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

[dorokusai]

SurroundBar - SurroundBar 50 - SurroundBar 360 - SurroundBar SDA Instant Home Theater

I created this thread to get opinions and comments regarding the Polk Audio SurroundBar (http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/surroundbar/index.php?s=42-inch) and the new additions to the SDA Surround family, the SurroundBar 50 (http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/surroundbar/index.php?s=50-inch), SurroundBar 360 (http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/surroundbar/index.php?s=360-dvd-theater) and SurroundBar SDA Instant Home Theater (http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/surroundbar/index.php?s=instant-home-theater).

If you have previously heard this product, please post your comments. If you have recently heard or purchased this product, I encourage you to let the Club Polk forum...and Polk Audio know what you think of the SurroundBar Series (http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/surroundbar/index.php).

This is an open discussion, but please make every attempt to stay on topic. I would hope that whether it's positive or negative, you will post your genuine opinion as all the information is important.

The following information is a collection of quick links to information regarding SDA, SDA Surround and the SurroundBar series of components.

Thanks for participating :)

SurroundBAR Series Homepage (http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/surroundbar/index.php)

SurroundBAR FAQ (http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/surroundbar/features.php#faq-general)

SDA Surround Sound Technology Explained -- Matt Polk's White Paper (http://www.polkaudio.com/downloads/whitepapers/SDA_WhitePaper.pdf)

Images:

[ohskigod]

for the target market intended, this is a great product in my opinion. As I said at polkfest, would I replace my speakers with this thing...no. But If I had a room to put a home teater in with either limited room, or no desire to put towers and bookshelves on stands to take up a ton of room, this product would foot the bill. I was very surprised at the performance of this unit with the little polk 404 sub I heard it with. It was a very solid demo. It was surround sound, while the surround effects kind of stopped laterally, say 100 degrees in each direction, as opposed to all the way around.

need to save space? want great sound, at a good price, in a small convenient package? get a good reciever, a decent sub, and this thing and you'll be fine. all that for way less than a bose lifestyle, taking up less room, and still trounces the bejesus out of any of the lifestyle systems I've heard (up to the 4000 dollar lifestyle 25)

[madmax]

I was very impressed with the Surround Bar. I would be quite happy with one for my HT. I have heard others say it does not take the place of a full HT speaker system but I have to ask at what cost? In my opinion it is as good as any HT system at the $1K price point and certainly better than any HT in a box that I have heard. For plasma or LCD owners who want a clean easy installation it is a must have.
madmax

[okiepolkie]

Mark,

You might want to add the SDA whitepaper to this thread as well: http://www.polkaudio.com/partners/papers.php?id=8


Also, as part of the discussion, I would like to find out what types of applications the SB would be good for.

Therefore, I'm also attaching a rough layout of my room. It is a very open floorplan with 11 ft cathedral ceiling over the living room part and 9 ft flat ceiling over the kitchen/dining part.

In the corner, there is a large gas fireplace. I have my television on top of it, along with my components: receiver and LSi7's. The ledge is approx 7 ft wide, however it is at least 4 ft off the ground.

I'm thinking about putting a Surroundbar below the mantle, so I could use my home as a demonstration room for my new business. I would probably keep the 7's in place for comparison, but I think many of my clients could benfit from something like the surroundbar.

If you have any suggestions, let me know.


Zach

[bankshot]

It sounds like something made for people who dont like speakers in their house.

[lanion]

Some might say Bose has had moderate success with that.

[willbrook]

I plan to purchase an HDTV soon and will buy a home theatre set-up also. While I already have rear (surround) speakers in place (in the wall), I don't have alot of space for front & center speakers. The Surround Bar placed on top of my TV may be a good solution for me. It is my understanding that I can combine both my existing surround speakers with the surround speakers in the Polk Surround Bar - connecting both to my AV Receiver. I don't have alot of experience doin this kinda stuff, and was wondering if anyone on this thread might care to comment on my plan. Thanks.

[ohskigod]

if i had to wager a guess, you could do 7.1 that way. hook the center, fronts and side surrounds to the bar, and the rear cahnnels to your inwalls. I bet that would sound pretty friggin cool!

[ohskigod]

It sounds like something made for people who dont like speakers in their house.



this is the first product I heard for this type of market (no lots of speakers in the house) that I would actually consider using if I did not have the room for my towers and such. as I said, I wouldnt replace what I have, but if I had to save the room, I could quite easily live with the bar and a good sub.

cant say the same for the polk cubes, I would rather just listen to the TV speakers, I'm dead serious on that

the friggin cubes are near unlistenable to me

[dudeinaroom]

if i had to wager a guess, you could do 7.1 that way. hook the center, fronts and side surrounds to the bar, and the rear cahnnels to your inwalls. I bet that would sound pretty friggin cool!

with a 5.1 system wire the front, and rears of the sound bar to the front channels, and would most likely sound pretty flippin' cool



this is the first product I heard for this type of market (no lots of speakers in the house)


Boston acoustics had some thing simialar It had a single suround and a speaker that had left center and rightfor postioning on or under your tv , an a tiny sub

[dorokusai]

Okie - That looks like the best place to install it. You may want to treat the first reflections from the adjacent sidewalls.

[bankshot]

One thing I always wondered about these kind of speakers is if you dont have a wall directly in back of you then how do you get the simulated surround effect.

[ohskigod]

it doesnt use bouncing sound off the walls to get the job done, it uses SDA technology to get the job done. loooong story I'm not qualified to fully explain. I'm sure someone will :)

[dorokusai]

Bankshot - SDA is fully explained in the original post. Check out the links.

[willbrook]

Thanks very much for the input re the 'sound bar'. I had a chance to compare the Polk Sound Bar with a similiar product made by Yamaha (YSP-1).

While the Yamaha sounded alot better, I didn't feel it was a fair comparsion. The Yamaha was connected to a sub-woofer, and perfectly centered in a sound room. The polk was positioned beneath a TV, with no sub connected.

This was in a store where sales personnel work on commission. I couldn't help but think that I was being steered to the more expensive $1,300 Yamaha versus the less expensive $900.00 Polk. Thanks Again & MERRY CHRISTMAS!!.

[MacLeod]

I got a chance to hear this at Polkfest and thought it sounded amazing. Not only was it super clear and detailed but had no harshness at all and for 3" drivers soudned full and rich.

Not only that but this little thing is capable of quite a bit of output. I was quite suprised when the volume was cranked how well this thing handled it with ease and no distortion.

Its also appealing for ease of installation. Simply plug the wires into the back and youre set. No need for running and hiding wires all over the living room floor and around doorways now.

Sure it doesnt give you the full effect of having rear speakers but its not supposed to. Not everybody wants to deal with rear speakers so this thing is perfect for them.

Match this thing with a good sub and youve got a very high quality home theater.

[BlueMDPicker]

I think the Surroundbar is a great innovation and wish Polk the best.

In looking at pictures, a couple of questions popped into mind.

I know the SB uses much smaller drivers, but it seems astonishing that there's no more (apparent) volume to the enclosure! Having said that, do you all think the same basic enclosure and drive array might be "split" in a later model -- allowing the L&R channels to function as stand-mounted units and more flexibility in placement of the channels and center?

I look at my old (but excellent pic quality) Toshiba 32" CRT in the upstairs family room (with limited horizontal real estate on its top) and think "that would be cool if I could set the center on top and have the channels as sides, placed where I want them!"

[Tour2ma]

Interesting thought, Mike. That would essentially create a Surround Bar center channel, and could be used with existing main speakers as well as Surround Bar mains.

[willbrook]

I intend to purchase the SurroundBar from Circuit City to take advantage of their Subwoofer rebate offer. While the overwhelming majority of reviews favor the Polk PSW10, one reviewer mentioned the lack of an 'LSF connection'. I have no idea what that refers to. I intend to connect the sub to my Kenwood receiver, which is equipped with a 'sub-woofer pre-out' connection. Can I assume that is how the PSW10 should be connected to my receiver? -- using the 'pre-out? Thanks for the help.

[dorokusai]

I intend to purchase the SurroundBar from Circuit City to take advantage of their Subwoofer rebate offer. While the overwhelming majority of reviews favor the Polk PSW10, one reviewer mentioned the lack of an 'LSF connection'. I have no idea what that refers to. I intend to connect the sub to my Kenwood receiver, which is equipped with a 'sub-woofer pre-out' connection. Can I assume that is how the PSW10 should be connected to my receiver? -- using the 'pre-out? Thanks for the help.

Yes, you are correct. The reviewer must have made a typo and meant LFE.

[janmike]

A co-worker is actually looking to purchase a new HT system and was describing the system she is thinking of purchasing, the 3-2-1 GS Series II from Bose. I told her to look at the Polk SurroundBar. You can purchase this in Canada for $829.99 compared to amost $2K for the Bose system. Too bad she cannot demo either product here is Yellowknife. Anything extra that you folks would like to add that will help in her decision would be greatly appreciated. I am atempting to convert someone to Polk. She has listened to my system and liked what she heard. Thanks.

[F1nut]

Show her this, http://www.liquidtheater.com/editorial_56.html

[willbrook]

I purchased the Surround Bar (with free Polk PSW10) from Crutchfield in December. Free shipping & no taxes. Arrived three days later in perfect condition. I've installed the Surround Bar above my new 55" Sony TV, and connected both the Surround Bar's 'surround' inputs & my existing surround speakers (in rear wall) to my AV's 'surround' inputs. Sounds great. Very neat & inconspicuous. I appreciate guidance received on this forum. Thanks. :) :)

[cfrizz]

congrats! Glad you are enjoying your new system!

[Tour2ma]

Cool, wb... Please copy and paste your thoughts into a customer review over in the Products area of the site...

[aaharvel]

i've got to listen to this thing. Hearing is believing.

[John K.]

Note Home Theater Magazine review and measurements (http://www.hometheatermag.com/subsatloudspeakers/0106polk/).

[daniel_paul_]

I do not see a stong market for this. You still need to buy a reciever, sub and dvd/cd player. The total price is going to be high. I would think that the kind of person who buys the Bose 3-2-1 type of system would be attracted to the "all-in-one" packaging AND the smaller overall setup (sound quality in third). Through in one remote...the Bose marketing machine...

[dorokusai]

There's a huge market for this and the CES event at which SB was one of the showpiece demonstrations, was packed 24/7.

[ohskigod]

and Bose's price isnt high ?

It helps that the surround bar style wise fits much better with a plasma tv, wall mounted then a 321 system. I wouldnt say sound quality isnt a factor, just with Bose, it has to sound ALOT better to overcome the marketing machine. The 321 isnt anywhere close to the same league sound wise as the sound bar.

listen for yourself, hopefully others will.

will bose still make money? sure? Polk doesnt need all there market share, just some of it to make it worth while. Polk has to market it right, but it terms of product itself? I can easily tell it is a winner.

[ohskigod]

besides, nothing stopping retailers to package deals, I would imagine Polk would facilitate it. Put the bar with a relativly inexpensive reciever, sub, and DVD player in store. what would that be, 1600 depending on the reciever sub and dvd (relativly cheap)

and this is not factoring in discounts for selling multiple products, so it could be even less.

1400 for a 321 or 1600 for package set up with the bar? wrap the sound bar in friggin celophane during the demo and it still wouldnt be close :D

["Polk" Paul DiComo]

Just to add my 2 cents here, the SurroundBar is selling very well and doing well editorially. See Home Theater's review http://www.hometheatermag.com/subsatloudspeakers/0106polk/index.html

We never envisioned it to be a direct replacement for a hard wired 5.1 system but a possible solution for people who are unwilling or unable to accommodate hard wired systems. It is a great answer for bedroom systems. Why, I know several Forum members who use them there for watching "art" movies. There is nothing like hearing "oh baby oh baaaaby" and "uggghh, ooooo, yes, do it, that's it baby" and other scintillating dialog in surround sound without the need for rear speakers.

It's not for everybody or every situation but it has its place in the audio universe. BTW, it is a real hoot to hear a SurroundBar plus a pair of hard wired surround speakers in 7.1. The side imaging is amazing - way more of a bubble effect than one normally gets from some all-hard-wired systems.

[cfrizz]

WAAAAAA!!!! :D

I'm happy to hear that the surroundbar is selling well! Congrats to Polk Audio!

[F1nut]

Gawd, how we love those "art" movies!

[daniel_paul_]

I am also glad to hear it is selling. But someone needs to bring up issues for possible improvment. Progress is never made when only possitive input is given.

[Tour2ma]

I think "rear speakering" is still illegal in 20 or so states...

[kab]

I am also glad to hear it is selling. But someone needs to bring up issues for possible improvment. Progress is never made when only possitive input is given.

DP - You're absolutely right. While we are delighted with the attention and praise of the press and the consumers, we are always interested in hearing what we can improve.

So if anyone has any recommendations for improvement, leave them here or send me an email.

On a closely related topic, I am beginning to assemble "panels" for participation in future product development, trend-watching and other marketing research topics. If you interested in volunteering drop me an email so I can send along the details

[dorokusai]

I do not see a stong market for this. You still need to buy a reciever, sub and dvd/cd player. The total price is going to be high. I would think that the kind of person who buys the Bose 3-2-1 type of system would be attracted to the "all-in-one" packaging AND the smaller overall setup (sound quality in third). Through in one remote...the Bose marketing machine...

I think the comparison is ridiculous. There are alot of variables at play when you want to A/B products like these. It's not trying to be an All-In-One HT System nor is it marketed as such. It's a speaker.

The dimensions are not that outrageous that it demands enourmous real estate. It's 42" and built like a tank. I actually think it's smaller in person. The Bose speakers are <8"/each and built like a childrens toy.

What flexibility do you have with the Bose system if you do actually care about sound and video? None, as the performance of both is average at best.

Where is the surround format support of the 321? It doesn't exist because the speakers cannot create any of those soundfields. "Truespace"? LOL, it's garbage. It's all a psuedo-HT experience. How is this sonically a valid comparison to the Polk SB?

What about connectivity for a potential customers collection of gear? The 321 is very limited, especially for the many people getting into higher quality connection methods. You could buy a seperate AVR and have more connectivity than you need, for a very modest amount of money.

Don't you think that the choice to handpick those needed components based on actual individual performance is more important than an AI1 box?

Unfortunately, and you allude to this previously, the Bose marketing machine is huge. The only way to counter this and get a foothold, is for Polk to ensure that the product is being displayed and sold in a somewhat equal approach. The Brick and Mortar displays are VITAL to the success. I would love to see Circuit City display a Polk speaker, or damn near any speaker, in a flattering way or even correctly set it up. The groundlevel management of this is horrible and makes me ill whenever I visit a B&M. Tweeter is the only store that displays Polk's in a decent manner, at least in my travels.

I have no love of Bose products, never have, never will. When they make something interesting like the 901 again, perhaps they will get some love...but they won't, those days are long gone. All fluff, no substance.

If I had something bad to say about the SB, I assure you I would. It achieves alot for being so unassuming and if one likes Bose over it simply do to the aethetics or included DVD player....I can only shrug my shoulders. Next customer in line please....

[daniel_paul_]

My reference to size refers to the components needed. It sounds like, from the reviews noted above, the technology is all there. The question then is how to grab the largest market share (preferable from Bose).

[dorokusai]

That's a very valid comment. I think the only way to do it is to be aggressive and proactive in the actual ground level market.

[dudeinaroom]

I think the best way to steal the bose market would be to go into bose owners houses with a half way desent receiver, dvd player, an ok sud, and a sound bar demo it, and if the don't like beeat them in the head with the sound bar untill thety likeit. Oh, and if it breaks while beating said bose owner into submission well I guess they have to buy since they broke it with their head.

[aogemini]

I am thinking about eliminating my Polk CSi5 center channel and replace it with the Surround Bar. I plan on continuing to use my RTi12 fronts and FXi5 rears and my subwoofer. Would it be a "good" substitute from a perspective of tonal balance, sensitivity, matching dB, etc.

Please advise.

Thanks,
Art

[PolkThug]

I am thinking about eliminating my Polk CSi5 center channel and replace it with the Surround Bar. I plan on continuing to use my RTi12 fronts and FXi5 rears and my subwoofer. Would it be a "good" substitute from a perspective of tonal balance, sensitivity, matching dB, etc.

Please advise.

Thanks,
Art

That would be a waste and probably not sound as good. Keep you CSi5, its a good center. The surround bar is meant to replace all those speakers, not work in conjuction with them.

[wingnut4772]

I agree. Did you plan to hook up all the speakers on the surround bar as well as keep your originals? That might be a neat experiment but I suspect it would be a mess and I am not even sure how it would be done ( although someone here could probably explan how). I would keep the center.

[RuSsMaN]

How about using this thread for what it is intended for, SurroundBar reviews.

Not jumping on anyone, but damn lets try and keep a couple 'formal' threads clean.

[McLoki]

For those who don't want to search......

Cnet review (http://reviews.cnet.com/Polk_Audio_SurroundBar_black/4505-7869_7-31556128-2.html?tag=sub)

Circuit City user reviews (http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/productDetailReview.do?oid=141406&com.broadvision.session.new=Yes&BV_SessionID=@@@@0184066274.1142461479@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccgaddhfhekmmdcfngcfkmdffhdfki.0)

Home Theater Dude (crap review) (http://www.htdude.com/archives/272)

Amazon - one decent user review. (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000B633Y8/104-9712041-2921503?v=glance&n=172282)

Michael

["Polk" Paul DiComo]

You missed one: http://www.hometheatermag.com/subsatloudspeakers/0106polk/

Who is that Home Theater Dude? he doesn't have his facts right on a couple of points. Wonder if he ever heard it or is just guessing? Is he related to "The Dude"?

[McLoki]

That one (home theater mag) had been mentioned a few times and I didn't want to be repetitive.

I was looking for other reviews and just came across the ones that I linked to.

No idea who the "home theater dude" is. Like I said - kind of a crap review. Looks thrown together from literature to me. (I wonder if he has even heard it....)

Michael

[irishaz]

Have had the surround bar for almost a week and after some tinkering it sounds awesome. Granted, the surround is not as pronounced as it would be with separates, but it's there. I was watching Saving Private Ryan and the sound field was impressive. I'm not sure I like it for music, but I haven't experimented with that much. Don't really think that is what it was designed for, but sounds passable anyway.

All in all, crystal clear sound with excellent clarity. Bass is quite good, but I can't imagine it without a sub. I set the crossover at 100 (per Mantis' rec.) and that seems to be perfect.

[AndyGwis]

I saw the BAR for $599 today at Tweeter here in Dallas. They will throw in a free PSW10, which you should promptly trade in for $200 towards a better sub.

Just a heads up.

[blue911]

Two questions:

I have a difficult area for 5.1 with seating directly against a back wall and against a corner. I thought about in-ceiling surround speakers directly above the sofa, but salespeople say this is not ideal.

Do you think the SurroundBar may be as good as or better than doing this? I would sacrifice some "surround" effect for not having to cut holes and run wires in the attic.

Second, in a viewing area defined by two sofas of about 13' x 10', which is one end of a long living room, maybe 30', would the PSW10 be adequate, or would the PSW12 add anything? Mostly for movies.

Thanks.

[dorokusai]

I think you would be suprised at how well SDA works on the Surround Bar. I find it images quite nicely. I would step up to the PSW12 in regards to a subwoofer.

[bilbono]

So how is everyone liking the surroundbar for music listening?

[tsmith7]

I purchased the surroundbar at CC with a 7.1 onkyo receiver, dvd player, and PSW10. I was replacing a very old stereo purhased in 1985 that I bought because CD's had just come out. Showing my age here for sure. I had listened to several HTB systems and was not really impressed. I did not want, nor could I easily run seperate speakers in my LR. The whole package was $1500 and install was pretty simple. I also connected my digital cable to take advantage of the improved sound over the TV speakers. Overall I am very happy with the bar. I have heard others say they tweaked it to get best sound. Any reccomendations would be helpful. I know you can't really use the auto speaker setup on the reciever because all the speakers are in 1 place. I wired the sub with the front speakers as recommended and set all speakers to large with sub off. I am confused as to what to do about speaker equalization. Should I turn it off on all? It is set to auto currently, which uses the settings from auto setup. Since I did not do the auto setup I am not sure what settings it is using. The sound during movies is 100% better than my old system - you don't get full surrond, but it makes you seem more like you are in the middle of the movie - definately surronds somewhat. I am not really thrilled with the sound on music. Sometimes it sounds REALLY good. Classical is great. But other types of music are not so good - dance music just comes out too heavy on the bass, so I turn down the bass. All in all it is better than my old setup and works great for movies. And considering the total price, a real bargain. I would appreciate any feedback on the best "tweaking" especially for music.

[GeorgeM]

I'm about to purchase a Surround Bar for someone in the family. After several searches, about the best price I can find is $776.00 (includes shipping).

Does that sound about right?

-GeorgeM

[dorokusai]

Did you try Crutchfield?

[GeorgeM]

Yes, I did try Crutchfield; their price was $799. I also went to all of the Polk authorized resellers listed here on this website.

By coincidence, I just received the monthly Polk email "Listen Up! Newsletter" and under 'Promotions' the SurroundBar was listed as being offered at a reduced price between June 29th and August 8th. However, the price was not listed:eek: ! Maybe someone from Polk can respond.

I'm still lookin'...

-G

[dorokusai]

The price is listed, you just have to hit a couple additional links. It's higher than what you posted, so don't worry about it.

[GeorgeM]

The price is listed, you just have to hit a couple additional links. It's higher than what you posted, so don't worry about it.

Thanks,

-G

[Emlyn]

Now on sale at Crutchfield and OneCall for $599.99

Going to get one myself now.

[GeorgeM]

1. I talked a relative into ordering a SurroundBar from Crutchfield last Tuesday and it arrived Thursday (shipping free via UPS Ground) and the price was $799.00. I'm going to make the connections for her next week when the new Panasonic plasma and the Oppo DVD player arrrive.

2. After noticing the '4th of July' sale (thanks for posting that info!) I sent an email to Crutchfield asking if they'd make an adjustment to the sale price of $599.00. A prompt email reply revealed that they would with instructions to contact the sales department via phone. That's 'my kind of company': good customer service, fast replies, and the 'right' price :D . I have not purchased anything from Crutchfield before but they'll be on my list for future buys.

3. I'll post some comments on the SurroundBar after it's set up next week.

Have a good Fourth-of-July everyone!

-G

[GeorgeM]

1. I made all of the setup connections yesterday and the SurroundBar blends in exceptionally well. The room is 'acoustically challanged':eek: with limited space so the S-Bar solved many problems so the user could enjoy a 5.1 system.

2. I'm going to be a self-appointed shill for Panasonic and Oppo: The display is just dazzling and yields twice the picture quality at half the cost when compared to my almost three-year-old Sampo (Gateway badge) 42" plasma.
I guess I did not expect to view that level of quality from $2200.00 plasma and a $200.00 (US) DVD player.

3. I have a question on the sub-connection; I guess I better post it in the sub forum...

Panasonic TH-42PX60U
Oppo OPDV971H (DVI-to-HDMI on Plasma/Optical to Recv'r)
Yamaha 5650 Recv'r (hand-me-down)
SA-8300HD DVR Box (HDMI-to-HDMI on Plasma)
and of course, the Surround Bar
sub: to follow Yamaha 215 (hand-me-down)

-G

[TigerDen]

GeorgeM,

I am also looking into getting the surround bar. I would apprecitate your impressions of the surround capablities compared to the tv speakers after you get the system dialed in. I bought a Panasonic 50px60u about 2 months ago along with the VIP 622 HD receiver. The picture quality is truely amazing but now need a good sound solution.

[GeorgeM]

T..D..

Yeah, I'll give you any more feedback that I can. I've got to go up and finish the connections and program the Harmony remote sometime this week. The set up is not close to me (about an hour's drive from here) so I'll not have the opportunity to frequently listen to it.

On the plasma, I was surprised that the audio was that good considering that it originated from a couple of small internal speakers. The default setting seemed as if was a mono sound but there was a setup option to change it to somewhat of a 'simulated surround' that was more pleasing to the ear; I suspect that the setup on your 50" is identical to the 42".

-G

[TigerDen]

GeorgeM,

I am suprised at how good the internal tv speakers are, really did not expect much. But with that being said, if the surround bar with a decent sub setup will make that big of a difference, I think I'll order one.

[GeorgeM]

T..D...,

A couple of things:

Yesterday I connected a sub (inexpensive Yamaha 215) and it worked well with the S-Bar. Probably something more upscale would certainly sound better but for $150.00 sub you get $150.00 (maybe more) worth of sound!!!

As others have mentioned in this and other threads, a sub is 'must' to accompany the S-Bar and I set the crossover to about 100 Hz (previously mentioned by someone else here) and that seemed to work out fine.

Yesterday I did not remember to take my DVD's containing a good surround demonstration but I did listen others and they sounded pretty good. I've never 'colored' speaker sound in the past by cranking in some base or treble via the receiver/amp but if I used the S-Bar without a sub, I think that I'd be tempted to do this; hence, the need for a sub.

I received a promo e-mail from Crutchfield on Monday and they continue to offer the Bar for $600.00. No risk here; they have good return policy if you don't like the product (I think that it's no-questions-asked if within 30 days).

-G

[dorokusai]

Tiger - The SBar is an excellent value and as George mentioned Crutchfield is a no risk opportunity to try one out. A subwoofer is a must and also recommended by Polk from the get go. I'm not sure what other promo they, Crutchfield, may be offering, but the PSW202 is sometimes part of that.

George - Excellent, keep playing, enjoy!

[Willow]

For those who have, how hard was it to calibrate the SB? and how did you go about doing it?

[GeorgeM]

Willow, I believe that the recommendation is that you do notcalibrate it. I think the reasoning is that the S-Bar is 5 speakers positioned in one location rather than 5 speakers situated in various positions throughout a room (true 5.1). If you did calibrate them, you'd most likely interfere with the Polk 'SDA Technology' thus defeating the intent and function of the S-Bar.

I have a Radio Shack SPL meter but did not use it; however, I think that the SPL would be useful for calibrating a sub that is used with the system. Maybe someone more technically qualified than me can offer some further adivce.

-G

[babalooo]

Before I make a new thread with my question, I'm hoping GeorgeM or someone else with practical experience can help this newbie in plain simple English. : )

I recently bought a brand new system:

TV - Panasonic 50px60u
Receiver - Onkyo TX-SR504S
Polk SurroundBar
Polk PSW10 Subwoofer

I was going to spend this weekend hooking it all up but got stumped on the subwoofer. The manual to the PSW10 is abysmal, and the manual to the SurroundBar includes a diagram of the PSW10 subwoofer but I am not understanding it. My receiver has a single subwoofer "out" but there's no single "in" on the sub. The diagram of the SurroundBar instructions shows the sub's left and right in....and I'm not sure from the black and red lines of the diagram if they are going directly to the SBar or to the receiver or if I'm supposed to double up speakers (and don't want to try this until I hear from someone that that's not a bad thing). Can someone PLEASE tell me step by step what to do to hook up my sub, SBar and receiver properly?

Thanks in advance!!
Barbara : )

[dorokusai]

Use the subwoofer output on your Onkyo AVR to either the Left or Right RCA input on the subwoofer.

You may also reference this "sticky" thread in Subwoofer Hookup & Bass Management forum... http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40723

[babalooo]

Hi Dorokusai,
Thanks for the input! That's all I have to do? So I don't have to deal with speaker wire coming out of the sub, huh? Great!

[dorokusai]

Correct.

[TroyD]

Neat, huh?

BDT

[sbpolk]

So I listened to the surroundbar a few weeks ago in a store, and the demo room had no back wall. It was paired with a horrible sub.... and sounded fantastic! I had the salesman turn the sub off, and just play the surroundbar. I was very impressed. I have a 50" Pioneer Plasma that I am wall mounting in my family room, and will be buying a surroundbar to go underneath it, on the wall. The room won't allow rear speakers, and because this speaker sounded so good, I won't have to listen to the tiny plasma speakers!

BTW, I recently had a CSi40, RTi70 set up in an old house, and now have a dedicated theater. I am ordering RTi8 fronts, CSi5 center, and RTi4 surrounds for my dedicated FP theater room. Polk has done well for me in the past, and I think neither of these setups will let me down!

[ND13]

Fry's has the Surroundbar on sale this week for only $599.

[hrdhtdvr]

I have read pretty much every post in this thread, and don't see anything concerning listening to music. Yes, this will be in use in the bedroom so I can watch the "Artistic" movies and regular TV as well. It will be put together with a HTIAB type set up. How does the SB sound when listening to music.

Thanks.

[OniShibata]

Okay, I finally got an in-house demo of the SurroundBar and I was disappointed. I was testing it with a Harman Kardon AVR340 receiver, no subwoofer, and analog audio cables. I know my room played a factor (30x18x12, LxWxH), but I thought it was supposed to work in any room. Oh yeah, the room is completely tiled with an open space in the back towards the kitchen.

The guy said the speaker will sound much better when I use digital optical/coaxial audio cables. I agree with that, because the audio sounded much better from satellite broadcast after I connected hdmi between my lcd and the top box. But should I use a different receiver? Audio is loud (lively/bright?), but I prefer clarity because its main use will be for home theater and rarely music listening. Any suggestions, opinions, advice will be greatly appreciated.

[jdhdiggs]

The tile floor and size are causing the brightness. That much space eats the bass and midbass up and the tiles reflect all the HF. Have you had success with other arrangements in that room?

["Polk" Paul DiComo]

Your dealer did you no favors by demonstrating SurroundBar without a subwoofer. SuroundBar simply has no bass of its own. Without that foundation it is going to sound thin and bright even if it were dead flat. Combine that with a somewhat bright room and I'm not surprised at your reaction. I wouldn't want to listen to that either. A subwoofer will make a 98% difference while digital cables will make a 2% difference. If the SuroundBar is still in your home ask if your dealer can bring in a sub.

[hoosier21]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Who is this guy?

["Polk" Paul DiComo]

I am like the wind...hot air moving in and out unpredictably. Always there but never seen (except at Polkfest from time to time)...

[OniShibata]

Some other setups I demo were Klipsch RVX42s and Paradigm Monitor 5s. Both were powered by a Denon receiver (forgot the model) and again no subwoofer. (I don't know why these 'authorized' dealers/installers refuses to bring a sub when they're trying to sell me something). Both setups sounded exactly like the SurroundBar...LOUD. However, the Paradigms had the most clarity in my opinion.

Still, I'm leaning towards the SurroundBar because before I had the in-house demo I listen to them at Circuit City and it sounded awesome. And it was displayed in the TV area, so it was more opened space than my room. Well, now I'm looking for a sub. Any suggestions for a sub to go along with the Bar?

[dorokusai]

They may have the Free PSW10 promotion going on at Crutchfield or CC....check around.

[OniShibata]

Man, just when I finally made up my decision to buy the SurroundBar, it went off the generous sale. Anyone here know when it might go back on sale? How 'bout you people at Polk staff? Or is that too much 'inside' information?

[dorokusai]

I would call Crutchfield, for example, and ask...they usually run the same promotion every other month.

[OniShibata]

Alright, I finally got the SurroundBar! I got it hooked up with the PSW505 and powered by the HK AVR340. Everything is sounding good so far. The installer told me I still need to buy a 'real' subwoofer cable and a Y cable. The cables he used to connect the sub to the receiver is not really subwoofer cables (what does he mean?). And since I've never used Y cables before what are they?

I haven't really messed around with it, but I watched a movie and the sound from the speakers are loud and has clarity. The subwoofer did not disappoint either. I was worried it might not be able to fill my large room but it's more than enough. But I notice if I turned the sub volume up it sounded as if it was gonna blow. Any ideas why? Maybe the cables were really not real subwoofer cables. All suggestions and advice will be appreciated. Thanks!

[kjahadi]

Hi folks,

I will be purchasing a new HT system soon. Space is a preimum by the TV, and i have the WAF to keep in mind. For that reason, I can't have large bookshelf or tower speakers next to the tv. I do have some rear speakers that I can use in the back corner of the room, with no problem however. I was thinking about the Bose Acoustimass, but everyone says they are overpriced crap (although the few times i've had a chance to hear them in various homes, they sounded awesome).

Then I saw the SoundBar. Since I already have rear speakers that I can use, I thought this would look really good on top of or in front of my new DLP tv, and I would just wire it with the rear speakers as a 7.1 set up (I have a 7.1 onkyo receiver). Has anyone else done this, and how does it sound? I've read good things about the SoundBar, but almost everyone says that it is really good for its "intended use", implying that it is not as good as having seperate speakers for the rear channels. So, I thought that if I used the SoundBar with my existing rear speakers, it would sound as good as, if not better than a 5.1 system with seperates, and the SoundBar would look really cool in front of my TV. By the way, I already have a Polk Sub.

Anyway... its either that or go with the Bose Acoustimass. I realize that this is a Polk forum and I expect much bashing of Bose on here, but any objective input would be helpful to me.

Thanks

["Polk" Paul DiComo]

Hi Newbie,
Welcome to the Pok Forum. I am a Polk employee so right off the bat you know I am even less objective than the Forum regulars who will undoubtedly chime in later. So I'll not comment about how Polk stacks up against Bose. I am one of the few people on earth who has actually heard a system like what you are proposing. The SurroundBar does an excellent job of projecting a solid sound field of about 180 degrees. After that images become less solid, although that varies with program material, system/room geometry, etc. In fact the SurroundBar's side imaging is superior to many discreet 5.1 systems I've heard. By adding surround back speakers to the SurroundBar you will fill in that last 180 degrees of sound field and end up with a 360 degree "bubble" of very solid and palpable sonic images.

[F1nut]

I'll try to be fair about this and the final choice is yours, of course. Before you commit to a system like the Bose Acoustimass you should take a look at what is inside vs what is inside other speakers. I think you'll be amazed at what isn't in the Bose products, especially for the price.

[ohskigod]

I'll be less cryptic :D, I have heard many Bose accoustimass systems in house and in store. I heard the surround bar at last years polkfest, hooked up to a psw404 (not exactly a known powerhouse sub) and what I would call a horrendous room for a demo (certainly not ideal). That notwithstanding, it still sounded surprisingly good.

add in the fact that I have never heard a Bose Accoustimass I liked, makes my choice easy.

[kjahadi]

Hi Paul:

Thank you for your reply, and your honesty about your objectivity. I've heard very good things about polk and leaning towards your products. What interest me about the SoundBar is that I can place it in front of the TV on the stand and it will loook very nice, as upposed to having 3 different speakers sitting up there with seperates. I have a set of rear speakers so the SDA isn't so much a need for me. So let me ask you this, if I had a choice of the SoundBar + 2 addt'l rear speakrs and a sub vs the Polk Rm10 system, which would sound better in your opinion?

[kjahadi]

F1nut:

That is a very fair statement and good feedback. I certainly don't claim to be an audiophile, but the Bose systems i've heard sounded good to me. I don't know how they hold up in th end though. I do love my Polk sub and i have a friend wth a Polk system that sounds great, so I'm definitely thinking polk might be the way to go. Just trying to find out more about this SoundBar product. The wife likes the idea of 1 speaker acros the front of the TV vs 3 little ones... so I'm trying to overcome the WAF, but I want the sound to be most excellent!!

[F1nut]

Kjahadi,

Being somewhat more accustomed to hifi I had serious doubts about the SurroundBar, but found it sounded quite good, especially for it's size. It will play very loud and yet remain crystal clear. Impressive.

[dorokusai]

The SBar is intended for a multi-channel application by design, but it does sound very good on it's own for 2CH/Stereo formats. Keep in mind that you need a subwoofer, per the manual and by general opinion.

The imaging in 2CH mode is like any bookshelf type speaker but you may find some interesting soundfields, provided you have a modern receiver. It can recreate them far better than a bookshelf speaker

It doesn't always have to function for a movie, as musical media, often showcase it in a different light.

The SBar is multi-dimensional in sound and application.

Stop thinking so much, just listen.

[kjahadi]

Stop thinking so much, just listen.

You said it... gonna try to listen to one this weekend. Hopefully it goes on sale again soon... i think it was on sale over the summer for $599 + a subwoofer. Any chance we'll see that kind of sale again soon, maybe for the holidays? I'm holdin out for a good deal, hopefully one will come soon.

Thanks for all the input.

[dorokusai]

I would imagine that you'll see that sale again, good luck. Let us know what you think of the demo. I HOPE that it's set up nicely but won't hold my breath.

["Polk" Paul DiComo]

Kjahadi,
The drivers and tweeters used in the surroundbar are the same as those used in the RM10 sats, so from a perspective of tonal accuracy, dynamic range and all that crap :eek: the two would be roughly equivalent. So it comes down to imaging and esthetics. In these areas my feeling is the SB 7.1system beats the RM10 5.1 system. Go back to my first post and read what I said about the imaging advantages of using a SB with rear speakers. That combination produces a more life-like surround field than a 5.1 RM10 system ever could and will look better doing so.

[okiepolkie]

Well said Paul, on both posts. Now on the LSi surroundbar :D


BTW, it was good to meet you in Denver.

["Polk" Paul DiComo]

Same here Zach. Matt Polk brought up his conversation with you at a recent meeting. You made an impression. I think that's a good thing...

[okiepolkie]

I enjoyed talking to him, although schedules didn't allow a lengthy conversation. Did he see the popcorn box as well?

[oregoncalfroper]

I listened to this and it was great but I agree as sole speaker... not for me

[Phasearray]

grr, I'm close to pulling the trigger on this one based on the amazon review

[thosmos]

Saw a Soundbar at Circuit City in Portland for $299 -- open box. I went to check it out again a few days later. (I wasn't interested in buying it, but couldn't believe the price) but it was sold.

That was a pretty cool mark down !

[wingnut4772]

I got a chance to hear this friday at a local Sound Advice and I have to say I was extremely disappointed. It sounded harsh and I was not hearing the surround effect at all. Was I expecting too much?

[cfrizz]

Yes Darla, since you were in a noisy store that had all manner of noise & distractions in it!

[wingnut4772]

Yes Darla, since you were in a noisy store that had all manner of noise & distractions in it!
Maybe so.....

[dulyanov]

I am choosing between Surroundbar and MP-4512 (from MK Sound), planning to go to audio stores to listen to both products, but want to ask if anybody on the forum listened to MP-4512, what's you impression?

[jkn]

Moved post to different thread...

[cambir]

I heard the SB at Frys and was very impressed. I, too, prefer independent speakers for HT, but would definitely consider and/or recommend this for limited space applications.

[PoppaDog]

After looking at several center speakers this past weekend I would think that this would be a nice addition to a independant speaker system used as a center channel.

[Crazyick]

I finished my install of the surround bar on Friday. The way I mounted it is basically like this. 46 inch LCD on Wall, surroundbar on wall under the LCD TV. Under both of these items is an entertainment cabinet housing the electronics (66 inch’s wide). The top of the cabinet is approximately 31 inches off the floor with the surroundbar another inch above that and the TV another inch above the surroundbar. The TV sticks out from the wall about an inch more than the surroundbar. I have the surroundbar and sub (PSW10) hooked up to the receiver (surroundbar left and right fron’ts and sub in hooked up together as per instructions that came with the surroundbar). The following settings are what I have the receiver set to. All speakers set to large, sub set off. Also, the surrounds are set to output 4db while the center/fronts are set to 0. All five speakers set to 12 feet from listening position.

As for my review, I will say aesthetically I love the way it looks under the TV, I think it is the best chance anyone can have with passing the WAF test! :) As for sound, with the sub attached, there is plenty of bass for my modest 13x14 sized room. The front sound stage is quite warm. The only thing negative I can say is I do not seem to be hearing any of the side surround. At least I can’t make it out. I have played blu ray disks, directv (5.1 source), cable (5.1 source) and can not make out any side surround sounds.

Anyway, other than the issue with the side surround I am very happy with the bar, the sound is light years ahead of the TV’s built-in speakers. I will continue to read all threads about the bar for tips on improving the surrounds.

[silvercbr]

Hello,
My receiver (Onkyo TX-SR804) doesn't have a general speaker setting for large/small. It does, although, let you calibrate the frequency for each channel (the defaults are set to 80hz). Also, how much gain, if any, should I give each speaker. One review said to give the surround +6db gain.

Thanks!

[silvercbr]

Additionally, I set my front, center and surround to Full Band. Although, now I'm not getting anything to my sub. My receiver's subwoofer settings are set to:

ON
LPF of LFE - 80hz (options are 90, 100 or 120)
Subwoofer mode - LFE only (other option is Double bass which, in addition to LFE channel sounds, the subwoofer outputs front left and right channel bass sounds)

Soooooo, I'm wondering if I should
a) keep the speaker settings at Full Band and adjust my subwoofer settings? OR
b) hook up the PSW10 via speaker level inputs (from the front right and left channels), turn off the sub in the receiver and set all speakers to full band (this was Polk's suggestion in the SurroundBar guide but I already went and bought a nice subwoofer cable

[dorokusai]

I like my rear channels to be hot although 6dB is a little much. I run my rears at +3dB. Technically, you should be calibrated with an HT disc such as Avia or DVE but that's you're call....even calibrated, I run my rears hot.

You need a subwoofer, which you have, and my suggestion would be to cut in at 120Hz....and try 100Hz after a couple movies. If you don't really discern a difference, make a judgement call. 100Hz is nominally as low as I would go with the SBar and I'm pretty sure it what they suggest anyways. You could SPL and Freq. sweep it but it just depends on how geeky you want to get.

I don't know every option in that particular AVR but have you tried running SUB ON, 100 and SMALL? You have subwoofer goodness then, right? It's when you have SUB ON, 100 and LARGE that you have no subwoofer action, correct?

Speaker level inputs are for the birds, use the LFE cable if at all possible with your AVR.

[silvercbr]

You need a subwoofer, which you have, and my suggestion would be to cut in at 120Hz....and try 100Hz after a couple movies. If you don't really discern a difference, make a judgement call. 100Hz is nominally as low as I would go with the SBar and I'm pretty sure it what they suggest anyways. You could SPL and Freq. sweep it but it just depends on how geeky you want to get.

OK, I'll try running my speakers at Full Band (i.e. large) and set the LPF on LFE to 100hz or 120hz (with Subwoofer mode set to the default, LFE only).


It's when you have SUB ON, 100 and LARGE that you have no subwoofer action, correct?


Yes, it's when I have the sub on, speakers set to Full Band and the LPF on LFE set to the default 80hz when I get nothing from the sub.


I don't know every option in that particular AVR but have you tried running SUB ON, 100 and SMALL?

I'm assuming "100" correlates to the LPF on LFE or are you talking about another setting? I have tried the defaults (sub on and 80hz for all speakers and it seems to work fine but I feel like I'm not getting the full potential out of my SurroundBar if I leave it set that way)

[silvercbr]

To anyone who's interested, here was Polk's response


Jeff,
I'll answer your questions:

The best hook up method depends on the receiver. Since you have an
Onkyo 804, it is modern with enough adjustability to use the "sub out'
jack from the receiver to "LFE" input on the sub then 120 Hz is the
appropriate crossover frequency, with all speakers set to this and none
set to large.

As for the surround level, +6 is recommended for a heightened sense of
the surrounds. The best advice is to play it and try different
settings.

For the PSW10, if hooked the "sub out" method, turn the "low pass" to as
high as it goes clockwise, start with the volume control at 50% and
leave the phase at 0.

[Greennad]

First of all, I would like to thank silvercbr (and Jeff from Polk) for his great advice. The setup of the sub PS10 definitely improved my bass. I've had the surround bar for a couple of weeks and it sounds great. Watching Star wars 3revenge of the Sith, was phenomenal and it definitely pleased the wife with no drilling holes and wires running thru our family room.
I have all the speakers set up at 120hz and subwoofer on (I have direct from sub out of receiver to line in on left at Sub. It works fine. In response to the question about the sub not working, make sure the dvd button in front of the receiver is set for Dolby pro-logic 2 instead of stereo or mono setting, because I noticed it would cancel the sub response if not set right. Also, in the manual, it states to use this setting if you are not using surround back speakers, which the surround bar would not be connected from the color coded wires. Also, my +6db setting for the 2 surround level seems just right and 0db setting for the front, center speaker levels. I did set the subwoofer level at +9 dbs which I think increased the effectiveness of the sub (please let me know if that is wrong).
Now, here are my questions about this 7:1 channel Onkyo receiver: What about the Equalizer setting? I have it off. Also, What about the input channel settings of the following: Multiplex (I have it set on main), Mono input ch., Panorama, Dimension, Cener Width, Center Image, and Listening Angle. Will these settings help increase the surround effect of the Bar. Help is appreciated.

[anonymouse]

Bought one of these a couple of weeks ago. It is hooked up to a Sony STR-DA2ES and used in tandem with a PSW404. I have to say unfortunately that I am totally and completely underwhelmed. I love my RTi6's, 10's, even 4's, and this thing sounds like a tin can compared to any of those fine speakers. The soundstage is just a little better than the built in speakers in my TV and for the price, the surround effect is not reason enough to justify the price. Sorry guys, I just do not hear what you guys are hearing.

[VXR8]

Hi guys,

Just purchased one of these for a set up in a bedroom (today online), where I don't have the facility or want for rear speakers in that room. Am awaiting delivery of it and from the reviews on the Polk site and the blurbs in the forums, I doubt it will be anything but "Polk Perfection". As all my Polk purchases have been "unheard" prior to purchase, because Downunder you don't find the stuff in retail stores, I doubt I'll be disappointed. As per my signature, I have the full home theatre set up in my lounge room and wouldn't consider a SB for a main system, but as a secondary system, this thing will be ideal. This is going to be hooked up to a Marantz SR5300, a Polk PSW250 and a 42' Fujitsu plasma that is wall mounted - and the SB will be wall mounted just below it - I can't wait!

Just read the above post from anonymouse - I understand it will sound thin unless you set all your speakers to "large" in your electronics. I'll certainly rate it when I receive it and will set it up as per specifications.

[hearingimpared]

Hi guys,

Just purchased one of these for a set up in a bedroom (today online), where I don't have the facility or want for rear speakers in that room. Am awaiting delivery of it and from the reviews on the Polk site and the blurbs in the forums, I doubt it will be anything but "Polk Perfection". As all my Polk purchases have been "unheard" prior to purchase, because Downunder you don't find the stuff in retail stores, I doubt I'll be disappointed. As per my signature, I have the full home theatre set up in my lounge room and wouldn't consider a SB for a main system, but as a secondary system, this thing will be ideal. This is going to be hooked up to a Marantz SR5300, a Polk PSW200 and a 42' Fujitsu plasma that is wall mounted - and the SB will be wall mounted just below it - I can't wait!

Just read the above post from anonymouse - I understand it will sound thin unless you set all your speakers to "large" in your electronics. I'll certainly rate it when I receive it and will set it up as per specifications.

Welcom to Polk's Dark Side of the Moon!!!

[danger boy]

very cool VXR8...

the SurroundBar is a good unit... it will not give you exactly the same sound as having a complete home theater set up.. it can't.. physically (sp) it's not placed behind your head.. but I find that it does a good job of giving the impression of surround sound.

it has it's place in a home theater esp if people don't want to run wires in walls or under carpets, etc.

congrats on your purchase.. and enjoy!

[VXR8]

Why thank you - glad to be on board!

[VXR8]

Thanks Dangerboy - looking forward to "another" Polk product!

[GeorgeM]

There's a nice price available again ($600.00) for the Surround Bar at www.crutchfield.com. I purchased one there a few months ago for a relative and have not seen a lower price since that time. They also have a fine reputation as an etailer.

-GeorgeM

[hearingimpared]

There's a nice price available again ($600.00) for the Surround Bar at www.crutchfield.com. I purchased one there a few months ago for a relative and have not seen a lower price since that time. They also have a fine reputation as an etailer.

-GeorgeM

Thanks George I'm on it like flies on . . .

[tolax]

moved surround bar/AVR235 config question to general speaker question - hope that was correct place!

[hearingimpared]

Well I received my Surroundbar today. . .one problem, I don't have anything more than the subwoofer to go with it. I have to get the TV and the AVR yet. I'm going to see if I can bring it Phil's to check it out on his HT to avoid the BS that happened with VTI because I didn't open it for a couple of months.

[VXR8]

Hi guys,

Received and set up my SurroundBAR today - including wall mounting. As per my RM6000 system I am not currently using in complete, I have utilised the PSW250 with the SurroundBAR. Initially, I was amazed how big the SurroundBAR was, but everything that is included with it makes it a snap to hook up and mount.

As for the sound, I have set all speakers to "Large" and have the sub at about 100. I have the sub hooked up in parallel with the front speakers, as per Polk's suggested hook up method.

The unit has exceeded both my expectations in quality of build (Black brushed aluminum) and sound. I have dabbled with both a DVD and have just listened to a CD through 2 channel. For all intents and purposes that I purchased this unit (the wife actually paid for it), other than having the normal set up, this is impressive. Again, as per Polk's slogan with the SurrounBAR, "Five Channels, One Speaker, Zero Clutter", this is what I wanted in the bedroom.

Anyone who is tight with space, or just wants the simplicity of one speaker with the sound of five, I cannot recommend this product high enough.

Ciao for now.

[brettw22]

As for the sound, I have set all speakers to "Large" and have the sub at about 100.There is no way that a SurroundBar can handle full range frequencies, so by setting the speakers to large you're going to cause damage to the speakers. You need to set them to small so that all low end frequencies are deferred to the sub........

[VXR8]

There is no way that a SurroundBar can handle full range frequencies, so by setting the speakers to large you're going to cause damage to the speakers. You need to set them to small so that all low end frequencies are deferred to the sub........

Hi Brettw22,

The settings are as per Polk Quick Start Guide included with the SurroundBAR. It suggests that you set all speakers to large and parallel run another set of cables to your sub input - check this link for the PDF User Guide - go to pages 6 & 7:

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

Cheers.

[reeltrouble1]

There is a filter in the bar so if you set the speakers to small they will be "double" filtered, in this particular case large is the correct setting per Polk HQ.

RT1

[brettw22]

Interesting........that's kind of odd in that some processing is going on in the speaker based on the signal being sent through the cable.......

Carry on...........

[engtaz]

This would be great in kitchens and bedrooms where space is hard to find and you still want the sound to envelope you.

[Jstas]

My Review...it's gonna be long.

OK, the environment:

Sources:
Mintek DVD-1600 DVD Player
Microsoft XBOX

Amplification:
Onkyo TX-SR502S 6-channel receiver

Subwoofer:
Yamaha powered sub I got from doro. I'll post the model later.

Source Material:
DVD:
Serenity -- opening scenes, opening music and a few flight and fight scenes
Firefly -- Episode One, opening battle scene, opening space scene, theme music and several dialog sections.
Days of Thunder -- many different scenes, provided a good show of surround sound.

CD:
Supertramp -- Breakfast In America (Remastered) Tracks 2 and 4
FooFighters -- The Colour and The Shape Tracks 1, 2, 4, 6 and 11
Soundgarden - Superunknown - Tracks 1, 2, 5, 8 and 12

Video Games:
Star Wars Battlefront II
Halo

First things first, hook up was a snap! It took a total of 20 minutes! Color coded and well marked, everything matched the hook ups on the back of my Onkyo. It was a no-brainer. The only way it could have taken longer is if I took the time to hide the wires and properly mount it on the wall and install the receiver and sources in a rack. I'd also have to say even though I did not use it, the wall mounting system looks stout enough and fit together perfectly with very detailed instructions! Kudos to Polk Audio for the "user friendliness"! Even my brother commented "Dude! That was EASY!"

I set the speaker up on top of the TV (27" Panasonic). Listening position was about 9 feet away. The speaker was at about chin level if I was standing up so I angled it down slightly. The room was very oddly shaped though so I wanted to give it a fighting chance. I was only pushing about 60 watts per channel to the speaker but that was more than enough juice to give it impact with or without the sub included. Needless to say though that due to the odd shape of the room, reflections suffered. It wasn't as open as it was at Polk HQ. If I had spent more time with placement, it could have improved.

Watching a movie:
The speaker did something that I see so few home theaters actually do and do well. It sounded like a movie theater. I mean, that's the point of HT, isn't it? Bring the theater home? Well, it brought it! While the surround effects did suffer due to room acoustics, the stage was still there. It wasn't as deep but there was still a good deal of sound movement all around. There was power there though. I didn't have to crank it to get the volume and physical feel you would get in a theater. Dynamics were very good too. The Onkyo HT receivers are very underrated in my opinion and the SurroundBar really showed how good the performance can be. Explosions had impact, REAL impact. You could feel it and it was very responsive. Sudden changes in volume and tone happened instantly without break-up or distortion. Dialog was crystal clear and not fatiguing at all to listen to. Music was equally as clear. Things like engines zooming in any direction didn't sound flat or tinny. I guess the best way to describe the sound was life like. I knew when there was a NASCAR stock car zooming past my head vs. a Chevy rental fleet special on a sandy beach. The rental Chevy sounds like a rental Chevy and the NASCAR stocker sounds like a race car. No coloring or dynamic compression due to a lack of frequency response. Was this the end-all, be-all of HT systems? Not by a long shot. When we listened to it at Polk HQ, it was on some decent, fairly high dollar stuff. I ran this on $450 HT receiver, one step up from entry-level/base-model. The difference? Aside from some dynamics limitations, sound was on par with what I heard at Polk HQ. It gets 4 out of 5 stars for movies. Only because even with the surround effect, multiple speakers will do better in a more difficult room arrangement. Also, the lack of displacement causes the dynamics issues and causes the speaker to get lost and lose its impact in a larger room.

Listening to music:
Dynamics. This thing does it very well with very little power. It doesn't need a sub for most stuff but if you like to listen to rock or rap or something else with a heavy beat you need one. Also, if you do alot of listening at low levels, the low-end response drops off very quickly so a sub will help reinforce that at low levels. It didn't like the loudness and bass boost buttons. Got a tad bit of farting from the speakers. The same actually went for movies now that I think about it. However, the detail was there. I'd put the sound on par with the smaller RTi speakers. The sound stage was wide just like my 2B's too. You could pick out instruments and placements fairly well. It wasn't as drastic as the 2B's can make it but it was definitely there. I would choose other speakers for music if I had a choice of an HT and a stereo rig but this speaker will do well enough for the average "Bose Rules, everybody else drools" guy. It definitely blew the Bose systems out of the water. I have several friends with Bose to compare it to and they couldn't hold a candle to the SurroundBar for music reproduction. I would again give it 4 out of 5 stars for music. The shortcomings were not enough to cause an issue for an average listener. For the "audiophile" they were worth another star off but for most people, this is way more speaker than they have ever heard in their lives. Just for that alone it gets 4 stars. It's affordable audio and a very good stepping stone to a higher level of involvement. If the SurroundBar was a gateway drug for music, it'd be one of the better ones. You can get alot out of it without alot in to it and it just makes you ache for more!

Video Games:
THIS is why I couldn't wait to get this thing in my hands to test it out! The SurroundBar absolutely SHINED doing video games! Even on a split screen, 2-player mode the surround effects and detail were awesome! The big battle scenes in Star Wars Battlegrounds had you standing in a flurry of blaster fire with bolts zooming everywhere. If you got smacked by an opponent in the back of the head, you heard the thud of the weapon on your helmet and in the proper direction. Just like when watching movies, things were zooming everywhere. Even when Luke Skywalker hacked off my head with his lightsaber I heard the lightsaber swoosh go from front to back.

In Halo, the wind was what we wanted to hear. It changes depending on where you are in the battle field. With only two players, it was easy to localize stuff and see how good the surround sound is. Movies are busy and it can be difficult to localize a sound and follow it. I imagine if I had better demo material available for the movies, it would have been better but I was more concerned about video games since I didn't get to hear that at Polk HQ.

For video games, I give it 5 out of 5 stars. It performed beyond my expectations in the surround sound effects and met my expectations in dynamics and accuracy. It added a touch of realism to the games and it honestly made Star Wars Battlefront more enjoyable than it already was. If you want a surround system for a video game system that doesn't take up a ton of room, this is it. Look no further! Buy yourself a SurroundBar, mount it on the wall or on top of the TV, get a cheap receiver and go to town! I was very impressed!

Overall rating: 4.33 stars out of 5

This isn't the ultimate HT system. It's supposed to compete with the HTiB systems and the likes of Bose. However, like most of Polk Audio's other products, it delivers the goods for a price that makes you feel like you stole it! Add a small sub for $200-$300 and pick up an entry level HT receiver from any major name and you have a very nice setup for less than $1500. This would work great in a bedroom, game room, kid's room or even a garage. It's unobtrusive and blends in to many decors with ease. That gives it a high WAF rating! It out-performs many of the small sub/sat HTiB systems already on the market and even out performs most of the HTiB systems that are more expensive. The only thing lacking is a 6th channel. Since most material is not distributed in 6 channels yet anyway, that's not a big deal. The "industry standard" Bose and their Acoustimass and Lifestyle systems do not compare. This sits head and shoulders above them in dynamics, accuracy and frequency response. This sounds like I am gushing but this speaker performed very well in near ideal conditions at Polk HQ and then in far from ideal conditions in my parent's home. It performed so well that my father was asking about price and where to get one and what he would need for it.

So yes, go and get this SurroundBar. I wish I had more time with it. It'd be good for almost any room in the house. I don't think it would fair well in a kitchen or a bathroom though. Anywhere else, it's a winner for sure!

[VXR8]

Great review - I'll try the XBox games too, as I haven't tried the SurroundBAR with a games console yet. Happy with both 2 channel and DVD as well.

Cheers.

[danger boy]

shipped the SurroundBar to the next person to demo it..

here is my review.

First off, the SurroundBar is heavy. Much more heft to it than I thought it would be. Heavy is good. I hoisted it up on top of my 32" tube TV and it sat there like it was made for that TV. Nice.

Since my TV is on a higher TV stand... I had to point the SurroundBar slightly downward. No problem.. the stand is secure and made it easy to aim it down or upward as needed.

Wiring is so simple.. all color coded wires... so unless you're color blind, you should have no problem at all wiring it up.

movie's. I used my fave movie that I enjoy where I know has a good surround channel in the rear. I used Black Hawk Down. Half way thru the movie I noticed that the surround channels were really lacking any ooph.. so I cranked the rear left and right channels to max.. +12. that helped quite a bit. Once I did that.. the movie really came to life and while the rear channels weren't behind me sound wise. I could hear the rear channels extend out beyond the SurroundBar itself to the left and right. Making the soundstage much wider now.

music. I have to say in my demo, the SurroundBar can't really do music well. The lack of full range front speakers really killed the live feel to any music. Even with my big ass subwoofer.. the fronts still sounded way to tinny for it to be listenable. So i did less music listening than movie watching.

Bottom line.. for those folks who don't want to wire up their house for movie watching.. it does ok for surround effects. First movie I watched it sounded to tinny. but I got used to that and it blended well with my subwoofer.

If you are used to having 5.1 or more speakers in your house and you want to try to recreate that enviroment in another room.. well, this may not quite live up to your expectations.

If you have a flat screen display and you want clutter free sound.. and have a decent subwoofer.. then this would probably satisfy your needs for a while.

Given the two weeks I had with it..I feel that it was enough time to do a fair demo with my set up. My set up is . Outlaw Audio 990 pre amp. 3 Marantz mono block amps for LCR and Adcom GFA 5400 for the surround channels. Each little speaker was getting it's own amp for the most part.. so power wasn't a problem in my case.

Taking everything into consideration.. my best score for the SurroundBar would have to be a 3 out of 5 for performance. 5 out of 5 for ease of use and build quality. Overall score equals a solid 4

[NCNog]

I purchased the SB today after much debate regarding my current setup. For the last four years, I have had a 5.1 setup with wires running along baseboards in plastic channels. The speakers in front (Monitor30) and the speakers in back (RM101) were all on stands and presented a very cluttered environment. Now, we are in the process of painting and fixing up the TV room and the decision to remove the 5.1 in favor of trying the SB has been made. I have a few questions:

1. I have a Yamaha RX-V2500. There appears to be some debate in this thread as to how to connect the SB to the amplifier and what settings to use. Should I set the speakers to "Large" or "Small"? What should I do with my powered Yamaha sub (it has a single input)?

2. Should I use the cable provided with the SB or use a higher quality cable like the MonsterXP I already have?

3. Has anyone gone from 5.1 to SB and felt it was a comparable experience?

My room is 12'W, 17' 7" deep, with 9' ceilings. The TV is in front of a half wall facing towards the living room.

[danger boy]

run the surrounBar set to small fronts. and use your Yamaha powered sub.. the SurroundBar needs a good sub to really make it happy. so you may want to upgrade your sub if it's not kicking it for you.

[NCNog]

run the surrounBar set to small fronts. and use your Yamaha powered sub.. the SurroundBar needs a good sub to really make it happy. so you may want to upgrade your sub if it's not kicking it for you.

I thought setting it to "small" would cause double filtering of the bass since the SB has a filter? My receiver can be set to output base to the sub only, none, or both. I was thinking about outputing to both with the SB set to "large" and with the sub crossover at 100-120.

[VXR8]

I thought setting it to "small" would cause double filtering of the bass since the SB has a filter? My receiver can be set to output base to the sub only, none, or both. I was thinking about outputing to both with the SB set to "large" and with the sub crossover at 100-120.

That's correct, you will double filter - read your user guide and it tells you to set all speakers to large - I have one and have it set as per Polk's instructions ;)

[NCNog]

That's correct, you will double filter - read your user guide and it tells you to set all speakers to large - I have one and have it set as per Polk's instructions ;)

I have a single sub-woofer out on my receiver. I will have to use it. So, using their alternative solution, I will set my speakers to "Large" and set the subwoofer to "Both". That way the bass will get sent to the Soundbar and properly filtered and blended with the Bass of the subwoofer.

[Eric Wong]

I purchased the SB today after much debate regarding my current setup. For the last four years, I have had a 5.1 setup with wires running along baseboards in plastic channels. The speakers in front (Monitor30) and the speakers in back (RM101) were all on stands and presented a very cluttered environment. Now, we are in the process of painting and fixing up the TV room and the decision to remove the 5.1 in favor of trying the SB has been made. I have a few questions:

1. I have a Yamaha RX-V2500. There appears to be some debate in this thread as to how to connect the SB to the amplifier and what settings to use. Should I set the speakers to "Large" or "Small"? What should I do with my powered Yamaha sub (it has a single input)?

With a fairly recent receiver such as the Yamaha, if you use the "sub out" to "LFE" input on the Yamaha sub, simply run all the speaker wires directly from the receiver to the SurroundBar's respective inputs. Then on the receiver's setup menu set everything to "small", crossover = 120 Hz and subwoofer = "yes".



2. Should I use the cable provided with the SB or use a higher quality cable like the MonsterXP I already have?


That is certainly up to you, however keep in mind that the Surroundbar's included cable will fit behind the speaker unobtrusively when wall mounting. If you use "aftermarket" wire, it will be considerably thicker and harder to hide.

[NCNog]

With a fairly recent receiver such as the Yamaha, if you use the "sub out" to "LFE" input on the Yamaha sub, simply run all the speaker wires directly from the receiver to the SurroundBar's respective inputs. Then on the receiver's setup menu set everything to "small", crossover = 120 Hz and subwoofer = "yes".




That is certainly up to you, however keep in mind that the Surroundbar's included cable will fit behind the speaker unobtrusively when wall mounting. If you use "aftermarket" wire, it will be considerably thicker and harder to hide.

Thanks Eric. I will get to try this this weekend and hope to have some feedback by Sunday.

[beaglemg]

run the surrounBar set to small fronts. and use your Yamaha powered sub.. the SurroundBar needs a good sub to really make it happy. so you may want to upgrade your sub if it's not kicking it for you.

I just got an Onkyo 605 and the speaker setup doesn't have the option to set to small or large...only set in Hz. Any idea how to equate small to Hz?

[RuSsMaN]

Always run the SurroundBar set to LARGE on all five channels. (as mentioned several times in this thread) It has it's own built in bandpass filter on the midwoofs.

beaglemg - set it to the lowest Hz setting your Onkyo will allow.

Cheers,
Russ

[MikeC78]

Always run the SurroundBar set to LARGE on all five channels. (as mentioned several times in this thread) It has it's own built in bandpass filter on the midwoofs.

beaglemg - set it to the lowest Hz setting your Onkyo will allow.

Cheers,
Russ

This still doesn't make any sense?:confused: Why is there a filter in the surroundbar? That's what settings in your receiver is for, correct?

This built-in filter can arise some issues for some running subs with this. As I recall, some receivers will not send LFE to the sub when in the LARGE setting in the AVR, some receivers do have a "plus" setting that will allow this workaround.

Why not make things simple like usually every other speaker for HT, set to "small / 80hz"?

[RuSsMaN]

It is simple. It keeps Joe consumer from blowing up his SurroundBar. Lots of micro-sized speaker systems have built in filtering, most just aren't aware of it.

I'm not saying it doesn't exist, but I'm not aware of any modern receiver (in the past 10 years) that won't send LFE to the sub with mains set to large.

Cheers,
Russ

[MikeC78]

It is simple. It keeps Joe consumer from blowing up his SurroundBar. Lots of micro-sized speaker systems have built in filtering, most just aren't aware of it.

I'm not saying it doesn't exist, but I'm not aware of any modern receiver (in the past 10 years) that won't send LFE to the sub with mains set to large.

Cheers,
Russ

I guess, but that goes with anything really. "Joe consumer" could blow anything up if he doesn't know what he is doing.

As I recall, most receivers will NOT properly send the .1 channel to the sub if set to "large" in the AVR. One that comes up off the top of my head is my Pioneer AVR, unless I have the "plus" setting running.

[beaglemg]

Always run the SurroundBar set to LARGE on all five channels. (as mentioned several times in this thread) It has it's own built in bandpass filter on the midwoofs.

beaglemg - set it to the lowest Hz setting your Onkyo will allow.

Cheers,
Russ

my speaker config options are as follows:
Subwoofer: y or n
Front, Center, Surround, etc : Full Band or 40 - 200hz
LPF of LFE: 80 - 120 hz
Double Bass: on or off

If the subwoofer is set to NO, then the receiver greys out the option to tweak the fronts.

Your help is much appreciated. My sub is a Polk 404.

[RuSsMaN]

Sub = Y
Front, Center, Surround : Full Band
LFE: play with the setting, see what blends the best with the Surround Bar - 80-90Hz would probably be a good starting point.

[danger boy]

you'll want the most bass out of your subwoofer while using the SurroundBar, that's why i recommend using your fronts set to small. I just demoed the SurroundBar in my house three weeks ago... i know what sounded best.

the SurroundBar has seven 3 1/2" midrange driver and three 3/4" tweeters.. trust me. there is no bass coming out of that SurroundBar. that's why you'd want to run your fronts on small.

but I'd say, a person really should try both and see which sounds better for them.

for those that don't have a small or large setting in their AVR's.

large would be 40 to 90Hz and small would be 140-200Hz as crossover settings.

[RuSsMaN]

So what would 91 to 139 be?

Al, the Sbar has it's own filtering built in..... How else, or many other times can we say it?

[NCNog]

The representative from Polk recommended setting my speakers to small, 120 crossover, and subwoofer 'On'. Why should I question this?

[danger boy]

The representative from Polk recommended setting my speakers to small, 120 crossover, and subwoofer 'On'. Why should I question this?

you shouldn't question it... it's what i've been saying all along.. but no one listens to me.. ;) :p

[danger boy]

So what would 91 to 139 be?

Al, the Sbar has it's own filtering built in..... How else, or many other times can we say it?

Lets see.... you can say it in Swahili or pig latin. :rolleyes:

numbers 91 to 139 are only to be used if you have Bose speakers. :p :p

Russ, you big knucklehead, how could you ever question my authority? :confused: ;) :p

[rossdillon]

OK newbie here.

My HT room has the primary viewing sofa jammed into the corner (not my choice!). As a result, there is no place to put the rear surrounds. So I am heavily considering this baby. Question though...I have about 3+ feet behind the sofa to the corner. Can I put a single speaker back there to make a 6.1 (My Denon 1804 will support that)? Will it help with the imaging? Its a Mirage AVS200 (?)...is there a better speaker (less directional??) that would work better?

Thanks!

[dorokusai]

Ross - I believe you're from Audioholics :) I'll answer here for this question but finish up over there on your earlier query if that's ok.

Yes, a single speaker would be fine but I would suggest an omni-directional speaker from Mirage(Omnisat for example, since you mentioned the brand) or even better would be a single bipole/dipole speaker from the current Polk Audio lineup(FXi30/FXi3). The problem with either choice is that you will most likely have to buy a pair.

I would try an "fill" that 3ft+ area with sound as opposed to localize it with a traditional loudspeaker. However, you can do all kinds of "odd" things with a single traditional speaker like position it on the floor firing up, ceiling firing down, etc so in the end I would suggest you play around with what you own now, and try a couple things, then break out the wallet :D

Does that help you?

Mark

[mazersteven]

Ross - I believe you're from Audioholics :)

Roscoe :D

[rossdillon]

Roscoe :D

Yup:)

[RuSsMaN]

Welcome to our humble audio abode Roscoe!

See you 'out there'.

Cheers,
Russ

[rossdillon]

Ross - I believe you're from Audioholics :) I'll answer here for this question but finish up over there on your earlier query if that's ok.

up that's me...and that's fine.

Yes, a single speaker would be fine but I would suggest an omni-directional speaker from Mirage(Omnisat for example, since you mentioned the brand) or even better would be a single bipole/dipole speaker from the current Polk Audio lineup(FXi30/FXi3). The problem with either choice is that you will most likely have to buy a pair.

You mean because in pairs is the only way they are sold? If I bought such a speaker, where would I put it? Ceiling? Floor? Ear level?

I would try an "fill" that 3ft+ area with sound as opposed to localize it with a traditional loudspeaker. However, you can do all kinds of "odd" things with a single traditional speaker like position it on the floor firing up, ceiling firing down, etc so in the end I would suggest you play around with what you own now, and try a couple things, then break out the wallet

I would of course rather use what I have, guess I'll just have to play around.

Does that help you?

Yup...thanks!:)

[dorokusai]

Ross,

Pairs? Yes.

Placement? That's my point. Play around with the Mirage in regards to the 6.1 setup, run it HOT(+db) and see if you notice it on media you're familiar with.

[dexfx69]

Check out the Home Theater Magazine review and measurements .

[icehouse1]

They are very cool.

[wingnut4772]

13 more

[fireshoes]

I had a chance to try out the new SurroundBar50 this weekend. Wow! I wasn't expecting such a difference, but to me it seems way, way better than the regular version. I wouldn't have thought two extra woofers and a couple ports would create so much change, but after seeing the diagram on the products page, it makes sense. The two added woofers are used as SDA drivers for the front left and right speakers, so they are creating a larger front stage, as well as adding more speaker surface area for higher volume capability and deeper bass.

For equipment, I was using a Yamaha RXV1700 receiver connected by HDMI to a Toshiba HDA2 HD DVD player, and a Polk Audio PSW404 subwoofer. The first movie I tried was the Bourne Identity on HD DVD. There were two scenes I tried with this disc: the police in pursuit of Bourne and Marie in the mini and when Bourne goes after the assassin at Marie's brother's house with a shotgun. The car chase is great! It starts out with Bourne backing the mini into the street in front of a bus, which has to break and honks out of the surround speakers. The chase continues with various tires skidding, cars crashing, and even a glass phone booth door shattering, all accompanied by Moby's song Ready Steady Go. Particularly cool surround effects with the car spinning through the back soundstage. At the farmhouse, the action starts out with bang...literally! Bourne fires the shotgun to blow up a propane tank. Unsuspecting customers in the store were taking cover after this powerful, dynamic explosion. Bourne then runs through the trees to a clearing, where he fires the shotgun in the air. The shotgun blast is quite loud and very realistic, startling birds from the field and echoing for several seconds. The birds circle the field, and you can clearly hear them behind you. Bourne shoots the assassin twice to dispatch him, with painful efficiency that may cause you to check yourself for wounds. Great demo material! I also got to briefly run through a couple of scenes from Transformers, and let's just say, yeah, it's everything you'd expect! Wow! All-in-all, a very impressive new product from Polk!

[dorokusai]

Fireshoes - Great comments, thanks for posting them! The SB50 SDA works very well.

[dorokusai]

I believe a couple folks haven't posted their reviews of the OG Surround Bar....is that gonna happen sometime ;)

[daesdaemar]

OK, this may be a dumb question, but I have to ask.

Several of you have mentioned how you adjust levels for your "rear" channels on the surroundbar. The surroundbar has cable marked for center, front right and left, surround right and left. There are no cables marked for surround back right or back left. I have the cable connected to my receiver as marked. I have no speaker cable connection to surround back right or left channels.

I presume this is the way everyone is doing it? No one is connecting the surround right and left cable to the surround back (rear?) channels are they? I think you all mean the surround channels when you mention "rear".

[reeltrouble1]

Daes,

Yes, some folks like the surrounds in the back, some on the sides for a 5.1 system. So you can hook the "surround" wires coming from the bar to either sides or backs, they are still surrounds.

RT1

[MightyHalo]

Hello,

Im a newbie here,

Just Ordered the SurroundBar 50

I also ordered the FXiA6 for surrounds(make a 7.1 setup)
And for a sub, I ordered a DSW Pro500..

My reciever is a Marantz SR7001, with a Marantz DVD player and a PS3 for BluRay.

I live in an apartment with small living room, Im hoping this setup works, any advice would be helpful to maximize my sound for the best

I orginaly ordered RTi12's for fronts and a CSi5 for center, but my wife freaked out at the size, so Im sending them back plus center in favor for this surroundbar50......hope it works out.

My main question with the surrounds(FX's) I have...I plan on mounting them on my back wall....do I use them as rears ? and set the surround rears as surround side rears ????

[dorokusai]

Surround Rear.

[anonymouse]

Hello,

Im a newbie here,

Just Ordered the SurroundBar 50

I also ordered the FXiA6 for surrounds(make a 7.1 setup)
And for a sub, I ordered a DSW Pro500..

My reciever is a Marantz SR7001, with a Marantz DVD player and a PS3 for BluRay.

I live in an apartment with small living room, Im hoping this setup works, any advice would be helpful to maximize my sound for the best

I orginaly ordered RTi12's for fronts and a CSi5 for center, but my wife freaked out at the size, so Im sending them back plus center in favor for this surroundbar50......hope it works out.

My main question with the surrounds(FX's) I have...I plan on mounting them on my back wall....do I use them as rears ? and set the surround rears as surround side rears ????


Those FX's will not be a good match for the Surroundbar. They will overwhelm the bar. The correct surrounds for the Bar are the RM101. http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product=4136367
They match the bar visually as well which will probably make your wife happy. Not familiar with that sub, but make sure it is close to the bar as it needs a pretty high crossover and you can tell where it is.

[MightyHalo]

Well.........after much much thinking, I will go the more tradional route,


I called and canceled the SurroundBar50.........

This will be my setup,

Fronts: RTiA3 bookshelfs with stands
Center: CSiA6
Surround Rear:FXiA6
Sub: DSW Pro 500

I figured I can go with this setup and give me much more room to grow.....like sneak in some surround side rears later...and upgrade my fronts to towers later.

I had read that for music on the surround bar, it'll give me a tinny sound. I don't want that....I do like movies/ps3 games...but also some decent music...Im hoping this will be satisfying.

I'll let you know what happens.

[dorokusai]

MightyHalo - Great choices, rock on!

[dorokusai]

Any Polkies that were able to demo the Surround Bar.....would you mind taking some time to post your thoughts on the SB in the review section? There are some of you that never posted your reviews and that would be the best spot.

Polk Audio would really appreciate a few minutes of your time. Thanks.

Surround Bar Review Page (http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/products/flatscreens/surroundbar/?reviews=1)

[rossdillon]

I received my SurroundBar today...I'm so excited:):):)! Can't wait to get surround sound again (Hint: Amazon.com)

Question...My receiver has red/black +/- connections, but the SurroundBar color codes the wires with no polarity distinction. Does it matter which color goes + or - in my receiver?

I'm working on this now so I may have this figureed out though by the time I get an answer. But please answer anyway...if I have issues that may help me from chasing a non-issue.

Thanks!

[dorokusai]

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!

[rossdillon]

So I guess polarity doesn't matter or I got incredibly lucky. becasue sound appears to be coming out of all channels

New problem, unrelated to the SB. I can't see or change any of the settings in my reciever because for reason the remote isn't working and the Denon AVR-1804 can only be setup through the remote (GRRR). It turns the system on and off (both zone one and zone 2), but nothing else works. No volume, no setup, nothing. Yes, it has fresh batteries. Note I usually use a Harmony all-in-one remote but I can't see how that would matter.

I know it was set up for small speakers and a sub woofer, so I know I have to change both of those. Grrrrr....

[danger boy]

on your remote see if there are a setting, usually a slider switch, that may read something like user, set up, or learn. if the remote is in one of those setting, nothing on the remote will work.. till you move it to normal or user... etc.

good luck.

[rossdillon]

Changed nothing, eventually it worked. That was an hour wasted. Then I hooked up my rear speaker (receiver has a 6.1 setup), no sound...receiver wasn't broadcasting back channel. Took another hour to figure out why (wiring put in by previous owner, mismarked, receiver settings hard to find....combination made it almost impossible to fix).

Bottom line...by itself, the SurroundBar is pretty good, the SS effect is noticeable but I think a little weak. Added the rear channel and spiked the side SS channels up 5dB and the back up 2dB and it got better. Side channels could image better, but certainly better than no SS at all. All in all I'm happy. Not ecstatic but happy.

[dorokusai]

I believe the SB50 to be much better at surround sound than the early SB. Night and Day.

[rossdillon]

Night and day difference in $$ also unfortunately (not that it shouldn't be but kept me to the older one)

[dorokusai]

Ross - I completely understand, just making an observation. I installed a original SB for a friend recently and they couldn't be happier.

[rrpete49]

I recently bought the original size soundbar, Initially it played way better than the T.V. speakers [52"Sharp LCD]but I always felt something was lacking. It was set up as per the instructions. I never expected this speaker to have the real surround sound effects but I just wasn`t that impressed. Today I used a Radio Shack sound meter to adjust the sound as follows FL,C,FR@0,SR&SL@+4.
Now it sounds 100% better.I will be adding an SVS PB Plus/2 sub woofer in the next few days and I suspect the total sound from both the sub and surroundbar will be as good as most HT systems and better than any HTIB. Next I will add two Polk in-ceiling speakers for rear surround.
The room is 20x20 with 11 foot ceilings open to two other rooms and the surroundbar fills the space with clear sound.Music plays crisp and clear too.
I am glad I bought this product.It sits on the fireplace mantle at forehead level and is very pleasing to look at.This was a much better choice than installing three speakers 11 feet above your head. I am totally satisfied with this product.

One thought on the 50" surroundbar,it is very big, if visuals are a priority realize that it is wider than than most T.V.`s that it will sit under.

[dorokusai]

I think running the rear channels @ +4db is smart. It's great to hear your story and remedy. Happy Listening!

Mark

[ScottCim]

Hey Guys,
I've been lurking around for the past several weeks, trying to make the decision on how to slim down my current setup. Having a baby last year made me realize that my house is small, and it's time to maximize the space I have. I saw the SouroundBar on Amazon, and it really looks promising. I've looked at the reviews on here, and everyone seems very positive about it What i'm wondering though, is how the quality of sound would be compared with my current setup.

Current Setup
Fronts/Surrounds: R30's
Center: CS1
Sub: Sony (Not sure of the model)
Receiver: Technics SA-DA10
TV: 37" Olevia LCD 537H

Thanks!
Scott

[anonymouse]

I've had the bar for over a year now, and only today, I switched the ribbon cable that came with it to Blue Jeans 10 white. There is a 10ft run between the receiver and the bar.

Holy mackerel - what a difference! I was always lukewarm on the bar - always felt the surround effects were rather muted, but tolerated it because of aesthetics. Now I can hear nearly 360 degree surround effects. Its a night and day difference.

I have no idea why Polk packs such a thin gauge cable with the bar when good cable can really open it up.

My setup is a Sony STR-DA2ES, PSW 404 and the bar. The surround channels are running hot (+6 DB - always ran this way).

[dorokusai]

I've had the bar for over a year now, and only today, I switched the ribbon cable that came with it to Blue Jeans 10 white. There is a 10ft run between the receiver and the bar.

Holy mackerel - what a difference! I was always lukewarm on the bar - always felt the surround effects were rather muted, but tolerated it because of aesthetics. Now I can hear nearly 360 degree surround effects. Its a night and day difference.

I have no idea why Polk packs such a thin gauge cable with the bar when good cable can really open it up.

My setup is a Sony STR-DA2ES, PSW 404 and the bar. The surround channels are running hot (+6 DB - always ran this way).

Mouse - Thanks for the review and update!

The supplied, color coded cable is for a reason, as alot of folks prefer a simple approach to connectivity. You have to realize that not everyone asks, "What do I do next?".

Upgrades are for down the road and not everyone feels the same way. It's the nature of the beast. There are many options available to the SB user at large.

[anonymouse]

Mouse - Thanks for the review and update!

The supplied, color coded cable is for a reason, as alot of folks prefer a simple approach to connectivity. You have to realize that not everyone asks, "What do I do next?".

Upgrades are for down the road and not everyone feels the same way. It's the nature of the beast. There are many options available to the SB user at large.


Agreed, but you are making excuses for Polk. They can easily have a 10AWG ribbon cable made with the volumes they purchase. Mind you, I'm a huge fan of the company, but this sure appears like a case of cutting corners.

If the upgrade can make a difference, as appears to be the case in my setup, at least include a note in the manual that cable upgrades should be considered for best performance.

[dorokusai]

Agreed, but you are making excuses for Polk. They can easily have a 10AWG ribbon cable made with the volumes they purchase. Mind you, I'm a huge fan of the company, but this sure appears like a case of cutting corners.

If the upgrade can make a difference, as appears to be the case in my setup, at least include a note in the manual that cable upgrades should be considered for best performance.

Excuses? LOL.

Do you have 10AWG running behind the supplied wall bracket?

[anonymouse]

Excuses? LOL.

Do you have 10AWG running behind the supplied wall bracket?


Did exactly this. Works out really nicely. I'll take pics next weekend.

[DRC]

I opted for the SB50 for the better surround effects. It's much wider than the 37" flat panel but is exactly as wide as the recessed equipment cabinet and the black is a nice compliment to the mahogany-stained stand.

The WAF compelled me to choose a single-surround source and the SB made more sense to me to work in our room than other choices. I was pleased but not overwhemed by its performance. Oddly enough, I seemed to hear more surround on the left than the right. Wife and daughter thought I was nuts, I thought they weren't listening hard enough. I checked the wires, receiver settings, everything and all was the way it should be. When I'd press my ear to each driver individually I didn't hear any obvious discrepancy. RS SPL confirmed all okay.

I diagnosed the problem one morning when I woke up and couldn't hear out of my right ear. A few minutes with an old water pick solved fixed things quickly. Now I really hear the surround. I am very impressed. I caught myself looking over my shoulder a couple of times. I get a big grin on my face as I hear/feel myself being surrounded.

I played with a 6th rear speaker 3 ft behind the couch for a few days. It made the room sound more full but didn't add to the surround effects. My wife liked the sound until she realized it meant a permanent speaker in the back of the room and that was the end of that. The PSW 505 has 10 times the benefit of improving the overall experience compared to a rear speaker. The sub kind of blends in with the furniture and my wife decorated it by placing a pretty pillow on top.


Dan in Reno

[richmak]

I have a quick question. I have just started my home theatre setup and I have a Sony 46" LCD and a Sony G710 receiver. I bought a pair of Polk audio RTi10 floor speakers during the boxing week.

I am quite happy with the setup so far, but I know I'd need to get the surround done. I am not really a perfectionist and I think I would be happy with the audio quality of the surroundbar. I am really tempted to buy it as I see a recent sale of the SurroundBar at CAN$400.

Anyway, my simple question is, would the SurroundBar still work if I am re-using the existing pair of RTi10 speakers as the front? My plan is not to use the FL and FR speaker ports on the Surroundbar but I'm not sure if it is going to screw up the performance.

Advice and feedback is greatly appreciated.

Richard in Toronto

[anonymouse]

I have a quick question. I have just started my home theatre setup and I have a Sony 46" LCD and a Sony G710 receiver. I bought a pair of Polk audio RTi10 floor speakers during the boxing week.

I am quite happy with the setup so far, but I know I'd need to get the surround done. I am not really a perfectionist and I think I would be happy with the audio quality of the surroundbar. I am really tempted to buy it as I see a recent sale of the SurroundBar at CAN$400.

Anyway, my simple question is, would the SurroundBar still work if I am re-using the existing pair of RTi10 speakers as the front? My plan is not to use the FL and FR speaker ports on the Surroundbar but I'm not sure if it is going to screw up the performance.

Advice and feedback is greatly appreciated.

Richard in Toronto

The SDA effect will be seriously messed up, and the RTi10's will overpower the bar. You would be better off just getting a CSi5 to match the 10s, or return the 10s and get the bar.

[richmak]

Thanks. That's what I guess. Well, it's a pity to skip such a great product with good discounts.

What rear speakers would you recommend to do the 5.1? My room is not really impossible to do the wiring. I am just lazy ...

Thanks again.

Richard

The SDA effect will be seriously messed up, and the RTi10's will overpower the bar. You would be better off just getting a CSi5 to match the 10s, or return the 10s and get the bar.

[fireshoes]

FXi3's or 5's would be perfect.

[zengel442]

If I purchased a SoundBar50 and installed it on the wall, in a 15' x 15' room with one side (R) of the 15' open to another room, could I, to any benefit, add cube type ceiling speakers in the rear and front?
I prewired for the ceiling cubes but now am thinking of the SurroundBar50.
Can you come off of the SB50 and go to the ceiling cubes? and which ones would you recommend?

[DRC]

I can't imagine how a 9.1 system would work. The SB focuses the sound to your seating area so you just need a sub to fill up the space. My SB50 is left of center of a 20' x 40' great room and the surround effect is quite satisfying. You could set up rear speakers for a 7.1 system. I tried 6.1 without much improvement over 5.1 but I probably didn't have great rear speaker placement.

[zengel442]

I was thinking that you could somehow use the simulated rears on the SB50 in conjunction with the actual rears in the room.. ??
It's just that I have these 4 wires danglin from the ceiling and just hate not using them..
I like the looks of the SB50 but I guess I could also mount an inwall center, two inwall front L & R speakers (I have room for them on the TV wall) and use the 4 ceiling speakers with some small cube hanging from the ceiling???

[zengel442]

I was thinking that you could somehow use the simulated rears on the SB50 in conjunction with the actual rears in the room.. ??
It's just that I have these 4 wires danglin from the ceiling and just hate not using them..
I like the looks of the SB50 but I guess I could also mount an inwall center, two inwall front L & R speakers (I have room for them on the TV wall) and use the 4 ceiling speakers with some small cube hanging from the ceiling???
Sorry for double post - can't figure out how to delete it

[DRC]

Polk recommends 2 options with 'real' surround speakers in conjunction with SB. First is to wire the SB and discrete surround speakers from the same L & R source from the receiver. Second option is to wire the SB with all 5 channels and connect the discrete surround speakers from the 6th and 7th channels on your receiver.

What sub are you or will you be using?

[dorokusai]

I concur with DRC's second suggestion for adding surround channels in 7.1. It simply sounds better.

[zengel442]

Ahhhhh.. There is a sale on the SVS PB12-Plus/2 right now for $1099. I have one and love it. Other contenders are the SVS 25-31PC-Plus, the DSW Pro500 and the CSW15S.. The SVS cylinder and the CSW15S because it would be nice to have the extra real estate in the room.
Would the CWS15S do the job?

[DRC]

Those are sweet choices for a sub. I haven't heard any of those in a bigger room but I'm sure any would provide suffient base in your room. I went cheap with a PSW505 and it provides plenty of low frequency pressure to complement the SB50; 12' from the seating area of a 20'x40' 'great room'.

[triguy3]

hello all. Just joined your group, so excuse my ignorance if i FU.

I bought a new SB here in toronto for 460! (CDN) from Futureshop. I think there are a couple left. great deal. I just ordered the TV top bracket. Anyone out there have experience with the bracket?

[zengel442]

Welcome Don...
I'm still searching for my SB50... Haven't made the plunge yet.. Good luck with yours..

[triguy3]

Welcome Don...
I'm still searching for my SB50... Haven't made the plunge yet.. Good luck with yours..


Can't imagine it will get cheaper. SB is rather an expensive toy unless the gfaf (girl friend approval factor) > need for the best surround sound

[Jstas]

hello all. Just joined your group, so excuse my ignorance if i FU.

I bought a new SB here in toronto for 460! (CDN) from Futureshop. I think there are a couple left. great deal. I just ordered the TV top bracket. Anyone out there have experience with the bracket?

The bracket is awesome! Very well engineered and should hold up your SurroundBar without a problem. It was easy to use with the directions and shouldn't take you long to set it up either unless you end up running the speaker wires through the wall. Then you'll have to fish it through. No worries though, dude! It's a cinch to work with!

[triguy3]

The bracket is awesome! Very well engineered and should hold up your SurroundBar without a problem. It was easy to use with the directions and shouldn't take you long to set it up either unless you end up running the speaker wires through the wall. Then you'll have to fish it through. No worries though, dude! It's a cinch to work with!


what tv are using it with?

[Jstas]

what tv are using it with?

I only had a demo model for a short while so I'm not really using it with a TV. I set it up at my parent's house on a shelf above their Panasonic CRT. I was messing around with the bracket separately. I did mount the bracket to an open wall in the garage just to see how it would match up to the standard 16" on center stud spacing and such. It's very well designed and more than stout enough to mount the speaker on and leave it there for a very long time. Should provide a pretty stable, vibration proof mount point.

[triguy3]

I only had a demo model for a short while so I'm not really using it with a TV. I set it up at my parent's house on a shelf above their Panasonic CRT. I was messing around with the bracket separately. I did mount the bracket to an open wall in the garage just to see how it would match up to the standard 16" on center stud spacing and such. It's very well designed and more than stout enough to mount the speaker on and leave it there for a very long time. Should provide a pretty stable, vibration proof mount point.

the tv bracket i am referring to is the accesory piece that is sold separately. it sits on a tv. Surround Bar Bracket (Black)
SKU : BC00ABAB4055

[triguy3]

Hey Guys,
I've been lurking around for the past several weeks, trying to make the decision on how to slim down my current setup. Having a baby last year made me realize that my house is small, and it's time to maximize the space I have. I saw the SouroundBar on Amazon, and it really looks promising. I've looked at the reviews on here, and everyone seems very positive about it What i'm wondering though, is how the quality of sound would be compared with my current setup.

Current Setup
Fronts/Surrounds: R30's
Center: CS1
Sub: Sony (Not sure of the model)
Receiver: Technics SA-DA10
TV: 37" Olevia LCD 537H

Thanks!
Scott
hi scott

I just bought the original sb to replace a 3.1 set up. IMHO the soundbar is really for people who really, really cannot set up traditional rears. Your current set up will sound better, BUT if that is no longer an option, or if esthetics (read G/F approval factor) are really important, then you will find this to be attractive enough to compensate. In my case i was running 3.1 because of the GFAF and using the built in speaker for the center. When I powered up the SB, i was impressed becasue i was upgrading the center, getting rid of two side channel speakers AND getting an improved (wider) sound stage.

[mellowman]

I've had a surroundbar for over a year now. Sounds much wider and better than my LRC NHT center/ones setup I had before. Recently upgraded the speaker wire to 10awg belden 5T00UP as suggest by Anonymous on page 7 and it did make a noticeable difference. Much more detail and clearer sound which I guess translates to "opening up" the speakers in industry jive. The 18awg ribbon cable supplied sucks. A benchmark for me is the opening battle scene in RotS, while not completely 360 surround some improvement was noticeable. Cleaner sound was noticeable in the elevator scene with Obiwan and Anakin when the elevator stops and Anakin says something and Obiwan says "Did I say something"..."I didn't say anything". Before I coudn't make out what Anakin says but with the 10awg cable it's clear he says "No lose wire jokes".

Anyway, the surround sound is a mix. Sometimes it seems to work well, most times not much. My receiver is a Panasonic XR-55, PSW10 sub. Since I got the surroundbar I have since gotten a digital projector and run cable across the ceiling and a power cord down the wall so adding a pair of speaker wires won't add much than what is already there.

So the question is: What would be a better surround sound setup? My surroundbar with a pair of RM101's as the surrounds and perhaps setting the surroundbar surrounds to be surround rears (7.1). Or upgrade to a surroundbar50.

Room setup: 12'x23' but the viewing/listen area is the right side of that so only about 12'x13'. Speakers about 11' away. I do notice more of the surround effect on the right side than the left which is open. The RM101s would be about 4' away and at about seated head height. Though I could go much higher (12') or match the height of the surroundbar at 8'.

Thanks in advance.

edit: BTW, the best 360 experience I've had was the THX spoof at the beginning of Tenacious D in: The Pick of Destiny. Freaked me out.

[dorokusai]

Thanks Mellowman! Great comments.

[mellowman]

looks like this thread is dead.

Has anyone hooked up a surroundbar 42" with separate L/R surrounds? How did it sound?

I'm still curious which way to go as an upgrade, surroundbar50 or RM101's as L/R surrounds.

[dorokusai]

The SB50 is much better than the original. The SDA effect is very prominant in the front stage.

[bluzrip]

For what it's worth, Home Theater mag recently rated the Polk at the top of a review of "similar" products. They also candidly inferred that it was the only one of the group they might actually buy. I may get one for my folks who will not even consider more "wires".

[DRC]

I just had to try 7.1 with the SB50. I already had Boston CR65's and the handyman was crawling around with lighting work so he ran a couple of speaker lines for me. The rear speakers are about 8' off the floor (10' ceiling), 10-12' to the left and right and 1-3' behind the sweet spot. The tonal quality of the Bostons are distinctly different than the SB when I was setting the balance with pink noise. I don't notice this watching a movie. Using Dolby PLxII movie setting on the receiver the movement of sound from front to side to rear is more distinct yet very smooth. By this I mean the sound movement is continuous and not jumping from speaker to speaker. Sounds that are supposed to be behind me are better placed with the 7.1 setup. Overall I find this a pleasing upgrade. If the rear speakers did not work cosmetically I'd be quite content without them.

[dorokusai]

DRC - Thanks for posting your comments. If you have some time, post them over in the product pages as well.

If you have any pictures of your setup....post them here and let us take a look :)

[dorokusai]

The original thread has been completely updated with new information, pics and links to support the growing SDA Surround product line.

If you own or have one of these products, please post your opinion here or in the product pages.

FEEDBACK! This is so important so the industry as a whole, not just here. Your opinion really matters in this place.

[bensontm]

I have just purchase a 7.1 Yamaha with 95 watts per channel. I had four Infinity Entra 3 floor speakers which I am using as my SL/SR and SBR SBL and I just added two Polk TS400 floor speakers I am using as the L/R fronts to go with my CS400 Polk center speaker. The 12 inch Velodyne subwoofer gives my some time to look after my 120 gallon reef aquarium.

[aedgington]

I'm probably going to be blasted for asking this, but...

Could I hang two of these vertically on each side of my room and wire the L/C/R in a series for surrounds? So that each bar acted like a single surround w/ 3 drivers? I like the footprint of these, and they seem to put out pretty decent sound.

[Kenneth Swauger]

Hello,
I'm afraid that wouldn't sound very good. The SurroundBar was designed to function best when placed horizontally not vertically. Also the impedance load "seen" by your receiver would be very low if the internal drivers were connected in parallel. I'm not sure how the SDA circuitry would react, in a series connection, but I don’t believe it would sound very good.
If you like the overall shape and style of the SB, look at the VM20 and VM30, these are more adaptable to your ideas and look and sound great.
Regards, Ken

[aedgington]

KS, thanks for the quick and honest response. I'll probably go with a pair of B&W FPM5's, unless Polk has something similar?

[debussyj]

I really need to pick all of your brains about the Surroundbar 50 and 360. I recently demoed the 360, liked it, but really have no use at all for the DVD player or AM/FM radio. I'm also skeptical about if there is in fact a 125 watt amp under the hood of this baby, especially since there's other stuff on board. So now I'm gravitating towards purchasing a modest small surround receiver, specifically the Cambridge Audio Azur 540R V2, which has a true 80 watts per each channel under the hood. I see that the Surroundbar 50 requires 150 watts. Although I do not play movies at ear piercing levels, I'm naturally concerned about this receiver being anemic. My questions: Is the Surroundbar 50 that power hungry? Please share any experiences you might have had. Finally, does anyone know about what's under the hood of the Surroundbar 360?

Thanks,
DebussyJ

[dorokusai]

The SurroundBar 50 is easy to drive and it's a digital amp in the SB360.

[debussyj]

Many thanks for your input. I decided to pass on the the Surroundbar 360. I'm going a different route with a Cambridge Audio receiver and the Surroundbar 50. I think that will make a nice combination. DebussyJ

[debussyj]

Well, I received my Surroundbar 50 today, which I matched up with the Cambridge Audio Azur 540R V2 receiver. Install was simple and I'm thrilled with the look of the speaker with my Pioneer Kuro display. Perfect! I also like the sound with both movies and music. I plan to disconnect my Earthquake sub from another system and try it out with this one. If I like, and I think I will, then I see an SVS sub in my immediate future! Thanks for the help!

[Sherardp]

Any suggestions on me using a surround bar as a bedroom setup. I used to have a pair of Rti4s in the bedroom but have since moved them in the living room, and my rig into the dedicated theater room. So now I need something for the bedroom and Im thinking surround bar mounted on the wall under a 40" Bravia 2 LCD. Any thoughts would be appreciated, I will power it with a Sony DG800 receiver and pair it with a Oppo 981. Thoughts please before I order it online.


http://i450.photobucket.com/albums/qq227/gixxer_rydder/Theater%20Room/DSC00549.jpg

[brettw22]

The surround effects are MONUMENTALLY improved with the SurroundBar 360 over the previous models.........

The 2 caveat's to your post are that you have a receiver and a cd/dvd player.....which aren't neede with the 360 that has all the DSP processing, amplification, and player in one box...........(and it sounds VERY good)...............

[dorokusai]

I like the Surround Bar 50 for that application Sherardp. It works very good.

[debussyj]

As usual, I have to agree with Doro. I'm really liking this Surroundbar 50 and I recently added my Earthquake Supernova sub. The result is seamless, sweet and the bottom end is commanding. I just wasn't thrilled with the 360, because I knew I could get more under the hood (watts per channel) for my money with a surround receiver and the DVD player was not a plus for me. Guess I just wanted to build it the old-fashioned way! D.:)

[Sherardp]

Hey thanks allot Doro, its not carried out here in Japan so Im buying it sight unseen or heard. I'll pull the trigger here next week hopefully.

[Lasareath]

I just wasn't thrilled with the 360



I just heard the 360 at Polk HQ and it was Amazing!, I haven't heard the 50 so I cannot compare the two. But I'd be really shocked that the 50 sounds better than the 360.

The 360 uses SDA technology and it fills your entire room with Left/right Stereo, Center & rear surround information from only (8) 2" drivers. It was simply amazing.

With a sub added to it I think it would please at least 80% of the market, if not more.

Lasareath

[dorokusai]

The 360 does indeed sound awesome but If my investment was already in alot of other things, including BlueRay, the SB50 makes more sense to me.

Debussyj - Have you posted pics in the showcase?

[debussyj]

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.

[dorokusai]

Get on it man! :D

I installed one of these with a MicroPro3000 at my in-laws house and when they watched Iron Man, she let my wife know the next day that it was awesome. That's rare coming from her beings she isn't into that stuff at all. My Father in-law was ear to ear the whole time.

Loved the comments....and was happy nothing fell off the wall since I installed it.

The SB50 is what they should have introduced from the get-go.

[clarknova_666]

I recently heard the soundbar 360 at Polkfest......and it does an amazing job of creating a theater quality sound with 2 components (+ sub) and is so simple to hook up.

Designing museum exhibits for a living - I will start implementing this product into my museum's mini-theaters instead of the traditional stereo or 5.1 systems currently being employed.

Also - if you are in the market for an entirely new livingroom setup - and are looking at products similar - there is no comparison as Polk uses sound science (no pun intended) in creating a "surroundsound" effect you will thoroghly enjoy - a better quality experience then their competition can deliver.....

It is a "Slap in your face different" product that
should be on everyone's "need to check that out" list.......

[araquen]

My apologies if this topic has been discussed previously. Sneaking in the question at work . . .

My husband and I are considering the Sound Bar 360. The structural layout of our living room makes positioning a speaker-based surround-sound system very problematic and the Soundbar seems to be an excellent and elegant solution.

However, our television is one of the older, rear-projection Mitsubishi 65" televisions--designed as an all-in-one "monolith." There is simply no place to put the Sound Bar at head level, unless we mounted it on the wall behind the tv (which seems odd to have this big hulking mass of tv obstructing the speaker system).

Is it possible to still obtain surround sound with the bar mounted on the top of the TV?

The dimensions of the room are are approx 12'x15' with the tv set against one corner and our seating diagonally across the room. Ceiling is normal height. The height of the TV is probably about 6'-6'6".)

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

[jello212]

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

[SCompRacer]

Is it possible to still obtain surround sound with the bar mounted on the top of the TV?



Welcome to Club Polk!

Yes, the SB360 works fine on top of a TV, provided there is enough width and the surface is somewhat level for the support cradles. Here is a pic taken of the SurroundBar 360 at a recent get together of the Rockford Audio Society. Just place the support cradles on the TV and set the surround bar on the cradles. Low and high cradles are included with the SB360. The 'high' cradles are used here. The cradles have a non-slip surface on the top and bottom to keep them and the SB in place.

http://i417.photobucket.com/albums/pp260/scompracer/Rockford%20Audio%20Society%2011152008/Picture008.jpg

[lordmehy]

hi everyone!

i came here after hearing about this forum on AVS. i'm a tech newbie and really don't know/understand the gazillions of settings options you can use on a powerful receiver to fully optimize the audio from your speakers. in any case, i was in charge of upgrading my parents HT setup, and this is what i got for them:

TV: Pioneer Kuro pdp-6020fd
Receiver: Onkyo TX-SR606
Speakers: Polk SurroundBar 50
DVD: Panasonic DMP-BD35K
Remote: Logitech Harmony One

Existing equipment:
Dish network HD-DVR
Bose accoustimass speakers purchased in the mid-90's for the outgoing HT currently in place. (i.e., these are 5 pairs of those small cube speakers)

Now the questions i have regarding setup of this system are as follows:

1) Should i scrap the wires the polk surroundbar comes w/ and get 12awg instead? Will the surroundbar accept banana plugs?

2) What are the settings i should use when setting up the speaker to the receiver? i had read on an earlier page in this thread to set the speakers to small because the surroundbar already had a filter (i don't know if this was specific to the 360 or to the 50).

3) Can i poach 2 pairs of the old Bose speakers i have and use those as surround speakers? Would you recommend this?

4) The Bose system also came w/ a Subwoofer. I plan on poaching this too, unless it doesn't hit nearly as well as i'd like it to. i have the PSW-505 on standby in my amazon cart if need-be.

5) Is there any way you (much more tech and audio savvy people than me) direct me to get optimum performance out of this setup?

Thank you

[harborbreeze]

I have the 360 system.
I have it hooked up to a blue ray player via optical cable.
The volume is barely adequate at max level, this occurs when using the blu ray or the built in dvd player on the 360.
Yet when used on the cable/ sat input the sound is Loud, can't turn it up anywhere near max.
Am I doing something wrong???

[dorokusai]

hi everyone!

i came here after hearing about this forum on AVS. i'm a tech newbie and really don't know/understand the gazillions of settings options you can use on a powerful receiver to fully optimize the audio from your speakers. in any case, i was in charge of upgrading my parents HT setup, and this is what i got for them:

TV: Pioneer Kuro pdp-6020fd
Receiver: Onkyo TX-SR606
Speakers: Polk SurroundBar 50
DVD: Panasonic DMP-BD35K
Remote: Logitech Harmony One

Existing equipment:
Dish network HD-DVR
Bose accoustimass speakers purchased in the mid-90's for the outgoing HT currently in place. (i.e., these are 5 pairs of those small cube speakers)

Now the questions i have regarding setup of this system are as follows:

1) Should i scrap the wires the polk surroundbar comes w/ and get 12awg instead? Will the surroundbar accept banana plugs?

2) What are the settings i should use when setting up the speaker to the receiver? i had read on an earlier page in this thread to set the speakers to small because the surroundbar already had a filter (i don't know if this was specific to the 360 or to the 50).

3) Can i poach 2 pairs of the old Bose speakers i have and use those as surround speakers? Would you recommend this?

4) The Bose system also came w/ a Subwoofer. I plan on poaching this too, unless it doesn't hit nearly as well as i'd like it to. i have the PSW-505 on standby in my amazon cart if need-be.

5) Is there any way you (much more tech and audio savvy people than me) direct me to get optimum performance out of this setup?

Thank you

1) You can certainly upgrade the wires if you want but I'd stick with the stock harness until you get it setup.

2) Refer to the owners manual. The settings may depend on your AVR's capabilities.

3) Yes, for 6.1 or 7.1 they would work fine. I'm not sure of the impedence of the cubes but it shouldn't be a problem either way.

4) The PSW505 is a better choice than the Bose subwoofer. Better yet, check out Polks' new DSW subwoofer series.

5) You're doing fine. Good luck!

[dorokusai]

I have the 360 system.
I have it hooked up to a blue ray player via optical cable.
The volume is barely adequate at max level, this occurs when using the blu ray or the built in dvd player on the 360.
Yet when used on the cable/ sat input the sound is Loud, can't turn it up anywhere near max.
Am I doing something wrong???

Have you tried another input? There are 3 choices on the rear of the S360.

[Caveman1]

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]

[BAlGaInTl]

So, I've been thinking about getting the SoundBar 50 for a bit now... I ran across the titanium version for only $399 and couldn't pass it up.

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? I don't see any way to order it as a "part" from the site.

I'm quite excited about it....

Now I just need to get a better sub to go with it. It should beat my RCA 2.1 that I have going now....

:)

[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?