Omni/PlayFi speakers are a big disappointment

dwfletch

I have had an Omni SB1 and an Omni S2 for about a year now. I bought them with high expectations that they would be ideal for my intended uses. The Omni SB1 would be my TV sound bar and double for music playback using the WiFi capability. The Omni S2 could be used outdoors by the pool in the summer.

What a disappointment. As a hard-wired TV sound bar it works fine. However, the PlayFi functionality rarely works for me. I have two constant problems with the Polk app - 1) Doesn't find my speakers, and 2) Doesn't find my DLNA server. Additionally, when the stars align and I am able to stream music from my DLNA server to the speakers, I get constant pauses and interruptions, often having to go through the entire connection sequence all over again.

I'm sure this will be blamed on my WiFi network. I have made so many changes to my network to try to correct these issues that I don't remember them all. If I really believed it would make a difference, I would make more changes. I have also installed other DLNA clients on my mobile devices, and none of them have any problem finding my server.

My thinking is that i should just be able to start the app, pick my speakers, pick my server and things would work consistently well. That is what I had hoped for. It certainly is not what I got. Listening to anything other than my TV with these speakers normally requires about a half hour of fiddling until I get everything working. Often i just give up.

If I had it to do all over again, I would not purchase these speakers, and I certainly would not recommend them to anybody.

Duane Fletcher

[Deleted User]

Hello Duane,
I'm certainly sorry to read of your disappointment, I'm sure it's very frustrating. If it were me I would call Polk's wireless product helpline at 1-800-638-7276. They're there today until 6:00pm and I'm sure they can be of help.
It's a great product, hang in there and I'm sure Polk can get you enjoying the SB1 more.
Regards, Ken

teebee70

Hi Duane, I'm curious if you were able to fix these issues after calling tech support? I'm experiencing similar issues, although I don't have a dedicated server. I just installed Plex on our 2 laptops so when they are on I could use them to stream music we have on either laptop through the speakers. but honestly it seems easier to turn on Pandora or Spotify since it takes care of the DJ duties. Also I have a Blackberry and my wife has a Samsung Galaxy Edge. I am not able to get the app to stream music from my phone but it works for my wife. the thing we don't like is that if a phone call comes in then the music turns off. So now we are usually using a small Windows tablet to stream to the speakers. I have 2 S2 (one rechargeable) , an S-6 (which sounds amazing), and I also have the SB-1 soundbar. I think all the problems we've experienced are tied to the wifi signal. I've been reading about and trying to test my signal, turns out that there are different wifi channels and other settings that may need to be tweaked to get a stronger and more reliable signal. This all just seems so complicated to me but makes sense. too bad we have to do all this troubleshooting. Let me know if you've found any solution.
-Todd

tonyb

teebee70 wrote: »

Hi Duane, I'm curious if you were able to fix these issues after calling tech support? I'm experiencing similar issues, although I don't have a dedicated server. I just installed Plex on our 2 laptops so when they are on I could use them to stream music we have on either laptop through the speakers. but honestly it seems easier to turn on Pandora or Spotify since it takes care of the DJ duties. Also I have a Blackberry and my wife has a Samsung Galaxy Edge. I am not able to get the app to stream music from my phone but it works for my wife. the thing we don't like is that if a phone call comes in then the music turns off. So now we are usually using a small Windows tablet to stream to the speakers. I have 2 S2 (one rechargeable) , an S-6 (which sounds amazing), and I also have the SB-1 soundbar. I think all the problems we've experienced are tied to the wifi signal. I've been reading about and trying to test my signal, turns out that there are different wifi channels and other settings that may need to be tweaked to get a stronger and more reliable signal. This all just seems so complicated to me but makes sense. too bad we have to do all this troubleshooting. Let me know if you've found any solution.
-Todd

There are many reasons, all aggravating. Can simply be you need to switch channels on your wi-fi. Ideally you want as far a distance as possible between channels of devices using them. Could also be you have x amount of devices on all the time sucking up bandwidth. Internet providers are not above throttling down your bandwidth if you use too much. You really don't think it's unlimited I hope. Try turning off the wi-fi on devices not in use. Make sure the router is a capable one and not placed in a dungeon.

Troubleshooting is the way of this new world. Problem is, we are all being sold wireless products that eat up bandwidth, but we don't have the ability to supply all that bandwidth yet. Phones, laptops, music servers, TV's, Tablets....even appliances now are internet connectable. They all contribute to how much you suck out, and if you suck out above your plan limits or what your provider is willing to give, they will throttle you down causing some devices not to work or have buffering issues.

Think of it like leaving a ton of apps open on your phone running in the back ground. Your phone runs slower right ? Same goes for household stuff.

You can call your internet provider and see how much you use, and adjust your plan accordingly. Turn off the wi-fi on devices not in use. Make sure the router is up to snuff and placed somewhere appropriate. Switch channels to see if that helps at all.

It's usually not the device that is at fault, but the wi-fi system you have set up at home. Which as you said.....aggravating.