- Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 59 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
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4 out of 4 people found this review helpful
2.5 stars
"A mixed bag"
Pros: Smooth configuration, great interface
Cons: Can't control from your pc, not impressed with audio quality
Summary: I bought the Roku SoundBridge after failed attempts to configure a Linksys Music Bridge (I also reviewed that product and gave it a "1"). The set up and configuration for the SoundBridge was fairly straightforward - especially considering my bad experience with the Linksys Music Bridge. I had to download Windows Media Connect and set firewall permissions - all clearly explained in the manual. I thought the menu system on the Sound Bridge was well thought out. This would be a good piece of equipment if all you wanted to do was control your listening experience through the SoundBridge interface (using the included remote control). Alas, I thought the product would also allow full control from my computer; that it would play whatever was playing on WM player or itunes in real time - it cannot. Now I expect that I could have pointed the SoundBridge to a playlist on my computer, and updated the playlist while the SoundBridge was playing to exert limited control from my laptop, but I want full control. There are some third party programs available for download that allow some control from your computer, but I wasn't satisfied with what I saw. The best of them appears to be "iBridge", for use (as the name implies) with iTunes.
On another note, I wasn't happy with the sound quality. It was very flat - low volume (compared to playing a CD), no life, poor bass. Admittedly, this could be a limitation of my older stereo equipment, but my stereo plays CDs with very good quality. I have remote FM speakers attached to the stereo, and the quality on those is far superior to what I was getting on the stereo speakers through the SoundBridge. I think I'll just hook up the FM transmitter directly to the laptop and call it a day.
Overall, I think this is a good product for people you don't care about controlling it from your computer. It wasn't for me though - I took it back. I'm going to wait for new products with greater functionality at similar prices.
Where to buy
Roku SoundBridge M1001:
$134.99 - $148.84
| store | price | in stock? | rating |
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$148.84 | Yes |
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Amazon.com Marketplace
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$134.99 | Yes |
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