SurroundBar 360 DVD Theater

by Kris Vint, October 6, 2008

Strengths:

Only one bar for surround sound and very good bass right out of the box. Hookup took all of 5 minutes, my mother could have done it. Matched my plasma TV perfectly.

Weaknesses:

No HDMI inputs, although I run directly to the TV and hook up an optical cable to the 360 so there was no problem. I found playing music to be a little weak, not as impressive as a stereo pair of floorstanding or bookshelf speakers.

Review:

I have a 5.1 surround sound system for my living room, so when I was looking for a bedroom system (we have a 50" plasma), I wanted something that matched my flat panel TV, didn't have rear wires and didn't take up a lot of room -- BUT, actually getting surround sound was important for me, I've been spoiled by watching movies on my downstairs system. The included amplifier was a must also. Well I was BLOWN AWAY in the store while listening to the 360 demo -- I turned my head to see if there were speakers behind me. It's such a strange feeling knowing that there are no speakers on the side or behind, but still hearing the surround sound effect. I was sold after a few minutes. I was skeptical about the claim that no subwoofer was needed - the sales guy really tried to push me on one. But I decided to wait to see at home, and I'm SO glad I did. Couldn't believe it but it really produced great deep bass when I watched my first movie. The bass volume control on the remote is a nice touch, too. Hookup is a stupidly easy, it literally took me 5 minutes once I unboxed everything. I mounted it flush to the bottom of my TV and ran the single connector wire in the wall to a shelf below. It would have been nice to have an included bracket, but the speaker was light enough I don't worry about it going anywhere, I just used the keyhole slots on the back of the speaker bar. WAY TO GO Polk, this system is just what I was looking for and I recommend it to anyone that wants something simple, elegant, and kick ass!

by David, January 17, 2009

Strengths:

Simple setup with very few cables and built in DVD player. Wicked sound from just one speaker!!!

Weaknesses:

Built-in subwoofer is decent at low volumes but doesn't have that deep bass at higher volumes. I installed a Polk Audio PSW111 powered subwoofer to complete the package and it sounds amazing.

Review:

I installed the SurroundBar 360 system today and it sounds awesome!!! I also installed a Polk Audio PSW111 powered subwoofer to give it a rich deep bass. The system comes with a mounting template for the surroundbar which made attaching it to the wall really easy and simple using only two screws. I had a full Yamaha 5.1 surround sound hooked up before which sounded good but this setup blows my previous system out of the water. I love not having any rear satalite speakers mounted on the walls and a bunch of wiring running all over. This Polk 360 DVD Theater gives my living room a much cleaner and more sophisticated appearance.

by Adib Zainuri, September 23, 2008

Strengths:

Great speaker design and sound quality.

Weaknesses:

Has 1 HDMI Output & NO HDMI input whatsoever;meaning if you have PS3 or any other device (blue-ray or HD DVD player), you need to use the optical or analog cable for the audio. Well, I guess this is Polk Audio 1st console product;there are tons of rooms for improvement, such as the setting interface;the up-convert quality is OK, but not that great.

Review:

I bought it on Sept. 10, 2008 through J&R. Perfect match for my Samsung 46" series 750 and PS3 for blue ray and gaming stuff. AZ

by Cyndi Graley, September 9, 2008

Strengths:

Overall High

Weaknesses:

Does not Operate the VHS Player

Review:

We just bought this system, & it was Installed today. It works Great !! It operates everything connected to our System & the Sound is Very Good. Thank You Polk Audio for this System, as we needed something that did not have Speakers all over the House !! We have Direct TV, & this was the Perfect Answer for a smaller home.

by JeffP13, March 11, 2009

Strengths:

No wires everywhere, great sound.

Weaknesses:

No HDMI input, needs a sub.

Review:

This is a great product for people who can't have a true surround sound system with speakers behind them. I have hard wood floors so i couldn't hide the speaker wire and i didn't want to have to drill holes in my walls and run wire. Also, since i had a HDTV and a blu ray player, i didn't want to pay for a system that included an additional blu ray player, i wanted most, if not all, the money i was going to spend to go towards sound quality. This is the closest thing i could find for that. Very easy to hook up. All you need is digital optical cables (it comes with one). Ran one from the polk box to my blu ray player and another one from my cable box to the polk box. Plug it in and you are ready to rock. Even though the 360 theater system says you don't need a subwoofer, i disagree. If you don't care about bass or don't like to watch action movies, just want nice and clear sound, then no subwoofer is needed. Me, i like action movies and wanted the true 'rumble' for the explosions. I went with a polk 8" psw111 speaker. Great addition. You can control the volume from the speaker so you can use it when you want, or turn it down when you don't want it. It's small and doesn't take up too much space. All you need is a speaker wire (the subwoofer does NOT come with ANY wire to hook up the sub. get a good RCA cable, the polk 360 has a "sub out" output, connect both and you are ready to go) The sound quality is really amazing. I'm not sure if it gives you a true '360' feel since i have never owned a sound system with spreakers all around, but i do know it's a HUGE improvement from your tv speakers. This is a great product for people who don't want, or can't have, wires and speakers everywhere. A+ product.

by Barry, July 25, 2009

Strengths:

Sounds good

Weaknesses:

Lousy remote support

Review:

The bar sounds great but after following the instructions to work the remote it will not work. Very frustrating. It probably should have come with it's own remote so that a universal remote could program it. It's Saturday so I have to wait until Monday to try to get any type of help with it.

by Kevin Clark, April 4, 2010

Strengths:

Sounded great when it worked.

Weaknesses:

First sound bar shorted out ,and took down the amp. Replaced entire system under free replacement was only Two weeks on site. Bed room install for an invalid. No Cranking the audio here. Second system worked for two weeks and the DVD tray quits working. Hope I can exchange this piece of cr@@! with something a little more reliable. Also no HDMI inputs for switching HDA/V devices. Poor compatibility with many programmable remotes.

Review:

Biggest piece of dung since the last Woolly Mammoth.

by Jack D., January 31, 2011

Strengths:

loud, clear sound. great subwoofer hidden in a corner of the room. no wires!!

Weaknesses:

the remote control is very bad. it only worked when pointed directly in front of the speaker within 4 to 5 feet.

Review:

i was looking for an upgrade to my 46' tv. i recently move and my tv is now placed in the corner of the living room so it was complicated to figure out how i would run the left and right speaker wires for a 5.1 surround sound system. once i've experienced watching movies with my previous home theater system, i could not go back to the tv speakers. the sound is deep and doesn't sound like it's thrown at you, it just blends in the room.. overall.. just like a 5.1 surround system without the wires and complicated setup and rear speakers. i'm very satisfied with the sound. i listen to music from my laptop occasionnaly and it sounds loud enough! i did have trouble hooking up my ps3 to the bar, but that was due to the ps3. i had to go in the settings menu and hook up both the ps3 and the tv to the surround bar to hear blu ray movies and games. i've programmed my tv remote in 5 minutes because the provided remote was just weak.. it only worked from close. i am planning on buying another surround bar for my second tv in the basement.. i will most likely buy the same, unless something else better comes out.

by dave, April 17, 2010

Strengths:

good bass

Weaknesses:

lack of extra hook ups wish never bought

Review:

the sound bar sounds ok the draw back is that you can not add any extra speakers if you need more

by Dan, November 21, 2010

Strengths:

Easy installation, no wires.

Weaknesses:

Sound quality, doesn't recognize all remotes, no HDMI.

Review:

Lots of problems here it would seem. Small remote that came with the system did not work very well other than at close range. The process you are supposed to use to program your own remote to the soundbar did not work. Every volume control button on my remote (a basic DirecTV remote) turned the volume up only. The subwoofer seems to be underpowered. I had a LOT of rattling from the subwoofer, even at low volumes. And I was just watching a hockey game. We are taking this one back to the store I'm afraid. Very disappointed.

by Susan s, October 19, 2011

Strengths:

Pure sound

Weaknesses:

Rear panel design.

Review:

Love the sound. Crisp and clear at all sound levels. Only problem is that we needed a longer optical audio cord and it is thicker than the short cord provided with the system location of hookups will not allow unit to sit on shelf bc angle of the cord tips it over. Will probably have to return. Bummer!!!

by Gary Crowley, December 16, 2011

Strengths:

Sound, looks, and price

Weaknesses:

None

Review:

I purchased the Surround Bar 6000 for my 37" flat screen TV in my Master bedroom.I replaced my Bose 321 sound system, the Polk Sound Bar blows it away in sound and depth, for half the cost. Nice job on making this easy to set up and looks fantastic!

"It’s safe to say that Polk Audio’s SurroundBar 360 DVD Theater is the most original and effective approach to one-speaker bar systems I’ve experienced. It boldly goes where no bar speaker has gone before."

Mark Fleischmann, Home Theater

[ Open Review ]

Despite its small size, the SB 360's sound was quite fullbodied, even when not paired with a subwoofer. In another of those well-thought-out details the SB 360 senses when it is connected to a sub and automatically re-EQs the sound to compensate for it. Brilliant.

Wes Phillips, Stereophile

[ Open Review ]