Polk Audio Command Bar - Official Discussion

Clipdat

Let's discuss Polk's product announcement at CES yesterday, the new Command Bar. It's a soundbar and wireless subwoofer, with built in Amazon Alexa.

Video from the unveiling:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lcb4-oJAjxc

F1nut

What we have here is a failure to communicate.

lightman1

Fail!

rpf65

Another technological break through that I have no interest in.

FestYboy

This still has a fatal flaw that follows all sound bars: subwoofer localization, due to the mains not being able to get down to the low vocal range and the sub has to fill the gap. So placement, as suggested in the video above, will yield sub-par results. As I understand it, that isn't the goal of Polk, yet that appears to be the direction they're headed with this. As I had posted in the other thread: fixing the "thin TV" problem with a thin sound bar. The Maxi should have been their building point I think.

This is just my initial opinion.

Viking64

I wonder if this will fit on the dash of my car? And how will Alexa respond to my incessant profanity while driving in traffic?

Viking64

F1nut wrote: »

What we have here is a failure to communicate.

Some men you just can't reach. (The fact that Alexa is female is irrelevant.) So you get what we had here at CES. Which isn't the way we want it. But we get it. And I don't like it any more than you Polkies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj60OAh7O5U

scubalab

Hmm... some threads seem to have disappeared from the Clubhouse...

[Deleted User]

Good afternoon Members of the Forum.

The first thread of the Command bar was shut down due to VERY inappropriate language being used towards Amazon, Dave Limp, and Polk Audio.

This is a project that we, at Polk Audio and Amazon, have worked very hard on.

Please do not simply dismiss the efforts of our teams because of your feelings for Voice Products or Soundbars.

We have found a very nice solution that will work in a consumers Alexa eco-system. It will introduce consumers who wouldn't normally consider a Voice product, to our products.

This is a very versatile bar for ONLY 299, a very reasonable price range for the features it has.

If foul language is used on this thread directed at any of the Brands: Polk Audio, Amazon, Sound United, there will be consequences for the perpetrators. We are a community that should respect each other and share ideas, not tear each other down.

Thank you for your time. If anyone has questions about anything said here, questions about the Command Bar, the collaboration or Polk and Amazon or the recent acquisition of Classe Audio by Sound United please let me know via direct message or response to the thread. I will do my best to check on this through out the evening.

Ken

codycatalist

KenCustomerService wrote: »

Good afternoon Members of the Forum.

The first thread of the Command bar was shut down due to VERY inappropriate language being used towards Amazon, Dave Limp, and Polk Audio.

This is a project that we, at Polk Audio and Amazon, have worked very hard on.

Please do not simply dismiss the efforts of our teams because of your feelings for Voice Products or Soundbars.

We have found a very nice solution that will work in a consumers Alexa eco-system. It will introduce consumers who wouldn't normally consider a Voice product, to our products.

This is a very versatile bar for ONLY 299, a very reasonable price range for the features it has.

If foul language is used on this thread directed at any of the Brands: Polk Audio, Amazon, Sound United, there will be consequences for the perpetrators. We are a community that should respect each other and share ideas, not tear each other down.

Thank you for your time. If anyone has questions about anything said here, questions about the Command Bar, the collaboration or Polk and Amazon or the recent acquisition of Classe Audio by Sound United please let me know via direct message or response to the thread. I will do my best to check on this through out the evening.

Ken

Why shut down the thread instead of removing comments you felt were inappropriate? Opinions are opinions and shutting the thread down seems like a way to "hide" the disappointment we felt on this announcement as oppose to removing individual comments that fit the terms you stated above?

Not trying to bicker here but taking down a whole thread for SOME comments seems a little heavy handed.

Clipdat

Could please kindly clarify what exactly falls under "inappropriate" or "foul" language? I believe all dictionary swears automatically get censored, so I'm just hoping to make it very clear what will not be tolerated.

KenCustomerService wrote: »

The first thread of the Command bar was shut down due to VERY inappropriate language being used towards Amazon, Dave Limp, and Polk Audio.

If foul language is used on this thread directed at any of the Brands: Polk Audio, Amazon, Sound United, there will be consequences for the perpetrators. We are a community that should respect each other and share ideas, not tear each other down.

[Deleted User]

@codycatalist you make a good point. But myself and Ken Swauger felt it better to have it removed completely than edited the entire thread. It was heavily edited by the time I had it brought to my attention.

We appreciate your cooperation and input.

txcoastal1

Over the last couple years, there had seemed to be some subtle hints that "Maybe", a token of the "Old School" Polk, most would prefer SDA, would be possibly resurrected.

Klipsch, and now JBL have brought back a few blasts from the pasts.

So Sound United must understand that when you hear the word SDA get hyped, that a lot, especially the boomers want some "Old Skool Polk".

So yeah a little deflating

hochpt21

I think what we have is a hard-core group of people who have spent the last five to ten (or more) years of their life so very invested in a brand most people would say it’s unhealthy. Basically, brand ambassadors for Polk Audio who would be willing to fight tooth and nail to defend the brand.

A few years ago there were major changes (vanilla) that blew away not only a large portion of the brand ambassadors, but a critical amount of countless hours of research and troubleshooting Polk Audio products that had been produced by us...the enthusiasts.

Just wiped it all away.

Since that time, thare are a few of us left. Mostly, we feel largely ignored. We see that Polk is moving in a far different direction, but still hold out the faintest of hope in the audiophilia roots.

There have even been various ‘carrots’ dangled by Polk Audio employees regarding audiophile type products and a revival of the SDA technology.

I think we were all excited for a special announcement with a marketing tease only to find out it was another sound bar, and one that didn’t even work at the end of the grand announcement and that was a big disappointment to us.

Yes, Alexa is a growing force to the masses and this is a big accomplishment for Sound United.

But I think the few of us left are going to have face the fact that Polk/Sound United has a different agenda and that will not change.

No matter how fervent we are...

Or how dedicated we were...

nooshinjohn

I still want to know what Alexa will do when she finds out I have been cheating on her with... never mind.

xschop

Alexa, what is SDA?

cfrizz

Congratulations Polk, I think with the combo with Amazon, you will have a hit on your hands!

F1nut

I'm sure I'll be viewed as a dinosaur, but whatever. All this voice command stuff is the optimity of laziness and yet some wonder why Americans are so fat.

Strong Bad

There's definitely a HUGE market for this product. I don't blame Polk one bit for this partnership with Amazon. Let's face it, we have 3 giants out there in terms of the "voice command" tech...Amazon, Apple and Google. Myself, I'm on the Apple platform and will be sticking there. Over the holidays, I installed the Hue lighting system in my house. I have the main hub with NINE bulbs throughout, from the basement home theater to the bedrooms. The more I use it, the more I configure it, the more I love it.

I work with people who think i'm nuts for having a 7.1 surround system with huge subwoofer. These are the people that want a product exactly like this Command Bar. This IS the market we're in. Voice command and home automation are it and it's growing by leaps and bounds. You may not like it, you may think it's dumb and not for you, but there are millions upon millions of people out there that love it and want it!

Nice job Polk! I hope it's a success...now make one with Apple/Siri enabled and i'll look at it.

mikeyb128

I need a surround bar for my bedroom. Considered Polk many times, but to be honest those bars make me nervous. I know 2 friends who I pushed to Polk products who now have broken surround bars after warranty. I hope this one works!

Toolfan66

I don’t see where any foul language was used in the old thread, I actually don’t see where anything was said out of line, a little joking here and there but mostly hype at first then disappointment.

smglbrth

F1nut wrote: »

I'm sure I'll be viewed as a dinosaur, but whatever. All this voice command stuff is the optimity of laziness and yet some wonder why Americans are so fat.

Couldn't have said it better myself...

BlueFox

I wonder how the market research was conducted. One would normally have an Alexia in a common room of the house, not a HT. So, I would assume this isn't geared to a HT, but as a add-on for a regular TV in the living room. Then I would wonder how many regular TV viewers purchase sound bars. Just curious.

Personally, I would never have a component in my house that listened to everything being said. My Sony 4K TV has voice command capability, but that is, supposedly, disabled. Of course, since it is in the HT there isn't much conversation to be recording.

cfrizz

The vast majority of people's HT room IS their livingroom. Not everyone can/does/want a whole separate room just to watch movies especially if you live in an apartment.

Two great companies working together to make life and entertainment easier for everyone. That's what I call cool!

Toolfan66

How about paying us to write a positive review?? I’ll take payment in the form of RDO-198’s...

lightman1

The two Kens settin' things straight around here!

txcoastal1

cfrizz wrote: »

The vast majority of people's HT room IS their livingroom. Not everyone can/does/want a whole separate room just to watch movies especially if you live in an apartment.

Two great companies working together to make life and entertainment easier for everyone. That's what I call cool!

Oh I get it, I started installing Home Automation back in the 90's...big closet full of panels, writing DOS strings for integration. I'm still an integrator today.

http://www.unitysystemshomemanager.com/original-unity-home-manager/history

https://imgur.com/gallery/Jb6jW

For Alexa to really work for whole home, you need to buy several Alexa products. In apartment how many Alexa products do you need. One in the kitchen, living room, bedroom...then what

Expensive light switch, a phone/TV to look at the weather and talking remotes...we have them. Again these are not devices even your typical apartment dwellers, except in locations of the higher end apartments/income.

Cathy...how many Alexa devices will you purchase over the next 2 years? What will you use the Alexa for in your daily routine?

Is it cool...yeah, but is it revolutionary and overall affordable, not on average. Will you have to have it in your devices to compete....yeah probably.

Been doing this stuff for over 25yrs...just saying.

xschop

We received an Echo for Christmas and we re-gifted it.

Viking64

xschop wrote: »

We received an Echo for Christmas and we re-gifted it.

Ah, maybe that's why it is called an "Echo"?

mhardy6647

txcoastal1 wrote: »

...

For Alexa to really work for whole home, you need to buy several Alexa products. In apartment how many Alexa products do you need. One in the kitchen, living room, bedroom...then what
...

I guess this is what I (technological knuckle-dragger that I am) don't get about these 'assistants'. I thought that in the IOT everything would be addressable -- which to my mind suggests that one "Alexa" box, asked to do something, ought to be able to send out the right command strings to the right IP addresses on the network to make things happen. Not at all clear to me why the soundbar needs "Alexa" if, e.g., one's source of streaming -- whatever -- is a tablet or a phone or something that already has Alexa or Siri or (heaven forefend) Cortana or whatever.

Maybe I am just underthinking the sophistication of 2018 technology.

txcoastal1

What is this all about....Amazon. Amazon was a data company long before being a consumer sales company

Hey not knocking what they accomplished, but like Wal-Mart, if you can't beat them join them.