Surrounded? Yes. But Not By Wires
Polk Audio is a well-established speaker manufacturer, but the increasingly popular Sound Bar category is about more than hardware design. Beyond the unique shape of the cabinet and layout of the drivers, the current generation of sound bars adds all-important processing that can make or break them as a viable alternative to a discrete multichannel speaker suite
Unlike Polk's two different "passive," single-piece SurroundBars which require a receiver, the SurroundBar SDA Instant Home Theater needs only a simple RCA-type analog stereo input to fill the room with sound. And despite the bundled wireless subwoofer, this is also the least expensive item in their SurroundBar line, which makes it attractive (and attainable) to more people than ever, a fine fit for the ubiquitous flat panel HDTVs popping up in living rooms across the land.
By virtue of its "Instant Home Theater" handle, the SurroundBar emphasizes the convenience of no rear speakers--and therefore no rear-speaker wires--and at the same time the step up in performance versus the audio built into most modern TVs. The speaker bar itself is surprisingly heavy, housing a total of four 2.5-inch Dynamic Balance composite fiber drivers (one pair for the left/right main array, the other for the Stereo Dimensional Array or "SDA," more on that in a minute) plus a pair of 13mm Dynamic Balance polyamide tweeters, in addition to the power amplification: 70 watts continuous, 140 watts peak.
Bass is typically lacking in single-box soundbars (that was my main complaint about the performance of the Sharp HT-SB300 Sound Bar System), but a lot of people balk at running subwoofer cable across the room. Polk's matched 60-watt continuous/120-watt peak subwoofer is lightweight by comparison and strikingly compact, almost "cute." The wireless connection to the SurroundBar not only makes initial setup easier, and more esthetically pleasing, it frees us up to put the sub just about anywhere near an AC outlet, although the manual suggests corner placement for maximum low-frequency effect. In addition to the Channel ID switch for pairing, a hard volume knob is provided around back.
So besides the strong front soundstage reinforced by solid low end, a three-dimensional effect is achieved through the very specific positioning of the SDA drivers, and the application of "Spatial Enhancement" DSP algorithms, unique to this product line. This technology is not dependent upon the reflectivity of the walls or the size/layout of the room. Also, by canceling out undesirable "crosstalk" (unavoidable anomalies between left and right channel signals and how we hear them), SDA basically helps our ears to hear the recording and not the loudspeaker.
"That Was Easy."
Simplicity is tantamount with the SDA IHT, and the single analog stereo input offers two basic configuration options. If a television offers variable audio output, the sound bar can be connected directly to the TV, essentially replacing the TV's onboard speakers. When we use the TV's volume up and down controls, the sound bar responds accordingly, playing back whatever source is being sent to the TV. We're also encouraged to program our universal remote to add the functions of the Polk SurroundBar, really just power on/off and volume up/down, and Mute, although a credit card-type remote is also included, with those few buttons.
If we prefer, or if the TV does not offer variable audio output, we can wire the SDA IHT to the analog stereo output of a source component, such as a Blu-ray player, or a cable or satellite set-top box. The packaging states that the SDA IHT "Provides upgraded audio for today's Blu-ray discs," from which I infer that if we own a nice HDTV, we probably want better than those inherently limited little onboard speakers.
The bar can be placed directly above or below the screen, standing on its own upon a flat surface, or we can use the two-piece cradle mount, or it easily hangs directly on the wall with the integrated keyholes around back. The jack pack is recessed within a rectangular pocket to accommodate the various plugs and cables. Once connected--and if need be, after we've confirmed that the analog stereo output of our source component is active--all that's left is to power up both boxes. A second later, a light on the SurroundBar started blinking, and about 10 seconds after that it was successfully paired with the subwoofer. The process was completely automatic, and from then on the linkup was apparently instantaneous every time. It goes to standby mode after ten minutes of silence, and recovers on its own.
How Does This BarSurround Us?
The genuine subwoofer--no mere built-in woofer as in some sound bars--is every bit as much of a star as the bar itself. Despite its size, it manages to distribute the low end across the entire room smoothly, without sounding like it is originating in any specific point. Cranked up full, it is mighty without distortion, although neither does it provide the sharp bass jolts of, say, the ships of Starfleet jumping to warp in Star Trek, a great, quick low-end test. The little black round-edged cube goes a long way to enhance the sonic experience of all the audio reproduced by this system, while of course bringing the low-frequency action we have every right to expect in a home theater product.
Front channels are solid, with clear dialogue and convincing side-to-side directionality and a nice, wide spread from the array which helps prevent the sound from feeling locked to the TV. My two primary go-to discs; the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World and the uncompressed PCM 5.1 The Patriot; were extremely enjoyable even without the benefit of discrete rears. So we're not necessarily ducking at the roar of cannonfire or the booming of off-screen muskets, but it is definitely a big, room-filling experience, particularly with more general sounds like the motion of the ocean or eerie wind effects. And if I didn't hear actual footsteps behind me, for example, then I might hear their resonance. Off-axis listening posed no problem, as SDA IHT has no real sweet spot. Any seat is a good seat.
A stylized sequence like "bullet time" during the roof fight late in The Matrix provides a special challenge, as the relative position of a big handgun shifts smoothly as the camera moves in a big, slow arc around Neo, the intended target. I'd call the results here "Stereo-Plus": There's depth as well as kick, on top of an extremely strong, crisp two-channel front soundstage. But I had no delusions of hard, discrete surrounds behind me on this one. In general, the choice of demo material made a big difference in my testing, the surround effect can be faint at times, and the more complex the soundtrack I tried, the more impressive the results. The absolute best was the wild phaser shootout onboard the Romulan ship in Trek, a stunner in true 5.1 that retains much of that same excitement in this simplified approximation.
The speaker bar offers no readout per se, just the small red/green/orange LED indicator, its various flashing behaviors decodable when we read the explanations in the manual. When it blinked green rapidly to confirm that I was at Max Power, I soon noted that the sound here never distorted at high volume either: This is where we enjoy the benefit of an experienced loudspeaker manufacturer like Polk, they know how to make products that perform admirably, versus say video companies that dabble in audio.
The limits of MP3s begin to be revealed at high volume, the quality a little thin, and on music listening I also began to detect the presence of the DSP, a very faint echo that wasn't there originally, most noticeable on voices. Keep in mind that the DSP cannot be adjusted or turned off. Overall however the SDA IHT does an admirable job of capturing the detail in complex music on well-engineered CDs, despite the occasional pop.
Videogames are also touted as a worthwhile use of the this system, so I fired up a quick fight scene from Batman: Arkham Asylum on the PlayStation 3. This was a 360-degree scenario with multiple opponents, and again the SDA effect provided good general fill but not the discrete voices of approaching enemy characters that hardcore gamers crave.
Turn-Ons
Turn-Offs
Final Thoughts
The Polk Audio SurroundBar SDA Instant Home Theater is first and foremost about ease. Have no illusions that this is a substitute for a full multichannel speaker suite, but for a quick and easy upgrade from the stereo speakers inside the TV that you might currently be listening to, the SurroundBar SDA IHT offers an improvement we can definitely hear.
Manufacturer's Specifications
Inputs/Outputs
What's in the Box?
Manufacturer Contact Information:
Polk Audio
5601 Metro Drive
Baltimore, MD 21215
Main Phone: 410-358-3600
Toll Free: 800-377-7655
On the Web: www.polkaudio.com
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