My friend David loves the Roku product line. He’s got the Roku player and Streambar. But that’s not all, he’s also got a couple of Roku TVs across his house (one in the basement and the other in his kitchen).
The other day he expressed his frustration with the subwoofer – also known as the Roku Wireless Bass Pro.
I love problem solving and decided to give David a hand with this one. During my research I came across a number of problems that customers have experienced.
For example,
- subwoofer not pairing with the host device,
- not producing enough bass,
- disconnected despite being paired or
- not found during the pairing process.
In this post I have documented these problems with solutions. References to the source are also provided, should the reader want to delve deeper into the issue. I’ve kept solutions as simple as possible and hope this gets you back up and running again.
Without further ado, let’s get into it.
Contents
Roku Subwoofer Not Pairing
Problem
You have turned on and set up the Roku subwoofer as per the instructions (shown in this video), but it is not pairing with the host device. The LED indicator at the back is blinking, but the sub isn’t pairing.
Solution
Ensure that your host audio device is Roku. It might be the Roku streambar, Roku smart soundbar, Roku wireless speakers, and Roku TV only if the Roku soundbar is connected.
???? A non-Roku host device is not compatible with the Roku Subwoofer.
Next, ensure that your audio host device is in pairing mode and that the Roku subwoofer is within the range of the host device. Roku recommends 30 feet or less.
Why is this?
The host device transfers data to the subwoofer using a wireless link. Specifically it is 802.11ac dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz / 5 GHz). The further away these two devices are from one another, the lower the RSSI and therefore the poorer the link. We discussed the concept of RSSI here.
Roku Subwoofer Not Producing Bass
Problem
The Roku Subwoofer isn’t producing enough bass. During the sound test, it does have perfect bass. But during actual media play, the bass drops to zero.
Solution
Ensure that your Roku subwoofer is plugged into the wall outlet directly and not using a power bar.
If it still doesn’t produce bass, go into the audio settings (by pressing *) while playing something, and hit reset while on bass, boost, or normal mode. This will help.
Reference: This solution was discussed on the Roku forum.
Roku Subwoofer Paired But Disconnected
Problem
The Roku subwoofer is paired to the audio host device but remains disconnected.
Solution
Check for the updates of your connected audio device manually. Sometimes a software or firmward update is available and pending installation. You can follow the steps in this post to check for updates to ensure that your connected audio device is up to date.
Reference: Forum post
Roku Subwoofer Not Found
Problem
The host audio device can’t find the Roku subwoofer during the pairing process.
Solution
Ensure that your Roku subwoofer is turned on and is within the recommended 30 foot range of the audio device.
It’s also possible that a nearby wireless device might be causing interference, and removing that from the vicinity can fix the issue.
If the sub is still not found, ensure the sub is not paired to another host device. For this purpose, Press and Hold the Reset button at the back of the sub for 10 seconds. It will un-pair from the existing paired device.
Conclusion
Remember the following that cause issues for customers:
- The Roku Subwoofer is designed to work specifically with Roku host audio devices
- It’s essential to ensure that your audio host device is in pairing mode and within the range of the subwoofer.
- Finally if you encounter any problems, check for updates on your audio device in addition to trying the troubleshooting steps mentioned in this guide.
With these tips, you should be able to enjoy an optimal audio experience with your Roku Subwoofer.