Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Audio / Video
  3. News

Roku rolls out a cheaper subwoofer and updated low-end streaming box

Phil Nickinson
By

Roku today has rolled out its latest hardware, with a new subwoofer looking to hold down the low end and a new streaming box anchoring the most economical spot in that lineup.

The bigger of the two releases, both literally and figuratively, is the new Roku Wireless Bass. The name pretty much explains it all: It’s a wireless subwoofer that you can plant anywhere in a room (because the low end doesn’t care so much where it comes from) to fill out that part of the sound spectrum.

Roku Wireless Bass.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Wireless Bass doesn’t work just on its own, or with any non-Roku system, actually. You’ll need to pair it with a Roku Streambar, Roku Wireless Speakers, or with the Roku TV Wireless Soundbar. Pairing should be simple — Roku’s done a really good job of that setup — and from there you should feel your living room or bedroom start to rumble more.

Recommended Videos

The Wireless bass is available for pre-order today and will be available starting November 7, 2022, for $130. It’ll live alongside the larger Roku Wireless Subwoofer, which remains at $180 for a more premium low-end sound.

Related

All things Roku

“At Roku, every improvement and addition to our product line is thoughtfully crafted and tested to bring value to our customers,” Chris Larson, Vice President of Retail Strategy at Roku, said in a press release. “Today’s launch provides even more choices to fit every budget, allowing customers to get the home entertainment experience they deserve without breaking the bank.”

Roku Express 2022 model.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Also new is an update to the entry-level Roku Express. There’s not a whole lot to write home about here, considering it still tops out at 1080p. But new dual-band WiFi will help ensure a more stable internet connection which is key for this sort of thing. Still, this is the sort of thing that you’ll only want to buy if you’ve got a dumb TV that’s limited to the lower resolution. Anyone with a 4K set will want to at least spend the extra $10 for one of Roku’s 4K models.

The new Roku Express will still retail for $30 and is available for preorder now. Look for it to ship starting October 16.

The new hardware will be bolstered by Roku OS 11.5, also announced today. New features there include the ability to connect Bluetooth headphones for private listening, updated visual search results, improved voice search, a platform-wide save list, and a lot more.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Phil Nickinson
Phil Nickinson
Section Editor, Audio/Video
Phil spent the 2000s making newspapers with the Pensacola (Fla.) News Journal, the 2010s with Android Central and then the…
Google TV vs. Roku TV: which is the better streaming OS?
Roku Streaming Stick 4K.

Whether you're looking for a new TV or streaming device, two of the leading smart TV platforms and user interfaces you'll be choosing from are Google TV and Roku TV. Both of these content and navigational platforms are excellent options, with many shared pros between them.

For years, Google has provided the building blocks to smart TV brands from Sony to Hisense under that Android TV banner. Presently, the structural framework of the Android TV system is giving way to an all-new Google operating system known as Google TV. You'll find Google's latest OS running on Sony, Hisense, and TCL TVs, as well as first-party Google devices like the Chromecast with Google TV 4K and Chromecast with Google TV (HD).

Read more
The Roku Channel is now available as a Google TV app
The Roku Channel app on Google TV.

The Roku Channel — one of the major services in the FAST category — is now available as an app on Google TV and Android TV. That's a good thing because The Roku Channel says it already reaches an estimated 100 million people in U.S. households with its wealth of free movies and series.

But it's also still a step removed from competing services like the Paramount-owned Pluto TV, which has direct integration with the Google TV live listings and doesn't require a separate download. Still, it's more free content on a low-cost piece of hardware, and who doesn't like that? The Roku Channel sports more than 350 free live linear channels (as in everyone is watching the same thing at the same time), as well as movies and series, live news, and more.

Read more
How we test streaming video devices
The box for the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max.

One of the benefits of being Digital Trends is that we get to test a lot of things that simply aren’t easily available or replaceable should they not work out for the average person. That’s why we put so much work into testing TVs, for one example. Or full soundbar setups, for another.

Other times it’s because we’re able to take products for a test drive before they go on sale. Like video games, or computers and phones. That’s good because it helps you make a relatively expensive and important purchase decision.

Read more