Polk Audio, a renowned brand in the audio industry, has gained a reputation for producing high-quality soundbars that deliver exceptional sound quality, user-friendly features, and sleek designs.
In this article, HookeAudio will take a closer look at the best Polk soundbars and speakers available in the market, and explore their unique features and specifications. Whether you are a music lover or a movie enthusiast, there is a Polk soundbar that will elevate your listening experience and bring your entertainment to life.
| # | Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
| Polk SR2 Wireless Surround... | 1,114 Reviews |
$199.00
$179.99 | View on Amazon |
| 2 |
| Replace Remote Control fit for... | 27 Reviews |
$12.99 | View on Amazon |
| 3 |
| Polk Audio MagniFi 2 Sound Bar... | 3 Reviews | $399.99 | View on Amazon |
| 4 |
| Polk Audio Signa S3 Ultra-Slim... | 22,556 Reviews |
$299.00 | View on Amazon |
| 5 |
| Polk Audio MagniFi 2 Sound Bar... | 659 Reviews |
$499.00
$299.99 | View on Amazon |
| 6 |
| LKPower AC/DC Adapter... | 6 Reviews |
$15.99 | View on Amazon |
| 7 |
| Replacement Remote Control fit... | 3 Reviews |
$12.99 | View on Amazon |
| 8 |
| Polk Audio MagniFi Mini Home... | 2,881 Reviews |
$299.00 | View on Amazon |
| 9 |
| Sound Bar Mounts Wall Brackets... | 97 Reviews |
$9.99 | View on Amazon |
| 10 |
| Replacement Remote Control fit... |
$12.99 | View on Amazon |
Contents
The Best Polk: TOP-Picked For you
Polk Audio T50 Bookshelf Speakers
- Height 36.5″ (92.71 cm)
- Width 9.25″ (23.5 cm)
- Depth 8.75″ (22.23 cm)
- Driver Enclosure Type Reflex
- Driver Complement: 1″ (2.54 cm) d (Round) Silk, Wave Guide – Tweeter, 6.5″ (16.51 cm) d (Round) – Radiator, 6.5″ (16.51 cm) d (Round) Dynamic Balance – Mid/Woofer
- Total Frequency Response 38 Hz → 24,000 Hz
- Nominal Impedance 8 ohms → 6 ohms
- Sensitivity (1 watt @ 1 meter) 90 dB
- Lower and Upper -3dB Limits 40 Hz → 30,000 Hz
- Peak Power Handling 150 watts
The Polk speaker is a beautiful model. The medium-density fiberboard cabinet of the T50 tower is covered in an attractive black grain, wood black vinyl, and a removable, black cloth grille that protects drivers.
The floor-standing speaker features a tiny flat pedestal base and an overall fit-and-finish above average for its price. It doesn’t appear to be an entry-level model.
The T50 is small in comparison to other buildings. It measures 36.25 inches tall, 7.75 inches wide, and 8.75 inches deep.
The T50 is a bass-reflex, two-way design that features a 1-inch silk dome tweeter and a 6.5-inch composite midrange/woofer. It also has two 6.5-inch radiators. (Bass radiators are passive audio products, so the power amplifiers of your Denon receiver do not drive them).
Bass radiators can replace bass ports because they are closed boxes. Therefore, radiators don’t make any audible “chuffing.” They offer more placement options than ported speakers, and they are also easier to place in a room.
The T50’s rear has one set of five-way binding posts. These can be used with speaker cables that have been terminated with banana plugs, spades pins, or stripped-bare-wire ends. The T50 comes with a 5-year warranty.
Here is where the T50 shines. The T50 was only tested in mono, so we can’t speak for the stereo performance. However, based on listening and analysis, we believe it would perform well.
It sounds excellent with rock out of the box. Remarkably, the T50 has such a neutral sound signature. This is a big deal considering you would typically have to search for studio monitors to achieve this sound.
It’s step response is immaculate, which contributes to a fast, stable bass response. Its impulse response is also excellent, with very little to no ring, giving the speaker great separation. The film soundtrack is clear and distinct, with dialogue sounding clear and precise.
The T50 could use a little more crunch in their lower mids. However, it is not a lot enough to negate the T50’s ridiculously low distortion. It is very audible at moderate volumes, and distortion never exceeds one to two percent.
It is rare to find speakers that are so cheap and have such a controlled treble and bass. We must give Polk credit for finding a way to make this happen on a tight budget. The T50 has excellent instrument separation, resulting in a lively and pretty amazing sound stage when combined with a pair.
Audio also offers complimentary speakers that can be used with the T50 to create a surround sound system. The speakers were tested with the Cambridge Audio AXR100 amplifier. This is one of the most expensive amps you can purchase for less than $500.
The Polk shine in this area. You will immediately notice how balanced they sound. The frequency ranges have plenty of room to move, creating a neutral sound profile. This is the type of profile that you would get from studio monitor speakers.
Pros:
- Low Distortion
- Strong, accurate bass
- Flat sound signature
- Only $200 a pair when on sale
Cons:
- Build quality could be better
- The sound is not especially detailed than other speakers on the market
Polk React Soundbar
- Dimensions (W x H x D): 35.43″ x 2.17″ x 3.54″ (soundbar); 6.69″ x 10.24″ x 12.99″ (subwoofer)
- Weight: 5.5 lbs (soundbar); 10.8 lbs (subwoofer)
- Power output: 200 watts (peak)
- Drivers: 4 x 2.25″ x 4.5″ oval mid-range drivers; 2 x 0.75″ tweeters
- Subwoofer driver: 6.5″ down-firing driver
- Frequency response: 40Hz – 22kHz
- Connectivity: Bluetooth, HDMI (ARC), optical input, 3.5mm auxiliary input, Ethernet port
- Supported audio formats: Dolby Digital, DTS, PCM
- Voice control: Amazon Alexa built-in
- EQ presets: Movie, Music, Night, Sport, and Voice
- Remote control: Yes
- Wall-mountable: Yes
The React soundbar is slim and looks almost like an Amazon Echo Dot. The React is essentially an updated Polk’s Command Bar. However, it’s smaller and doesn’t include a wireless subwoofer.
It measures 34×4.8×2.2 inches and can slide under most TV stands. Polk placed two soundbar drivers inside, two tweeters, and two passive radiators.
The front panel has a light bar that displays the volume level and lights up when Alexa is engaged. Below the light bar, a small LED status indicator switches the color to indicate sound input.
The top features Echo-like controls. These buttons include buttons to activate Alexa and mute the microphones. You’ll love using Alexa voice commands for sound adjustments. The React has four microphones that can be used to make Alexa more responsive to your voice.
The back of the React includes an HDMI port with an audio return channel (ARC), which allows for connection to your TV. Or, you can use an optical digital cable. You can also purchase the React separately with a USB port, a button to pair it with Polk’s wireless subwoofer or wireless surrounds.
The Polk React soundbar is a significant boost over most built-in TV speakers. When you include the subwoofer and the auxiliary speakers, you have a rather good-sounding system for the same price as a Sonos Arc soundbar on its own.
There are several drawbacks. It does not support the famous Dolby Atmos surround format, which has gained popularity in recent years. You’ll also need to purchase into the Alexa ecosystem to get the most out of it. If you’re not already significantly committed to Apple’s HomePod ecosystem or Google’s Nest Audio platform, you should seek elsewhere.
Pros
- Amazon Alexa works well onboard.
- Excellent sound quality for the price
- Smart looking design
Cons
- One HDMI input
- Additional sub- and surrounds may be available for an additional cost.
Polk Audio PSW505
The PSW505 has a standard budget speaker enclosure. It is 16.125 x 15.125 x 18.1875 inches, weighs 48 pounds, and is composed of MDF with a black laminate top. A slot-styled port is located at the bottom of the rear panel. The cabinet is firmly built. However, the removable front speaker grill is not.
The whole cabinet is supported by four plastic feet, which means the PSW505 slides about on our wood floor when bumped and “wanders” when used at high levels. Because the front-firing 12-inch throw speaker is completely black, removing the grill doesn’t significantly improve the subwoofer’s appearance.
The PSW505 isn’t the most visually appealing subwoofer, but it’s also not the most unsightly—just basic. Our main gripes are with the ports, which make audible noise, and the plastic feet, which fail to hold the sub in place on flat surfaces. Overall, the design is practical yet uninteresting.
The Polk Audio is the ideal complement to your home cinema, with 460Watts of peak power, 300W of basic power, and a frequency range of 23-160Hz. Despite having a lesser peak power than the Polk Audio PSW10 and the BIC America F12, the greater consistent 300W power allows it to stand out with a particularly outstanding bass level and identifiable voices.
The bass is strong and devoid of turbulence or distortion, providing a wonderful experience while viewing action movies. And, because of its unique motor-like construction and longer suspension than typical subwoofers, the Polk PSW505 review makes those quiet tunes even more delightful to listen to.
While all of this enhances your audio experience, the Polk Audio PSW505 does fall short in several ways. Low-frequency sounds may sometimes become muddy or distorted, and some port noise is present at high levels. This does not affect your home theater experience since you will continue to view movies as before, but it will have a little impact on music quality.
However, given the price, all of this is acceptable, and with the Slot load venting, you get a fairly good deep bass-powered subwoofer.
The PSW505 has a lot of power but has minor sound quality concerns. Port noise is a regular issue, which we also experienced. It was only audible at high levels for us, and we have a small enough area that we’ll never crank a subwoofer that loud, but it may be an issue when attempting to fill a bigger room. Some users have gone as far as building bespoke cabinets and transferring the amp and speaker into them rather than utilizing the original.
Pros
- The sound is precise and clear.
- Noise is reduced via magnetic shielding.
- Extremely cost-effective
Cons
- At high levels, a minor port noise
- Low frequencies are muddy and distorted.
FAQs
Is Polk Audio good quality?
Polk Audio has been around for about 40 years, and they have been making some of the best home audio systems on the market. Polk is a company that has been around for about 40 years, and they make some of the best home theater audio systems on the market.
Polk T15 or T50?
Polk is a manufacturer of audio equipment and speakers. The T15 and T50 are two top-rated and inexpensive stereo speakers that can be purchased for less than $100.
Polk is a manufacturer of audio equipment and speakers, manufacturing a variety of stereo speakers for different price classes. The T15 and T50 are two top-rated and inexpensive stereo speakers that can be purchased for less than $100.
Where is Polk made?
Significant Polk lives in the south-central part of the United States, where many communities have high concentrations of Hispanic populations.
These communities can be found in counties along the US-Mexico border, including Hidalgo, Cameron, and Starr Counties in Texas; Imperial County in California; and Santa Clara County in Arizona.
Read more:
- Bookshelf Speakers Vs. Studio Monitors 2023: Top Full Comparison
- Where Should A Soundbar Be Placed 2023? Top Full Guide
- Best Soundbar Under 200 In 2023: Top Brands Review
Conclusion
In conclusion, Polk Audio’s range of soundbars offers a diverse set of features and specifications that cater to different needs and preferences. From the compact and affordable Signa S2 to the high-performance MagniFi 2, Polk’s soundbars deliver a powerful and immersive audio experience that is sure to enhance your entertainment setup.
The brand’s commitment to quality and user-friendly design has earned them a loyal following, and their soundbars have consistently received positive reviews from customers and critics alike.
Last update on 2023-09-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
