The critics are amazed.
The I-Sonic's room-filling sound amazed the critics. Read the impressive reviews from both professionals and customers.
Professional Reviews
GadgetReview.com
"Straight out of the box the I-Sonic delivers stellar audio reproduction values at no expense and I can easily say that I am now a huge fan of Polk Audio products and HD Radio."
"The I-Sonic sounded great regardless of my position to the speakers and even when I was out of the room."
"With no tweaking at all the I-Sonic sounded lavishly lush. In fact, I had never heard classic rock sound so good. Most memorable was how round and balanced the bass sounded. It measured a perfect connection with treble and mid range frequencies to create a classic rock 'symphony of emotion.' "
UltimateAVmag.com
"...compared to the other "docks" out there, 99% of which sound anemic in the bass, the I-Sonic ES2 comes in not only near the top of any short list of recommendations for iPod docks, it comes in at #1."
Playback Magazine
"...it's very efficient and puts out a big-bodied, remarkably detailed sound that definitely lives up to its "room-filling sound" boast."
"...the ES2 came as a revelation: when I walked between rooms, I heard nearly the exact same sound quality wherever I stood."Professional Reviews
Home Entertainment Magazine
Think of the I-Sonic as the clock radio of the gods..."
"I-Sonic has surprisingly deep bass..."
"...the sound is fairly spacious no matter where you place the I-Sonic or where you are in the room"
"It's a ultra-high-tech-clock radio with pictures"The Absolute Sound
The curvaceous, nine-pound I-Sonic might look like a "table radio," but appearances are only skin deep."
"The I-Sonic's combination of attributes is compelling..."
"In addition, the I-Sonic's four speakers (two forward-firing and two rear-firing) deliver remarkably similar tonal balance and spaciousness from anywhere in the room."
"The I-Sonic is one of those products I never wished for, but after just a few days with the tabletop marvel, I wondered how I'd ever lived without it."CNET.com
"Radio lovers may well find the Polk Audio I-Sonic to be their dream machine."
"What radio lovers will really appreciate is the I-Sonic's ample presets: you can store as many as 30 stations and seamlessly mix and match between AM, FM, HD, and XM stations at your leisure."
"[Playing a DVD, I-Sonic] rocked out with a vengeance...[it] packed a wallop and didn't distort, even when we played the I-Sonic at a room-filling volume...thanks to Polk's PowerPort venting technology, the I-Sonic's bass was powerful and surprisingly tuneful, so we could pick out each note."
"The Polk Audio I-Sonic's CD sound was exceptional. Bass, midrange, and treble were perfectly balanced, so the I-Sonic sounded equally accomplished with all types of music."
"...the Polk Audio I-Sonic represents a strong challenge to the Bose Wave Music System and its ilk. From a features standpoint it's an easy winner, and it holds its own--if not beats--the Bose from a performance standpoint, too."
"...when you consider that rivals such as the forthcoming $600 Tivoli Audio Music System don't offer satellite radio, HD radio, or DVD options, the I-Sonic almost looks like a bargain."CEPro.com
"Polk I-Sonic is Bose Wave Radio Killer."
"... I was impressed - the unit handled the content well, and received overwhelming endorsement from my wife, for its variety of entertainment options, aesthetics and sound qualities."
"This all adds up to a huge hit for Polk. The I-Sonic could be the perfect holiday gift because it offers value, versatility and performance. The I-Sonic is sure to cut into Bose's Wave Radio market."
The Perfect Vision
The Coolest Nine Pounds in Consumer Electronics"
"..this nine pound technology-packed wonder is light years beyond any other product of its kind."
"The I-Sonic’s sound quality was so good I was tempted to critique it the way I would a high-end audio product."
"The sound is full, deep, and rich. In addition, the I-Sonic’s four speakers ...deliver a remarkably similar tonal balance from anywhere in the room."
"Shockingly good sound..."
Detroit Free Press
The revolution in home radio receivers and audio devices that began with the Bose Wave music system has evolved into an all-new device that will soon set a new standard of radio reception and audio reproduction in the home.
It's called the Polk Audio I-Sonic, and while you may have heard it being advertised a lot on FM radio, you need to really hear it to appreciate just how good home audio can sound from a single, all-in-one tabletop device...
It's certainly the best self-contained home audio device I've ever used."Home Theater Magazine
It's no stretch to see how cool it is to have both analog and digital radio sources plus a CD/DVD player in the same unit, but the terms "high performance" and "compact tabletop entertainment system" don't come together easily in my mind. As it turns out, the thing that most sets the I-Sonic apart from the rest of the very crowded compact tabletop-/bookshelf-system pack is the high quality of its audio performance."Minneapolis Star Tribune
"In the portable sound system category, the amazing Polk I-Sonic is the clear leader. In addition to the best sound, this system adds a DVD player, XM Satellite Radio, HD Radio and digital sound processing..."SCI FI TECH
There are certainly plenty of tabletop radios out there to choose from: models from Bose, Cambridge SoundWorks, Boston Acoustics, and Tivoli make for a crowded field. While they all sound good, for the most part they offer only a regular (non-HD) AM/FM radio with a CD player. The Bose Wave at $500 has been king of the hill for the longest time, but for $600 the I-Sonic does more and sounds as good if not better. If you're already spending that kind of money, the extra 100 bucks gets you so much more."howstuffworks.com
The sound quality of the I-Sonic is extraordinary, but since it is from Polk, this isn't surprising. The cabinet has Polk's Power Port technology for hard-hitting and accurate bass, even though the speakers are rather small. The system even includes a built-in dual alarm clock, so this could be used as an amazing clock radio. Just make sure not to call the I-Sonic an alarm clock, though, as it is so very much more."
"The Polk Audio I-Sonic is an incredible system. It combines Polk's vast speaker expertise with advanced radio and disc technologies to create an unmatched compact stereo. Pick just about any music source, and the I-Sonic can probably handle it."WJRT-TV
The I-Sonic from Polk Audio is the creme of the crop. The sound is amazing and the features are endless...Polk Audio designed the speaker system to fill the room with sound and it really does. It sounds rich and the bass is deep."Star Tribune
Polk offers 'the best quality, feature set and most up-to-date product of its kind with the HD and XM.'"Forbes Life
[I-Sonic's] four speakers project rich bass and crisp high notes, even at low volumes. The I-Sonic would serve nicely as a bedside clock radio-and just as well as a full-on home theater system."The New York Times
A Home Entertainment Center for the Nightstand….Small enough to fit on a night table, the I-Sonic has dual wake-up alarms and a display that can be dimmed. Built-in and remote controls make it controllable from both sides of the bed, which should give both occupants equal say in choosing from all those programs.” – Ivan BergerMcClatchy-Tribune Newspapers Syndicate
"The I-Sonic's feature set and performance stand out dramatically..."
"Performance in this niche means sound quality...In this regard, the I-Sonic delivers beyond expectations. High quality speakers, clean amplification and advanced digital sound processing delivers sound that is neutral, clear, and exceptionally sweet."
"...the best product of its type on the market."
"Polk wanted the undisputed top spot in the market, and they clearly achieved it."
The New York Times
The I-Sonic had the best reception of all the units, even receiving and recognizing HD Radio from some stations outside the area.”Sound and Vision
With its stylish semicircular design and sleek silver-and-black cladding, the I-Sonic is like a supermodel."
"..the I-Sonic filled the room with surprisingly good sound for a table radio, and the sheer volume output of its four 3-inch speakers was impressive."
"Since the advent of satellite radio, I've pretty much given up on terrestrial radio, but my experience with HD Radio gave me hope."
"..the sound was so absorbing that for a moment I forgot it was coming from what amounts to a seriously glorified clock radio."
"..the I-Sonic will surely make your world -- and the start of each day -- much more musical."
Popular Mechanics
The I-Sonic ($599) does everything but surround sound. That’s not a backhanded compliment – this compact audio/video system plays CDs, DVDs, AM and FM radio, plus digital HD Radio and XM Satellite Radio (with optional attachments). It also connects to any MP3 player, and works as an alarm clock. And it does all that while sounding like a much bigger system, with front and rear speakers that deliver clear midtones and massive bass throughout the room."The Hartford Courant
...the new king of multifunction table radios is the I-Sonic from Polk Audio."
"For $100 more than the AM/FM/CD Bose Wave, the I-Sonic offers an HD Radio tuner that would ordinarily cost $300, an XM Satellite Radio option and a DVD player. And sonically, it creates a huge, articulate soundstage unlike any table radio I've heard, including Bose's."
"Sound quality, no matter what I listened to, was consistently superb. The I-Sonic's output covered a huge swath of the room, with no clearly defined source. ... the listener, in effect, hears stereo anywhere within a 180-degree arc of the I-Sonic."
"With music, the I-Sonic absolutely amazed with its ability to throw out a coherent soundstage no matter where I stood in the room."Maxim December 2006
Whether cranking tunes from HD radio, CDs, DVDs, or even old-school AM/FM stations, the I-Sonic's four internal speakers pump out 360 degrees of high-quality sound. It will make even a prison cell sound like Carnegie Hall."
I-Sonic Awards
Winner of the 2006 Best of Innovations Award
Polk Audio's I-Sonic™ was honored as the winner of the 2006 Best of Innovations award for the Audio Component category in the annual CES Innovations Design and Engineering Awards program. Sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and endorsed by the Industrial Designers Society (IDSA), the International CES Innovations Awards highlight product advancements in technology design and engineering.CES 2006 Innovations Award
Popular Mechanics: Editor's Choice Award
In recognition of outstanding achievement in new product design and innovation.CES January 5, 2006Electronic House Magazine: Product of the Year for 2006
Polk Audio's I-Sonic™ was honored as one of the winners of the Electronic House Products of the Year for 2006. In Addition the I-Sonic will be featured on electronichouse.com for a full year. The I-Sonic was judged on reviews, product demos, technological innovation, combined with overall value-and just plain outstanding features!electronichouse.com, 2006News Tips: Cherry-Picks Award 2006
We look for things that compel a "Wow"! Polk's speaker expertise plays a hand in a big, rich sound. A WOW!newstips.com, CES 2006
Customer Reviews
# of Reviews: 5
Average Rating: 4.80/5
Average Rating: 4.80/5
Write your own review
Bart Chilcott (April 26th, 2008) |
I received my new Isonic2 last week. I had previously owned a Bose Wave Radio and was anxious to see how it compared. The driving factor behind purchasing this unit was its Ipod interface and HD rad...
9 of 10 people found this helpful |
Read full review
| ||
 Benjamin Quinby (November 14th, 2008) |
My experience is the same as those above: IMPECCABLE SOUND and great tuner, but the user interface could have been thought out better. My qualms with this system are that it is replacin...
6 of 6 people found this helpful |
Read full review
| ||
Robert Hoffman (October 22nd, 2008) |
I love it. I was going to buy a bose wave radio till I looked at, and listened to the I-Sonic. I was blown away by its sound. When I got it home it sounded even better in my own home. Everyone that h...
6 of 7 people found this helpful |
Read full review
| ||
Victor komaschka (September 13th, 2008) |
Was very suprised on the sound quality. Beats my Bose radio by a mile.
5 of 6 people found this helpful |
Read full review
| ||
stewart margolis (November 14th, 2009) |
i have had the original i-sonic for about 2 years. - The tone that comes from this unit is really reference quality - i run it with a bryston bcd1 attached to the aux inputs on the back of the i-sonic...
3 of 3 people found this helpful |
Read full review
| ||
