Polk Audio SurroundBar Speaker System (Single Speaker) - Titanium

Other products by Polk Audio

Product Details

• Item Weight: 16 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 28 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000B633Y8
• Item model number: AM4057-A
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #41,629 in Electronics (See Bestsellers in Electronics)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: April 18, 2005

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

A perfect sonic and stylistic match for flat-panel and shallow-case TVs, the Polk Audio SurroundBar is designed to offer elegant, high-resolution, single-source surround sound. It comes with everything you need to mount it above, below, or even on your television, and it works with any surround sound receiver. It's an ideal listening system for anyone seeking rich, enveloping surround sound without the space commitment or hookup hassles of a multispeaker system.

The SurroundBar is designed to complete your high-definition TV experience and is a perfect match for flat-panel TVs.

SDA technology projects sound to both sides and behind you.

Polk Audio's patented SDA Surround technology means there's no need to install rear speakers. SDA Surround technology is founded on extensive research into the way human ears process sound and perceive directionality of sound. Unlike speakers or surround algorithms that merely simulate surround effects, the SurroundBar reproduces discrete, multichannel surround sound using a patented combination of signal processing and acoustical geometry called Acoustic Wave Front Reconstruction (AWFR). Since the SurroundBar works directly upon your ears and requires no special room characteristics, it can deliver room-filling surround sound nearly anywhere.

As with conventional 5.1-channel systems, you'll hear the best surround effects when you're centered directly in front of the SurroundBar. However--unlike conventional 5.1 systems--the SurroundBar delivers surround sound regardless of how close or how far away you sit.

While it's technically a single speaker, the SurroundBar contains seven active drive units, three tweeters, and inputs for all five primary surround channels: front left/center/right and rear left/right. Multiple drive units spaced roughly the same distance apart as your ears allow the speaker to keep you from discerning the actual sound sources. Instead, it will seem as though sound is coming from all around and behind you.

Mount the SurroundBar below your flat-panel TV, or use the included cradle for a shelf or set-top placement.

The SurroundBar's circuitry maintains proper isolation of all amplifier channels and will function correctly with any amplifier or receiver capable of driving a 4 ohm load (that is, capable of powering 4-ohm speakers). Many receivers are rated for maximum power into 8 ohms but function perfectly well--functioning with about half their rated power--into 4 ohms, too. Wiring a stand-alone powered subwoofer in line with the speaker (a procedure illustrated in the product manual) will heighten the sense of realism and visceral power of the SurroundBar.

For even more spacious sound, you can use the SurroundBar with your existing surround speakers, too. In such an arrangement you can wire the surround outputs from your receiver to your separate surround speakers instead of to the SurroundBar's rear-speaker terminals, using the SurroundBar for the front left, center, and right channels only.

Simplified color-coded hookup with five channels directly from the home theater receiver.

Better still, if you have a 6.1- or 7.1-channel receiver, use one of your surround speakers as the rear-center speaker in a 6.1 system, or both surround speakers as 2 of the 4 speakers in a 7.1 system (with the SurroundBar's 2 surround channels in filling in the sound for the other 2).

The SurroundBar must be mounted horizontally to function properly. Placement directly above or below your TV screen pointed in the same direction as the screen will give the best coordination between your surround sound and the on screen images. Wall mounting, shelf mounting, table mounting, or stand mounting all work equally well. However, walls or other large obstacles within 3 feet of the sides of the SurroundBar will reduce the effectiveness of its surround delivery. Cross-corner locations will work just fine.

The supplied 25-foot, 10-conductor cable is color-coded and clearly marked for easy hookup.

What's in the Box
SurroundBar speaker, 2-piece wall bracket, a center-channel base, mounting screws, 25-foot wire bundle, and a quick-start guide.

Product Description

The Polk Audio SurroundBar is designed to complete your High Definition TV experience. It's the perfect match for flat-panel and shallow screen TVs. And it works with any surround sound receiver. Polk's patented SDA Surround technology means there's no need to install rear speakers. SDA Surround creates a completely immersive experience, as if there were dozens of speakers all around you. This technology is based on fundamental research into the way our ears process sound and perceive the direction of sounds.The SurroundBar works in any room, SDA Surround is not dependent on your room's walls to produce the surround effect. It uses a patented combination of signal processing and acoustical geometry that complements the spacing between your ears to produce surround sound without the need for rear mounted speakers. Since the SurroundBar works directly with the hearing mechanism and requires no special room characteristics, it can deliver a room-filling surround experience in nearly any location in almost any type of room.Installation versatility is designed in. You can wall mount the SurroundBar right below your flat-panel TV. Or use the included cradle on a TV stand, a shelf or for set-top placement. The Polk Audio SurroundBar is a welcome addition for anyone who wants all the thrills of surround sound... but none of the hassles. The SurroundBar is simple to set up. The conductor cable is color-coded and clearly marked for easy hookup, even your kids can do it.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

99 of 101 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unreal - you must hear it to believe it!, January 23, 2006

By	Stephen Kozle (Brighton, MI USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I purchased the Polk Surroundbar with some trepidation, as it is an expensive leap of faith purchase due to the fact that I was unable to find a local Polk dealer with a showroom model to test. I thought the unit would be ideal in my TV room due to the fact that I refuse to drill holes in my hardwood floors to accomodate traditional 5.1 rear speakers.

Fit and Finish -
The Surroundbar arrived and I was immediately impressed with the integrity of the product packaging. The fit and finish of the bar itself is very impressive. The product is very heavy and solid, encased with a real metal finish, giving it a very hi-tech and sturdy appearance. In addition, the accessories included in the box (stand, mounts, cables) are of the highest quality and complement the surround bar nicely.

Performance -
When the system was initially set up, I thought it sounded ok. Then I further studied the set-up guide and found that the way my subwoofer was connected and some of the necessary settings on my receiver were incorrect. Instead of the standard RCA type sub connection, I rewired the sub to be in line via speaker wire to the 2 front connections as reccommended by Polk. Also, the speaker size needed to be set to large for all channels. (I've learned to ALWAYS follow the manufacturer's specifications!)

Once the adjustments were made, the sound was incredible. The first thing you notice is the overall power of the unit. The sound is huge and imposing. The surround effect is absolutely incredible both with DVDs and Xbox games. I now have almost a full 360 degree sound experience with distinct separation between all channels. Movies with DTS-ES 6.1 sound are a wonder to listen to. This system replaced a 3.1 full-size Onkyo speaker setup and sounds cleaner, more powerful and much better overall than the other full-size speakers ever did!

Conclusion -
I am completely satisfied with my purchase. I'm getting my demo material picked out so that I can invite my neighbors and buddies to come over and marvel at my new toy. It's expensive, but you get what you pay for with this product - no wires, no drilling holes in the floor, easy setup and excellent performance. Even my wife thinks it's cool!

MY HIGHEST RECOMENDATION.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Solid speakers - great alternative to real surround setup, January 4, 2007

By	Baliana (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

For what it is designed, the speakers are top notch.

Pros:
The pros are fairly obvious: space saving, great look, no cumbersome wiring, the surround effect is clearly separated, AND it is NOT dependent on room configuration.

Additional pro is the sound quality: Mid range is wonderful, jazz and vocal sounds have the fullness you'd expect from Polk Audio. Treble is crisp without breaking. All-in-all, the sound is sufficiently top-notch even for someone who appreciates good sound systems (except for some of you serious audiophiles).

Another pro is the speakers are strong enough to handle enough power for a sizable room, say a 20x20 room.

Cons:
The cons is pretty obvious too. It is not real surround, so it does NOT give 360-degree feel to the sound field, but rather gives about 180-degree feel.

Note that you will need to add your own subwoofer that has sufficient power for your room size.

Bottom line, I am very happy with this purchase.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great speakers, too bad Amazon sent me a "re-box", December 14, 2008

By	ElfNeedsFoodBad (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

The speakers are great, but I was disappointed that Amazon (ordered direct) sent a package that had obviously been previously returned, contained the wrong manuals, and was missing the hardware necessary to attach the speaker to the wall mount bracket. It seems there wasn't even an attempt to QC the package prior to sending out to the next customer. :(