Polk Audio SurroundBar (42", 50", 360 DVD Theater, SDA IHT) - Review/ Help Thread

[dorokusai]

It will go fine with my TV for now.... but if I upgrade to a black tv in the future, can you change out the speaker cover for a black one?

Great post and experience but no, you cannot change the "cover". It's extruded Aluminum and not designed to be changed.

[BAlGaInTl]

Great post and experience but no, you cannot change the "cover". It's extruded Aluminum and not designed to be changed.

It looked like the front grille was removable from the technical documentation. Or is that just for illustration purposes?

I still feel like I stole it at $399. Has the Titanium version been discontinued or something?

[dorokusai]

I thought you meant the housing....yes, you can remove and change the cover if you wish.

[BAlGaInTl]

I thought you meant the housing....yes, you can remove and change the cover if you wish.

Very cool...

I was hoping so.

Any idea on where somebody could find one?

;)

[MikeC78]

Just email of call Polk CS, they'll send you one.

[CaligulaPolk]

I see that SB360 DVD player have subtitle feature but will Closed captioned [CC] work? I will have to hook up via compoent not HDMI to get CC to work. DVD does have cc, as for Blu-ray it will be subtitles. I would rather to have a player that enable CC via component.

How does this work with PS3? Will i need the dvd player if I hook it up to PS3?

anyone can pop in dvd and have CC icon on back of your dvd to see if dvd player will enable CC on DVD. Do not use dvd subtitles. I did some sample on 360 at best buy this afternoon. people behind me came to me said does it havef subwoofer and it sounds really good. they were amazed. it sold me but i am wondering how 360 will do with blu-ray and how do I connect it if it can be replaced polk dvd player. but i need dvd player with cc ability since PS3 can not play CC via HDMI or component. Thanks in advance.

[bradbxyz]

I did the same thing, picked up a titanium SB50 from AMAZON for 399, and mailed cust service to get the black grill. Here is their response:

Good-afternoon Mr. Bender,
The Grilles for the SurroundBar 50 come in Black (RF5054-1) or Titanium (RF5056-1) and are available at $30.00 each + S&H.
You can order parts with a Credit Card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express) or Money Orders.
Please contact us at the address listed below. Most States require that you pay Sales Taxes.

Customer Service / Parts
5601 Metro Dr.
Baltimore, MD. 21215
1-800-377-7655
Fax- 410-764-5470

[CaligulaPolk]

I see that SB360 DVD player have subtitle feature but will Closed captioned [CC] work? I will have to hook up via compoent not HDMI to get CC to work. DVD does have cc, as for Blu-ray it will be subtitles. I would rather to have a player that enable CC via component.

How does this work with PS3? Will i need the dvd player if I hook it up to PS3?

Anyone at POLK can answer this question? Its important to have this ? answered.

[skeptic]

It looked like the front grille was removable from the technical documentation. Or is that just for illustration purposes?

I still feel like I stole it at $399. Has the Titanium version been discontinued or something?

WOW, it's not a steal, it's grand theft! :-)

I assume this is the SurroundBar 50, right? Seriously, even for a SurroundBar 50 Titanium, it's too good to be true. But how do you know it's not faked product from China. You know that, these days, the folks over there can create fake consumer product from virtually any company.

[bradbxyz]

"But how do you know it's not faked product from China?"

The Box was Polk, The Paperwork was Polk, and I was able to register the serial number with Polk....

[MikeC78]

If it was purchased directly from Amazon, it's real. BTW, I believe the speaker is manufactured in China for Polk.

[CaligulaPolk]

anyone can pop in dvd and have CC icon on back of your dvd to see if dvd player will enable CC on DVD. Do not use dvd subtitles. I did some sample on 360 at best buy this afternoon. people behind me came to me said does it havef subwoofer and it sounds really good. they were amazed. it sold me but i am wondering how 360 will do with blu-ray and how do I connect it if it can be replaced polk dvd player. but i need dvd player with cc ability since PS3 can not play CC via HDMI or component. Thanks in advance.

I guess ill have to go to best buy with my own DVD with cc to answer my own question, seem no one has clue...

[zengel442]

Are there any plans for a new Soundbar 360 with a blu-ray instead of a dvd player?

Any takers on this one?? I'd kinda like to know too... :D

[dorokusai]

Any takers on this one?? I'd kinda like to know too... :D

At the time of SB360 product design the matter of Blu-Ray was never mentioned in the focus groups. It was in it's infancy at that time. Currently, I don't know where that idea stands within Polk Audio.

[dorokusai]

I guess ill have to go to best buy with my own DVD with cc to answer my own question, seem no one has clue...

How about sending an email directly to Customer Service? You could have had your answer by now.

polkcs@polkaudio.com

[gdpeck]

Doro- you are correct, I really need to post pics! Between my 2 channel setup and the modified surround, it's a pretty thing. I was honestly waiting to get my Krell Kid to finish off the room! Thanks for the suggestion! D.

I'd really like to see some pics of your surroundbar 50 setup as well as hear more of your impressions. Because of your posts, I'm really leaning towards picking up that Cambridge Audio receiver for a bedroom surround system I'm building and pairing it with a surroundbar 50.

This post: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showpost.php?p=15085011&postcount=7 (which I'm guessing is from you) was very helpful, but I'd still love to see the pics, and hear longer term impressions.

Thanks!
George

[acekaye]

I did the same thing, picked up a titanium SB50 from AMAZON for 399, and mailed cust service to get the black grill. Here is their response:

Good-afternoon Mr. Bender,
The Grilles for the SurroundBar 50 come in Black (RF5054-1) or Titanium (RF5056-1) and are available at $30.00 each + S&H.
You can order parts with a Credit Card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express) or Money Orders.
Please contact us at the address listed below. Most States require that you pay Sales Taxes.

Customer Service / Parts
5601 Metro Dr.
Baltimore, MD. 21215
1-800-377-7655
Fax- 410-764-5470
Would it be possible to send a picture of the Titanium SoundBar 50 with the black grille on the front? I am thinking of doing that too and would like to see how it looks before I invest.
Thanks.

[fireshoes]

I am interested in purchasing the Surroundbar Titanium for 42" plasma that is mounted to a Sanus Full motion mount (VMDD26). I need to know if the Surroundbar will mount to the Sanus Universal Center-channel speaker mount (VMCC1) that attaches to the full motion mount. Does anyone know the answer? Thanks.[B][B]

Hi Caveman,
PolkAudio.com (http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/surroundbar/features.php#mounting-options) does list the Sanus VMCC1 as a supported mounting option.

Have fun!

[zengel442]

At the time of SB360 product design the matter of Blu-Ray was never mentioned in the focus groups. It was in it's infancy at that time. Currently, I don't know where that idea stands within Polk Audio.

It sure would be nice to see THAT package offered... :)

[jps]

I would like to solicit advise on adjusting my HT system. I would like to purchase a new center channel speaker, one that fits better with my LCD TV. If I opt for the SurroundBar, can I still use the HT speakers that are mounted in the ceiling and my Polk sub? Or, can you recommend a better center channel solution?
Thanks

[svtjoe]

I am moving to a new place and the room is all tile and the ceilings are around 10 feet high. Its about 20x20 and I will be about 9 feet from my 50' plasma.

Currently I have a nice Denon 985s (100watts per channel), a Velodyne 10' subwoofer and Polk R series all around (R50's in front, CSM center, and R15's in the rear)

I do care about my sound and I would like to upgrade to a better line of polks. I was looking at adding the Rti10's in front and a CSi3 as the center, but I started thinking about how I want a nice sleek living room and started looking at the Surroundbar50. How much performance am I giving up by going with the 50?

I could add a rear 6th channel in my new room to help fill in the rear.

I just want an upgrade from the R50's and not a downgrade just to get a sleek look.

What do you think?

Thanks,

Joe

[kfanning9]

Getting close to pulling the trigger on a SB, and for me the decision is down to: is it worth it to spend the extra $300-400 for the SB50? I have the wife factor and a very old house going so not looking at 5.1 or 7.1 systems.

Would really appreciate any thoughts. I've read this thread back to when SB50 was introduced and there are a few folks that said the SB50 is a big improvement, but any specifics would be great. I've also read a ton of (mostly positive) reviews on both but few actual comparisons.

Some details on my setup:
- room is relatively small, 21'x18, and couches are far from the back/side walls...seats are 10-12' from the TV
- have a pretty decent 46" LCD HDTV, and a decent 7.1 Onkyo receiver (SR605); just purchased a 10" Dayton subwoofer
- room has L-shaped couches, so listening area is about 9' from far seat on one couch to far seat on other.
- will be watching TV/movies much more than listening to music

So a couple specific questions I'm thinking through:
- is the soundfield on the SB50 significantly larger that it will improve the experience for those not sitting directly in front of the tv?
- I'm not an audiophile (but like most I do enjoy a good experience), so may not notice subtle differences. For my size room is the SB likely to suffice?
- Any other differentiators to consider?

Thanks in advance!

[svtjoe]

I am moving to a new place and the room is all tile and the ceilings are around 10 feet high. Its about 20x20 and I will be about 9 feet from my 50' plasma.

Currently I have a nice Denon 985s (100watts per channel), a Velodyne 10' subwoofer and Polk R series all around (R50's in front, CSM center, and R15's in the rear)

I do care about my sound and I would like to upgrade to a better line of polks. I was looking at adding the Rti10's in front and a CSi3 as the center, but I started thinking about how I want a nice sleek living room and started looking at the Surroundbar50. How much performance am I giving up by going with the 50?

I could add a rear 6th channel in my new room to help fill in the rear.

I just want an upgrade from the R50's and not a downgrade just to get a sleek look.

What do you think?

Thanks,

Joe

Getting close to pulling the trigger on a SB, and for me the decision is down to: is it worth it to spend the extra $300-400 for the SB50? I have the wife factor and a very old house going so not looking at 5.1 or 7.1 systems.

Would really appreciate any thoughts. I've read this thread back to when SB50 was introduced and there are a few folks that said the SB50 is a big improvement, but any specifics would be great. I've also read a ton of (mostly positive) reviews on both but few actual comparisons.

Some details on my setup:
- room is relatively small, 21'x18, and couches are far from the back/side walls...seats are 10-12' from the TV
- have a pretty decent 46" LCD HDTV, and a decent 7.1 Onkyo receiver (SR605); just purchased a 10" Dayton subwoofer
- room has L-shaped couches, so listening area is about 9' from far seat on one couch to far seat on other.
- will be watching TV/movies much more than listening to music

So a couple specific questions I'm thinking through:
- is the soundfield on the SB50 significantly larger that it will improve the experience for those not sitting directly in front of the tv?
- I'm not an audiophile (but like most I do enjoy a good experience), so may not notice subtle differences. For my size room is the SB likely to suffice?
- Any other differentiators to consider?

Thanks in advance!

Not sure on a lot of your questions as I am yet to get a surroundbar. I have been doing a lot of research and it sounds like the 50 is well worth the extra money over the standard original bar.

We have some similar questions, I hope an expert can chime in.

I really want a nice loud and clean system...I have solid equipment, I just hope the bar doesnt sound cheap.

[triguy3]

Not sure on a lot of your questions as I am yet to get a surroundbar. I have been doing a lot of research and it sounds like the 50 is well worth the extra money over the standard original bar.

We have some similar questions, I hope an expert can chime in.

I really want a nice loud and clean system...I have solid equipment, I just hope the bar doesnt sound cheap.
hey
i was originally looking for a sleek alternative to running wires and a whole lot of speakers. My SB is connecting to a decent receiver and sub, and the sound is great. neutral and faithful. the sound stage is wide but not encompassing.

I had a proper PA 5.1 set up previously and while more enveloping was muddy in comparison. for you i think you will find the front sound to be an upgrade, but you will need to maintain your rears to give you the fuller surround experience. the SB can handle a LOT of volume without distrortion.

Those people off axis will not be as envelped as your current setup. Make no mistake about this. sb are great speakers, and the sound great (you may see a lot of members finding them at clearance prices) but you really must want to have the wife friendly look to be able to justfy the narrower sound stage. By maintaining your rears, you will likely have the best of both worlds.

[triguy3]

I would like to solicit advise on adjusting my HT system. I would like to purchase a new center channel speaker, one that fits better with my LCD TV. If I opt for the SurroundBar, can I still use the HT speakers that are mounted in the ceiling and my Polk sub? Or, can you recommend a better center channel solution?
Thanks
yes you can use the surroundbar for the center but it is better suited to use as a surround replacement. if you have in ceiling speakers are they at the back where they can be used as surrounds? front mains should not be used as the surroundbar will have better imaging for the fronts. a good sub is necessary.

[svtjoe]

hey
i was originally looking for a sleek alternative to running wires and a whole lot of speakers. My SB is connecting to a decent receiver and sub, and the sound is great. neutral and faithful. the sound stage is wide but not encompassing.

I had a proper PA 5.1 set up previously and while more enveloping was muddy in comparison. for you i think you will find the front sound to be an upgrade, but you will need to maintain your rears to give you the fuller surround experience. the SB can handle a LOT of volume without distrortion.

Those people off axis will not be as envelped as your current setup. Make no mistake about this. sb are great speakers, and the sound great (you may see a lot of members finding them at clearance prices) but you really must want to have the wife friendly look to be able to justfy the narrower sound stage. By maintaining your rears, you will likely have the best of both worlds.


Awesome! What 5.1 system did you have? Speakers + AVR?

Thanks,

Joe

[triguy3]

hi svtjoe.

i had R150's at the four corners and I was using the speaker inside the TV as the center channel, all connected to my HK AVR140 (5.1) and the Velodyne DPS-10B Subwoofer. 2 of the the PA R150's were relegated to the basement (stereo only system) i have now on a sony 32" LCD.

[svtjoe]

Cool! Well I pulled the trigger on the SB50. Should be here this week. I am selling my R50's :( and R15's and CSM.

New house, modern, and the SB50 should work good. I went and tested the SB360 and it was nice..not super loud, but the 50 connected to my Denon should rock with my Velodyne Sub.

Thanks and I will let you know how it sounds!

[triguy3]

i am sure you will be thrilled by the look and the sound. let us know how it sounds. when you hook it up you may find it a bit confusing.
there are two ways to hook up, and you may find you have to try it both ways. i found the method that they recommend sounds better than the way i would have imagined. let me know when you get into it. you will see that their recommendations are a bit odd. there is a whote paper on the topic earlier in this thread i think.

[opusx100]

Aloha!

We've just moved to our new home and purchased SB50 which recommends 150 watts/channel. I have purchased Onkyo TX-SR806 with 130 watts/channel. Do I have enough power or should I get more powerful reciever?

Also, picked up the DSW MicroPRO™ 1000 and wondering if I should have gone with better sub.

Our room measures approx. 21x 15 x 9, hardwood floors with television centered on 21 feet wall.

Any inputs, ideas, and/or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thank you for your time.

Mahalo!

[svtjoe]

I think your reciever should be great. I am going to upgrade the speaker wirre from the start ( I need to run it through the wall anyway)

I am thinking about 14AWG. People mentioned it did wonders on the old Surroundbar.

Opusx: Thats an awesome sub. I wish I could find a deal on one of those. I have a Velodyne 10 and it is fantastic for HT, but a tad slow for music (I love music). I will have to Demo the Micropro.

We should post pics of our setups so everyone can see how it looks on the wall.

[dorokusai]

Opus - Great setup...stick with what you got.

[jacob.simpson]

My friend is keen on buying this system, worried on 2 aspects,
why is there no mention of details on
Part A
1. Overall frequency response
2. Sensitivity
3. Power output
4. Are these 2 1/2" Full range drivers better than SB 50 Driver complement
of individual Mid woofer and tweeter.
Part B
Will this Dvd player play all sort disc formats.
Request Mr. Eric or Mr. Ken to reply on this, or if any members who have bought this has a manual with these details can post this.
Thanks in Advance.

[opusx100]

svtjoe and dorokusai, thanks for the input! It won't be here until early Feb. but started to read up on the manuals already. Thanks once again!

[jacob.simpson]

Answers please :(My friend is keen on buying this system, worried on 2 aspects,
why is there no mention of details on
Part A
1. Overall frequency response
2. Sensitivity
3. Power output
4. Are these 2 1/2" Full range drivers better than SB 50 Driver complement
of individual Mid woofer and tweeter.
Part B
Will this Dvd player play all sort disc formats.
Request Mr. Eric or Mr. Ken to reply on this, or if any members who have bought this has a manual with these details can post this.
Thanks in Advance.

[svtjoe]

I would like to know the wattage on the surroundbar360 as well.

I recieved my Surroundbar50 hooked it up to my My Denon 2805 and Velo CHT10 and the sound is awesome. It gets so loud on pure direct mode! Clear highs, tight mids..but as stated it needs the sub, just as the Sub needs the SB.

Break in period.. I played with it and went to -12 yesterday for a while, watched a movie or two at good volume and then went Pure Direct at near refrence volume for a tad today and it was fantastic. BUT, did I hurt anything going that high so early? These drivers are tiny compared to the RTi or LSI line, so I would think break in would be less of an issue (just dont want to hurt the speaker)
Thanks,

Joe

[jacob.simpson]

Please sombody reply :(Answers please :(

[tennispunck4]

I just got ahold of my surroundbar yesterday and paired it with a Marantz 5002 and a PSW10(for now, PSW1000 is on the way) and wondered if anyone else had had good luck with lossless audio from bluray sources. Not to say I've had bad luck but I have only just begun to tweak the surroundbar and receiver and was just looking for some other thoughts on setup. I run bluray through ps3 via HDMI, 14g wire to SB and have been going back and forth with line level and speaker level for the sub. I have a center channel from another system I once had that I was going to use when I finish moving my furniture to add some xtra to the rear. My biggest concern is what to do with the lossless signal since the SB has filters in it. Does this limit what you can do with DD HD or DTS HD? So far I've only had time to skip around through Pirates 3 and went back and forth with different settings. I know that every room is different as well as a persons preferance so it will take some time to adjust to my full liking, just wondered who else has run HD audio with the SB and what settings they liked. Thanks.

[jimbo1421]

I purchased my 42" SurroundBar back in April 2007 in a package deal from Amazon.com that included the PSW10 subwoofer. After listening to it for 21 months I am forming some opinions about how well the SurroundBar fits with my system and how well satisfied I am with it. Many of the defects that I list below I believe are the fault of the receiver, not the SurroundBar. I include them to show where a system can go wrong and to solicit advice about where to make improvements in my system.

First, my system specs:
Yamaha RX-V496 AV receiver (purchased in 2000)
Sharp Aquos LC-37D62U LCD TV 1080p (2007)
Akai AP-206 Direct Drive turntable with Audio-Technica AT14Sa cartridge
MacBook Pro 2.16 GHz (2006) for iTunes (optical audio out to AVR for 5.1 channel audio)
OWC Neptune Pioneer 107 DVR for CDs and DVDs (Firewire connection to MBP)
Stereo pair of custom 3-way speakers built in 1983 by an audio enthusiast friend
Ears: 56 year old standard issue; tinnitus in left channel due to 25 years of unprotected power tool noise.


The TV and equipment had to go into a corner of my 13' x 19' living room, the right wall being only 2'-9" next to an 8' opening to the dining room. This made setting up a true 5.1 channel system somewhat impractical so I thought I would give the SurroundBar a try.

The SurroundBar is solidly built and the set up instructions were clear. The speaker wire connections are a little hard to get at with the SB on the table stand. The supplied 10 conductor ribbon cable is stiff and can be hard to maneuver through tight spaces. I cut off a 5' length and hoped I wouldn't need more than 20' in any future set up. In the first set up I passed the leads through the holes in the speaker posts and overtightened the nuts that secure them, thus severing the 18g wires. After cleaning out the little shreds of wire from around the posts and restripping the wires I just finger tightened them gently. Next time I wire them I will add banana plugs on the receiver end and spade terminals on the speaker end.

The SurroundBar sits on the TV stand 23" off the floor, angled slightly upward toward those 56 year old ears; the TV mounted just a half inch above on a swiveling post attachment. I would like to contrive an extra mount for the SB so that it can swivel with the TV and accommodate different viewing positions. Per Polk's recommendation I wired the PSW10 in parallel with the left & right front channels. In the AVR set up I set all the speakers to Large and Bass Out to Main (which sends all bass and LFE channel to the left and right front speaker output). There is also a pink noise test generator in the AVR which I used to balance the 5 channels for equal volume. I opened a Netflix account and sat back to enjoy some movies.

And I did enjoy them. This is my first big HD TV and it sure beat my old 27" Curtiss Mathes console (ca.1979 purchased at a yard sale in 1994). Big, beautiful picture with a big sound from the SurroundBar. I have some trouble understanding dialog in noisy scenes so I boosted the center channel +6db which helped. (Try doing that at Century 21!) The subwoofer put out satisfying thumps that I had never heard before on my old stereo VCR setup.

Still, I was aware that the soundstage was nowhere near the 180 degree width that other reviewers reported. Perhaps only 90 degrees, a couple of feet beyond either end of the SurroundBar. Over the past 18 months I studied these forums and reviews as well as the Yamaha manual and gradually educated myself about surround sound. Several suggestions were to boost the output of the surround channels anywhere from +4 to +12 db. I tried that and eventually settled on +6 db. I found a separate addendum in the SB paperwork, which I had overlooked, saying to set the surround delay to 15 milliseconds. And here is where it got really tricky.

The Yamaha AVR has 23 different digital sound field processor programs (DSP) for 2 channel stereo, 2 channel Dolby Digital, 5.1 channel Dolby Digital and 5.1 channel DTS. They have names like "DTS DIGITAL SUR/Normal", 70mm SCI-FI" or "DGTL ADVENTURE", along with some advertising bunkum describing them. There is even one called "CECIL B DEMILLE RELIGIOUS SPECTACLE". No kidding, check it out. Each of these DSP programs has its own surround delay setting as well as other programming intended to mimic various types of sound fields found in movie theaters. These delay settings can be adjusted for each individual DSP program by pressing the right buttons on the remote in just the right order. You can also override the volume settings made in the earlier pink noise test by pressing other buttons. Do it wrong and you can get the surround effects hopelessly screwed up. I know I did. Talk about interactive television, watching TV has never been so complicated. Whew!

I found the chart in the Yamaha manual which lists the delay settings for all the DSP programs and got things straightened out. I also found some programs had that 15 ms delay recommended in the addendum and tried that. Voilá - nearly 160 degrees of surround sound goodness. It even goes to 180 sometimes. Not liking these particular DSP programs I went back to plain ordinary "DOLBY DIGITAL/Normal" and raised its delay from 5 to 15 ms. I recently watched Master and Commander again just for the cannon shots and was completely satisfied that the SurroundBar and subwoofer did what it was supposed to do. The cannons had impact and a spatial dimension without being overly directional. Battle scene noises seemed to come from all over the sound stage. Creaking boat and wind noises sounded just right to me. I forgot all about the SB and AVR and just sat back and enjoyed the movie.

Listening to 2 channel audio is less satisfying. The Yamaha RX-V496 has three DSP programs for translating stereo input to some kind of surround sound: DISCO, ROCK CONCERT, and CONCERT HALL. These add to the width of the sound stage, which is much needed since the left and right channels are less than 3' apart. Too bad the DSP effects are often unlistenable. They add Yamaha sound engineering on top of whatever the recording engineers did; the result sometimes sounds right, but often it's just a muddle. Turning the DSP effect off leaves a much narrower sound stage, but a more listenable sound. So my solution has been to connect up my old custom built speaker pair on the AVR's B channel. The sound quality is not so good; the old speakers have an oboe-like timbre to them (saxophone, if you want to be cruel), where the SurroundBar is more neutral.

Listening to stereo recordings at higher volumes (-28db) on the SurroundBar is also not so good. I overlooked the recommended amplification specification before I bought; it's 125 watts/channel. My AVR is rated at 70 watts. The result is distortion; with classical music high register violins get shrieky and classical piano music starts to sound clangy. So I have to turn it down. On the plus side, when the choice is popular music, with the DISCO DSP, the results can be terrific. I especially like Dire Straits and Joan Armatrading at full volume.

The PSW10 subwoofer is OK with surround sound, providing the very low end thump for explosions and such. Musically it will sometimes pick up notes, sometimes not. It required a lot of trial positioning to keep it from booming in my living room. It ended up a few feet to the left of the TV up on concrete blocks padded with self adhesive felt between the sub and the block and between the block and the floor. This way I can turn it up higher for LFE without rattling the windows. I need to adjust the volume practically for each source and try to keep it just shy of booming. Why not put the volume and crossover knobs on the front where we can get at them easily?

I can give the SurroundBar/PSW10 combination 5 stars for home theater use in a difficult corner. It achieves the effect for which it was designed. 3 stars for home audio with the possibility of improvement in different system. This combination can be found at Polk Audio Direct on eBay for $300+100 shipping. It's well worth the price.

This brings me to my main question: What improvement should come next? A different receiver? At 9 years old it may just be tired. Can anyone recommend a receiver (under $500) that plays music well on the SurroundBar? Is there one with a better 2 channel DSP program that would work well with the SB? The website for NAD claims to have a different, more musical approach to DSP. Can anyone comment on this? Or should I get a very good stereo pair for the B channel on my current Yamaha? I am thinking of the RTi A3. If I did that could I wire the subwoofer in parallel with both A & B channels without harm. I would like any solution to work well with classical music and keep the total number of components in that corner to a minimum.

So you actually read all the way through this. Thank you.

Jim

[svtjoe]

Jim,

Awesome write up. I am still tweaking my SB50. I really like it but I currently have a wall directly behind me which kills the effect. If I move up a couple of feet, it is great. I am moving in two weeks and will have a new setup in the house and I cant wait to mount the SB under the plasma. I have played with the height and I am thinking about mounting it above the plasma..

I am not sure how that will effect the sound.

Also, I have 12awg wire ready to go for the new house, along with power conditioners for my Denon AVR (100 watts per channel). I am thinking that the power and wire should help.

Dialog is sometimes tough to here. Your recommendation is right on as far as the incrase of the center channel.


I would look at the Mid Range Denon's and the new Yamahas. You could find 110 watts per channel in your range.

Upgrade the wire as I hear you get more sound (will find out in a week or so).

The settings on my reciever for delay are in feet, not time delay.
I need to find a chart.


Thanks,

Joe

[TECHNOKID]

Upgrade the wire as I hear you get more sound (will find out in a week or so).

Below, is from of our discussion at DHC:There is no real reason to use to large speaker wire, but if it's cheap I guess why not...

From BCAE site:

Quote:
Resistance in Speaker Wire:
Many people are told that they need to use very large speaker wire to prevent a noticeable loss in output. For most situations, 16g speaker wire is absolutely fine. In the following calculator, you can see just how little loss you'll have with a given wire size. Keep in mind that 1 dB is generally the minimum difference you'll be able to hear. If the loss is less than 1dB, you'll never hear it.

Here is a handy Calculator (http://www.bcae1.com/images/swfs/speakerwireselectorassistant.swf) to find all you need to know about your wire run at any length and gauge.

Assuming a 100 WPC receiver a 10ft run of 16 gauge will have a loss of 0.09db, 12 gauge lowers it to 0.03db. Since anything less than 1db is undetectable to human hearing it really doesn't give you any advantage to go thick.For our purpose here, let's take jimbo1421's receiver value and do the exercise to see what kind of an improvement he would get with 12 gage versus the included 18 gage cable assembly: http://www.bcae1.com/images/swfs/speakerwireselectorassistant.swf

For use with 18 gage wire the values are as follow: 70 watts @ 20 feet cable w/18 gage wire @ 8 ohms impedance = 0.27 db loss...

For use with 12 gage wire the values are as follow: 70 watts @ 20 feet cable w/12 gage wire w/8 ohms impedance = 0.07 db loss

this means your gain for using such a larger wire is only a difference of 0.20 db loss. Not even a1 db difference! NOTE: You need to approximately double the db rating in order to experience a small increase of about 10 watts. Can you imagine, we are pretty far from this result. When Polk's engeeners developped the bar I would imagine they did consider that the cabling being so short was playing in their favor and thus not requiring such powerfull drivers nor receivers to accomplish the task!

jimbo1421, your receiver is actually more of a threath to damage your SB being underpowered compared to a receiver with much more closer match since the distorsion spikes coming from the receiver can be very harmfull to your receiver. In order to operate the SB safely with your receiver, it shouldn't be powered that much more than let's say 1/2 power. If you like the Yamaha, the HTR-6160 (http://www.yamaha.ca/av/PDFs/Receivers/2008_Models/HTR6160_Brochure.pdf ) and above (http://www.yamaha.ca/av/PDFs/Receivers/2008_Models/HTR6180_Brochure.pdf) would be a good match for the bar and your overall set-up. I personnally think the RM series (which the SB uses the same drivers)

[jimbo1421]

Hi, Technokid,

Thanks for taking the time to work through these numbers. I had read similar remarks elsewhere but was thinking of upgrading to 16 or 12 gage the next time I had the system apart just to see what happened. I think I will skip that now. Remember I cut a 5 foot length of the 25 foot, 18 gage ribbon cable supplied by Polk since the AVR is so close to the TV.

Below, is from of our discussion at DHC:For our purpose here, let's take jimbo1421's receiver value and do the exercise to see what kind of an improvement he would get with 12 gage versus the included 18 gage cable assembly:

[snip]

this means your gain for using such a larger wire is only a difference of 0.20 db loss. Not even a1 db difference! NOTE: You need to approximately double the db rating in order to experience a small increase of about 10 watts. Can you imagine, we are pretty far from this result. When Polk's engeeners developped the bar I would imagine they did consider that the cabling being so short was playing in their favor and thus not requiring such powerfull drivers nor receivers to accomplish the task!

jimbo1421, your receiver is actually more of a threath to damage your SB being underpowered compared to a receiver with much more closer match since the distorsion spikes coming from the receiver can be very harmfull to your receiver. In order to operate the SB safely with your receiver, it shouldn't be powered that much more than let's say 1/2 power. If you like the Yamaha, the HTR-6160 (http://www.yamaha.ca/av/PDFs/Receivers/2008_Models/HTR6160_Brochure.pdf ) and above (http://www.yamaha.ca/av/PDFs/Receivers/2008_Models/HTR6180_Brochure.pdf) would be a good match for the bar and your overall set-up. I personnally think the RM series (which the SB uses the same drivers)

This concerns me more. These days I never turn the volume up more than 1/3 power when I start to get painful distortion from music sources. I cannot say if I turned it up higher some years ago when I lived in a much bigger house with a listening room 2-1/2 times bigger. Still, even at 1/3 power I can see how the 5.1 surround sound of a train wreck could overtax the system, after boosting the volume to hear quiet dialog. So I am looking to upgrade the receiver.

I have doing a lot more concentrated music listening lately and have become more aware of the shortcomings of my Yamaha RX-V496. None its 2 channel DSP programs really improve the music and more often degrade it. I will be setting up a stereo pair and listening area at the other end of my living room using the B channel and my old custom built 3 ways. So I am looking for a better, more powerful AVR that can drive the SurroundBar for home theater and the stereo set up. I think a pair of LSi9s or something like them might be in the future so the AVR needs to be 4 ohm capable. A phono input is also a must. All that gets pricey so I am keeping an eye on Craigslist.

Technokid, your post was cut off in mid sentence. If you had more to say I am eager to hear it.

Regards,
Jim

[jimbo1421]

Listening to 2 channel audio is less satisfying. The Yamaha RX-V496 has three DSP programs for translating stereo input to some kind of surround sound: DISCO, ROCK CONCERT, and CONCERT HALL. These add to the width of the sound stage, which is much needed since the left and right channels are less than 3' apart. Too bad the DSP effects are often unlistenable. They add Yamaha sound engineering on top of whatever the recording engineers did; the result sometimes sounds right, but often it's just a muddle. Turning the DSP effect off leaves a much narrower sound stage, but a more listenable sound. So my solution has been to connect up my old custom built speaker pair on the AVR's B channel. The sound quality is not so good; the old speakers have an oboe-like timbre to them (saxophone, if you want to be cruel), where the SurroundBar is more neutral.

Listening to stereo recordings at higher volumes (-28db) on the SurroundBar is also not so good. I overlooked the recommended amplification specification before I bought; it's 125 watts/channel. My AVR is rated at 70 watts. The result is distortion; with classical music high register violins get shrieky and classical piano music starts to sound clangy. So I have to turn it down. On the plus side, when the choice is popular music, with the DISCO DSP, the results can be terrific. I especially like Dire Straits and Joan Armatrading at full volume.


Jim

I would like to modify these remarks from my earlier review. I find that when listening to a well engineered stereo recording, LP or CD with the DSP effect turned off and the subwoofer turned on, the sound stage is about 6-7 feet wide when seated 7 feet away from the SurroundBar. This is a good bit wider than the 3 foot separation of the left and right tweeters. It is good enough to give spaciousness to the sound. Lesser quality sources, like FM stereo, don't seem to achieve this.

Also, by full volume, I meant 1/3 power (-28db on the scale around the volume knob. More than that only the young can take.

Jim

[Cardinals-1]

I auditioned it out of couriosity.

For what it is it sounds amazing. Much better than the Bose junk. It will not replace a real 5.1 system anytime soon though.

[svtjoe]

Can someone explain why members report of the sound being much louder with increase in wire?

Why are all the audiophiles spending money on Bluejeans, Monster...ext..if its not even detectable to the human ear?

I will admit for a spool of In-wall 12 gauge, it was too cheap not to get as my other stuff is crap, but I can't figure out why people say it will became louder after the wire switch?

I will be having a 25-30 run from my component closet to the SB50.


Pics of the completed install will be posted next week.

Thanks,

Joe

[TECHNOKID]

I will admit for a spool of In-wall 12 gauge, it was too cheap not to get as my other stuff is crap, but I can't figure out why people say it will became louder after the wire switch?That might put me in trouble with some audiophiles but just keep in mind our hearing is also connected to our brain and the brain can play tricks :p If you cable is bad then a good reason for replacing however, stay away from marketting gimmicks such as MON$TER... Blue jeans isn't bad price wise and MONOPRICE is also another good option! For people using shorter runs, don't forget that the provided cable could be used doubled-up (2 pieces of 18 gage hooked-up togehter) providing you with higher gage and just as efficient!

Cheers :)

[TECHNOKID]

SurroundBAR FAQ
When clicking on a question, the answer doesn't appear... can anyone explain why and/or what I am doing wrong?

Thanks in advance!

[jimbo1421]

When clicking on a question, the answer doesn't appear... can anyone explain why and/or what I am doing wrong?

Thanks in advance!

Hi Technokid

I can't even find a page called SurroundBar FAQ. There is one called General SurroundBar Questions. The pop down answers there work for me. Do you have JavaScript enabled? I turned mine off to see what would happen: no answers pop down.

Here is a good place to say how confusing the SurroundBar pages have become. All the other series pages have a sensible layout and structure in common — Overview - Reviews - Tech Specs across the top, and the list of models down the left side. The SB page must have been done by a different committee. With no chairman. I took me 15 minutes once just to look up the specs.

Regards,

Jim

[TECHNOKID]

Thanks for your reply jimbo1421.

There is one called General SurroundBar Questions. The pop down answers there work for me. Do you have JavaScript enabled?We are on the same page, I check JavaScript and it is enabled but pop down is blank for me, the answer(s) do not appear.

By the way, I tried the same first at work today and the same was going on and I know JavaScript is enabled on that computer. Maybe Canadians aren't allowed those features ;)

Cheers :)

[jimbo1421]

Thanks for your reply jimbo1421.

We are on the same page, I check JavaScript and it is enabled but pop down is blank for me, the answer(s) do not appear.

By the way, I tried the same first at work today and the same was going on and I know JavaScript is enabled on that computer. Maybe Canadians aren't allowed those features ;)

Cheers :)

TK-
I am on the Mac side here. I tried several browsers on this page. All worked except Internet Explorer 5.2 (the last version for OS X). In fact the site is seriously screwed up in IE 5.2. The Products button is missing altogether and IE crashes when I paste in the URL for General SurroundBar Questions.

Did you try a different browser?

Regards,
Jim

[dssxxxx]

New member.

Looking to purchase the SDA INT. Wife factor figures in with the wireless sub. Anything without wires........ :-)

Since I would imagine from reading the online instructions, that all devices are run through the TV (Sammy 46A860). Will be using Tivo HD and BR player to be purchased when new models arrive April-June). Am also going to be using iPod to rid myself of receiver and 200 CD changer (load all 200 on iPod).

How would I took the iPod up? Would it be by purchasing a dock and running through the TV? Or some other suggestion?

Thanks in advance.

[jimbo1421]

You could use the RCA audio inputs for an iPod dock. The TV would have to be on and consuming power.

Or you could get a SurroundBar 42/PSW10 from Polk Direct (http://stores.shop.ebay.com/Polk-Audio-Direct__W0QQ_armrsZ1) for about $400 including shipping. Keep the receiver and study up on wire management here: http://stores.shop.ebay.com/Polk-Audio-Direct__W0QQ_armrsZ1

Regards,
Jim

[dssxxxx]

Well...........wire management is something I have to do in the family room.....:-)

But, this is in a living room where the stereo is in one corner (wife is replacing the wall unit), so everything inside must go. And TV/entertainment center is in center of wall where no wires can be seen (hence the entertainment center/TV on top and everything else hidden out of sight).

Would I need or can I use a iPod dock and connect to the TV, since it looks like I cannot connect directly to the SDA IHT?

Or I could use an input selector box found at most Radio Shacks, this is a device that has multiple inputs and a single output. The audio from the iPod one be connected to one set of inputs on the selector box. The television outputs would be connected to another set on inputs. Then the output, of the selector box, would be connected to the inputs of the Polk SDA. By pushing the input buttons you can select which source comes through the Polk.

What's the best solution?

Again, thanks.

[jimbo1421]

Input selector box = receiver.

Your TV will have unused RCA audio inputs that you could use for an iPod dock. You will still have wires running from your Tivo, BluRay disk player and iPod dock to the TV, audio out wires from the TV to the SB IHT, and power cords to all the devices.

[dssxxxx]

Here's the catch. Wife does not mind the few wires running from the TV behind the center and through the cut outs in the back of the console, but does not want to see any wires on the floor.

I think I have made the right choice.

Jim you have helped greatly. Just really don't know how to connect the iPod to run without turning on the TV and really don't want to go for the bucks for a separate iPod dock with speakers.

[numbnuts22715]

Im new, and I have no idea about home audio equipment. I'm thinking about buying a soundbar for my apartments bedroom. I dont want to have wires running around everywhere and I move apartments every year since I am in college and go home for the summer, so I figure a soundbar is the best choice. I'm a best buy employee so I do get a good discount on the soundbars, and as of now I'm looking at the surroundbar 360. What is everybody's take on this?
Ive read that the bass isnt that great coming from it, so I could also get an external subwoofer as well.
It's my understanding that I wont need anything else to run this soundbar.
I will only be hooking my ps3 and my tv up to it, and I'll just run I guess an optical cable from my tv to the soundbar, and then the hdmi to my tv to get the sound from my ps3, right?

Sorry about all the questions, I really don't know much about this.

Thanks,
Charles

[nooshinjohn]

Im new, and I have no idea about home audio equipment. I'm thinking about buying a soundbar for my apartments bedroom. I dont want to have wires running around everywhere and I move apartments every year since I am in college and go home for the summer, so I figure a soundbar is the best choice. I'm a best buy employee so I do get a good discount on the soundbars, and as of now I'm looking at the surroundbar 360. What is everybody's take on this?
Ive read that the bass isnt that great coming from it, so I could also get an external subwoofer as well.
It's my understanding that I wont need anything else to run this soundbar.
I will only be hooking my ps3 and my tv up to it, and I'll just run I guess an optical cable from my tv to the soundbar, and then the hdmi to my tv to get the sound from my ps3, right?

Sorry about all the questions, I really don't know much about this.

Thanks,
Charles


welcome to the club!... for your present needs, I would say go for it!:)

[TECHNOKID]

Im new, and I have no idea about home audio equipment. I'm thinking about buying a soundbar for my apartments bedroom. I dont want to have wires running around everywhere and I move apartments every year since I am in college and go home for the summer, so I figure a soundbar is the best choice. I'm a best buy employee so I do get a good discount on the soundbars, and as of now I'm looking at the surroundbar 360. What is everybody's take on this?
Ive read that the bass isnt that great coming from it, so I could also get an external subwoofer as well.
It's my understanding that I wont need anything else to run this soundbar.
I will only be hooking my ps3 and my tv up to it, and I'll just run I guess an optical cable from my tv to the soundbar, and then the hdmi to my tv to get the sound from my ps3, right?

Sorry about all the questions, I really don't know much about this.

Thanks,
CharlesIf you are to buy an extra sub over that, you would be better in getting either the 42" or 50" with the addition of a sub and small receiver in order to get MUCH better quality for your money! Just keep in mind buying combo systems far from gives you the best results while costing the big $$$. Also realize that when loosing part of the system, the system is actually down until you get it fixed while with separate you only loose part of the system and there are chances you can still use the system in the mean time.

Cheers :)

[kab]

This is a great and informative thread, offering great insight to those in the forum. I commend all the contributors.

We could use you help on the product pages. We're short on reviews for the SurroundBar 50, 360 and the new IHT. If you have an experience with any of these, we'd love to have to you contribute a short (or long) review.

Thanks,
Al

[kab]

...Here is a good place to say how confusing the SurroundBar pages have become...


We hear you Jim and are working on it.

[TECHNOKID]

:cool:We hear you Jim and are working on it.

It is also great to see Polk's involvement and concerns over their product and while value the clients's opinion.

Personnaly, I chose the 42" trying to save a few dollars (while a good sale/deal was available) but while the 42" gives a very good result I wish I knew as much as I presently know as I would have definitely opted for the 50"!

I may be wrong but the 360 and the instant don't appeal to me as I feel I would have to compromise over the end result of a good stand alone receiver and the choice of a subwoofer of my choice and budget. Even driver wise, the 360 and the instant don't seem to come any close to the 42" and 50" that uses slightly better drivers (same drivers for both if I am not wrong?.

I personally see the 360 and instant closer to an HTIB which is normally quite affordable for budget concerned people but I feel the compromise is way too considerable and for which I decided to stay away from. I see the 42" and 50" as a great center compromise as you still get the quality of speakers but combined with a good receiver while having the opportunity to add a good Polk subwoofer of your choice which can still match the wallet of budget concerned people!

I must add that being technically inclined, the white paper on the SAD technology and surroundbar it self is very convincing and thus help greatly for sale! Mind you, it is explain in plain language that even a non technical could easily understand the processing. However, I think most technical people would see the white paper with great interest and curiosity. It always was much easier to read or listen to people that have knowledge and credibility over what they are talking about (not counting the passion). When the opposite arise, I tend to move away from them and more important the product also. This site is also full of knowledgeable people that when reading them I sometimes feel like a kid that doesn't know anything :o and is eager to learn. Thanks to Polk for the Forum experience over the fine products

Cheers :)

[kab]

I may be wrong but the 360 and the instant don't appeal to me as I feel I would have to compromise over the end result of a good stand alone receiver and the choice of a subwoofer of my choice and budget...

There's no argument that a well chosen and properly set-up 5 speaker and sub audio system would perform as well or better. And we would way rather sell 5, 7 or 9 speakers. But, a big but, the vast majority who own home theater audio do not have complementary components and do not have the system set-up properly. What's worse is that set-up is so amazingly hard, especially with the newer gear, that the owner has no idea if the system performing up to its potential. Chances are is that it's not. The SurroundBars eliminate or at least minimize the set-up issues

Most here on the forum are technically saavy (or have nothing else to do :) ) and can screw with their gear until it's right.

The SB 42 and 50 have appeal to those like you who have the gear and the know-how but have a situation where 5 speakers are not wanted, not appropriate or not possible.

[TECHNOKID]

The SB 42 and 50 have appeal to those like you who have the gear and the know-how but have a situation where 5 speakers are not wanted, not appropriate or not possible.Actually, I do have the room for the 5 speakers and even wanted them and bought them (RM20 5 pack and 6 RM30) bought the surroundbar technology was and still is intriging and appealing. I am having a ball toying with all of those speakers and I do specially cherish the Polk bar as I find the SDA very clever technology. My point was solely aimed at the 360 which is an HTIB style. I am especially very reluctant to combo package. I feel that even non tech-savy could do better and with the internet, the help is so readily available. Polk is also there for its buyers, this specific thread and the various testimonials about Polk's valuable CS proves it!

Cheers :)

[numbnuts22715]

The only reason I asked about the surroundbar 360 is because I can get it for a fraction of the cost of anything else about as good(~400 bucks). I'm in college and dont make enough money to spend more than ~500 or so dollars.

[TECHNOKID]

The only reason I asked about the surroundbar 360 is because I can get it for a fraction of the cost of anything else about as good(~400 bucks). I'm in college and dont make enough money to spend more than ~500 or so dollars.I guess BB's return policy must apply to their emplyees also. If this is the case, I would suggest you buy and set it up in your environment for a good demo. If you are happy with the end result, you keep it otherewise you simply return your purchase.


Cheers :)

[svtjoe]

I have the 50" hooked up to my Denon and I love it. My 7 year old Velodyne CHT10 is still strong, but it wears out on heavy scenes at reference level and shuts down (flip the switch to restart). When everything is going, its a great sound. Loud, clear. Although when the sub drops its very noticable. What I noticed is that the SB360 had better bass than the 50". Very strange as the drivers are smaller...mabey its the internal amp of the SB360 that has been tweaked.


I need a powerful 12" subwoofer and I will be in business.

I also added (2) R15's (I had them in the closet..I will be getting the matched rears soon) and hooked them up to a rocket fish wireless adapter for a 7.1.


Awesome!

[TECHNOKID]

I have the 50" hooked up to my Denon and I love it. My 7 year old Velodyne CHT10 is still strong, but it wears out on heavy scenes at reference level and shuts down (flip the switch to restart). When everything is going, its a great sound. Loud, clear. Although when the sub drops its very noticable. What I noticed is that the SB360 had better bass than the 50". Very strange as the drivers are smaller...mabey its the internal amp of the SB360 that has been tweaked.


I need a powerful 12" subwoofer and I will be in business.

I also added (2) R15's (I had them in the closet..I will be getting the matched rears soon) and hooked them up to a rocket fish wireless adapter for a 7.1.


Awesome!You are very fortunate that could have a listen to both of them. It is fair that the 360 has some bass as it was designed for this and the 50' wasn't. I too find it weird that with smaller driver it reaches the lower better. I guess it is the Polk's magic ;) Have you ever had a chance to compare (listen) the 42 and 50? I wonder if the extra 2 drivers make that much difference?

Your subwoofer, you might want to open it and do a little maintenance on it. Simply use an air compressor or vacum cleaner if the air compressor isn't available. Amplifier heat will attract dust and if sufficient dust packs in there, the natural way of ventilating is not efficient anymore. Also make sure it isn't in any enclosed area which will help for the breathing. If you have a NON NOISY fan, this might give a second breath to your subwoofer if you still like its sound quality.

Cheers :)

[numbnuts22715]

I ordered the surroundbar360 today. I will let you know all how I like it when it gets here in about a week or so. hopefully it comes faster, but they have to verify that i am actually an employee of best buy.

[TECHNOKID]

I ordered the surroundbar360 today. I will let you know all how I like it when it gets here in about a week or so. hopefully it comes faster, but they have to verify that i am actually an employee of best buy.Congratulation... Please, let us know particularly what you think of the Low end efficiency without any subwoofer.

Cheers :)

[Torin]

Another new member here. As part of my "deal" with my wife in buying a house that she "loves", I was afforded the ability to finally get a new 52" widescreen lcd tv. The main reason of course is that the distance from myself to the wall where the TV will be placed is 19 feet away. Yeah, I know this is stretching it even for a 52" tv, but this is what I have to work with. Since she really wasn't prepared for me to spend what was needed on a 52" tv, I am stuck with trying to find some kind of audio solution for the bedroom that will work in a 20' deep (from me to tv) by 12' wide by 10' tall bedroom.

I've been using Polk equipment for a good many years now. I am not an audiophile, but I do want good sounding speakers for movies and video games, which are primarily conducted away from the living room surround setup that the kids almost always occupy.

So, while a wired system might be possible in the long term (i.e. in the wall speakers and whatnot), I need some kind of solution for the next year or two while I re-earn the right to spend a few more thousand on a new wired surround system. (and the wiring in the walls to go with it) One of the ideas I had was the Polk SurroundBar SDA IHT w/ Wireless sub, as it would allow me to not have to run wires 20' across the room, (and buy the $3000 rug to cover it up) but I wasn't sure how well A) the SurroundBar would fill my 2400 cubic ft. bedroom and B) the SurroundBar's SDA would work in a 20' deep room.

So, anyone have experience in this area? I'd like to keep my loyalty with Polk, as they've served me well in the past, but I really don't know what I'm getting myself into trying to do something like this in a bedroom this deep.

[dorokusai]

Is the bed on the far end of that 20' bedroom?

[TECHNOKID]

Is the bed on the far end of that 20' bedroom?I personnally think that for the purpose and the environment you have, a Polk SurroundBar would be suitable however, I would go for the 50" and as you pointed out the a powerfull wireless subwoofer (or if you have the room up front for the sub, a wired one should also do the trick). You have to make sure your set-up is centered with your bed just like an HT for proper listening position. I guess that is what was met by the bed on the far end???

Cheers :)

[Torin]

The bed is on the far end of the 20' length, yes.

+--------20'---------+
| |
| +--+ |
12'|BED| TV|
| +--+ |
| |
+--------20'---------+

I think you get the picture. :) Obviously the bed is not exactly to scale.

[TECHNOKID]

The bed is on the far end of the 20' length, yes.

+--------20'---------+
| |
| +--+ |
12'|BED| TV|
| +--+ |
| |
+--------20'---------+

I think you get the picture. :) Obviously the bed is not exactly to scale.Where is the door located? Anyway, the main goal (which seem to be accomplished) is to have your bed (sitting posisiton) centerered with your visual and audio gear. The bar doesn't need to help of the walls to do its job but proper sitting position is of utmost importance for optimum effect!

Cheers!

[Torin]

Where is the door located? Anyway, the main goal (which seem to be accomplished) is to have your bed (sitting posisiton) centerered with your visual and audio gear. The bar doesn't need to help of the walls to do its job but proper sitting position is of utmost importance for optimum effect!

Cheers!

The door would be along the bottom edge near the lower right hand corner.

Edit: And yes, the bed will be directly lined up with the TV and audio gear. I just didnt know if it not being a square room (more long and narrow than anything) would affect the effect of the SDA, in that the surround effect would be less pronounced.

[dorokusai]

The IHT is too small for that room, IMO.

[Torin]

The IHT is too small for that room, IMO.

For that matter, is any single speaker system going to be big enough? Or do I just have to push for something like 2 T90es and eventually turn that into a full surround system?

[Kenneth Swauger]

Hello Torin,
Thanks for considering our SurroundBar systems as part of your new home. I checked with the SB project manager for his input and he felt that you were in a good position to take advantage of the SDA technology. The size of the room would prevent any problems with side wall reflections and the SDA technology works well whether the listener is near or far away. He suggested the SB50 with a good sub-woofer would be a good choice for fairly high playing volumes. For more moderate playing volumes and eliminating the need for additional components the SB360 would be a good choice. In all likelihood, the SB IHT would not be able to work well in that size room unless the playing volumes were pretty moderate.
I hope this is helpful information.
Regards, Ken

[TECHNOKID]

Hello Torin,
Thanks for considering our SurroundBar systems as part of your new home. I checked with the SB project manager for his input and he felt that you were in a good position to take advantage of the SDA technology. The size of the room would prevent any problems with side wall reflections and the SDA technology works well whether the listener is near or far away. He suggested the SB50 with a good sub-woofer would be a good choice for fairly high playing volumes. For more moderate playing volumes and eliminating the need for additional components the SB360 would be a good choice. In all likelihood, the SB IHT would not be able to work well in that size room unless the playing volumes were pretty moderate.
I hope this is helpful information.
Regards, Ken
http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/surroundbar/specs.php

[debussyj]

Torin, For what it's worth, your bedroom size is the same as my living (listening) room. I have my couch on the longer wall with my plasma directly across so I've got a shorter viewing/listening distance than you would have. I'm using the Surroundbar 50" with SVS SB12 Plus subwoofer. I must say the sound is quite satisfying. I'm very pleased. The SB 50" certainly needs the sub though.

[numbnuts22715]

Congratulation... Please, let us know particularly what you think of the Low end efficiency without any subwoofer.

Cheers :)

I got it today, and hooked it up.
I think I have plenty of bass and more than enough sound(volume) for what my needs were. I'm extremely happy I went with this.
Most of what I do is tv watching, watching movies, and playing video games. I havent tested listening to music on it yet just because I really don't listen to music that often.

[TECHNOKID]

I got it today, and hooked it up.
I think I have plenty of bass and more than enough sound(volume) for what my needs were. I'm extremely happy I went with this.
Most of what I do is tv watching, watching movies, and playing video games. I havent tested listening to music on it yet just because I really don't listen to music that often. I'm happy for you numbnuts22715! I think this will be the area where it will lack the most (music). Also try some (known/familiar) movies with lots of effects and thunder and you might find some weakness there too. I've quoted Kab's request for help on reviews for you to remember. I think it's the minimum we can do as they provide us with a forum where we can educate ourselves to make sound choices. Also keep in mind your review can help someone else make the best choice for themselves. Again, congrad and enjoy;)This is a great and informative thread, offering great insight to those in the forum. I commend all the contributors.

We could use you help on the product pages. We're short on reviews for the SurroundBar 50, 360 and the new IHT. If you have an experience with any of these, we'd love to have to you contribute a short (or long) review.

Thanks,
Al

[svtjoe]

Here are some pics of my 50" Panny and my 50" SB. I tried to do a clean installation, there are sooo many wires. I ran 12 gauge to each SB input, HDMI to the TV, extension cords (CL2 rated), Subwoofer cable to my old schoo, trusty Velodyne CHT 10 (The Dust keeps it Vintage lol)..all to the closet with a RF repeater for my Harmony Remote. I also have two rear R15's ran wirelessly to add the 6,7th channel.

It sounds great.. I just need to fix some of the echoes..the tile and open(ess) don't help.


I was going to go with RTI10 and CSI3, but in this room space is tight and the option for a component cabinet (center channel stand) and the monster RTi's would make it even tighter. I am still keeping my eyes open on craigslist though.


Btw, the Surroundbar is Silver and the Grill is black.

Thanks,
Joe

[dorokusai]

Great pics Joe!

[acekaye]

I have had the SB50 for about 4 months. I use an Integra DTR 5.9 with an old Polk subwoofer with the sub running into the front inputs on the receiver. I have slightly tweaked the settings on the receiver, but not much. I am not hearing the surround as well as I had expected and I think that the lack of satisfaction is due to my room configuration. I attach the floorplan for reference.

I live in NYC and my living room is configured as follows approximately 11' x 23 ft. Note that in the last 1/5 of the living room (indicated below) there is a bar that separates the California kitchen from the living room. It is like the Jerry Seinfeld kitchen and the height of the bar is about 4 feet high.

My couch is along the back wall and the entire theater system is along the front wall about 6 feet in from the window.

I understand that the location of the SB50 precludes the full usage of the SDA technology in that the side speakers have nothing to bounce the sound off. I can tinker with the Integra DTR settings to indicate where the speakers should be in relation to the couch, but not the angle in which the sound should come out. Any insights on changing the settings or placement and types of reflective devices for the sound to bounce off of would be most appreciated. I will post pictures if that is helpful.

Thanks,

David

[svtjoe]

I have noticed that the effects are better when there is nothing behind you. I had a wall directly behind me in my last place and whenever I moved forward, I could hear the effects much more.

Also, run the rears around 6db+.. Pics would be helpful.

Thanks,

Joe

[acekaye]

I have noticed that the effects are better when there is nothing behind you. I had a wall directly behind me in my last place and whenever I moved forward, I could hear the effects much more.

Also, run the rears around 6db+.. Pics would be helpful.

Thanks,

Joe

Thanks Joe. Unfortunately, there is not much space in the room so I am kind of limited with the wall behind the couch. How far bar was your wall from where you sat? Also, if you have the rears on 6db+, how high do you set the other speakers? I am including some pictures below to show how the system is set up.

[jimbo1421]

How about placing the TV in the corner by the window at about a 60 degree angle off the window wall? I have mine in a similar position in a 13' x 19' room. My room is open on the right side; I get a bit of a reflection off the left wall which is also where I placed the subwoofer. The net result is that the sound field is pulled a bit to the left. I still get a good 180 degree sound field from my SB 42.

But I can understand not wanting to give up even a square inch of window space.

[TECHNOKID]

svtjoe, Really looks like a nice clean job!

[svtjoe]

Thanks Joe. Unfortunately, there is not much space in the room so I am kind of limited with the wall behind the couch. How far bar was your wall from where you sat? Also, if you have the rears on 6db+, how high do you set the other speakers? I am including some pictures below to show how the system is set up.

Leave the rest of the Channels on 0. Set your rears to about +6db. Also not sure on your reciever, but set the delay to the rears to about .15ms. That would be about 15 feet (My Denon uses feet, not MS).

This will create a nice delay.

In my old setup I was about 10 feet from the bar on my couch. The wall was directly behind me. As I moved forward (I sat on my coffee table) I could hear stuff I never heard before with the bar.

Your angle and height of the bar look good. Its tougher to mount it on the wall as your TV will be too high if the bar is a tad above ear level..I still may move mine up a tad...I took a different approach on this house as I kept the tv at a tad above eye level when sitting down. I think most people mount their tv too high on the wall, when really, they should have bought a bigger screen :)

Try those reciever settings and watch Bad Boys II (The Tahoe chase scene<< awesome)


Tehncokid : Thanks! I need to see if I can fit a bigger sub under that table to keep it hidden. MY CHT10 is working hard to fill that non sound loving room!

[rsharp2000]

Another newbie here! Just installed the SurroundBar 50 below my Samsung 52" over the fireplace and it looks great! Love the look and cleanness of the SB50 on the wall w/ the 52" LCD.

I am running 5.1 now (may expand to 7.1?) but room is small so may not need to. Also running a PSW505 powered sub - which I just troubleshot w/ forum help (thanks to all!) and is working great! IMHO there is no comparism to having a separate sub to push the bass thru on movie soundtracks (or music) regardless of what any mfgr tells you - sorry guys!

Originally I had all my Onkyo 706 sound channels running to the SB50 but found the surround sound a bit lacking so I have recently added separates for the SR & SL channels on side wall locations just above the primary viewing area. For now am trying Cambridge Soundworks white S205 switchable bipole/dipoles (almost free - and looks very nice on the wall) and also have a smaller set of S100's to try as well - also switchable bipole/dipole (sorry again guys but both were rated very high & SW giving them away for less than $100 shipped - so thought I'd try them before springing for FXi 3s or 4s).

My physical room config has several "holes" in it since the left wall is entirely open to approx 9' above the floor. There is a 10'L x 8'H hole in the right rear wall going into the kitchen/breakfast area. Room size is approx 20'W x 26'L x 9'-24'H sloping cathedral ceiling.

For me it came down between the SB50 & Yami 4000. Yami sounded great too but relies more on physical room config & walls to bounce off so went w/ SB50. And my plan was that if I did need to add separate surrounds the SB50 would make a clean F-C-R speaker package w/ a large flat screen - which is where I am now.

Will send some pics shortly ...

... am also wondering if I can use the unused SB50 SR/SL channels as add'l front speakers w/ the SB50 F/L speakers(can I bi-amp or series/parallel wire them or ???) and set sound levels w/ Audyssey calibaration from the Onk 706???

[jon5]

Question for vm20 please help me out

i have pair of vm30 set as left and right front speakers and 1 vm20 as center

my question is that be good if i used pair of vm20 for rear surrounds ?
That mean = 2 vm30 front + 1 vm20 center + 2 vm20 rear surrounds?

Thanks am new baby from polk

[YOTR]

I have a question. I should be receiving my Surroundbar 50 in a few days and am concerned about my placement and if it will affect the sound. I currently have my tv on a stand and will put the Surroundbar in front of it. I have a av rack (for receiver, xbox 360, PS3, etc) right next to the tv stand on the left side. Will the SDA/Surround effect be lost on the left side because of the rack right next to the tv stand? I don't know how the sound field works on the Surroundbar 50 which is why I am asking. I really can't move this rack ( I might be able to move it out a few feet and put my sub between the rack and stand) so I thought I would ask. I have a Pioneer 5020 and have just enough room to put the Surroundbar 50 right underneath the screen where the detachable speaker normally goes. That would put it directly side by side with the AV rack. Thanks in advance!

[debussyj]

Hi, I have a similar scenario. I have the Pio 5020 also and two tall AV towers, one is on the right the other on the left. They kind of frame the space for the display. I have had no sonic problems with this setup at all. BTW, you're going to love how nicely the SB 50 fits underneath the Pio, like it was made for it. Enjoy!

[Kenneth Swauger]

Hello YOTR,
Thanks for posting on the Forum. In general terms the SurroundBar 50 works best if it is placed so that there are no large reflections coming from fairly flat objects to the speaker's left and right sides. The idea is to have the relationship between the "normal" audio channels and the "SDA" audio information reach the listener with no interference. If your component rack is fairly open with no large reflecting surfaces you should be fine. Try and push the rack as far back, as possible, and bring the SurroundBar as far forward, as possible, to minimize the reflections and you should be fine.
Take care and enjoy, Ken

[YOTR]

Hi, I have a similar scenario. I have the Pio 5020 also and two tall AV towers, one is on the right the other on the left. They kind of frame the space for the display. I have had no sonic problems with this setup at all. BTW, you're going to love how nicely the SB 50 fits underneath the Pio, like it was made for it. Enjoy!

Well that's good news!

[YOTR]

Hello YOTR,
Thanks for posting on the Forum. In general terms the SurroundBar 50 works best if it is placed so that there are no large reflections coming from fairly flat objects to the speaker's left and right sides. The idea is to have the relationship between the "normal" audio channels and the "SDA" audio information reach the listener with no interference. If your component rack is fairly open with no large reflecting surfaces you should be fine. Try and push the rack as far back, as possible, and bring the SurroundBar as far forward, as possible, to minimize the reflections and you should be fine.
Take care and enjoy, Ken


It is a pretty open rack. Just four shelves that are completely open. The one shelf that is level with the surroundbar will have a receiver in it but hopefully that won't be an issue. I will try to move the rack/surroundbar around some if I have issues.

[jimbo1421]

Listening to 2 channel audio is less satisfying. The Yamaha RX-V496 has three DSP programs for translating stereo input to some kind of surround sound: DISCO, ROCK CONCERT, and CONCERT HALL. These add to the width of the sound stage, which is much needed since the left and right channels are less than 3' apart. Too bad the DSP effects are often unlistenable. They add Yamaha sound engineering on top of whatever the recording engineers did; the result sometimes sounds right, but often it's just a muddle. Turning the DSP effect off leaves a much narrower sound stage, but a more listenable sound. So my solution has been to connect up my old custom built speaker pair on the AVR's B channel. The sound quality is not so good; the old speakers have an oboe-like timbre to them (saxophone, if you want to be cruel), where the SurroundBar is more neutral.

Listening to stereo recordings at higher volumes (-28db) on the SurroundBar is also not so good. I overlooked the recommended amplification specification before I bought; it's 125 watts/channel. My AVR is rated at 70 watts. The result is distortion; with classical music high register violins get shrieky and classical piano music starts to sound clangy. So I have to turn it down. On the plus side, when the choice is popular music, with the DISCO DSP, the results can be terrific. I especially like Dire Straits and Joan Armatrading at full volume.


I want to amend this part of my review, since it is undeservedly too negative. I realized after much closer listening that the harshness I reported was due to poor quality inputs and have taken steps to improve these. I was listening to an FM music broadcast from a good strong station and thought "Hey, that sounds nice"; clear and detailed, it was a pleasure to hear. This was with no 2 channel DSP effects. Well recorded classical CDs also sound good. Due to the 36" L/R separation the sound stage is narrow but still seems larger than the SurroundBar itself. Sitting 8 feet away from the SB, this is not much of a defect.

Still, I have started to set up a separate 2 channel system at the other end of my living room.

Jim

[TECHNOKID]

I want to amend this part of my review, since it is undeservedly too negative. I realized after much closer listening that the harshness I reported was due to poor quality inputs and have taken steps to improve these. I was listening to an FM music broadcast from a good strong station and thought "Hey, that sounds nice"; clear and detailed, it was a pleasure to hear. This was with no 2 channel DSP effects. Well recorded classical CDs also sound good. Due to the 36" L/R separation the sound stage is narrow but still seems larger than the SurroundBar itself. Sitting 8 feet away from the SB, this is not much of a defect.

Still, I have started to set up a separate 2 channel system at the other end of my living room.

JimOne point we also have to realize, 2 channel set-up is met to reflect music in stereo and my thinking/belief is that a surroundbar will not be able to achieve this due to the confinement of speakers within the same enclosure and this not to mention the necessary distance between speakers in order to achieve stereo listening. HT listening is all about effects NOT music listening therefore I feel a combination of a good 2 channel set-up is a must with the surround bar for music listening. Most receivers today have the AB option making the task easy and innexpensive (the only relative cost is the extra 2 speakers)

[jimbo1421]

In the awkward corner where the HT stands I couldn't make the B part of the AB option work; components were spilling over into the dining room which I didn't like. Back in the 1980s I built a cabinet specifically for a turntable, receiver and 2 shelves of LPs. I haven't been able to use it in my new (since 2002) place in conjunction with the HDTV and its electronics. So I am splitting off into two separate systems.

[TECHNOKID]

In the awkward corner where the HT stands I couldn't make the B part of the AB option work; components were spilling over into the dining room which I didn't like. Back in the 1980s I built a cabinet specifically for a turntable, receiver and 2 shelves of LPs. I haven't been able to use it in my new (since 2002) place in conjunction with the HDTV and its electronics. So I am splitting off into two separate systems.A stand alone 2 channels is another option... I don't exactly understand what you by "B" not working or are you simply talking about the clutter the extra speakers? If so, do you intend to locate the 2 channels elsewhere?

Cheers :)

[jimbo1421]

Yup, a stand alone two channel system at the other end of the living room in a niche between the front window and the fireplace where my TT/receiver cabinet just fits. I dislike having furniture and equipment blocking windows, otherwise I could put it all in one place. In a small house built in 1924, long before home theaters, getting a room arrangement that works both aesthetically and acoustically is a challenge. Being single I have to supply my own WAF.

Sunday I bought a NAD 106 preamp and Parasound HCA 1000A amp, both used. I am awaiting a replacement stylus for my turntable. My laptop is still doing double duty, supplying 2 channel iTunes to the NAD via USB and DVD 5.1 surround by optical audio to the AVR and SurroundBar.

But now we are getting way off topic so I will sign off.

Regards,
Jim

[YOTR]

I just received my surroundbar 50 on ebay from a seller and it arrived damaged. I am sending it back today and noticed that Polk directly sells refurbished Surroundbar 50's with a warranty. Does anyone have any experience with a refurb from polk? I am tempted as I can probably get one really cheap but it does state it could have cosmetic blemishes or scratches. I know companies say that a lot but many times the item looks and performs brand new (at least with my few experiences buying refurb products). Just wondering if anyone had any thoughts or experiences to share. I have a black speaker grill from polk I ordered (I got a great deal on a titanium one originally but wanted a black grill) sitting in my house with no speaker :(.

[TECHNOKID]

I just received my surroundbar 50 on ebay from a seller and it arrived damaged. I am sending it back today and noticed that Polk directly sells refurbished Surroundbar 50's with a warranty. Does anyone have any experience with a refurb from polk? I am tempted as I can probably get one really cheap but it does state it could have cosmetic blemishes or scratches. I know companies say that a lot but many times the item looks and performs brand new (at least with my few experiences buying refurb products). Just wondering if anyone had any thoughts or experiences to share. I have a black speaker grill from polk I ordered (I got a great deal on a titanium one originally but wanted a black grill) sitting in my house with no speaker :(.You have to be carefull when ordering on line to make sure the dealer is accredited by Polk otherwise you loose all warranties. I personally think you should have ordered from Polk e-bay store right of the start as they garantee their product, they stand by it as the work is performed by people that knows the product. Look at the feed-back from people on this forum, its a big loud voice for Polk e-bay store, you get the usual great Polk CS. If you can, return the product and get it directly from Polk store.

Cheers :)

[jacob.simpson]

I just received my surroundbar 50 on ebay from a seller and it arrived damaged. I am sending it back today and noticed that Polk directly sells refurbished Surroundbar 50's with a warranty. Does anyone have any experience with a refurb from polk? I am tempted as I can probably get one really cheap but it does state it could have cosmetic blemishes or scratches. I know companies say that a lot but many times the item looks and performs brand new (at least with my few experiences buying refurb products). Just wondering if anyone had any thoughts or experiences to share. I have a black speaker grill from polk I ordered (I got a great deal on a titanium one originally but wanted a black grill) sitting in my house with no speaker :(.
I ordered a MI dock for my friend, and FXi3 for my brother, except for the sticker on the box, there is no difference, as good as new, and very recently the Refurb speaker have a warranty of 2 years and the new ones remain at 5.
Blindly order from Polk eBay

[YOTR]

You have to be carefull when ordering on line to make sure the dealer is accredited by Polk otherwise you loose all warranties. I personally think you should have ordered from Polk e-bay store right of the start as they garantee their product, they stand by it as the work is performed by people that knows the product. Look at the feed-back from people on this forum, its a big loud voice for Polk e-bay store, you get the usual great Polk CS. If you can, return the product and get it directly from Polk store.

Cheers :)

I know, I should of just ordered from them. I think I was just so paranoid about buying a refurbished product that was scratched and nicked up. Then again, look what happend when I didn't. I sent back the speaker and the seller is going to give me a full refund. I already have the black speaker grill so I guess I am on the hunt for a titanium one. I noticed the titanium one's sell for quite a bit less than the black ones on ebay through polk

[TECHNOKID]

I am on the hunt for a titanium one.Titanium grill or Titanium surroundbar?

[YOTR]

Titanium grill or Titanium surroundbar?

Sorry titanium speaker. I guess I could send back the black grill to polk and just bid on a black surroundbar 50 but I haven't made up my mind yet.

[TECHNOKID]

What is the price on that Black Grill???

[YOTR]

What is the price on that Black Grill???


I got it for a little over $25 shipped. I got a discount for being a polk forum member and free shipping. Pretty good deal in my opinion.

[svtjoe]

Geez..I paid like $42 shipped. Should have mentioned Club polk.

[YOTR]

Geez..I paid like $42 shipped. Should have mentioned Club polk.

I think it was going to be around $38 or so shipped and then I mentioned Club Polk. The discount wasn't much obviously but put free shipping on top of that and it's a great deal. The only reason I knew about it was because I found a post about it on slickdeals where people were ordering the grill. This was in December when Amazon had that awesome sale on the Titanium Surroundbar 50. I am still kicking myself for not picking up a new one then for about the same price I am paying for a refurbished one. Oh well at least I will have a Polk warranty with it.

[YOTR]

Well I finally won a Surroundbar 50 on ebay from polk direct. I got outbid on the sub I wanted by $2 bucks but I will try again tomorrow. All I need to do is track down a receiver and I will be set!

[YOTR]

What gauge size speaker wire should I use to replace the original included one with the surroundbar 50? I read where replacing the speaker wire will help sound wise but I wasn't sure what gauge I should get. Thanks!

[anonymouse]

What gauge size speaker wire should I use to replace the original included one with the surroundbar 50? I read where replacing the speaker wire will help sound wise but I wasn't sure what gauge I should get. Thanks!

I used 10 gauge Blue Jeans cable and it made a world of difference.

[svtjoe]

I used 12 gauge Monoprice cable. Never even opened the SB50 Factory wire.

[TECHNOKID]

I used the cable supplied with my SurroundBar as it makes for a clean job. The fact that the SurroundBar is so close to the receiver, I feel it shouldn't make that much difference using thicker cable.

Cheeres :)

[jimbo1421]

I used 10 gauge Blue Jeans cable and it made a world of difference.

How long a run do you have between your AVR and SB? I use 5 feet cut from the 18ga Polk ribbon cable. Before I set up the HDTV and AVR in a new stand I used all 25 feet, leaving the rest coiled up beneath the table. I didn't notice any difference with the shorter length, but perhaps my 70 wpc Yamaha AVR limits the amount of improvement I can get.

Jim

[anonymouse]

How long a run do you have between your AVR and SB? I use 5 feet cut from the 18ga Polk ribbon cable. Before I set up the HDTV and AVR in a new stand I used all 25 feet, leaving the rest coiled up beneath the table. I didn't notice any difference with the shorter length, but perhaps my 70 wpc Yamaha AVR limits the amount of improvement I can get.

Jim

I have a 10ft run, and I had cut the original cable to 10ft. I use a Sony STR-DA2ES receiver, which is decent, but not outstanding in the power department. Your Yamaha AVR may be your weakest link. Yamaha makes some solid stuff and some lower end receiver, which model do you have?

[jimbo1421]

I have a 10ft run, and I had cut the original cable to 10ft. I use a Sony STR-DA2ES receiver, which is decent, but not outstanding in the power department. Your Yamaha AVR may be your weakest link. Yamaha makes some solid stuff and some lower end receiver, which model do you have?

I have the Yamaha RX-V496. I think it was pretty low end when I bought it in 2000. The specifications are here:
http://www.yamaha.com/yec/products/productdetail.html?CNTID=200238&CTID=5000300&ATRID=1010&DETYP=ATTRIBUTE

[anonymouse]

I have the Yamaha RX-V496. I think it was pretty low end when I bought it in 2000. The specifications are here:
http://www.yamaha.com/yec/products/productdetail.html?CNTID=200238&CTID=5000300&ATRID=1010&DETYP=ATTRIBUTE

That is one of their basic receivers. I think you would do better replacing that unit with a unit with a higher damping factor, as well as replacing the cables with higher gauge.

[jimbo1421]

That is one of their basic receivers. I think you would do better replacing that unit with a unit with a higher damping factor, as well as replacing the cables with higher gauge.

I am keeping my eye out for a used AVR with more WPC, but what is the "damping factor"? Please define.

Jim

[TECHNOKID]

jimbo1421:I am keeping my eye out for a used AVR with more WPC, but what is the "damping factor"? Please define.

JimThe damping factor refers to unwanted ringing effect happening in the loudspeaker and is inversely proportional to the impedance. This affects the lower frequencies, mainly 10 hz - 400 hz therefore would provide for thighter bass. Now, in your specific situation we are talking about a 42" surroundbar (right?) and I gather you are using an external subwoofer (right?) in this case I wouldn't be too concerned with the damping factor jargon as your SB is met to pass through the Mid & High frequencies NOT the Lows. If you look at the specs for your SB, it ranges from 100 Hz to 23 Khz with usable Low at 80 Hz (useless for Lows): http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/surroundbar/specs.php.

This specific surroundbar isn't met for music and is not a high end product where you should be worried about the damping and other factors which would be of concerned mainly for sofisticated 2 channels covering the entire range of frequencies (Low to high). Your receiver is slightly lower than the surroundbar capability but you have to ask your self if you actually require more power and this would be determined by the size of your room and your own listening habits (very loud or normal level). If you do not need to crank your receiver more than 1/2 its capacity, then you do not need to replace it. On the opposite, if you crank all the way most of the time, then you may consider replacing and then you could consider buying one with higher damping factor. As pointed out, if you use a powered subwoofer, the damping factor of you receiver isn't so much of a factor as the importance in damping would be in the subwoofer amp it self.

[jimbo1421]

jimbo1421:The damping factor refers to unwanted ringing effect happening in the loudspeaker and is inversely proportional to the impedance. This affects the lower frequencies, mainly 10 hz - 400 hz therefore would provide for thighter bass. Now, in your specific situation we are talking about a 42" surroundbar (right?) and I gather you are using an external subwoofer (right?) in this case I wouldn't be too concerned with the damping factor jargon as your SB is met to pass through the Mid & High frequencies NOT the Lows. If you look at the specs for your SB, it ranges from 100 Hz to 23 Khz with usable Low at 80 Hz (useless for Lows): http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/surroundbar/specs.php.

This specific surroundbar isn't met for music and is not a high end product where you should be worried about the damping and other factors which would be of concerned mainly for sofisticated 2 channels covering the entire range of frequencies (Low to high). Your receiver is slightly lower than the surroundbar capability but you have to ask your self if you actually require more power and this would be determined by the size of your room and your own listening habits (very loud or normal level). If you do not need to crank your receiver more than 1/2 its capacity, then you do not need to replace it. On the opposite, if you crank all the way most of the time, then you may consider replacing and then you could consider buying one with higher damping factor. As pointed out, if you use a powered subwoofer, the damping factor of you receiver isn't so much of a factor as the importance in damping would be in the subwoofer amp it self.

Hi TK, thanks for your reply. Yes, I do have the SB 42. I do use a powered sub, PSW10, connected in parallel with the L & R fronts. I never need to raise the volume more than -20db on the volume scale (less than halfway). My room is 13' x 19' x 8' high with an 8' opening to the adjacent dining room. I am setting up a separate 2 channel music system, so that is no longer an issue except for FM radio which will still be on the HT system for a while. I still have not tried your suggestion for doubling up the ribbon cable, but will report back when I do.

Jim

[TECHNOKID]

Hi TK, thanks for your reply. Yes, I do have the SB 42. I do use a powered sub, PSW10, connected in parallel with the L & R fronts. I never need to raise the volume more than -20db on the volume scale (less than halfway). My room is 13' x 19' x 8' high with an 8' opening to the adjacent dining room. I am setting up a separate 2 channel music system, so that is no longer an issue except for FM radio which will still be on the HT system for a while. I still have not tried your suggestion for doubling up the ribbon cable, but will report back when I do.

JimWhen it comes to your 2 channel set-up, depending of the quality you want to achieve, the dampering factor should then be considered unless you are thinking of using an external powered subwoofer there also. As far as FM radio listening, again depending on the quality you are expecting... IE: Trying to reproduce music faithfully in a stereo mode, then you might consider using an FM receiver on your 2 channel set-up. If solely for casual news or air talk show, then your present set-up would be fine. For HT purpose, the only thing you might consider upgrading if budget allows is your subwoofer which has quite limited performance/efficiency (low power = 50 watts and low end frequency at 35Hz): http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/psw/specs.php. With pricing going down on the PSW series, you could do better power wise and trying to get better low ends (IE: PSW110 and up would improve power rating while PSW505 and up would improve the low end also): http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/specs/recent/psw505/

Cheers :)

[jimbo1421]

When it comes to your 2 channel set-up, depending of the quality you want to achieve, the dampering factor should then be considered unless you are thinking of using an external powered subwoofer there also. As far as FM radio listening, again depending on the quality you are expecting... IE: Trying to reproduce music faithfully in a stereo mode, then you might consider using an FM receiver on your 2 channel set-up. If solely for casual news or air talk show, then your present set-up would be fine. For HT purpose, the only thing you might consider upgrading if budget allows is your subwoofer which has quite limited performance/efficiency (low power = 50 watts and low end frequency at 35Hz): http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/psw/specs.php. With pricing going down on the PSW series, you could do better power wise and trying to get better low ends (IE: PSW110 and up would improve power rating while PSW505 and up would improve the low end also): http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/specs/recent/psw505/

Cheers :)

Thanks TK, when I come back around to improving the HT I will look at a better sub. Meanwhile I picked up a Parasound HCA-1000A amp and an NAD 106 preamp for two channel. The Parasound has a damping factor of > 800 at 20 Hz. Probably enough, eh?

Regards,
Jim

[xcapri79]

I just received the Polk Audio 42" Surroundbar. I use it off the my AVR when I want general listening, broadcast TV, listen to some HD radio or when I don't want to run my amps or LSi's. I found this Surroundbar surprizingly good with its clarity and response. I watched the movie "The Spirit" last night enjoyed the sound from the Surroundbar.

[xcapri79]

I was listening to some jazz earlier and now some classical music from NPR HD this evening on the Surroundbar. I must say that it is a nice sounding speaker! I only wish I had it sooner. The Pioneer VSX-1018AX powers it beautifully.

[MrBean]

Hi All,

I picked up a used Surroundbar 42 on the weekend, with a Polk PSW303 sub, and a Yamaha RV1103 receiver. I have a 46" LCD TV, that is in a corner of a room and there are no real options for surround speakers.

I have the speaker on a glass stand under the TV, inside the TV cabinet. I have a couple of questions that I would appreciate advice?

1. The speaker on the glass shelf just fits, there is maybe 1/2 inch either side in the opening of the TV cabinet. Will this affect the surround sound? Do i need a clear space at each end of the speaker for the surround to work properly?

2. What is the best method for connecting the speaker and sub to the amp, the manual explains two options and i have a sub out on the receiver, and LFE in on the sub? My amp does not have a crossover setting for the sub.

3. My amp has a delay setting range on Dolby Digital from 0 - 15MS, what would be the recommended setting?

My sitting position is a little off centre, and I am having a hard time hearing the surround effects, so any help is appreceated in advance.

Thanks,
Andrew

[jimbo1421]

Hi All,

I picked up a used Surroundbar 42 on the weekend, with a Polk PSW303 sub, and a Yamaha RV1103 receiver. I have a 46" LCD TV, that is in a corner of a room and there are no real options for surround speakers.

I have the speaker on a glass stand under the TV, inside the TV cabinet. I have a couple of questions that I would appreciate advice?

1. The speaker on the glass shelf just fits, there is maybe 1/2 inch either side in the opening of the TV cabinet. Will this affect the surround sound? Do i need a clear space at each end of the speaker for the surround to work properly?

2. What is the best method for connecting the speaker and sub to the amp, the manual explains two options and i have a sub out on the receiver, and LFE in on the sub? My amp does not have a crossover setting for the sub.

3. My amp has a delay setting range on Dolby Digital from 0 - 15MS, what would be the recommended setting?

My sitting position is a little off centre, and I am having a hard time hearing the surround effects, so any help is appreceated in advance.

Thanks,
Andrew

Hi Andrew,

I have a similar corner setup except that the right side is open to the dining room. The stand has a back post and swivel to mount the HDTV and my SurroundBar 42 sits on top of the stand in its cradle just below and a bit forward of the TV. I found that having the stand and SB 45 degrees across the corner didn't work very well. I got a sound reflection off the left wall which was too close to the SB. It pulled the sound stage to the left. I also have to have the subwoofer on the left side which doesn't help. I turned the stand, TV and SB about 30 degrees off the left wall and pulled the SB about a 16" away from the wall this reduced the reflection quite a bit. I think the SB functions best with no obstructions on either side. Try pulling your SB somewhat forward of the face of your cabinet.

If you don't have the manual you can download it here:
http://www.polkaudio.com/downloads/manuals/home/SurroundBar_QuickStartGuide.pdf

I followed the wiring diagram in step 5 with the subwoofer wired in parallel with the L & R fronts to the speaker level inputs on the sub. In the AVR menu I set all speakers to large and Subwoofer off. (This routes the LFE to the L & R fronts. There is a filter in the SB that mutes the base that it receives.) I followed an addendum which came with my SB (attached below) and set the delay to 15 ms and boosted the surround channels to +6 db (some people go as high as +12 db). I also boost the center channel as needed to hear the dialog better.

Setting up the subwoofer as I have bypasses the crossover in my AVR. I set the low pass filter on my PSW10 to about 100-110 Hz which is the low end of the SB frequency response. I adjust the sub's volume as necessary to keep it from booming. Try these settings and then adjust from there. At best, with a well produced 5.1 DVD I get a sound field close to 180 degrees and good LFE thump from the sub.

Master and Commander is a good disk for testing. There are quiet scenes below decks with creaking ship noises coming from all around and battle scenes that fill your room with cannon fire. There is not a high degree of directionality in the surround field but it can surprise you at times.

After you have tried some of these arrangements quit fiddling with your HT and just kick back and enjoy the movie.

Regards,
Jim

[MrBean]

Hi Jim,

Thanks for the feedback, this is very helpful.

I will try the changes you have recomended, and let you know the results.
It does seem a shame not to use the sub out and LFE in if you have them, as that would probably get you closer to the 5.1 standard?

Also can someone from Polk confirm what the distances from the side of the speaker should be? Do the surround speakers bounce sound off walls etc to maxamise the surround effect, or do they just project sound forward to the listner?

Thanks,

[TECHNOKID]

Hi Jim,

It does seem a shame not to use the sub out and LFE in if you have them, as that would probably get you closer to the 5.1 standard?

Thanks,Indeed it is a shame as LFE is for the low frequencies special effects during movies 5.1 encoded audio. However, LFE is not used during 2 channels playback (CD or such).

Therefore, there is no one "best" way to connect a subwoofer since all receivers and amplifiers differ. The same applies to subwoofer as they all differ, no rooms are alike and will not support low frequency information and the quantity of bass desired will differ for each listener. Additionally, the same hookups to the same amps/receivers and the same subwoofers can produce different results if "bass management" settings (speaker size selectors, etc.) or subwoofer settings are different.

The best thing I would suggest is to experiment. Hooking the "LFE" jacks up usually only sends bass special effects of a 5.1 encoded movie to the subwoofer. In this case, if you also want to listen to music on a two-channel source (CD or such) for example, the subwoofer would not receive any signal at all. Therefore, in this kind of situation you could hookup both the "LFE" jacks and the speaker terminal jacks to a subwoofer in order for the subwoofer to produce bass with all sources. The best way to hook up a subwoofer is what sounds best to you, with your equipment and your individual tastes! It does take time/fidleling/experimentation, but when you have listened to all your options, you know which one is best for you.

Right now, both subwoofers are night and days (look at the specs for his/yours):

http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/psw/specs.php

http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/specs/recent/psw303/

I gather your receiver, rooms and listening habits/preferences are also very different so again, I would invite you to explore all the possible settings.

Cheers :)

[jimbo1421]

I don't think that I am losing any LFE effects with the set up I described above. They are routed to the L & R front, and thus to the subwoofer.

Correction: On my Yamaha RX-V496 Set Menu, Bass Out is set to MAIN, not OFF. Your Yamaha may be similar.

The SurroundBar does not require bouncing sound off of walls, unlike the Yamaha Sound Bar. Close obstructions like walls may even interfere with the SDA technology as I mentioned about my left hand wall.

There is quite a bit of information about SDA technology here:
http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/surroundbar/features.php?s=overview

Regards,
Jim

[TECHNOKID]

I don't think that I am losing any LFE effects with the set up I described above. They are routed to the L & R front, and thus to the subwoofer.

Correction: On my Yamaha RX-V496 Set Menu, Bass Out is set to MAIN, not OFF. Your Yamaha may be similar.Jim, you have to realize that LFE and the standard bass connections are 2 different technologies. The standard connection will provide you with the typical analogue bass only while the LFE will provide for the encoded special effects over the typical analogue bass. Unless I get it all wrong, this is the way it works.

[MrBean]

Hi All,

Well thanks for all the input.

As i only use this system for movies and TV, and most of th HD content on my TV is in 5.1, I will probably leave it setup with the Sub out and LFE in.

Thanks,

[jimbo1421]

Jim, you have to realize that LFE and the standard bass connections are 2 different technologies. The standard connection will provide you with the typical analogue bass only while the LFE will provide for the encoded special effects over the typical analogue bass. Unless I get it all wrong, this is the way it works.

Hi TK,

I attached a screen capture from my RX-V496 manual. (The PDF version was encrypted; no copy/paste allowed.) I could have chosen either MAIN or BOTH to get LFE to the subwoofer. MAIN seemed to most closely match the instructions with my SB 42, but I have not tried BOTH, using the Sub output. Do you still think I am missing something with LFE?

Regards,
Jim

[MrBean]

Hi All,

I spoke to Polk today about this, and they recommended that I go with the option of connecting the L & R main to the Sub, rather than use the Sub out to LFE in. The reasoning behind that is that my receiver does not have a settable crossover frequency for the sub out. On my amp it is set at 90Hz, and the recommended crossover for the Surroundbar is 120 Hz. So it would be best if i link the Sub to the main left and right audio channels, set the crossover on the Sub to 120Hz, and adjust the volume level on the sub by listening to a CD that I am familiar with to set the balance.

So Back to option 1 for me.

[jimbo1421]

Did you ask them about placement in your cabinet?

[MrBean]

No I forgot to ask.

Man this is confusing!! The manual I have states that with the option for the sub connected to the Left and Right speaker outs on the receiver, to set the centre and surround speakers to small, and the left and right to large. It also states no delay settings.

The quick start guide on the web site, and the addendum that you posted states to set the surround and centre to large, and a 15ms delay on the rear!!

Confused!!

Can someone from Polk jump in and tell us which is the most recent recommendation?

[jimbo1421]

The Quick Start Guide (file created in 2005) I linked to above says:
6a. 'Using receiver set-up menu, set all channels to
“Large.” A filter in your SurroundBar™ removes the
right amount of bass. Any setting other than “Large”
will double-filter the bass content, resulting in
poorer performance.'
This is also what my guide from 2007 says. Use this as a benchmark and experiment from there. Trust your ears.

Jim

[svtjoe]

I have found that the delay setting helped my effects. Boost the rears to 6db+, set the correct delay for the rears...dont get the bar too close to anything (sides)...

You should be golden.

I sometimes get so obsessed with tweaking stuff on the bar and the AVR, that I forget to watch the movie. The girlfriend gets so mad when I pause it every 5 seconds to change something!


I added two speakers in the back and I am impressed with how wide the soundfield is. My room is terrible acoustically, but it really jams with my setup.

Thanks,

Joe

[motohead1]

Well I've had my sb50 for a week now and after switching out a bad driver I can say that this thing does indeed rock! My brother-in-law came over and was skeptical. I plopped in Pearl Harbor and went to Dec 7 bombing and he was amazed that he could hear bullets and planes coming from his sides. It's obviously not as good as my Rti8's for music, but considering I have a baby and a toddler, I won't be listening to Rush at eardrum busting levels anytime soon anyways.

[vidoprof]

So I originally bought the Sony HT-CT100 and it was REALLY lacking big time. I returned it.

I am now testing out the Soundbar 360 and well I have to put it up to MAX volume for me to even try to enjoy movies. I mean I can DEAL with it, but I want it LOUDER.

I already have a nice sub (Martin and Logan Abyss 12") that rocks. What i want to know is will the Soundbar 50 be worth getting? Is it THAT much louder (with the right receiver) than the 360? How much power SHOULD I put to it to make it LOUD??

I don't mind spending the money (and I don't have a receiver yet at all) on a receiver to power it the right way, I just have to have have a soundbar or 2.1 sound. I can't have any rear speakers and I really don't want bookshelf ones either. I just prefer a soundbar for whatever reason.

Any thoughts guys?

Thanks for any and all input. Any recommendations on a receiver that would go real well with the 50? Try and keep it under $1500 if you can. I don't need XM, or all the optical outputs or even HDMI outputs. I have a bluray player, a Wii, and a Panasonic 50" plasma. That's it.

Thanks again
Ryan

[svtjoe]

Hey Ryan,

The SB50 looks perfect under the Panny 50".

I would go with a Mid Range Denon ( AVR 789, AVR 2808CI) , or even a Pioneer elite. They will be loaded with stuff and you should be able to find them for $500ish online. They will offer plenty of power for the SB50.

One thing about the SB50 is...IT GETS LOUD! My 100wpc Denon takes it up loud and clear, so loud that it was over powering my 10" Velodyne (I then tried the Klipsch SUB10 and it was better, but I now have a Klipsch SUB 12 and the whole system fills my 25x25 room with big sound.


THE SB360 has some nice mid bass, but yes, in the store I was suprised it didnt go louder...it could be better in the home enviroment though.


Good luck.

[vidoprof]

Joe,

I actually took home the 360 and well it is still not powerful enough for me. It's teetering on the borderline though, so I was hoping that the Soundbar 50 would be MUCH louder. Would you think it is?

I know it says that it can handle 150W per channel but is that actually correct. If I get a 140W x7 Denon or something similar will it really crank? Would I have to worry about the receiver overpowering and killing the SB50?

Thanks for the reply. Anyone else have any comments?

Ryan

p.s. Joe I don't mind spending $1100 - $1500 on a NICE reciever if it will power the SB50 better.

[svtjoe]

The more power the better.

The SB50 is very very loud with my Denon. It stays clear as well.

I would think that a reciever with 140 watts per channel could be overkill as the SB50 is easy to drive from a speaker standpoint. (140 watts wont hurt the SB)


Also, you will notice better surround effects with the SB50 (Wider)

I can't wait to hear your thoughts with the SB50 and the Martin Logan Sub. It should be a very musical setup.

[TECHNOKID]

Joe,

I actually took home the 360 and well it is still not powerful enough for me. It's teetering on the borderline though, so I was hoping that the Soundbar 50 would be MUCH louder. Would you think it is?

I know it says that it can handle 150W per channel but is that actually correct. If I get a 140W x7 Denon or something similar will it really crank? Would I have to worry about the receiver overpowering and killing the SB50?

Thanks for the reply. Anyone else have any comments?

Ryan

p.s. Joe I don't mind spending $1100 - $1500 on a NICE reciever if it will power the SB50 better.I power my SB42" with a yamaha HTR-6080 and this great, lots of power and the SB50 would even be better as it provides you with 2 extra drivers and bass port. You want to have enough power to keep the AVR volume at max 50% which will not over drive the AVR and also provide you with cleaner/better quality power. If I am correct the drivers are rated 125w therefore a receiver in the area of 140w should be great. Also, you have to make sure you pick an AVR with today's technology which will allow you to use proper digital audio out of your BluRay player. You don't have to pay top dollar, IE: in the yamaha receivers, the HTR-61XX series (6160 and above) should be at a good price since the newer models have taken over. You could consider do the same scheme with your favorite brands.

Cheers :)

[vidoprof]

THanks for the replies guys I really appreciate them.

I don't need 7.1 channel surround and XM, and Ipod and all the bells and whistles I just need power. I just want to power this thing as well as I can and as LOUD as I can. I also don't want to feel like I am wanting more power.

Right now I have the 360 at MAX volume when I watch a movie and feel like I am still not satisfied. Will the SB50 be THAT much better / louder for me with the right receiver? Should I go the amplifier route? I think that might be overkill but I figured I would ask.

I have the M&L set to 4 out of 10 on the gain and it sounds GREAT. LOUD, tight bass and I am NOT wanting louder on the sub, although if I go up to 5 out of 10 the gf says it's way too loud and we can't hear each while we are watching a movie (the whole point IMO :) )

THanks again
Ryan

[svtjoe]

Most recievers that are pushing 140watts per channel will have 7.1 and Xm, USB, Ipod ect.

I would look into a year or two old model that has HDMI pass through, putting out 110-140watts per channel and is from a good company like Pioneer, Yamaha, Denon...ect.

You will be one happy camper.

[vidoprof]

Joe,

Any that you can recommend?

I am imagining that THAT too might be the way to go for now. I just don't want all the speakers and wires cluttering my space (not even MY space it's rental space).

Once I get the house I want I will set it up the way I want and move the soundbar into the bedroom.

Ryan

[xcapri79]

Joe,

Any that you can recommend?

I am imagining that THAT too might be the way to go for now. I just don't want all the speakers and wires cluttering my space (not even MY space it's rental space).

Once I get the house I want I will set it up the way I want and move the soundbar into the bedroom.

Ryan

The Pioneer VSX-1018TX does a nice job powering my 42" Surroundbar on my master bedroom setup. In the livingroom, my 50" Surroundbar is powered by a Pioneer SC-07. With both setups having pre-outs, when I want serious sound, I switch on the Emotivas and let my LSi's sing. The A-B speaker setup gives me a nice choice for the sound I need.

[svtjoe]

Well,

I have been trying all different settings on my SB50.

I bought two RM101's and had them about 20 feet away with a Remote Wireless unit (cant run wires).

I then found a way to mount the small RM101's under my bar right behind me (4 feet away).

I orginally had a Velodyne CHT-10. I now have a Klipsch SUB-12. It sounded good but it didnt blend perfectly with my SB. I played around with some things and here is what I did. (Denon AVR985S)

-I set the Crossover at 100hz.
-I set the FR,FL,C,SR,SL to Large (SB has its own filter to keep it safe)
-Instead of running Dolby Digital EX for the mixing of the 6th and 7th channel, I now run Dolby Digital + PL II Cinema.
-LFE+MAIN = This was on by accident, but after watching "Taken" last night, I was so impressed.. Gun shots, explosions..my sub sounded "quicker" and it blended with the bar very nicely.(Tough to do sometimes with a Large HT Sub and small 3.5' drivers)

I am super happy with what I have. The SB looks nice and modern in my room and the whole system came together great. Music is also fantastic.

Joe

[TECHNOKID]

-LFE+MAIN = This was on by accident, but after watching "Taken" last night, I was so impressed.. Gun shots, explosions..my sub sounded "quicker" and it blended with the bar very nicely.(Tough to do sometimes with a Large HT Sub and small 3.5' drivers)
Polk recommended different set-up but as I pointed out, HT is made to run subs on LFE otherwise, you are missing a huge portion of the effect. This accident just happened to be your lucky day ;)

Cheers :)

[svtjoe]

Polk recommended different set-up but as I pointed out, HT is made to run subs on LFE otherwise, you are missing a huge portion of the effect. This accident just happened to be your lucky day ;)

Cheers :)


So I am good with leaving it as is? :cool:

Thanks!

Joe

[TECHNOKID]

So I am good with leaving it as is? :cool:

Thanks!

Joe"If it works don't touch it!" That is the old saying for a technician, if you are happy that is the main thing. As pointed out, LFE is there of a good reason and that reason is MOVIE SUBSONIC EFFECTS! Now, you have mentioned your RM101 rears under your bar, are the tweeters are hear level? This would provide you best results. If not, try tilting them up (I guess/presume?) to aim toward your hear level position and see if any improvements.

Cheers :)

[svtjoe]

Well I always had the LFE coming out to the sub. What am I gaining by putting LFE + Main? I know the bar will limit the low hz.

Also the Rear RM101 behind me are right at ear level. I will get some new pictures.


Thanks,

Joe

[svtjoe]

Look Mom! No Wires!

That component closet can't be cleaned up..I tried :D.

Also, instead of selling the R15's for nothing, I moved them outside! The R series lives on! 8 years and still loud and clear!

[TECHNOKID]

Look Mom! No Wires!

That component closet can't be cleaned up..I tried :D.

Also, instead of selling the R15's for nothing, I moved them outside! The R series lives on! 8 years and still loud and clear!Nice set-up, looks good! Does your gear have enough breathing space in that closet? I would keep the rest of the family away from the gear, just need someone to drop a jacket of some other piece of clothing over the gear (receiver) and that's it, it can't breathe anymore. Any young kids at home?

[svtjoe]

No kids at all. The girlfriend knows not to touch it. I made a small shelf to keep the DVD player off. It does get a tad warm in that closet. I live in Florida, those jackets wont be moving anytime soon... :cool:


I do need to get something to clean up those wires and make that room look slick. Mabey I will work on it this weekend.

Thanks,

Joe

[shawn474]

I just got the surround bar (42") for my parents. They have a really hard room to work with and I recommended the suroundbar. The room opens up to a large living room and open kitchen / dining area, so noise is an issue. With the dimensions and layout of the room, it seems impossible to have a 5.1 set-up due to where the TV has to be placed. Also, to make matters worse, the room is wood panelling on 3 sides and a brick wall with a 24" ledge on the outside wall. We haven't added a sub yet and I still have to tweak the settings on the AVR. I am assuming that the sub will make a huge difference as right now my father doesn't trust me that it will make much of a difference. I have included a crude drawing of their room. Any suggestions on optimizing the performance is much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd336/shawn474/familyroom.jpg

[TECHNOKID]

Your surroundbar must be centered with your couch in order to work properly. Looking at the placement of your couch, you would need to place the TV and surroundbar on that brick wall centered facing the couch near the fire place.

As far as the sub, you best bet would be to set the subwoofer on the centered couch and crawl on the floor paying attention where the sound from the sub is optimal. You then set the sub at that location if feasable.

If you want the TV to be viewed in other areas of the room, you would simply need to set it on on a swivel bracket so it can be angled for best viewing for all users sitting at different locations. However, you must realise the other seating such as love seat and chair will never get optimal audio from the surroundbar.

Cheers :)

[jtgranby]

I just got the surround bar (42") for my parents. They have a really hard room to work with and I recommended the suroundbar. The room opens up to a large living room and open kitchen / dining area, so noise is an issue. With the dimensions and layout of the room, it seems impossible to have a 5.1 set-up due to where the TV has to be placed. Also, to make matters worse, the room is wood panelling on 3 sides and a brick wall with a 24" ledge on the outside wall. We haven't added a sub yet and I still have to tweak the settings on the AVR. I am assuming that the sub will make a huge difference as right now my father doesn't trust me that it will make much of a difference. I have included a crude drawing of their room. Any suggestions on optimizing the performance is much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd336/shawn474/familyroom.jpg


Shawn

Just to set the record straight it is a 50 inch surroundbar.

Jim

[shawn474]

TK,
Thanks for the reply. So I guess mounting the surroundbar on the brick wall would be the best option? Putting the TV on that brick ledge is not an option I don't think. It is a rear projection DLP. Right now I have the surroundbar sitting on the tv stand right below the television. Is this not optimal?

Thanks again,
Shawn

[Kenneth Swauger]

Hello Shawn,
The conern is the relationship between where the TV/speaker is and the viewing audience. Will viewers be sitting on the couch for movie watching? If so, that seems to be be off-axis for both the TV and the Surroundbar. Is there a possibility of using a swivel type mounting bracket that would pivot both the TV and the speaker when people were using the system?
Regards, Ken

[shawn474]

Ken,
Yeah I could definitely look into that. Seems to be the best option. The only other thing I was thinking was completely rearranging the room with the TV stand between the two windows and putting the couch on the far wall. Or just placing the couch in the center of the room and rearranging the furniture.

Thanks,
Shawn

[Kenneth Swauger]

Shawn,
Any of those approaches would be good. It might be helpful to get your parents thinking about what happens when you go to a movie theater. The screen is in front of the viewer fairly straight ahead. This might give a point of view that could make things easier to convince them to make changes.
Take care, Ken

[TECHNOKID]

Ken,
Yeah I could definitely look into that. Seems to be the best option. The only other thing I was thinking was completely rearranging the room with the TV stand between the two windows and putting the couch on the far wall. Or just placing the couch in the center of the room and rearranging the furniture.

Thanks,
ShawnCould work, another concern are the windows if we speak of visual. Maybe your parent should consider some black out material as cutains in order to stop sun light to get in when they play movies. This type of material is normally used in hotel for their curtains. I came across this this week when actually shopping for sound proofing curtains. If this material is also good for this, it would then cover 2 aspects; better viewing and sound.

Shawn,
Any of those approaches would be good. It might be helpful to get your parents thinking about what happens when you go to a movie theater. The screen is in front of the viewer fairly straight ahead. This might give a point of view that could make things easier to convince them to make changes.
Take care, Ken+1 on Kenneth's intervention(s). I guess I wasn't too clear in with own concerns. The idea of swivelling both the TV and SB seems to be the best approach since it could be optimally set for all potential placement of the audience. Remember the couch may be used in most occasions while with family and/or friends gathering may require the use of the love seat and chair also which may require different aiming of both visual and audio during those occasions.

Cheers :)

[goldstt]

A newbie here, interested in buying a 42" surroundbar.
And there seems to be a run on them - especially in black.
Polk's own website sells them for the same price as they sell the 50".
And their ebay site sells only the titanium.

Are they maybe not making this product anymore?

Any reason?

[dorokusai]

I'd suggest the 50". It sounds much better and not just because of the size. The SDA effect is produced in the front stage as well.

[goldstt]

But i've got a 42" tv...i think the 50" might look silly.

[TECHNOKID]

I wouldn't say it would look silly (only 4" on each side). I understand your concern but you have to choose/compromise, either esthetic or efficiency. The SB 42” versus the 50” SB would be like comparing an RM10 package to a RM20 package, better front stage and as Dorokusai points out the SDA effect is better.

Cheers!
TK

[xcapri79]

But i've got a 42" tv...i think the 50" might look silly.

I use a 42" soundbar with a 32" TV in the master bedroom. The larger speaker doesn't really look too bad with a smaller TV.

I would say though that if the room is small, then the 42" speaker should sound fine. If the room is larger, then I would recommend the 50" surroundbar. I use mine with my 50" plasma in a larger main room.

[svtjoe]

An update for Club Polk.

With my Sb 50 sitting in front of my 65" Mitsu DLP and two rear Rm101's (6 and 7th chan) mounted behind me on the ceiling...

I can honestly say I am blown away..I was impressed before, but when you run a DTS-HD MA Bluray 7.1...It sounds incredible.

As a matter of fact, while watching a 5.1 DTS MA I thought the rears were on! They were unplugged, but the SB sounded that much better with Lossless audio.

I like it more and more!

Polk on!

[infotree]

Has anyone tried the either the original Surroundbar or the 50" Surroundbar with one of the newer receivers (i.e. Onyko 707) that have front wide Left/Right and/or front high left/right (I guess I mean 9/1 or 11/1 receivers).

The reason being I have three existing pairs of Polk speakers, two that could be utilized for surround left/right and surround back left/right, so perhaps I could utilize the surroundbar surround speaker connections for my front wide left/right instead of surround left/right?

I will use other pair of Polks I have for the front high left/right to complement the Surroundbar.

Anyone tried this, or would this screw up the SDA tech?

[TECHNOKID]

Most soundbar with built in amps will usually include a built in player and if you want to use the full capabilty of the new audio codecs, this is the route you should take otherwise, as 57 mentions your audio will simply be downgraded. I do not know about the other brands but when it comes to Polk, the Instant Home Theater provides you wireless subwoofer technology, I am not sure if the SB 360 provides for the LFE but otherwise, your solution would be to go with an external AVR to power your SB and control your subwoofer as this should allow you to use your old player with some effciency.

http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/s...dbar/specs.php

According to this short review http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/show...oundBar+360%BA, the 360 doesn't need a sub.

Ah!
Quote:
No Subwoofer. No Rear Speakers. No Messy Wires.

http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/s...60-dvd-theater. I wonder if you could plug in your own DVD player instead of the one that's supplied with their equipment. Check what is available with other brands and I would suggest you contact their CSR if the documents provided don't give you the full answer to your question(s)

Cheers!
TK We have a discussion on SB at digtalhome.ca, could you provide an answer if a different DVD player con be hooked-up to this product or if Polk has proprietary connectors for the DVD?

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=34127&highlight=SURROUND

Cheers!
TK

[xcapri79]

Has anyone tried the either the original Surroundbar or the 50" Surroundbar with one of the newer receivers (i.e. Onyko 707) that have front wide Left/Right and/or front high left/right (I guess I mean 9/1 or 11/1 receivers).

The reason being I have three existing pairs of Polk speakers, two that could be utilized for surround left/right and surround back left/right, so perhaps I could utilize the surroundbar surround speaker connections for my front wide left/right instead of surround left/right?

I will use other pair of Polks I have for the front high left/right to complement the Surroundbar.

Anyone tried this, or would this screw up the SDA tech?

Surprised there is no answer on this. Do you have a Polk Surroundbar to try it yourself?

[svtjoe]

I wouldnt mess with the wide and non wide channels.

The SDA SB's are made to widen the signals already. I know that using a 7.1 reciever is awesome. It makes the "rear" speakers sound like they are to my left and right, while my two "back" speakers fill in the back left and right.

Now if you had 2 SB's and did a 10.1...One SB in the back and one SB in the front...that would be sick! I am not familier enough with the brand new recievers to know what they can and can't do.

The SB throws a very wide image already with a basic signal.

Thanks,

Joe

[xcapri79]

I wouldnt mess with the wide and non wide channels.

The SDA SB's are made to widen the signals already. I know that using a 7.1 reciever is awesome. ....
The SB throws a very wide image already with a basic signal.

Thanks,

Joe

When will a 7.0 surroundbar be available?

[svtjoe]

When will a 7.0 surroundbar be available?

Impossible. You cant recreate something directly behind you without having something directly behind you.

a 50 SB in front and a 42SB in back. Would be neat!

[xcapri79]

Impossible. You cant recreate something directly behind you without having something directly behind you.

a 50 SB in front and a 42SB in back. Would be neat!

I don't entirely agree, you can recreate rear sound via reflection off a back wall. Photographers do this with lighting all the time.

That being said, I might try this over the weekend. I currently run a 50 SB directly off the SC-07 with a LSI system off a pair of Emo XPA5's from the SC-07 pre-outs.
I normally just run the 50 SB while watching TV and switch to the amps and LSi.

I have a similar system in the master bedroom but use a 42 SB with the VSX-1018AH. I was going to try the SB 42 and compare with several other Polks that I have.

[TECHNOKID]

Impossible. You cant recreate something directly behind you without having something directly behind you.

a 50 SB in front and a 42SB in back. Would be neat!Never ever say impossible, many of the things that do exist today were believe to be impossible in the past ;) At this point, the best solution for the 6th and 7th speakers are wireless (as you well know ;) ) same applies for the subwoofer if you want freedom of placement without the hassle of cabling.

Cheers!
TK

[TECHNOKID]

I don't entirely agree, you can recreate rear sound via reflection off a back wall. Photographers do this with lighting all the time.

That being said, I might try this over the weekend. I currently run a 50 SB directly off the SC-07 with a LSI system off a pair of Emo XPA5's from the SC-07 pre-outs.
I normally just run the 50 SB while watching TV and switch to the amps and LSi.

I have a similar system in the master bedroom but use a 42 SB with the VSX-1018AH. I was going to try the SB 42 and compare with several other Polks that I have.Don't forget one the claim Polk has is that you do not need wall reflection. As pointed out, your best option is wireless out back. The Polk RM10s uses the same drivers as the SB 42 & 50 I believe and this combine with a wireless system such as the RocketFish everything should match perfectly.

As Svtjoe points out 2 SB should be a very intersting set-up but not too economical (the second SB could even be used wirelessly :cool: but $$$)

Cheers!
TK

[xcapri79]

Don't forget one the claim Polk has is that you do not need wall reflection. As pointed out, your best option is wireless out back. The Polk RM10s uses the same drivers as the SB 42 & 50 I believe and this combine with a wireless system such as the RocketFish everything should match perfectly.

As Svtjoe points out 2 SB should be a very intersting set-up but not too economical (the second SB could even be used wirelessly :cool: but $$$)

Cheers!
TK

Good point about the RM series, I have a pair of RM20's that I can try and the wires are already in place.

Regarding the wireless systems, I've heard there is a lot of hiss and popping with the Rocketfish system. I'm curious whether someone from this forum has compared various wireless kits including the Rocketfish RF-WHTIB, Amphony 1550, Kenwood RFU-6100, or the KEF Wireless System? From what I've read, the Kenwood system seems to be a good unit for the price.

[TECHNOKID]

Good point about the RM series, I have a pair of RM20's that I can try and the wires are already in place.

Regarding the wireless systems, I've heard there is a lot of hiss and popping with the Rocketfish system. I'm curious whether someone from this forum has compared various wireless kits including the Rocketfish RF-WHTIB, Amphony 1550, Kenwood RFU-6100, or the KEF Wireless System? From what I've read, the Kenwood system seems to be a good unit for the price.Svtjoe seems to be using the RocketFish with great success. I personnally tested 2 different systems (one from the source, equivalent of radio shack). The one from radio shack was a total failure, as you say popping at times, cutting etc... Yet my testing of the Rocketfish was conclusive, very satisfying. I have tested with RM10s (never tought of using the RM20s), M-AUDIO monitors and Athena B1s, see this discussion link: http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=86672&highlight=rocketfish

Maybe Svtjoe should chip in and give his own findings and if someone else has experience with other brands, it sure would be enlightnening.

Cheers!
TK

[jacob.simpson]

Never ever say impossible, many of the things that do exist today were believe to be impossible in the past ;) At this point, the best solution for the 6th and 7th speakers are wireless (as you well know ;) ) same applies for the subwoofer if you want freedom of placement without the hassle of cabling.

Cheers!
TK


+1 on this impossible quote

[xcapri79]

same applies for the subwoofer if you want freedom of placement without the hassle of cabling.TK

Is there a two channel wireless that has a RCA phono in transmitter and RCA phono out receiver without amplification?
I don't like the limitations of the amps that come with the wireless products that I mentioned earlier.

[svtjoe]

Here are some pics of the 7.1. i covered those 12gauge SB wires since the pic :)

Rocket fish is great. Small delay, so make sure your AVR can compensate for it.

Keep in mind that it runs off 2.4ghz..

I have mine right next to my WIFI router and I do have to reset it sometimes. Unfortunatly, I cannot move the router as my Xbox runs Netflix (Xbox live) and by Blu Ray player needs Ethernet as well. I think if I could move my Rocket fish sender, it might fix the problem.

Other than that..perfect Timbre is awesome in 7 channel Stereo.


The Rocketfish unit is in the closet..It took FOREVER to run 5 feet of wire for those speakers. We live in a 2 story house..so getting even a small run was a pain.

But, Listening to a DTS concert makes it all worth it!! Also the Boston HPS 12HO was worth every penny. Blends perfectly with the SB.

[TECHNOKID]

Is there a two channel wireless that has a RCA phono in transmitter and RCA phono out receiver without amplification?
I don't like the limitations of the amps that come with the wireless products that I mentioned earlier.Yes, you can get some without amp, only pre-out (radio shack has one which has stereo pre-out and video out) or you can buy some with larger amp. You should however give the RF a test as it is easily returned if you do not like. The RF can also be used pre-out, you simply set the volume out of your wireless receiver very low and it works without any problem (I have tested this using a pair of powered M-AUDIO monitors)

Here are some pics of the 7.1. i covered those 12gauge SB wires since the pic :)

Rocket fish is great. Small delay, so make sure your AVR can compensate for it.

Keep in mind that it runs off 2.4ghz..

I have mine right next to my WIFI router and I do have to reset it sometimes. Unfortunatly, I cannot move the router as my Xbox runs Netflix (Xbox live) and by Blu Ray player needs Ethernet as well. I think if I could move my Rocket fish sender, it might fix the problem.

Other than that..perfect Timbre is awesome in 7 channel Stereo.


The Rocketfish unit is in the closet..It took FOREVER to run 5 feet of wire for those speakers. We live in a 2 story house..so getting even a small run was a pain.

But, Listening to a DTS concert makes it all worth it!! Also the Boston HPS 12HO was worth every penny. Blends perfectly with the SB.Looks good Svtjoe :) Thanks for confirming how it reacts with other gear using this frequency (router). In many cases, this wouldn't affect most people since the internet might not be in use when using the HT. I am not sure if moving anything around will make that much diiference since both gear goes through wall and at a good distance. The best approach is to buy gear that has selectable frequencies but of course, there is a price tag attached to such.

Too bad Polk doesn't seem to have their wireless rx available as separate like the tx as it would be perfect since it has a few ajustable frequencies.
Cheers!
TK

[jimbo1421]

Here are some pics of the 7.1.

Nice looking setup, svtpjoe. Does the chair on the left help kill reflections and balance the sound? Does the opening on the right affect the L-R balance?

Jim

[svtjoe]

This setup sounds MUCH better than my old setup. The sound is very equal on both sides, although the sweet spot on the SB is directly in front of it. I think the wall on the left helps bring in the left side channel and I may lose a little bit to the right (opening to the Kitchen) but its not very noticeable.


My old setup was an echo nightmare. The SB would send the sound back to the kitchen and the rears were almost too close to creat an enveloping sound. Although it looked a little sleeker.

[TECHNOKID]

Sometime a problem trying to make the room look good while trying to get the best sound possible (placement), for some reason the 2 seem to be at such opposite ;)

All furnitures will affect the sound in some ways, a nicely cushioned chair would definitely act as sound treathment thus eliminating some of the reflection. Openings shouldn't affect in a bad way since the Polk SB doesn't require wall bouncing/reflection however, the opposite (wall(s) in the way) would play against the SB SF.

Cheers!
TK

[lenpoit]

Has anybody used the speaker bar 42 for only a center speaker and if so how.

[TECHNOKID]

Has anybody used the speaker bar 42 for only a center speaker and if so how.I was also hoping to do that however, all Surround Bars uses cross overs specially tailored to do the job the SB is tasked to do which is to provide you with LCR and the surrounding field (involves signal inversion/out of phase etc...) therefore, unless you are willing to modify the SB cross overs (for the surround) this will not work.

Rear SDA® Surround Sound
Rear SDA is the magic behind SurroundBar's all enveloping surround sound. By applying patented SDA Technology to the surround channels of the SurroundBar and SurroundBar 50, we can project surround sound all the way around you. Rear SDA provides the 360 degree wrap around surround sound. Competing products try to bounce sound off of surrounding surfaces for the surround effect. This is great in theory if you have a perfectly symmetrical room with perfect acoustics, place the speaker and TV in the perfect position and sit in the correct position. Otherwise, the surround effect is diminished.

With Polk's patented SDA Surround technology, the result is 360 degree surround sound, without rear speakers, without rear walls or special room placement.

[infotree]

Well, I finished remodeling the inside of our new purchased Hooker Furniture Entertainment cabinet (which had 5 7/8" shelf height for componet compartments, now rebuilt with 9 1/4" height with rear low voltage 120 mm fans in each.

see http://www.hookerfurniture.com/index.cfm/furniture/furniture-catalog.show-product/American-furniture/397-55-440/entertainment-center.cfm

So we put in it a Panasonic TC-P46G10 Plasma, the original Surroundbar under it, with a LFE subwoofer, cable PVR and Sony blu-ray, Onyko receiver.

I used a heaver guage speaker wire for Surroundbar, and cufrrently have the 5.1 speaker settings as:

All speakers:

[infotree]

Would these speakers settings be correct for Surroundbar with LFE connected subwoofer?

Speaker size = large, seating distance same for all speakers, + 3 db for surrounds, 120 hz crossover with LFE connected subwoofer.

Is the crossover frequency of 120 Hz optimal with the original Surroundbar?

[jimbo1421]

Would these speakers settings be correct for Surroundbar with LFE connected subwoofer?

Speaker size = large, seating distance same for all speakers, + 3 db for surrounds, 120 hz crossover with LFE connected subwoofer.

Is the crossover frequency of 120 Hz optimal with the original Surroundbar?

I have my SurroundBar 42 set for size, distance and crossover just as you do. I usually boost my center to + 6db to hear dialog better. I play with the surrounds often to see what works best for a given source. Sometimes I set it as high as +8db.

Be sure that your SB isn't set back into the cabinet. In my experience anything blocking the sides in front of the SB will compromise the SDA effect and cause unwanted sound reflections.

Regards,
Jim

[infotree]

I also thought the same regarding placement of the SB, it's sitting right on the front edge of the shelf as far forward as possible.

I'm still wondering a little regarding the optimal crossover frequency (i.e. 80 or 100 or 120) with the SB.

Also with the newer receivers using the speaker setting speaker size= small with an LFE connected subwoofer is not appropriate.......RIGHT! (in reading thru this SB sticky discussion it seems some people are using that size in the speaker settings still).

Next large issue to resolve is the remote receiver on Panasonic HDTV is hidden from seating position with SB. I guess now it's time to move up to the RF Logitech remote from my 550.

As regards to SB, my wife loves that our former 5.1 speakers are gone (now heading to basement media room under construction), and the SB fits great into this entertainment center which she picked out. So big plus there. Music CD's I concur don't sound very good, thin sounding to me (however I'm no audiophile). Stereo setting is especially not very good, Neo and Dolby music (5.1) choices sound a little better. Besides hooking up another set of front L/R large speakers, is there anything else in receiver music playing options everyone has found better with the SB?

Movies/cable does sound good with SB & LFE Sub. SB surround effect is working very well (everyone is quite surprised!) with the location of the entertainment center centered on one wall in our living room (which is 16' by 16', main seating area is 11' from SB, sub in front L corner).

After watching for our first DVD movie "Age of Innocence" upscaled with Sony BR to aplease the females first (visually I can say WOW!) , we then played our first blu-ray movies - "Wall-E", 3D "Coraline: and then the first two episodes of "Band of Brothers".

AWESOME!

SB worked very well, good surround, we felt enveloped by the front stage of sound coming from SB. If one didn't have a LFE sub, I believe sound stage would definitely be lacking.

We have never had a HDTV/BR prior to this, so for us.......... it's a first time visual & audio feast. For me it's like putting in my contacts for the first time.

Thanks very much Polk! Happy ladies in our Canadian house.

[xcapri79]

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the SB50 with a DSW600 when watching 'State of Play" on BluRay the other night. The dialog and effects were crystal clear. Russell Crowe was great as usual.

[infotree]

Continuing the queries regarding the SB, LFE subwoofer, and two Polk surround back speakers.

After a recent purchase of an Onyko TX-NR906, and then running the automatic speaker setup with Audyssey MultEQ XT, it returned the correct speaker distances, suitable speaker levels and then these speaker configuration settings (which are contrary to the recommended settings for the SB from Polk)

-subwoofer yes
-front 150 Hz
-center 150 Hz
-surrounds 150 Hz
-surround back 70 Hz
-surround back channels 2 ch
-LPF of LFE 80 Hz (THX)

Besides the answer, "whatever sounds good to your ears", what do you polk folks, and/or other 906 owners suggest regarding these configuration settings?

[redbullet]

Has anybody used the speaker bar 42 for only a center speaker and if so how.

I do ! I tie the left and right front speakers in Parallel then tie the center taps in series. Comes back in close to 8 ohm load. Works quite well. I use it with RM6800's front as sides and sides as rear. I have lager fronts.

[is3finallymd]

I looked at getting the surroundbar but the reviews are all over the place!

[redbullet]

I looked at getting the surroundbar but the reviews are all over the place!

For a bedroom setup it's hard to beat. Sound is great and works real good with their 8" sub bends perfectly. If you use it in a larger room I would add back speakers for a better surround image.

[TECHNOKID]

I do ! I tie the left and right front speakers in Parallel then tie the center taps in series. Comes back in close to 8 ohm load. Works quite well. I use it with RM6800's front as sides and sides as rear. I have lager fronts.There shouldn't be any problem tying them together since there is a high impedence at the Xo thus the amp desn't see the actual impedance of the speakers. As I can see you do not speak of the rear which is a good thing since there is inversion at that point and I do believe the Xo is also different in order to create the rear impression. Are you using the rears as rear at all or they are simply not connected?

Cheers!
TK

[redbullet]

There shouldn't be any problem tying them together since there is a high impedence at the Xo thus the amp desn't see the actual impedance of the speakers. As I can see you do not speak of the rear which is a good thing since there is inversion at that point and I do believe the Xo is also different in order to create the rear impression. Are you using the rears as rear at all or they are simply not connected?

Cheers!
TK

I have tried it both ways. Just for the hell of it I tried last night wiring it as :

L front + L Rear in parrell - R front + R Rear in parrell. Then hook negative from lefts to amp then plus from lefts to negative on center, Positive on center to neg last rights, last plus from rights to amp. So in short the center is in series with the parrell left and rights. This really give a nice full sound to the speaker which I think I'll leave for the time being.

[TECHNOKID]

I have tried it both ways. Just for the hell of it I tried last night wiring it as :

L front + L Rear in parrell - R front + R Rear in parrell. Then hook negative from lefts to amp then plus from lefts to negative on center, Positive on center to neg last rights, last plus from rights to amp. So in short the center is in series with the parrell left and rights. This really give a nice full sound to the speaker which I think I'll leave for the time being.I'm glad you like the end result however, when I originally addressed this with Polk, the answer was a big NO due to the XO arrangement. The front and center is no brainer as far as I am concerned but I simply trusted Polk's answer. Also, if you read the white paper you will notice the inversion that was created for the rear and originally I never bothered hooking the bar as a as a center as I was afraid of potential out of phase problems. However in many years (once the 5 years warranty is over) I am thinking of modifying the bar by removing the rear Xo, replace them with RM10 Xo and checking the phase on the woofers. Hopefully, this could happen earlier if I ever was to find a used but operational SB at a good price. It sure would be nice, the goal is to have a large center under the PJ screen. Hoping for a bigger stage with a spiffy look. However, I wouldn't serie or paralell the woofer. Since I have pre-out capability on my receiver, I would dedicate an amp for the front stage allowing me to plug each woofer to their own channels.

Cheers!
TK

[redbullet]

I'm glad you like the end result however, when I originally addressed this with Polk, the answer was a big NO due to the XO arrangement. The front and center is no brainer as far as I am concerned but I if

Cheers!
TK

It's been a few days so far and still like. I may try to reverse to leads on the rear which would fix the out of phase thing. I also was thinking of removing the crossovers and making it one big two way center channel. Just not so sure how easy it would be to open this thing up.

[TECHNOKID]

It's been a few days so far and still like. I may try to reverse to leads on the rear which would fix the out of phase thing. I also was thinking of removing the crossovers and making it one big two way center channel. Just not so sure how easy it would be to open this thing up.1. If your SB is still on warranty, you might want to wait as opening it would void the warranty.

2. Xo protects and make sure the woofer gets the proper sound. I am not sure but I think the Xo are glued/epoxied to the chassis (typical chinese electronic mess)

3. As I pointed out the Xo are high impedence in but if you go straight to the woofer, it is 8 ohms and the series/paralell arrangement might simply mess things up.

4. Your only concern are the rears Xo and phasing.

5. For best results and quality of sound, you would be best to use an older AB out stereo receiver for powering the bar as the impedance match would be met and would provide you with more power... Don't forget if you try to power 5 125 watts woofer with a single output that may provide you approximately 100 watts is not very efficient but if you pre-out your center into a seperate amp wich provides you 100 watts per channel, you are now some like 400 watts to the SB versus only 100 watts... now you would be talking!

Cheers!
TK

[infotree]

I have the original 42" SB paired with a LFE 12" sub and some Polk rears using an Onyko 906 AV receiver. The sound field is impressive for movies/TV viewing. However for music listening I would suggest a pair of good fronts R/L on channel B.

I do know however, if you have the width in your media cabinet get the 50" SB, the side surround sound image is better.

[redbullet]

1. If your SB is still on warranty, you might want to wait as opening it would void the warranty.

2. Xo protects and make sure the woofer gets the proper sound. I am not sure but I think the Xo are glued/epoxied to the chassis (typical chinese electronic mess)

3. As I pointed out the Xo are high impedence in but if you go straight to the woofer, it is 8 ohms and the series/paralell arrangement might simply mess things up.

4. Your only concern are the rears Xo and phasing.

5. For best results and quality of sound, you would be best to use an older AB out stereo receiver for powering the bar as the impedance match would be met and would provide you with more power... Don't forget if you try to power 5 125 watts woofer with a single output that may provide you approximately 100 watts is not very efficient but if you pre-out your center into a seperate amp wich provides you 100 watts per channel, you are now some like 400 watts to the SB versus only 100 watts... now you would be talking!

Cheers!
TK

No Warranty, bought it off ebay - mint but used. So I don't have much to lose.

I built quite a few speakers of the years and many used multi drivers. I know I can tie the woofers and tweeters together and get the impedance I want. Just want to keep the crossover point Polk used between the woofer and tweeter the same.

I also want no low frequency cut off in the speaker itself, I'll use the receivers internal for that. I'm going to look into this tomorrow. maybe I can post some pics of it opened up.

[TECHNOKID]

No Warranty, bought it off ebay - mint but used. So I don't have much to lose.

I built quite a few speakers of the years and many used multi drivers. I know I can tie the woofers and tweeters together and get the impedance I want. Just want to keep the crossover point Polk used between the woofer and tweeter the same.

I also want no low frequency cut off in the speaker itself, I'll use the receivers internal for that. I'm going to look into this tomorrow. maybe I can post some pics of it opened up.Yes, you can shuffle with the woofer arrangement (series-parallel) in order to keep your 8 ohms average however, there is much more going with the speakers than the average impedance at various frequencies. The Xo is a good thing and usually provides better quality of sound than straight to woofer. I uderstand your point about the low frequency however, keep in mind that the woofer isn't "specked" for low end. One of my major statement was the fact of using a single (IE: 100 watts) output to drive 5 speakers that each has potential to go with higher rating. Thus the idea of having a seperate amp which would allow to drive each of them closer to their maximum potential. Sure, pics would welcomed/appreciated!

Cheers!
TK

[redbullet]

Sure, pics would welcomed/appreciated!

Cheers!
TK

Here's the pics of it opened up, I went for it and only kept the center channel crossover. but by passed the 300uf cap that limits the low frequency cutoff. it's now Nominal 6 ohms impedance. The sound it one kick but center channel ! I removed the two outer boards, they even use a SDA cable to tie them together just like the originals. Also the same 8 and 4 ohms woofers like the old sda's. I may try and build a mini modern set of SDA's with these boards ;-)

http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss11/redbullet1009/IMG_0765.jpg

http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss11/redbullet1009/IMG_0766.jpg

http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss11/redbullet1009/IMG_0767.jpg

http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss11/redbullet1009/IMG_0768.jpg

http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss11/redbullet1009/IMG_0769.jpg

http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss11/redbullet1009/IMG_0770.jpg

[goldstt]

So I got my Surroundbar 42 a few weeks ago and love it.
Just got my PSW125 and am hooking up this morning.
And the Surroundbar instructions don't really stipulate when you should use speakerwire connection and when you should use RCA/LFE - except to say that the RCA/LFE connex should be used for higher volumes.
I don't necessarily plan on very high volumes.
Does that mean i should use the speaker wire connection?
And, if so, if i connect to the "B" speakers rather than the "A" speakers (along with the surroundbar connex), will that work just the same?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
- Tom

[dorokusai]

Use the RCA/LFE connection, don't worry about the speaker level suggestion.

[TECHNOKID]

Here's the pics of it opened up, I went for it and only kept the center channel crossover. but by passed the 300uf cap that limits the low frequency cutoff. it's now Nominal 6 ohms impedance. The sound it one kick but center channel ! I removed the two outer boards, they even use a SDA cable to tie them together just like the originals. Also the same 8 and 4 ohms woofers like the old sda's. I may try and build a mini modern set of SDA's with these boards ;-)
Cool rebullet! As I pointed out I would prefer to drive the woofer seperately (different channels) as I would be able to provide more power to each drivers... sure is a shame to drive 7 woofers that can use 125 watts with a single channel that provides maybe 100w - 200w for the 7 drivers.

Cheers!
TK

[acekaye]

Neither my TV nor my Surroundbar 50 are on the wall. Rather, the surroundbar sits in front of the TV on my entertainment stand. I was wondering whether anyone knows of a wooden box that the surroundbar could fit and that would rest under the TV (so the TV would be on top of the boxed surroundbar). The box would need to be as wide as the surroundbar and as deep as the TV.

Any suggestions would be most appreciated.

Thanks,
David

[acekaye]

Does anyone have any experience with the surroundbar and the PSWi225 Wireless Subwoofer?

Specifically, is it possible to run the subwoofer in with the front speakers? If not, how does it sound?

[dorokusai]

The subwoofer would work just like any other subwoofer. I'm not sure what you mean...."....with the front speakers".

[TECHNOKID]

The subwoofer would work just like any other subwoofer. I'm not sure what you mean...."....with the front speakers".He probably means parallelling the fronts with the subwoofer as Polk suggest for their SB. Basically the HIGH Z of the SB allows you to do this with ordinary powered subwoofer I gather the same applies with this subwoofer as you would simply do the parallelling through the subwoofer's transmitter however, if this is the question you are asking, say so and I'd suggest you wait for an answer from Polk CSR or engeneering as they have to confirm that the input impedance of the transmitter is also HIGH Z to allow such. (page 5 of the user manual, you would simply do the connections to the PSW225i Tx instead of the normal powered subwoofer; http://www.polkaudio.com/downloads/manuals/home/SurroundBar_QuickStartGuide.pdf). However, if Polk responds in the negative you simply hook-up the subwoofer Tx to your receiver and it would sound fine. I haven't had the opportunity to test the PSW225i (being Canadian you are penalized ;) ) but I tested similar wireless Tx/Rx for speakers with great success. Simply looking at the PSW225i Tx, it seems of good quality. I am not sure if there is some type of srambling/protection (NO user manual seems to be available yet)against other home devices that uses the same 2.4 Gigahertz technology connect the transmitter, and you're done. Onboard Polk Digital LogicTM uses advanced auto-sensing to determine the signal your system is sending (LFE or Line Level), and it instantly responds, selecting the appropriate low-pass filter.. A nice feature is the 4 channels selector which would help you avoid/move away slightly from other 2.4 GHz gear. IE: If you have a wireless phone let's say using exactly 2.4 GHz, you could set your selector to use let say 2.49 GHz for the sub thus eliminating potential gear confusion in sharing the typical 2.4 GHz frequency.

Cheers!
TK

Cheers!
TK

[dorokusai]

Actually I'm a CSR and wanted to clarify with the original poster prior to commenting. The connections are not like a normal subwoofer but it operates like any other subwoofer. It would work fine with the SurroundBar and here's a quick explanation of the "how", minus the "high Z" junk...

No additional (and expensive) LFE cable needed; no audio wires needed at all. Put your subwoofer anywhere you want it, and sacrifice nothing for the convenience. Plug the sub into a nearby wall outlet, connect the transmitter, and you're done. Onboard Polk Digital LogicTM uses advanced auto-sensing to determine the signal your system is sending (LFE or Line Level), and it instantly responds, selecting the appropriate low-pass filter. The 2.4-Gigahertz Wireless Transmitter is state-of-the-art, interfaces easily with any system, and can be put anywhere in your room.

[TECHNOKID]

Actually I'm a CSR and wanted to clarify with the original poster prior to commenting. The connections are not like a normal subwoofer but it operates like any other subwoofer. It would work fine with the SurroundBar and here's a quick explanation of the "how", minus the "high Z" junk...

No additional (and expensive) LFE cable needed; no audio wires needed at all. Put your subwoofer anywhere you want it, and sacrifice nothing for the convenience. Plug the sub into a nearby wall outlet, connect the transmitter, and you're done. Onboard Polk Digital LogicTM uses advanced auto-sensing to determine the signal your system is sending (LFE or Line Level), and it instantly responds, selecting the appropriate low-pass filter. The 2.4-Gigahertz Wireless Transmitter is state-of-the-art, interfaces easily with any system, and can be put anywhere in your room.I do realize you are a CSR but this was my point that he shouldn't take my response for granted as he in fact once he ackowledged this was his question the response is more appropriate coming from one of you at Polk since you know what the gear can or can not do. As far as the HIGH Z junk, this is actually how Polk suggest to hook-up their SB and the HIGH Z comment actually came from Polk when I sent them an email with my concern of the SB dropping in impedance when hooked up in paralell and potentially creating a problem with the receiver!


Cheers!
TK

[dorokusai]

Please email that to me mln@polkaudio.com and thanks for your support in this thread Technokid...you help alot in here.

[TECHNOKID]

Please email that to me mln@polkaudio.com and thanks for your support in this thread Technokid...you help alot in here.Sorry Dor, I tried to find the email yesterday evening before leaving work but seems to be too old as my request/concern was made in 2008 and for some reason gmail wouldn't go that far. I registered my SB then: Registration Information

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Below is the information you have submitted on 03/02/2008

Model SurroundBar
Serial Number(s) AM405705569
AM405705569
Purchase Date 03/02/2008
Transaction store
Dealer Name The Brick
and I think I emailed Polk support a couple days after the purchase with my impedence concern if the SB was parallelled with the subwoofer: http://www.polkaudio.com/downloads/manuals/home/SurroundBar_QuickStartGuide.pdf (page 5). There were 2 communications between I and support and they were firm about the HIGH Z of the SB which allowed such connections between the SB and the subwoofer.

Here is a discussion on our Canadian forum were I mention the HIGH Z effect of the SB and my personal report and testing: Here some info on the testing-demo I have done over the last weekend: http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/show...t=34127&page=7

I will be doing some more familiarisation and tests over the next weekend, if there is something specific you would like me to comment on, let me know before this week and I will see if it is feasible. Please, this is only my personal input and you should arrange for your own demo at your favorite store if it still interest you after my final comments.

As i pointed out, the Soundbar uses the exact same drivers as the RM10 and the RM20. There is 7 drivers total in the bar versus 8 for the RM20 5Pack (the center of the 5Pack has 2 drivers and the Bar has 1). The fronts of the bar has only one driver each which the RM20 5Pack has 2 but the rear of the RM20 5Pack has only 1 drivers each as they use RM10 for the back surround and the Bar uses 2 for each Surround Back as there is a combination of in-phase and inversion/out of phase in order to eliminate the Phantom effect of 2 speakers on each side (L&R).

I hope my babling is not too confusing, I opened one of each of my speakers to see their guts (of course my favorite are the RM30 and then this Bar as it is an attention getter; gets the old tech in me very curious and interested... afterall, it is High tech!) and read a lot about each speakers and the bar it self. Inside the PolksBar there are High pass filters and crossovers. The end result is a very HIGH IMPEDANCE ( so high you can not really read, at 40M the meter goes nuts up to open and at 400M I get a weird reading!). This high Z allow you to do some paralell set-up with other speakers without affecting the impedance match. The speakers are 8 ohms rated but the high Z isolate that low Z allowing you to do some paralell combination(s) which I will more likely be testing in the long run.

Once my room is ready, I will more likely use the bar in combination with other more powerfull speakers in order to fill the front area with the bar and allowing me to keep my larger speakers closer to the listeneing area. The way I feel, the more speakers will fill more of the room while they do not need to be as big-large and also allowing me to keep the volume at a lower setting which is good for the life span of both amp and speakers and keep them far away from the distorsion level!

Hope some of this helps you in your choice!?!

René
http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=82543&highlight=surroundbar

I'll try to look again for the Polk support email(s) relating to the high impedance and SDA technology.

Cheers!
TK

[dorokusai]

No problem, thanks TK. I just wanted to get some history on the high Z comments. It's really not an issue regardless of what the end user wants to connect. For the nerds, like you and me, its more of a talking point.