Prototyping, Destructive and Environmental Testing
An in depth look at how Polk brings you great sound
Ever wonder why great value and sound are synonymous with Polk Audio? Part of Polk’s ability to bring you great performance at a reasonable price is not only because of our brilliant design and engineering team. Most have several decades of design and listening experience and advanced degrees from institutions like Johns Hopkins University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Virginia Tech and University of Miami. The other part is our state-of-the-art prototyping and quality assurance facilities. An arsenal of advanced prototyping and testing tools include a Stereo Lithography Apparatus (SLA machine), Klippel Analyzer, Dynamic Balance, Environmental Testing and vibration/handling machines.
The SLA machine allows us to build prototypes by inputting data into a computer; a few hours later the SLA machine churns out a complete, life-sized three-dimensional prototype. We get to see and feel the unit to know exactly how it will look in your home, instead of just a simulation on a computer screen.
Building a prototype after the initial design phase is only part of the challenge. The rest of the products that roll off an assembly line have to match the specifications of the gold standard within extremely tight tolerances. This rigorous quality control ensures consistent performance from unit to unit. We sure wouldn’t want your left channel sounding different then the right channel! We have several tools that measure not only acoustic performance but also physical construction. Our Coordinate Measuring Machine is accurate to within .005 (that’s 5 thousandths of an inch- or the thickness of a human hair) on the X, Y and Z planes to guarantee proper construction. Other acoustic measuring instruments include the MLSSA frequency response analyzer. We call it Melissa and she can measure the frequency response of speaker. A Klippel Distortion Analyzer allows us to examine the suspension movement of a speaker. The benefit is to make sure the speaker sounds good at both soft and loud volumes. Polk has also partnered with the world renowned Johns Hopkins University pioneering Dynamic Balance process using their laser interferometry lab. All these advanced measurement tools allow us to produce speakers with the most natural sound quality.
A speaker may measure properly but that says nothing about its reliability and service life. So we will throw a variety of tests at it to ensure long term reliability. We also perform destructive testing to make sure your equipment will last. For speakers, this means using special power amplifiers capable of throwing thousands of watts at the speaker. Other tests stress the speaker both mechanically (excursion) and thermally (heat) until it fails. Then the speaker is analyzed to figure out why it failed.
Since speakers are not used in just a temperature controlled lab, we test the speakers in both the real world and with accelerated aging techniques. Environmental testing includes several sophisticated machines. First is an environmental chamber which can simulate temperature extremes found everywhere from Death Valley to Alaska. The second is a salt fogger that specifically tests corrosion resistance of outdoor and seaside use. Third is an Accelerated Weather Tester, which simulates years of relentless UV light exposure from the sun. All of these advanced machines are capable of simulating several years of use, in only a few weeks. Not only are outdoor and marine products put through these rigorous tests, every product including ones designed for in-home only use are put through the environmental tests to ensure the cabinets and components will not fade or delaminate, or components rot after normal use.
All Polk products are drop and vibration tested to ensure the packaging material and contents will survive the trip from our factory to you. Testing is done both by specialized machines (picture) as well as manual sampling. We use different carriers and shipping methods to move products around the world to see how they hold up.
All the measuring and tests in the world won’t make any difference if the sound isn’t good. So we listen to each product and rigorously tune every one by ear numerous times. Tuning takes place not only in our multitude of specialized labs, but also in actual homes and vehicles. We also send product home with employees and other testers to verify performance and reliability under real world conditions. No product is assembled until Chairman and Co-founder Matthew Polk gives his approval.
Finally, we pay attention to the most important person- you the listener. If something does not work right or you have a question our customer service and technical support department is available. Please email
