Polk React Review: Affordable, Expandable, And Smart
"With its excellent film and music quality, it is a valuable addition to any TV room."
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Sleek, flat design
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Easy adjustment
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Very good sound quality
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Affordable wireless accessories
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Alexa built in
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No HDMI inputs
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Playback controls are missing on the remote control
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Requires Alexa for Wi-Fi streaming
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No Chromecast or AirPlay
By far the biggest advantage of buying a soundbar is its simplicity. One speaker, two cables and bam! Much better sound than your TV alone. As soundbars add functions such as subwoofers, surround speakers or voice functions, their price and complexity also increase.
Polk's $ 250 React soundbar is designed to help. On its own, it's a smart speaker with Alexa technology that delivers decent virtual surround sound. But you can also bring the system to a full 5.1 setup by adding Polks $ 200 wireless subwoofer and $ 200 surround speakers.
Does this $ 650 investment compete or beat the competition? Let's try it out.
What's in the box?
Polk provides the React soundbar with everything you need to get started, including an HDMI cable, an optical cable, a remote control with batteries, a wall-mount template, and wall-mount hardware. There are loads of styrofoam to throw away (or recycle if appropriate facilities are available in your area) and a number of multi-purpose bags.
It gets very little attention as to what exactly is what you want in a soundbar.
design
At just 34 inches wide, the Polk React should easily be placed in front of almost any television. Because of its height of 2.2 inches, it is short enough to avoid blocking the underside of the screen (and any infrared receivers there). .
Rich Shibley / Digital Trends
The (almost) completely dark gray, cloth-wrapped exterior is completely neutral and hardly attracts any attention, which in my opinion is exactly what you expect from a soundbar. I think it's far more appealing than Polk's first attempt at a smart soundbar – the $ 299 Polk Command Bar.
On the top, it looks like someone punched a hole the size of an echo dot in the speaker and then put an echo dot in it. This isn't far from the truth – that circular set of buttons and microphones is indeed the tell-tale sign that the React is an Alexa smart speaker, too.
In contrast to Sonos Beam or Arc or Bose Soundbar 300, the use of Alexa plays a central role in setting up the React. However, we will explain this further below.
The fabric housing of the React conceals two mid-range speakers, two tweeters and two passive bass radiators. Two LED displays are also faded out (until they light up): A long, segmented horizontal bar that serves as a level indicator for settings such as volume and bass, as well as Alexa's colorful, animated response cues and a small LED point that lights up depending on the source signal different colors (blue for Bluetooth, green for Dolby Audio, etc.).
The wireless React subwoofer, like so many other subwoofers, is a simple black box. However, thanks to its rectangular shape, it may be easier to hide behind or next to a couch than some of the more cube-shaped designs we've seen.
But I love the optional Polk SR2 wireless rear speakers. They have a fabric grille to match the React soundbar and a trapezoidal shape that gives them a lot of flexibility in placement. Their rubber feet allow them to sit comfortably on any surface, while the standard threaded holes for speaker mounting allow you to use a variety of third-party brackets and stands. Or you can just use the supplied mounting hardware. Surround speakers are rarely distinguished by their design, which makes the SR2 a refreshing change of pace.
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The response is pretty barebones from the connectivity point of view. You get a single HDMI ARC port for audio only, an optical port in case your TV doesn't support HDMI ARC, and a USB port. There is no analog input. So you can't count on being able to connect an external wired sound source such as a portable media player.
Setting up the React using the Alexa app couldn't be easier.
There is also no way to use the optical and HDMI-ARC as separate inputs. They are mutually exclusive. Connecting one of them will lock the other.
Setup and configuration
Yes, it is possible to use the Polk React soundbar on its own without setting it up for use with Amazon Alexa. If this is what you intend to do, I recommend finding another soundbar. The Alexa app is required for Wi-Fi access, multi-room audio and intelligent speaker functions.
The good news is that setting up the React couldn't be easier using the Alexa app.
Just place the soundbar and connect it to your TV. If your TV has HDMI ARC and you don't mind sacrificing an HDMI port on your TV, use that connection. This allows the soundbar to control the volume / mute of the TV and vice versa. Otherwise an optical connection is fine and does not affect the sound quality at all.
Plug in the power cord and open the Amazon Alexa app. Within a few seconds, the app automatically detects that the reaction is available for setup and prompts you to do so.
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Pro tip: If you've never downloaded or used the Alexa app before, take a few minutes to download it and create a new account, or use your existing Amazon account. Doing this before turning on React for the first time will make the process a lot smoother.
The Alexa app will walk you through a few steps like choosing the React location in your home and choosing a default music service.
If you choose to go for the wireless subwoofer or the SR2 environment, the process of adding it should be painless as well. All I had to do was plug them in and the React would automatically recognize them and connect wirelessly. A voice prompt even told me that the SR2 speakers needed to be updated before they could work, and the React bar did that update automatically and restart itself. I've never seen a hands-off setup like this before.
If you've used your TV's built-in speakers, the React will feel like a serious upgrade.
I say it should be painless because it was like that for me. However, our senior editor Caleb Denison also set up a React soundbar and found that adding the surrounds wasn't quite as smooth (see our video review above).
Sound quality
The React soundbar alone sounds very good considering its size and price. In contrast to many inexpensive loudspeakers, it ensures an excellent frequency balance. Higher registers like speech are clear and precise, the midtones are well rendered, and the bass is far stronger than I expected because the soundbar is based on passive bass radiators – not active drivers – for its deep end.
Rich Shibley / Digital Trends
If you've used your TV's built-in speakers, the React will feel like a serious upgrade. Polk promises "big, detailed, virtual surround sound," and I'd say React largely lives up to that – at least in the "large" and "detailed" categories.
As far as simulating a real surround sound setup is concerned, it is not quite as successful as, for example, the Bose Soundbar 300. The React certainly offers a nice, wide soundstage that easily fills even medium-sized rooms with sound, but is not entirely successful Wraparound effect that the best virtual surround systems can achieve. This may be because the React bar is actually a two-channel speaker with discrete left and right drivers. If you need to virtualize one center channel, there isn't much room left for virtualizing two surround channels.
Polk offers four EQ presets: Music, Movie, Sports, and Night. Music and film sounded very similar to me. The night cuts most of the lower frequencies, making you less likely to disturb other people in your home who are trying to sleep. Sport should actually be called "speech" as it enhances higher frequencies for better clarity of dialogue.
The surrounds are not used at all when streaming music, which seems like a big missed opportunity.
The soundbar is a really fluid player when it comes to music too, but that's where the Wi-Fi connection comes in, activated by the Alexa app. The React has Bluetooth so you can stream music from any smartphone, tablet or computer. However, you will get significantly better quality if you stream using the services available in the Alexa app or via Spotify Connect.
My only complaint is that the Alexa app doesn't support some services. Tidal and YouTube music are particularly absent. And since the React doesn't have AirPlay or Chromecast, you'll need to use Bluetooth if your favorite service isn't listed.
The addition of the wireless subwoofer does exactly what you would expect. Low-end bass goes from something you hear to something you feel, an important component for action movie fans.
Finally, adding the SR2 wireless surround speakers makes up for the lack of depth. As Denison points out in his video review, to get the most out of them, you need to turn up the volume on these speakers. Annoyingly, the surrounds are only for 5.1 soundtracks. They are not used at all when streaming music, which seems like a big missed opportunity.
Control and ease of use
The React's remote control is nothing special, but that's a good thing. It's comfortable to use, has dedicated buttons for all important settings, and although it's not backlit, the white labels on the black, rubberized surface are easy to read even in a fairly dark room. If you don't want to say "Alexa" before issuing a voice command, you can press the appropriate Alexa button instead.
I especially like when you add the SR2 wireless speakers. The remote control offers you volume controls and balance controls only for these channels.
The only missing component is playback controls when streaming music, which is an odd omission. Given the React's generous music options (including MP3 storage on a USB device), you'd think there was at least one play / pause button.
Rich Shibley / Digital Trends
The remote also seemed to be having trouble relaying its infrared commands to the soundbar. I had to adjust the angle of the remote further as I pointed it at the bar – sometimes the button registered immediately, sometimes not at all.
In the instructions, Polk warns that a light source aimed directly at the soundbar's IR sensor can cause interference, but I'm pretty sure it won't.
When you include Alexa in the equation, control is taken to the next level. Not only can you use the React for the myriad of tasks we can assign to smart speakers, such as: B. to inform us of the weather forecast or set reminders, but you can also access music or podcasts from the available services.
Using Alexa or the Alexa app to control music playback is simple but limited. You can access songs, albums, and playlists, but there is no way to add new favorites or create playlists. All of this must be done in the app of the respective service. It certainly can't be compared to what Sonos has to offer, but then again, the Sonos Beam costs considerably more.
I wish you could use Alexa for TV based commands e.g. For example, turning the TV on and off, or changing inputs (something you can do with the Bose Smart Soundbar 300), but that's not included in the React at the moment.
Our opinion
While it doesn't offer the same versatility as other smart soundbars like the Sonos Beam or the Bose Smart Soundbar 300, the Polk React is great value for both movies and music and can be easily and cheaply converted to a true 5.1 Surround be expanded sound home theater system.
Is there a better alternative?
If you want a midrange soundbar that doubles as a smart speaker, there is simply nothing on the market that comes close Polk React for the price.
If you're willing to spend $ 150 more, you can do both Sonos Beam and Bose Smart Soundbar 300 Choose from a voice assistant, better music streaming options, and better multi-room audio. However, upgrading to full surround sound systems costs considerably more.
If all you want is a simple, no-frills soundbar, this is it Vizio V21 It's hard to beat at just $ 180 including a wireless subwoofer.
How long it will take?
Polk Audio has a reputation for making solidly built speakers, and the React seems to be following that trend. The amplifier is guaranteed for one year and the speakers for three years. I assume it will take many years to come.
Should you buy it?
Yes. The Polk React is easy to use and sounds great for both movies and music. The ability to inexpensively expand it and use it as a smart speaker are practical extras.
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