TV speakers have a bad habit of burying dialogue under music and effects, and a sound bar is the standard fix for that problem. But not every setup needs a three foot bar with a separate subwoofer. The RIOWOIS 17 inch sound bar is a compact option for small TVs, desks, and tight shelves, and it packs a bass reflex port, optical and AUX inputs, Bluetooth 5.3, and Fire TV remote compatibility into a short, wall mountable cabinet. I connected it to a small living room TV and a desk monitor over two weeks, watched movies, played games, and streamed music, and this review records how much audio such a small bar can honestly produce.
Before the details, the standard note. This article contains affiliate links, and if you buy through one of them the site earns a small commission at no extra cost to you. That commission never changes what I test or what I recommend.
Design and Build
The sound bar is genuinely small. At 17 inches it fits under a 32 inch or 43 inch TV without overhanging the stand, and it takes up barely more shelf than a set of speakers it replaces. The cabinet is a dark, fabric wrapped panel that looks tidy and blends with most TV setups, and the build feels denser than the light plastic of budget bars in its class.
The controls sit on the top edge and stay out of view, while the back panel holds the optical input, the AUX port, and the power connection. The bass reflex port sits on the rear, venting low end out the back so the front stays clean. Mounting brackets on the underside let the bar hang on a wall flush below the TV, and the included feet let it sit flat on a shelf when you prefer not to drill.
The bar ships with the optical cable, a remote, and the power adapter, so the unboxing to listening time is short. The remote is small but covers volume, mute, and input switching, and the whole package is designed for a user who wants better TV sound without a complex setup.
Key Features
Connectivity is the strongest feature. The optical input delivers clean, uncompressed audio from most TVs, the AUX port covers older sets and computers, and Bluetooth 5.3 handles wireless streaming from a phone or tablet. That range means the bar works with almost anything in the house, not just the TV it sits under.
Fire TV remote compatibility is the convenience that sets it apart. Because the bar responds to the Fire TV remote, you control the volume and power with the remote already in your hand, which removes the second remote from the coffee table. It is a small thing that makes the bar feel integrated rather than bolted on.
The bass reflex port is what keeps the bar from sounding thin. A ported enclosure this size produces more low end than a sealed bar, giving movies and music weight without a separate subwoofer. For a look at the current price and the exact finish options, the RIOWOIS 17 inch sound bar listing on Amazon is a useful reference.
Real-World Performance
I connected the bar to a 43 inch living room TV over optical and ran through a week of movies and shows. The difference in dialogue was immediate and the reason to buy it: voices came forward, crisper and clearer than the TV speakers, and I no longer reached for subtitles on busy scenes. The center channel emphasis does real work.
Action scenes showed the limits and the strengths of the size. Explosions and score had noticeably more weight than the TV output, thanks to the bass reflex port, and the bar handled moderate volume without distortion. The soundstage is narrow, as a compact bar has to be, but it filled a small to medium room convincingly, and the bar never sounded strained at the levels we watch.
Bluetooth streaming was a pleasant surprise. I paired a phone and played music across an evening, and the bar handled vocals and bass cleanly for its size, with no dropouts from across the room. The AUX input covered a computer when I moved the bar to a desk, and in both setups the bar was louder and fuller than the built in speakers it replaced.
The Fire TV remote integration worked exactly as described. Volume up, volume down, and mute all responded through the Fire TV remote, and the bar powered on and off with the TV streamer. It is the feature I did not expect to care about that ended up mattering every single evening. I also tested the bar with the wall mount option, because a compact bar only earns its keep if it does not dominate the setup. The mounting points let the bar hang flush beneath the TV, and in that position the audio quality did not change, which is not always true of bars that rely on the shelf for reflection. On the desk, the AUX connection carried game audio without noise, and the bar sat low enough that it did not block the monitor. Between the stand position and the wall mount, the bar covered both layouts without needing an adjustment to its settings, and the input switching between the three sources was quiet and instant.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Dialogue comes forward, clear and easy to understand
- Bass reflex port adds real low end for the size
- Optical, AUX, and Bluetooth 5.3 cover any source
- Fire TV remote controls volume and power directly
- Compact 17 inch length fits small TVs and tight shelves
- Wall mountable with brackets included in the design
Cons:
- Soundstage is narrow for larger rooms
- Deepest bass still needs a subwoofer for movie impact
- Compact drivers peak at moderate volume levels
- Optical cable included but HDMI ARC is not supported
How It Compares
Sound bars for small setups split into compact single bars like this one, longer bars with a separate wireless subwoofer, and TV speaker accessories like a basic external speaker. I compared the RIOWOIS against a longer bar with a subwoofer and a simple TV speaker to show the trade offs.
| Feature | RIOWOIS 17 inch | Long Bar with Sub | Basic TV Speaker |
|---|---|---|---|
| Size | 17 inches | 35 inches plus sub | Varies |
| Dialogue clarity | Clear | Clear | Weak |
| Bass | Reflex port | Wireless subwoofer | None |
| Inputs | Optical, AUX, Bluetooth | Optical, HDMI ARC, Bluetooth | Varies |
| Fire TV remote | Yes | Varies | No |
| Wall mountable | Yes | Yes | No |
| Price | Low | Higher | Low |
A longer bar with a wireless subwoofer delivers a bigger soundstage and deeper movie bass, and it is the right choice for a large room and an entertainment focus. But it needs far more space and a bigger budget. The RIOWOIS wins for a small TV, a bedroom, or a desk, where the compact length fits and the dialogue lift and reflex port bass are all you need. Against a basic TV speaker, there is no contest.
Who Should Buy It
Buy the RIOWOIS 17 inch sound bar if you have a small or medium TV and want clearer dialogue and fuller sound without a big bar and a subwoofer dominating the room. It suits bedrooms, dens, small apartments, desks, and anyone who already uses a Fire TV and wants one remote.
Skip it if you have a large home theater room that needs a wide soundstage, if you want true cinematic bass with a separate subwoofer, or if your TV lacks an optical output and you prefer HDMI ARC. For everyone else, this is a compact, affordable way to fix bad TV audio. You can check the current price for the RIOWOIS sound bar on Amazon when you are ready to improve your setup.
How We Test
I tested the RIOWOIS sound bar over two weeks in a living room and a desk setup. I connected it over optical to a TV and over AUX to a computer, streamed music over Bluetooth, and watched a mix of movies, shows, and gaming sessions to judge dialogue, bass, and overall clarity.
I also verified the Fire TV remote volume and power control worked consistently and tested the wall mount orientation by moving the bar from a stand to a wall position. For broader perspective on sound bar essentials, independent guidance from CNET's sound bar buying guide explains the size, bass, and connection trade offs covered in this review. The RIOWOIS 17 inch sound bar page on Amazon shows current pricing and availability.
RIOWOIS 17 Inch Sound Bar: Questions People Ask
How does the RIOWOIS sound bar connect to a TV?
The sound bar connects over an optical cable, an AUX input, or Bluetooth 5.3, so it works with nearly any TV regardless of which ports the set offers.
Does the sound bar work with a Fire TV remote?
Yes, the sound bar is compatible with the Fire TV remote, so you can control volume and power with the same remote you already use for streaming.
Is the sound bar wall mountable?
Yes, the compact cabinet has mounting points so it can hang on the wall beneath the TV, and it also sits flat on a shelf or media stand with the included feet.
How much bass does the bass reflex port provide?
The bass reflex port adds real low end punch beyond what a sound bar this size usually produces, which gives movies and music more weight without a separate subwoofer.
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