23 Apr
Blog

Polk React Review: Affordable, Expandable, And Smart

Polk React soundbar

"With its excellent film and music quality, it is a valuable addition to any TV room."

  • Sleek, flat design

  • Easy adjustment

  • Very good sound quality

  • Affordable wireless accessories

  • Alexa built in

  • No HDMI inputs

  • Playback controls are missing on the remote control

  • Requires Alexa for Wi-Fi streaming

  • 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). .

Polk React soundbarRich 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.

links

Polk React soundbar inputsRich Shibley / Digital Trends

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.

Polk React soundbar with remote controlRich Shibley / Digital Trends

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.

Polk React soundbarRich 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.

Polk React Soundbar Subwoofer

Polk React Soundbar SR2 Surround Speakers

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.

Polk React Soundbar Remote ControlRich 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.

Editor's recommendations




07 Aug
Blog

Polk Audio Signa S3 Review: Quality Bar, Steep Competition

Polk Audio Signa S3 soundbar

"Polk's high-quality Signa S3 soundbar is a lot right, but it lacks key features for the price."

  • Smooth design

  • High quality stereo sound

  • Wi-Fi connectivity

  • Limited low end

  • Missing surround sound

The soundbar marketplace is deceptive. It doesn't matter how good your features are or how great your sound is. If there's something better for the same price, you'll be the odd bar.

That's the tough lesson Polk Audio's new $ 250 Signa S3 sound bar system is learning. It's a solid option on its own as it's a Wi-Fi enabled soundbar with effective two-channel sound, but Polk just forgot about the budget monster waiting in the opposite corner of the ring. If you don't know who we are talking about, you are close to it.

design

At various times in the past, both myself and my staff at Digital Trends have praised the soundbars that can be heard but not seen. That said, the bars that feature a design that doesn't protrude and blend in so well with the room that you won't know it's there if it's not emitting sound to you – the Bose Soundbar 700 is here one good example of success.

Polk Audio Signa S3 soundbarNick Woodard / Digital Trends

Soundbars from Vizio, LG, Samsung and the like have done this to one degree or another in the past. And I'd argue that the Polk Signa S3 probably fits that category too, and I like the aesthetics of this particular soundbar more than, say, the Vizio counterpart. One notable point is that the color and shape of this bar appear less harsh in comparison. The Vizio V-series is a black, brick-shaped bar with a slightly less black grille. The polk looks softer and tastier with a lighter, grayer grille that plays off the otherwise black bar well. This color is paired with a more rounded shape without all of the sharp edges, which I liked too.

The Signa S3 is a little over two inches tall and around 35 inches wide, which fits closely with competitors like the Vizio V series. There are two pairs of tweeters and mid-range speakers in the 2.1 channel strip. For comparison purposes, the Vizio has a dedicated driver for the center channel of its 5.1 configuration. One driver doesn't seem like much of a difference, but as we'll see in a moment, that particular driver is a crucial one.

The wireless subwoofer for the Signa S3 is front-ported and follows the footprint of soundbar woofers such as the LG SN7Y. They're so similar in size, in fact, that it took my significant other a week to release the submarine in the corner of the room. It was different from the week before. That gave me my first concerns, as the subwoofer for the SN7Y did not impress me with its performance. More on that in a moment.

The remote control for the Signa S3 feels a bit cheap, but is conveniently located on the smaller side and is easy to hold. The Signa S3 supports Polk's AnyRemote technology, which means it should automatically respond to IR signals from most TVs it is connected to. According to Polk's website, the Signa S3 works seamlessly with Samsung, LG, Vizio, TCL, and Sony TV remote controls for volume control, as well as most CEC-enabled TVs.

configuration

The Signa S3 has a book report size quick start guide that includes it. I strongly recommend that you do your homework. Take it from someone who has been too persistent to read manuals for years: if you put pride aside and let the included documentation guide you through setting up the soundbar, things just get infinitely easier.

Polk Audio Signa S3 soundbarNick Woodard / Digital Trends

It starts like any typical soundbar: plug your soundbar into your TV, plug both the bar and subwoofer into power, plug the included AAA battery into your remote, and turn everything on. The subwoofer should automatically connect to the bar and the entire system should be ready for playback in a matter of moments.

Unlike some competitive bars where the input that the soundbar is plugged into is literally written for you, the Signa S3 tells you this via a horizontal row of LED lights.

It all went smoothly for me, but the next few steps gave me a break. Unlike some competitive bars where the input that the soundbar is plugged into is literally written for you – the LG SN7Y mentioned above comes to mind – the Signa S3 tells you this via a horizontal row of LED lights. Some make sense (a single blue light indicates the bar is in bluetooth mode), but beyond that it gets confusing. Fortunately, it is broken down for you in the quick start guide and acts as a translator for the foreign language of lights the S3 is talking to you.

The guide also directs you to the Google Home app, which you can use to connect the Signa S3 to Wi-Fi. This is a very simple process. It's a smooth transition from the tutorial to the Home app as the app walks you step-by-step through adding your network and tweaking your bar. I didn't have the resources to try at the time, but I'm confident that a far less tech-savvy person can get this system fully up and running in 15 minutes. In my opinion, that's the hallmark of a good, easy-to-use soundbar.

links

Even by soundbar standards, the Signa S3 keeps things limited when it comes to connections. There is a single HDMI ARC port, a digital optical port, and an AUX input. For context, the Vizio V-Series adds a 3.5mm stereo audio input as well as a USB port to the mix. I recorded before saying that most soundbars need additional connections, and I stand by that. But that's a soundbar on a budget of $ 250, after all. More HDMI ports would have been great, but at the price, it's not a deal-breaker.

Polk Audio Signa S3 soundbarNick Woodard / Digital Trends

This is where the Signa S3 gets a great value at least in terms of connections in my opinion. Unlike much more expensive bars like the LG SN7Y and Sony HT-G700, this Polk Bar has built-in Wi-Fi. This is huge for my money as it opens up a world of possibilities. For this reason, Google Chromecast is built into the bar, with options for streaming Google Play Music, Spotify, and many other services right into the bar. Plus, you can control your music with a device equipped with the Google Assistant, and group your soundbar with other Chromecast-enabled speakers to create whole-house sound. In addition, your soundbar may receive automatic software updates to keep the product better over time.

This Polk Bar has built-in WiFi. This is huge for my money as it opens up a world of possibilities.

The Signa S3 also has a Bluetooth connection. But with the option to stream Wi-Fi and enjoy sound with no dropouts or disconnections, I don't know why you would ever choose the former over the latter. By equipping their bar with Wi-Fi, Polk has not only done what all soundbars – including the competing Vizio V series – should do, but also what we believe there should be no excuse not to do so in 2020 .

Sound quality

This is the make-or-break category for the Signa S3. For some, the stereo sound produced is comfortable enough and well worth the price of admission. But for others hoping for an even more immersive experience with their soundbar, they will likely want to look elsewhere.

Polk Audio Signa S3 soundbarNick Woodard / Digital Trends

The thing is, this is really not a controversial – or even controversial – statement. Finally, the Signa S3 is a 2.1-channel soundbar. It will work better with audio that is meant to be heard in stereo (i.e. music) and worse with content that benefits from a surround sound setup (most TV shows and movies). Polk gets a little sneaky when he says it supports the Dolby Digital 5.1 sound format, which it technically does. It simply cannot be reproduced as it is again only a two-channel bar. Not all support is the same here, so the language is irritatingly misleading.

For the music, I found this bar to be excellent. Polk is a company that has made a name for itself in the audio space, unlike the bigger brands like Vizio, Samsung and LG. The company has made music-friendly speakers in the past so it came as no surprise to me that the bar can wonderfully clearly reproduce tracks like Mumford & Sons' Lover of the Light. As for the bass, the S3's compact woofer has handled short, punchy deep tones effectively. However, when the sub was asked to go deeper, or when the bass was increased using the beam's remote control, it succumbed to the limitations of its size and unfortunately sounded like it was stretching for a frequency it just couldn't quite reach . If you're not asking too much, you'll be happy with this subwoofer – you just have to know what it can and can't do.

If you try to squeeze five (or more) channels into two the result just won't turn out what it's supposed to.

I want to be as clear as possible with this soundbar when it comes to watching movies or TV shows: objectively speaking, this is an instant and significant improvement over standard TV speakers and brings you the way this content is meant to be heard , far closer. The clarity I mentioned when discussing music is still there, and the sub adds a modest rumble to your listening experience.

But for the third time, and probably not the last, it's a numbers game. If you try to squeeze five (or more) channels into two the result just won't turn out what it's supposed to. In that regard, I'll be taking advantage of the Vizio V-series 5.1 setup or the impact Dolby Atmos had on the LG SN7Y's 3.1.2 configuration, albeit at a significantly higher price. Maybe I'm just too used to having noises above or behind me, but my selection of tests (Mad Max: Fury Road, John Wick, A Quiet Place) just weren't the same audio glasses I was supposed to be getting be on the Signa S3.

The Signa S3 has three sound modes that you can use to customize your audio: The Movie mode "improves audio playback in TVs and movies," Polk said. Night mode attenuates bass and dynamic sounds to keep the neighbors at bay. and music mode is good for music. These all work in that they are the best preset for any situation, but don't expect them to be breakthrough modes that will change the way you play audio dramatically. The same goes for Polk's speech adaptation feature, which allows you to switch between three different levels of speech enhancement. It's helpful, but not as helpful as having a dedicated center channel.

Our opinion

The Polk Signa S3 is a 2.1 channel soundbar that does exactly what it was designed to do. That said, the bar picks up the provided audio and creates a fun listening experience that is exponentially better than anything standard TV speakers could produce. The problem is that its value is being damaged by competitors bringing more to the table without much of a drag on cost. A year ago, having surround sound at that price might not have been that important. But the bar (no pun intended) has been raised and it overshadows an otherwise good system.

Is there a better alternative?

The $ 250 Vizio V series gives you a 5.1 experience for the same price, which makes it a better option for a movie night, though I would still prefer the Signa S3's sound for stereo music. The $ 350 Yamaha YAS-209 is a more advanced alternative to the Polk. Amazon Alexa is integrated into the bar and compatible with DTS: Virtual X. However, like the Signa S3, it does not have true surround sound.

How long it will take?

Polk has a two year warranty on this pole which is also a well made product. With the bonus of software updates, this bar should be able to be a fixture under your television.

Should you buy it

I think it depends on your use case. The Polk Audio Signa S3 has a lot going for it, including built-in WiFi and exceptional stereo sound. If your plan is to not only use a soundbar for movies but also get a healthy dose of music on the go, I would have no hesitation in suggesting the Signa S3. But I think most people value surround sound over streaming music, which makes the Vizio V series a better option for the average consumer. In other words, Vizio, the king of values, wins through a difficult decision.

Editor's recommendations