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

[jimbo1421]

I looked up your AVR; 100 wpc ought to be enough. The two factors that affect the surround performance the most seem to be placement (no obstructions) and delay and volume settings. Sorry I can't be of more help with the settings.

Jim

[N1CKOLAS]

There are no obstructions, only a wall directly behind the listening position. I'm thinking that reflections are negatively influencing the surround sound effects. I'll keep playing with it.

[jimbo1421]

Would you describe your room arrangement?

Jim

[N1CKOLAS]

LCD 8 ft. from listening position. Surroundbar sitting directly beneath LCD. LCD and surroundbar are centered in the room with a distance of 5ft. to each side wall. The listening position has a wall directly behind it. Sub is located in what sounds like a great spot about a foot to the left of the LCD.

[jimbo1421]

What are the room dimensions? Where in the room is the SB, along the long wall? It sounds like your room is about 13'-6" x 9'-0", with your TV/SB on the long wall. Is this right?

[N1CKOLAS]

18 feet wide, 10 feet long.

[jimbo1421]

Just to be clear, which wall is your TV on?

[N1CKOLAS]

o haha bad math. ~14ft wide, 10 ft. long. the tv is on the wide wall centered.

[jimbo1421]

Try moving your seating so that your ears are about 45" away from the back wall. Alternately, try putting your TV on the 10' wall with your seating about 5 feet from the back. Then adjust from there.

[N1CKOLAS]

Thanks for the prompt responses Jim. Unfortunately the couch cannot be moved that far from the wall, maybe 12" at most, and putting the TV on the 10ft. wall wont be possible either due to windows and doorways. Thanks for all your help. I'll keep working at it hopefully finding a solution for those in a similar situation as I.

[jimbo1421]

You might give them a try anyway, just to see what happens.

Jim

[N1CKOLAS]

Unfortunately due to other furnature, etc. it just won't be possible. Bummer town.

[infotree]

Our Surroundbar and 42"G10 is within a Cabinet, SW is just to left of it, with some polk rears behind couch.

The speaker calibration with the Onyko 906 Audyssey MultEQ XT took a couple of tries to match speaker placement/distance, but sounds great now with the Surroundbar (best final calibration was completed in middle of night with our two furnaces off). The addition of rears does provide a effective wrap around of sound. It would also sound thin without a SW.

I also agree that a good set of "B" channel speakers + SW works best with music.

Our living room is 18' deep by 12' wide, cabinet in center of one on the 12' walls. Listening to movies with Surroundbar + SW + rears does provide a very good soundstage for our viewing area. We sit 9' from screen.

Relatives who get to view a movie here are always surprised with the sound stage of the Surroundbar. Works very well for us.

My spouse especially likes the lack of speakers everywhere. But just like the episode of Modern Family last night, she does require some assistance on occasion with the Logitech controller. She laughed her head off last night.

[dorokusai]

Great pic Infotree....you in the system showcase yet?

[infotree]

Will do that!

[N1CKOLAS]

A bit more time was spent with the surroundbar. The bar sounds great, but the soundstage feels so lacking, even with 2-channel audio... Any other hints or pro-tips out there to help? Thanks!

[dorokusai]

Have you calibrated it? Make sure you're not running thin on your front stage levels...center channel especially. I've found it best to boost them. YMMV.

[N1CKOLAS]

I've read to boost the surrounds, but not the front stage levels. Also, for movies, I do boost the center channel.

[dorokusai]

Hmmmm...got a couple pics of how you have it physically setup? Just curious.

[N1CKOLAS]

Yeah, I'll get some pics up this evening. Something just seems odd, and I can't quite figure out the problem. Here is a crude layout of the room: (Listening position is center of the green box)

http://i50.tinypic.com/5fit1v.jpg

[dorokusai]

That's good enough for me. Has it always been off? Are you sure a soundfield isn't engaged on the AVR? Do you use an EQ of any kind?

[N1CKOLAS]

With my previous crap speakers from some old HTIB, there was a wider soundstage. There is no soundfield engaged on the AVR. No EQ either.

[N1CKOLAS]

Played more this weekend with different delay/distance settings on the AVR and just cannot get this thing to sing. I know my listening position is not optimal, but I feel that I should be getting at least 180 degrees of sound.

[jimbo1421]

One Polk tech support guy told me that 180° is the best you can expect from the SB42. This past week I was reviewing the SB Instant Home Theater. It did much better, even creating sounds behind my listening position. This is from a two channel system.

This is just a guess, but I can't help thinking that your seating is too close to the back wall. Have you tried sitting closer to the SB?

Jim

[N1CKOLAS]

I wish that i was getting 180°. I know that I should be further from the back wall, but in my space, it is just not possible due to other furniture and the size of my couch.

FWIW, I did demo some Monitor 60's a few months ago, and the sound stage was magnificent in exactly the same setup and listening position.

[jimbo1421]

I have always been intrigued Polk Audio's SurroundBar technology since their first model came out. I have the SurroundBar 42" in my home theater. When a chance to test a SurroundBar Instant Home Theater I jumped at it.

Since the SB IHT can accept any stereo line level input, I thought I would first give it a try as a stereo computer speaker. I first set it in front of my dual Apple Cinema Displays, and connected it up using a Griffin iMic as a USB digital-analog converter. Using an 1/8" mini-jack to RCA stereo pair adaptor cable I plugged the RCA ends into the SB inputs, connected the power cables to the SB and wireless subwoofer. I set the subwoofer on the floor near the corner of my office. Launching iTunes and playing a variety of music it soon became apparent that the SB was too close to my ears (27") and too crowded by other desktop stuff for the SDA effect to fully develop. I got a good spread of soundstage to the right, but it seemed like the printer to the left obstructed the sound. I would like to have been able to tuck the SB under the displays, but it is too tall for that; I would have to buy some articulating monitor arms to make that arrangement work. So my next step was to mount the SB on the wall above the window across from my desk. I made some angled blocks so that I could aim the SB downward 30 degrees towards ear level at my sitting position at my desk. Now 7 feet away and completely unobstructed, the SDA effect was fully developed, spreading out to fill the 12 foot wide space and about 150°. This would have been wonderful except that sound quality suffered from wall mounting. Upper bass or lower mid range notes resonated in this 12' x 10' room in a very unpleasant way. I don't fault the SB for this; I think it is a room effect aggravated by mounting the SB on the wall. My last option was to set the SB on an open shelf behind and above my monitors. This puts the SB-IHT about 36" away and just above ear level. This proved to be just about right; I still get a 150° soundstage spread and the resonance is gone.

I have never had computer speakers before, so I can't compare with others of the type. I can say that sound quality is very clean, stereo imaging is good and the subwoofer, when properly located, provides just the right amount of bass. The only downside of the SDA-IHT for this use is that it will reveal the defects of low bit rate MP3s. Most of my iTunes library is encoded at 320 kbps or in Apple Lossless. I definitely notice the difference on those that are encoded at lower bit rates. I kept this setup for a week and continued to like what I heard.

After a week as a computer speaker I then replaced my SurroundBar 42 with the SB IHT in my home theater rig. My SB42 is mounted on the same pivoting bracket as my 37" Sharp Aquos, positioned above the screen. I have found that I get a wider soundstage if the SB is above most of the surrounding furniture. For over the air HDTV the IHT worked fine and sounds a lot better than the TV's built in speakers. But I was really surprised by its performance as a surround sound speaker. This is, of course, a 2 channel stereo speaker and yet I found that the sound really did wrap around me. One movie, There Will Be Blood, has a pipeline construction scene where hammering noises actually sounded like they came from behind me. This is better than the SB42 ever did. The IHT had plenty of power to fill a 13' x 19' room with sound and the subwoofer, while not thunderous, delivered low end thump that was satisfactory enough. I did miss having a center channel. I like to be able to boost the volume of the center if the other channels overwhelm the dialog.

If I had to choose all over again between the original 42" SurroundBar and the SurroundBar Instant Home Theater I would go for the IHT based on its greater surround stage.

[dorokusai]

One Polk tech support guy told me that 180° is the best you can expect from the SB42.

I completely agree.

The SB50 is a much better overall unit and SDA's a helluva lot better. The only Polk SBar that really blew my mind was the SB 360.

[TroyD]

Really?

I've been pondering the 360 system for TLW....hmmmmmmm.

BDT

[dorokusai]

You know who to get the what and enjoy the what what after she gets her what on with the fact you bought the what from the who.

[N1CKOLAS]

Since my last post, I've spent a ton more time tweaking and playing with the SurroundBAR. Probably unsurprising to you all, the speaker is starting to grow on me.

I replaced my old Sony HTIB receiver with an Onkyo TX-SR507, and the SurroundBAR is starting to shine. I ran Audyssey a few times and tweaked some settings here and there, and BAM, soundstage.

I think my big problem before was paying too much attention to where the sound was coming from on the speaker. Every time I listened to 5.1 tracks, the surround effects sounded un-realistic and very clearly coming from the speaker. Once I stopped paying attention, and just watched movies, I began hearing surround sounds to the side of me. Of course the speaker will never sound the same as a standard 5.1 system, but it's starting to sound really good. In combining the SurroundBAR with the Onkyo AVR Listening Modes (especially the DTS Neo:6 Music mode for music), the soundstage has appeared.

I plan on writing a full review soon, but for me at least, the SurroundBAR took some patience to get right. Thanks all for your continued help and support. I look forward to making the SurroundBAR sound even better in the years to come.

[shawn474]

Mini Review:

I installed the SurroundBar 42" for my father, which I bought off of this forum from a friend of mine. My father is technology illiterate, so I spared him all of the features and such and did a basic hook-up so as to not confuse him too much. He likes it now (it took a little while for it to grow on him), but something was always lacking to me. I realize that I had a skewed perception of what to expect being a 5.1 guy for the last ten or so years. Something just missed with this - admittedly it could be that I haven't tweaked it properly or something along those lines.

Well, fast forward. After The IHT demo, I hooked the 50 up to my father-in-laws rig. Let me tell you something, this thing can really sound good. He has an entry level Yamaha AVR and no blu-ray. But the sound in his room (which is a perfect application for the surroundbar) was GREAT. The fit and finish of the 50 really blends well with teh television and components. It filled his room and was a much better "filler" that the 42" in my dads room. Whoever expects the 360 sound from this and to truly mimick a 5.1 set-up will be disappointed I think. In order to get the true demo you have to use a subwoofer. You can use it without one, but bass washes out other sounds from this speaker if you do not have a sub. But if you go into this with a realistic appreciation of what to expect from one speaker, you will be impressed. Surprisingly, he preferred the IHT set-up mostly because of its ease of hookup and use, as well as the subwoofer component for the IHT. However he admitted that he would choose the IHT because of price and convenience vs. the much better sound of the 50.

I was actually looking to put together a small rig for the bedroom or the kids playroom. After this demo, i have completely changed my mind. When I am ready to set it up and when funds allow the 50" will be on my short list of rigs to get for these applications.

Shawn

[DrLeRoy]

I am trying to use the 360 surround bar with an analog tv, about an 8 yr old picture in picture sony tv without much success. I can get sound from the Polk player, cds and dvds, but no sound from the tv or picture from the player on the tv. I've tried to do what the guide books says but nothing seems to work. Anybody have any suggestions. I'm a novice at this stuff and when I read all the letter abbreviations I have no idea what people are talking about. This tv does have a place for an s Video cable and I plan to buy the cable and check that out. What does the "s" stand for, Super?http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/images/icons/icon4.gif

[chemist88]

I am new to this site, hope I put this reply in the right place.

I purchased the IHT about 2 months ago. My living room is L-shaped and not all that tv friendly. Basically no room for tower speakers and I was not intereseted in running wires/drilling holes for rears. It took longer to take it out of the box than to hook it up. I was very dissappointed with the speakers until I adjusted the gain switch on the back of the sound bar. WOW that made these spekars come to life. I have it on the highest setting and there is absolutely zero distortion. Crystal clear sound. I have the the bass box set at a very low setting and it sounds amazing. The soundbar is hooked up to my cable box, not to my 42 inch LG. Not sure if that makes a difference or not.

I have not watched a DVD on these speakers yet, so I am only basing this on digital cable. Some cable channels sound great, others are somewhat muffled. There is definitely a difference from one channel to the next. ESPN seems to have the best sound quality.

Do not expect these speakers to take the place of a set of towers. For what they were designed for they do an incredible job. I can't imagine anyone being dissappointed with this soundbar. They were a little pricey compared to others, but what is 100 bucks spread over a few years? I ordered from crutchfield, they were an open box item so I saved $50. You can return them no questions asked if you don't like them, so what do you have to lose?

[tgr5]

Would anybody like to offer any opinions on the sound of a SurroundBar SDA Instant Home Theater vs. that of a SurroundBar 360?

Also, how about the same except what if a PSW111 sub was combined with the SurroundBar 360?

Thanks in advance!

[redbonzai]

I just purchased a Surroundbar 50 and a PSW111 sub. The soundbar is being connected to a Harman Kardon AVR-254. I am trying to figure out which sub mode I should use:

1. L/R+LFE which sends all low frequency information to the sub OR
2. LFE which sends low frequency information in the left and right channels to the front speakers and directs only the LFE channel information to the sub.

I think #1 is the better option, but I just wanted to make sure.

[index]

Is it possible to use the SurroundBar 360 without the DVD console? I don't have it, just the speaker. I ohmed out the pin-outs (8-pins) and I get:
Pin 1-2: 1.2 ohms
Pin 3-4: ~8 ohms
Pin 5-6: ~8 ohms
Pin 7-8: ~8 ohms

And all other measurements are open circuit (i.e. between Pin 1-4 or 1-7)
So I'm guessing the pin-pairs 3-4, 5-6, 7-8 are 8-ohm speaker connections (left, center, right)? I don't have a clue what Pins 1-2 are for.
Can anyone shed some light?

[TECHNOKID]

Is it possible to use the SurroundBar 360 without the DVD console? I don't have it, just the speaker. I ohmed out the pin-outs (8-pins) and I get:
Pin 1-2: 1.2 ohms
Pin 3-4: ~8 ohms
Pin 5-6: ~8 ohms
Pin 7-8: ~8 ohms

And all other measurements are open circuit (i.e. between Pin 1-4 or 1-7)
So I'm guessing the pin-pairs 3-4, 5-6, 7-8 are 8-ohm speaker connections (left, center, right)? I don't have a clue what Pins 1-2 are for.
Can anyone shed some light?Unless Polk is willing to provide you with the exact purpose of each pair of pins I would suggest you use a simple test tone to localize what exactly each pins set are driving. You are probably right about your LCR (but should also include the SDA technology). It is to be noted that there are no separate tweeters (the drivers are full range). Try to inject a test tone at pins 1-2 also and see what you get. Also, once you figure out how to drive it, keep in mind you will not want to drive them too hard; maybe 70 - 100 watts per channel max???)

Good luck!
TK

[index]

Thanks, I will run a test tone through each pair this weekend and see what happens.

Another question: I have a IHT SurroundBar but no power supply. The back requires 24V, 2.7A input. Does anyone know where I can get a fairly cheap power supply that would work with the SurroundBar? Any idea what size connector it needs?

[jimbo1421]

I have a IHT SurroundBar but no power supply. The back requires 24V, 2.7A input. Does anyone know where I can get a fairly cheap power supply that would work with the SurroundBar? Any idea what size connector it needs?

Did you try Polk customer service?

Jim

[index]

Unless Polk is willing to provide you with the exact purpose of each pair of pins I would suggest you use a simple test tone to localize what exactly each pins set are driving. You are probably right about your LCR (but should also include the SDA technology). It is to be noted that there are no separate tweeters (the drivers are full range). Try to inject a test tone at pins 1-2 also and see what you get. Also, once you figure out how to drive it, keep in mind you will not want to drive them too hard; maybe 70 - 100 watts per channel max???)

Good luck!
TK

I opened up the speaker grill and there are 8 cones, 4 on the left and 4 on the right.
I tested the 8-pin connection with a 9-volt as well as my amp and I got the following:
Pin 1-2: no sound, had to REALLY crank the amp up to hear the sound out of speakers 1 and 2 and gome a bit of distortion along with it.
Pin 3-4: sound out of speakers 3-4
Pin 5-6: sound out of speakers 5-6
Pin 7-8: sound out of speakers 7-8

seems like the pins are direct inputs to paired speakers.
I have a hunch that speakers 1-2 (and pins 1-2) are toasted. What could cause the impedance of the speakers to go from 8ohms to ~1.2ohms?

[TECHNOKID]

seems like the pins are direct inputs to paired speakers.
I have a hunch that speakers 1-2 (and pins 1-2) are toasted. What could cause the impedance of the speakers to go from 8ohms to ~1.2ohms?Potentially a shorted speaker coil, the speaker should be easily removable from the casing so you could disconnect and do direct test measuring to prove if the speaker is at fault. I am not familiar with this specific Polk product since I do not own it however, the way you are describing it seem that the speakers would have direct connections (no Xo) meaning that the Xo was maybe builted into the DVD console?

[Kiwi70]

I am trying to locate a SB in New Zealand. A bit of a long shot but can anyone help?

[gasapple]

Hey N1CKOLAS - care to help some of us with Onkyo receivers and the Polk Surroundbar 50? I want to soundstage to be "more pronounced/delineated" and can't get it right - or seems to lack the shine I've been reading about. I also did not use Audyssey - going to try later today since I read your post. Anyway, tell us what your settings are, those where you get the best performance, please!? There are alot of Onkyo users out here with the Surroundbar 50 and we don't quite know how to tweak it optimally.

I'm running the Onkyo sr706, Polk Surroundbar 50, Yamaha YST-SW315 Pro-sub, and will be adding 2 Polk RM8s as rear surrounds as an experiment (read great results with the Surroundbar 50 "full stage SDA" and RM8 rears) after I get the Polk Surroundbar 50 tweaked.

Anyone with Surroundbar 50 and Onkyo receivers please help the rest of us here! Thanks! :D


Since my last post, I've spent a ton more time tweaking and playing with the SurroundBAR. Probably unsurprising to you all, the speaker is starting to grow on me.

I replaced my old Sony HTIB receiver with an Onkyo TX-SR507, and the SurroundBAR is starting to shine. I ran Audyssey a few times and tweaked some settings here and there, and BAM, soundstage.

I think my big problem before was paying too much attention to where the sound was coming from on the speaker. Every time I listened to 5.1 tracks, the surround effects sounded un-realistic and very clearly coming from the speaker. Once I stopped paying attention, and just watched movies, I began hearing surround sounds to the side of me. Of course the speaker will never sound the same as a standard 5.1 system, but it's starting to sound really good. In combining the SurroundBAR with the Onkyo AVR Listening Modes (especially the DTS Neo:6 Music mode for music), the soundstage has appeared.

I plan on writing a full review soon, but for me at least, the SurroundBAR took some patience to get right. Thanks all for your continued help and support. I look forward to making the SurroundBAR sound even better in the years to come.

[Zion21]

Thanks for the review. Certainly helped in my decision to buy these great speakers.http://rewardslink.info/flash/images/19.gif

[Topper]

http://www.polkaudio.com/images/site/surroundbar/sb3000_prod.jpg

Just had a chance to play with the brand new Surroundbar 3000 IHT and i must say i love it !! It looks great and is a huuuuuge improvement over TV speakers :). And the clincher is that it works with upto 3 sources now so real easy to hook up the Ipod to it as well :).

Now i just got to find a good Ipod dock. Anyone have suggestions?

[addiewillium]

I was very impressed with surroundbar. It is very large as speakers. You can include surroundbar in your LCD. It have really amazing voice.

[Bobsama]

Here's a question--does anyone have the full specs of the 3000 IHT?

[TECHNOKID]

Here's a question--does anyone have the full specs of the 3000 IHT?From Polk product page;

http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/surroundbar/#sb3000iht; http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/surroundbar/specs2.php#surroundbar3000iht

You might want to compare with other SB products available;

http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/surroundbar/specs2.php

http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/surroundbar/specs2.php#360dvdtheater

http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/surroundbar/specs2.php#iht

http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/surroundbar/specs2.php#surroundbar50

http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/surroundbar/specs2.php#surroundbar

Cheers!
TK

[Bobsama]

From Polk product page;

http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/surroundbar/#sb3000iht; http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/surroundbar/specs2.php#surroundbar3000iht

You might want to compare with other SB products available;

http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/surroundbar/specs2.php

http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/surroundbar/specs2.php#360dvdtheater

http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/surroundbar/specs2.php#iht

http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/surroundbar/specs2.php#surroundbar50

http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/surroundbar/specs2.php#surroundbar

Cheers!
TK

So the 3000 IHT is a piece of junk and the 6000 IHT is a cut-down version of the older IHT? That would leave the SB50 as the best choice.

[Topper]

I've used the older IHT and much prefer the newer 3000. Its got multiple sources as well as optical input connection. I would say the 3000 is more closely related to the older IHT but with more features (and cheaper too).

As for the 6000, how are you seeing it as a cut-down version of the older IHT? Its supposed to offer better performance and now handles surround-sound as well as comes with dolby digital. Its superior in every feature over the older IHT and still costs the same.

And the SB 50 really isn't a comparison with the IHTs because it suits different needs. If you've already got a good receiver and subwoofer, then the passive SB 50 is the only route to go. If your starting from scratch and want to keep things simple without a lot of gear and wiring in your living room or bedroom, then the IHTs are the products to look at.

[Topper]

I'll tell you this though - I've used them all (except the 6000 which hasnt been released yet) and the SB 50 plays louder and has a more cinema feel to the whole experience. You already have a receiver - don't think twice anymore and just go with the SB 50.

(And maybe down the line if you want to maximize the surround feeling and still keep things simple and wireless, check out the upcoming polk wireless f/x coming out in a few months)

[dorokusai]

I'll tell you this though - I've used them all (except the 6000 which hasnt been released yet) and the SB 50 plays louder and has a more cinema feel to the whole experience. You already have a receiver - don't think twice anymore and just go with the SB 50.

(And maybe down the line if you want to maximize the surround feeling and still keep things simple and wireless, check out the upcoming polk wireless f/x coming out in a few months)

I agree, the SB50 is really nice and overall output across the bar is higher in all areas for me at reference volume.

[TECHNOKID]

So the 3000 IHT is a piece of junk and the 6000 IHT is a cut-down version of the older IHT? That would leave the SB50 as the best choice.1. I can not say IHT, 3000 IHT or the upcoming 6000 IHT are junk. They are simply for a different group of users. Mark can correct me if I am wrong but the IHT products were made to compete with HTIBs. While I never cared for HTIB if I didn't have any other choice I would take Polk IHT bars over just about any HTIBs.


I'll tell you this though - I've used them all (except the 6000 which hasnt been released yet) and the SB 50 plays louder and has a more cinema feel to the whole experience. You already have a receiver - don't think twice anymore and just go with the SB 50.

(And maybe down the line if you want to maximize the surround feeling and still keep things simple and wireless, check out the upcoming polk wireless f/x coming out in a few months)


I agree, the SB50 is really nice and overall output across the bar is higher in all areas for me at reference volume.Again, Mark can correct me if I am wrong but IMHO, SB42'' and SB50'' were a compromise to provide a good simulation of a small 5.1 without most of the wire clutters (typical WAF consideration) which IMHO does a pretty good job at it. It isn't a true 5.1 but it can be convincing if avoiding the cable clutter has some priority. I have experience with the S42 (I own and used), I compared it with the RM20s package (I own, used and by the way, the SB42'' and RM10s and 20s share the same drivers). I never had the opportunity to audition the SB50 (which I believe share the same drivers) but am aware of the specs and how it is built and it is an improvement over the SB42. Many people like Mark and Topper (many others if you check this thread) has nothing but good comments on the SB50.

As I pointed out, you get what you pay for... If you buy a powered product for less than what you pay for static speakers (needing a receiver investment) well, you definitely have to expect to get better quality and SQ out of the single speaker, right? Yet, unless there is budget restraint this is a NO brainer. You already have the receiver to drive the SB50 and the present sub can also be used until you decide to move toward a better sub as you described-wished.

Mark, little out of subject but what happened to your SB50 array project you spoke about (before last Xmas) http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=93187

I was very interested in your project as I tought this could have been a great idea with my PJ set-up.

[dorokusai]

What loudspeaker isn't a compromise? One that costs $45k? Of course the SurroundBar and it's children are of various engineering designs. One being better than another, etc etc. I don't believe it's ever been touted as a replacement for a full fledged 5.1 and each of them does the job in a different, sometimes better or worse, job.

Anything in audio requires you to choose the right product for the application at hand. Would a SB50 be cool for a near field computer setup? No, it would be a terrible choice. But I bet the IHT would be pretty sweet, give you a small footprint and a wireless subwoofer.

Do you see where I'm going here? Thankfully Polk has continued to stay diversified across the product line, stay competitive within multiple demographics and while not every single product has been a winner, they've had more successful products hit the street in the last 5 years than in the past 15. For legal purposes, that's my opinion.

[TECHNOKID]

I don't believe it's ever been touted as a replacement for a full fledged 5.1
IMHO, SB42'' and SB50'' were a compromise to provide a good simulation of a small 5.1 without most of the wire clutters (typical WAF consideration) which IMHO does a pretty good job at it. It isn't a true 5.1 but it can be convincing if avoiding the cable clutter has some priority.
How do you feel about installing speakers all around your room and running wires everywhere to add surround sound to your new TV? Don't worry, there's an easier way. Polk Audio SurroundBar Series speakers achieve single-speaker surround sound from one slim speaker bar. Our exclusive patented SDA Surround Digital Technology eliminates the need for rear speakers.The above is what I met... Indeed was never met to replace but rater to simulate.

[santia368]

Hey guys, I have been interested in one of these Surroundbar 3000 IHTs for my daughter's play room. I have the components hidden and the TV up somewhat high in the room to avoid damage. The TV is in a corner kind of floating in space.

Any ideas on how to go about mounting one of these in my situation? Is there any way to mount it to the bottom of the screen?

[dorokusai]

Hey guys, I have been interested in one of these Surroundbar 3000 IHTs for my daughter's play room. I have the components hidden and the TV up somewhat high in the room to avoid damage. The TV is in a corner kind of floating in space.

Any ideas on how to go about mounting one of these in my situation? Is there any way to mount it to the bottom of the screen?

I believe your idea is really cool, boy, I wish I was your kid :biggrin:

The unit weighs 4.75 lbs and realistically can be mounted with industrial velcro. I personally like and suggest 3M DualLock for flexibility and secure mounting of lightweight objects, plus, it's not forever or require holes to be drilled. I'm sure there are other products as well but 3M is my brand of choice. Here's a link to the product:

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/3M-Industrial/Adhesives/Promotions-New-Products/Reclosable-Fasteners/?WT.mc_id=keymatch

Here's a link to buy a trial bag of it directly thru 3M:

http://www.shop3m.com/3m-dual-lock-reclosable-fasteners-trial-bags-7xj8lmwwbn.html

Let us know what you end up using and post some pics ok?

-Mark

[shawn474]

Hey guys, I have been interested in one of these Surroundbar 3000 IHTs for my daughter's play room. I have the components hidden and the TV up somewhat high in the room to avoid damage. The TV is in a corner kind of floating in space.

Any ideas on how to go about mounting one of these in my situation? Is there any way to mount it to the bottom of the screen?

Another idea would be to use zip ties in the keyhole slots and fasten them to the bottom of your t.v. mount.

[anonymouse]

Hey guys, I have been interested in one of these Surroundbar 3000 IHTs for my daughter's play room. I have the components hidden and the TV up somewhat high in the room to avoid damage. The TV is in a corner kind of floating in space.

Any ideas on how to go about mounting one of these in my situation? Is there any way to mount it to the bottom of the screen?

I mounted an original soundbar to the bottom of a 47" Phillips with the aid of two right angle brackets and a piece of wood. I screwed the right angle brackets to the place where the table stand on the TV screwed in. That was part of the sturdy metal frame of the TV, so there was security in knowing it was locked in tight.

The wood piece attached to the right angle brackets parallel to the wall, and the wall mount bracket plate for the surroundbar attached to the wood piece. It worked just fine for 2 years before I moved from the Surroundbar to in-wall speakers. In fact I just removed it this past weekend or I would take pictures to show you.

[dorokusai]

Another idea would be to use zip ties in the keyhole slots and fasten them to the bottom of your t.v. mount.

Too loose and it would cause the bar to drop at an angle since the slots are at the rear

[santia368]

Too loose and it would cause the bar to drop at an angle since the slots are at the rear

Thanks for the ideas, now that you guys mention it it's kind of obvious what to do. I think I will use the Velcro as the main way of keeping it up, with zip ties as a backup in case the Velcro fails so the speaker doesn't fall 7' to its death!

I'm going to wait to see if one of these shows up on Polk Direct again, I saw one about a week ago. =)

[santia368]

I believe your idea is really cool, boy, I wish I was your kid :biggrin:


The TV in there come in handy for me too when I don't feel like watching "Lifetime" movies with my wife anymore! :biggrin:

[dorokusai]

I feel your pain.

[TECHNOKID]

Thanks for the ideas, now that you guys mention it it's kind of obvious what to do. I think I will use the Velcro as the main way of keeping it up, with zip ties as a backup in case the Velcro fails so the speaker doesn't fall 7' to its death!

I'm going to wait to see if one of these shows up on Polk Direct again, I saw one about a week ago. =)Good idea, the velcro would keep in proper place and alined for best sound stage as Doro (Mark) states and if you want you could use small chains (hooked up to your TV mount) for safety as they do for proffessional install of PJs and other suspended gear.

Talking about velcro, they are generally pretty expensive. I just saw some 30' rolls going for ridiculus price at Walmart today. Too bad they only carry green as it would be an innexpensive avenue.

[dorokusai]

The link I provided above shows 10ft rolls for $15....what price guides are you looking at TK?

[grimm26]

The color coding is a generic feature to assist customers. It's sometimes used on other gear but not everything.

Just follow the instructions for what speaker your connecting and you'll be fine on the AVR/Receiver end of things.

Let us know what you think of the SB, have fun!

I have the same question as the poster that this responded to and this answer does not help at all. The question is which colors on the Polk wires correspond to negative (commonly black) and which correspond to positive (commonly red). Anyone know?

[dorokusai]

I have the same question as the poster that this responded to and this answer does not help at all. The question is which colors on the Polk wires correspond to negative (commonly black) and which correspond to positive (commonly red). Anyone know?

The CEA implemented this universal attempt to assist the general populace.

The question was in regards to how the Surround Bar was color coded and black means black, the alternate color means the appropriate channel. There was supposed to be a manufacturer driven color coding for it all and at least Polk Audio, HK, Pioneer, Rotel, etc signed onboard.

Grey/ Black = Surround Right Channel
Red/ Black = Front Right Channel
Blue/ Black = Surround Left Channel
Green/ Black = Center Channel
White/ Black = Front Left Channel

If it's difficult, blame the CEA for trying to establish a standard. It's used on MANY AVR's to this day. This document is available not only online, always has been but is also included with the equipment.

http://www.polkaudio.com/downloads/manuals/home/SurroundBar50_Users_Guide.pdf

Does that help you Mr. Frustrated Pants?

[devang]

Hello All,

I just bought surroundbar 3000. I was trying to connect cable box (comcast rng110) optical output to the surroundbar optical input. But somehow it did not work. Just to check whether surroundbar works or not, I connected L/R output of RCA to source 2 of the surroundbar and it started working.

So I thought the optical cable may be a problem, hence I took another optical audio cable, but still no luck.

Would anyone know whether there is anything wrong that I am doing?

Thanks in advance!

[polkfan38]

I know this is not cost effective but, has anyone taken the guts out of a SDA sound bar and rewire it to standard L/C/R speakers? I bet THAT would be awesome!

[dorokusai]

Hello All,

I just bought surroundbar 3000. I was trying to connect cable box (comcast rng110) optical output to the surroundbar optical input. But somehow it did not work. Just to check whether surroundbar works or not, I connected L/R output of RCA to source 2 of the surroundbar and it started working.

So I thought the optical cable may be a problem, hence I took another optical audio cable, but still no luck.

Would anyone know whether there is anything wrong that I am doing?

Thanks in advance!

Call Polk CS, they can walk you thru the fix for that.

[newrival]

quick review for my demo of the SB3000:

I demo'ed this product for an extended period of time and have had a great time with it. The sound is an order of magnitude better than the sound from any TV speakers in both quality and quantity. For the demo I set it up at my Aunt and Uncle's house. They are in their late 50's and they do not like clutter or complicated electronics.

Build quality/aesthetics: Being into high-end audio, I was initially unimoressed by the construction of the Surround Bar and sub. Specifically the weight and materials. It was very light and while it did not seem flimsy at all, the lack of heft had me skeptical. It did indeed sem sturdy enough, just not heavy. My Aunt and Uncle loved this aspect. They were very happy it was light and they could easily pick up the speaker and the sub. The form factor is nice and slim. Both the SB and the sub are slim and disappear easily into the room.

Setup: SUPER simple. set the single speaker enclosure by your tv, plug in power cord, plug in one audio cable, plug in subwoofer power cable, done. no receiver, no mess of cables, nothing but simplicity. My Aunt's comment: "Wow, that's someting even I could setup. That is important to old ladies like us *laugh*"

Soud: The sound really impressed them. They instantly said "wow." My Aunt kept commenting that it was "like being at the movie theater." Personally, it wasn't THAT good, but it was a noticeable improvement. Additionally, they both noticed that they listened at much lower levels because of the sound quality. with the tv speakers, They would turn it up because they couldnt hear dialog over the music. With the Surround Bar they could hear everything very clearly and not have to turn it up to levels that made it very harsh.

[cincycat13]

I initially picked this up to use on a gaming system that I haven't gotten to, so I decided to at least listen to it today.

My TV is a Sony XBR4 which I partially selected because it has decent speakers.

My current theater front set up is an Onkyo txsr 876 with RT3000p fronts and a CS400 center. You can see one of the RT sub bases in the bottom right...the dusty blip behind the right part of the bar.

I set up the 50" bar on a Sony STR DE845. Not a straight comparison, but I don't have a swap friendly set up.

This was easy to set up. I had it up and down all in one morning including unboxing and repacking. Way better than the TV speakers. I did not have the technology to turn up the surround dB so I could not play with that to help the surround. I added a sub for a bit, but I think the AVR used limited the help.

This bar could be made to look very good in a small room and I am pleased with the purchase. I would recommend for sure.

[stygz]

Thinking of trying out the Original surroundbar (42"). My room is 14x19 with tall ceilings. I will be using a Yamaha RX-V663 (95w/ channel high current) with a Polk PSW303. We bought a new house and will be putting the system above a corner fireplace (electric). We watch mostly movies with some music listening. I tried out a Boston Acoustics TVee model 30 (3.1 system) and was mostly satisfied but wanted more surround effect. I thought about ordering from crutchfield because of easy returns if I do not like the surroundbar. I am also concidering the IHT 6000 due to simplicity. I listened to the 6000 system alittle but thought I may not like how it processed music. I am looking to replace my RM 6700 system.

[Mr. Sharpe]

REPORTED!!!!! SPAM SPAM SPAM!!!!!

Tofu