How to build a Roku home theater with 5.1 surround sound

You’ve picked the perfect movie, your popcorn is ready, and your couch is feeling super comfy as you fire up your new TV. It’s movie time! You queue up Hollywood’s latest blockbuster and brace yourself. Then it hits you. Or, more accurately, it doesn’t hit you—the explosions sound puny, the dialogue is hard to understand, and the overall experience is underwhelming. This, my fellow streamers, is why the right audio setup is crucial to a proper home theater experience.

5.1 Roku Audio

While newer TVs have made incredible advancements in image quality and size, this has generally come at the expense of audio capabilities. This is because as TVs have become thinner and more lightweight, there’s less space in their design for speakers. For a truly theatrical experience, you want as much of the original audio as possible. And for that, you’ll need a system that can reproduce a movie or show’s full range of sound, from the low growls and foot stomps of a Jurassic dinosaur to the out-of-this-world sounds of your favorite sci-fi flick.

But don’t fret! The days of needing a bulky, expensive hi-fi system and an audio engineering degree to set it up are behind us! Roku’s team of audio experts has developed premium audio products that are easy to set up and simple to use.

Start with Roku® Streambar®

Roku Streambar instantly elevates your entertainment experience by making it easier to hear the dialogue in your favorite TV shows and movies, all while delivering premium, room-filling sound. There are two options, Roku Streambar and Roku Streambar Pro, ensuring that you’ll get the most out of your viewing experience, regardless of room or TV size.

Both Roku devices offer powerful streaming and premium sound for any TV, letting you hear every detail as you stream the most popular channels in vibrant 4K HDR picture quality. You can even lower the volume on loud commercials automatically, plus stream your favorite music with Bluetooth®, Spotify Connect, and more. Setup is simple with everything you need in the box, including a voice remote that controls your TV, sound, and streaming.

While the compact, space-saving design of Roku Streambar lets you bring surprisingly big sound to any room in the house, the expanded Roku Streambar Pro offers four large full-range drivers that produce an even richer audio experience.

Add Roku Wireless Bass for heart-pounding bass

Roku Streambar or Roku Streambar Pro combined with Roku Wireless Bass makes a 2.1 system. The 2 represents the number of primary audio channels in your setup and the .1 represents the low-frequency effects channel (LFE) reproduced by the subwoofer.

Ever notice when you watch a movie in a theater, you can actually feel big, rumbling sounds like explosions, thunderstorms, and crashing waves? That’s the subwoofer. Subwoofers reproduce the low frequencies, giving the shows you watch a powerful layer of realism. With a Roku Wireless Bass, you can expand the premium sound of your Roku Streambar or Roku Streambar Pro with even deeper, richer bass, bringing movies and TV to life. With an easy wireless setup, just plug it into power and pair it for that extra kick of bass. Place your Roku Wireless Bass anywhere up to 30ft from your TV for your perfect setup. Next to your TV. Beside your couch. Under the coffee table. You decide!

Add Roku Wireless Speakers for surround sound

With Roku Streambar or Roku Streambar Pro combined with Roku Wireless Bass and one set of Roku Wireless Speakers, you’ve now got a 4.1 surround system.

When watching a scary movie at the theater, have you ever noticed how some of the creepiest sounds come from behind you? Or the rumble of planes and spaceships seemingly pass overhead? That’s the magic of surround sound – speakers that add depth and create an immersive environment by producing sounds that put you in the center of the action. Now, you can bring that realism home with Roku Wireless Speakers, turning your home theater into an immersive audio environment that transports you into the middle of every gripping scene.

With Roku Streambar or Roku Streambar Pro combined with Roku Wireless Bass and one set of Roku Wireless Speakers, you’ve now got a 4.1 surround system. Want more? There’s one last step for the fully immersive audio experience…

Go all the way with full surround sound

In this configuration, Roku Streambar acts as the center channel, one pair of Roku Wireless speakers provides front left & right audio channels, while the other pair handles the rear audio channels. Plus, Roku Wireless Bass adds an extra hit of bass.

Strap yourself in because a final pair of Roku Wireless Speakers is all it takes to upgrade your movie night to the full 5.1 surround sound experience. In this configuration, one pair of Roku Wireless speakers provides front left & right audio channels while the other pair handles the rear audio channels. Your Roku Streambar or Roku Streambar Pro acts as the center channel, reproducing dialogue with exceptional speech clarity that will sound as if the actor were in the room with you.

So, there you have it—with a low cost and minimal setup, you’ve brought the thrill of booming 5.1 theatrical sound into your living room. Our condolences to your neighbors. Maybe smooth things over by inviting them to your next movie night?

Want to dig in more? Here’s our guide to everything Roku Streambars, wireless subwoofers, and speakers.

Happy Streaming!