because there’s more inside than the four 2.5-inch drivers that deliver sound. It’s a 2-in-1 device that doubles as a Roku streaming player. That means there’s just one device and one remote for controlling your new movie machine. The Roku Smart Soundbar supports resolutions up to 4K over an HDMI ARC port (optical audio is also included), with HDR10 available for the select movies that support it. You’ll miss out on Dolby Atmos, but that trait is consistent for anything in this price bracket.
Should you buy the Roku Smart Soundbar?
Though it lacks Dolby Atmos, there are myriad other reasons to consider the Roku Smart Soundbar, including voice-activated control of Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, a voice remote with simple controls, and Bluetooth streaming. You can’t forget about the Roku TV platform, which has thousands of streaming apps. You can even cast personal content from your smartphone or tablet using the Roku app, plus anything you can fit on a USB drive.
We reviewed the Roku Smart Soundbar earlier this year, and though we concluded its audio could be better, its streaming capabilities are just as potent as any Roku. While you’ll get better sound from dedicated soundbars like the Yamaha YAS-207 or one of Vizio’s latest Atmos-ready products, if you’re a fan of device convergence and you were going to buy a 4K Roku stick anyway, this could be a better option. Not feeling the Roku Smart Soundbar? Stick around for Cyber Monday, as better deals on other soundbars could pop up between now and then, and you could always use those savings to go buy yourself a stand-alone Roku. Don’t forget to consult our in-depth guide on buying a soundbar if you’re not familiar with the tech.
Can’t find what you’re looking for? Check out the rest of the Black Friday Roku deals we found.
