Polk React Sound Bar Amazon Multi-Room Music Issues
jmbgator
Posts: 3
Hi all,
Hopefully someone can assist me. So I purchased a Polk React soundbar for my parents specifically in that it advertises that it can do Amazon Multi-Room Music in tandem with other Amazon Echo devices. I have not been able to get this to work.
The soundbar is working great with all of the other features. However, when I try to create a Multi-Room speaker group within the Alexa app, I can either select the React by itself, or select my various Echo devices. If I try to select both the Echo speakers and the React together, it shows "Network Error" under the React. However the React works fine by itself with Alexa and plays music, just not in Multi-Room mode with the other Echos.
Has anyone had any success in getting the React to support Multi-room audio? It currently shows that is is on software version 68. I've tried everything. Factory reset after factory reset, network reset after network reset, re-registering device in Alexa, etc.
Unfortunately I only have 3 days left in my return window, and if I can't get it to work I'm returning it and going with a different brand.
Hopefully someone can assist me. So I purchased a Polk React soundbar for my parents specifically in that it advertises that it can do Amazon Multi-Room Music in tandem with other Amazon Echo devices. I have not been able to get this to work.
The soundbar is working great with all of the other features. However, when I try to create a Multi-Room speaker group within the Alexa app, I can either select the React by itself, or select my various Echo devices. If I try to select both the Echo speakers and the React together, it shows "Network Error" under the React. However the React works fine by itself with Alexa and plays music, just not in Multi-Room mode with the other Echos.
Has anyone had any success in getting the React to support Multi-room audio? It currently shows that is is on software version 68. I've tried everything. Factory reset after factory reset, network reset after network reset, re-registering device in Alexa, etc.
Unfortunately I only have 3 days left in my return window, and if I can't get it to work I'm returning it and going with a different brand.
Comments
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Let me ask someone at Polk about this.
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I'm having the same issue with my PolkReact Soundbar.
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The response:
Hey Ken,
Yes, I have successfully created a speaker group that includes the react, echo spot, and two dots in my home. Be sure that all devices are on the same Amazon account. Sometimes two accounts are created unknowingly. To check all you have to say is 'Alexa switch accounts".
Also check their internet speed. They should have at least 50 megabytes per second available. Once you start streaming on multiple devices can use a bit of data.
Hope this helps,
Clint
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SeleniumFalcon wrote: »The response:
Hey Ken,
Yes, I have successfully created a speaker group that includes the react, echo spot, and two dots in my home. Be sure that all devices are on the same Amazon account. Sometimes two accounts are created unknowingly. To check all you have to say is 'Alexa switch accounts".
Also check their internet speed. They should have at least 50 megabytes per second available. Once you start streaming on multiple devices can use a bit of data.
Hope this helps,
Clint
Thanks for your help. Unfortunately, I had already checked that all my speakers are on the same Amazon account. For internet speed, I get 1000mbps download and 50mbps upload so should be plenty. All speakers are in the same room as the router for testing purposes.
Miraculously, I was able to connect all my speakers together (including the React) out of nowhere. They did start playing music when I told Alexa to, but it would quickly cut out after a few seconds. I haven't been able to get it to play a full song without cutting out. It only happened when I played all the Echoes + React. If I do just the Echoes, then the songs play perfect. -
I will relay this to Clint.
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Response:
"Only thing I can think of is wifi range. If all work separately, then nothing should be wrong with the devices. The react does not control network traffic. They may need a mesh network system like Orbi or eero. If they are using the provider's router, they may need to expand the Wi-Fi network with a two or three-pack mesh network system. I use EERO in my household."
Post edited by SeleniumFalcon on -
I have the exact same issues in that order. I finally got connected to the multi room group and will only play one song and then stop.
I contacted Polk and they said it is an Amazon issue.
I bought my speaker from Amazon warehouse. They had a bunch for cheap. I wonder if they were selling them cheap because they have issues. -
I checked with a friend who has been a custom audio/video installer and he said:
"Buffering is the only issue I can think of. Wi-Fi devices do not have anything to do with Wi-Fi buffering. As a Best Buy/Magnolia Designer, Wi-Fi Mesh network systems were the first thing we would sell, explaining that it is like laying a foundation before building the house. You cannot build a home on dirt. I have had 0 issues with streaming using Amazon or Google Chromecast to my Polk Soundbars and grouping with the eero mesh network installed.
When I worked for Best Buy/Mag, this was typically the fix in most customers' homes with streaming issues."
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SeleniumFalcon wrote: »Response:
"Only thing I can think of is wifi range. If all work separately, then nothing should be wrong with the devices. The react does not control network traffic. They may need a mesh network system like Orbi or eero. If they are using the provider's router, they may need to expand the Wi-Fi network with a two or three-pack mesh network system. I use EERO in my household."
I have the same issue that as part of a speaker group it would stop after 1 song, all others keep playing. Having tried everything else I bought a eero mesh and installed it. The Polk is only 2m from eero still same problem. Tried Polk help to be honest not a lot of -
Yes I have the same problem with my sound bar plays one song and then it drops from the group. I'm hoping there's a software or firmware update that needs to happen.
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Same issue here but more quirks. It worked fine for many months. I have this setup at my vacation property. Poor mans Sonos. When I came back down in November things started to get flakey. In the past Tunein and Spotify worked perfectly with the group. I have the echo amp, two polk soundbars, an echo studio and and echo. Tunein still works with the group like before. Spotify will not work at all with a group containing the soundbars. I switched to Amazon music figuring it would work. Now I get the entire group playing for the first song and then both soundbars drop as soon as the second song starts. Crazy.
p.s. Created a group with the two soundbars and its working fine. Will try some other variations.
p.s.s. you also need to make sure that all devices are on the same network so all on the same SSID and speed. I have forced mine to 2.4ghz otherwise they will switch on their own over time. I block all the speaker mac addresses from connecting to the 5ghz network. -
I'll forward this to a friend at Polk for help.
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His recommendation:
* Reboot the network, "power cycle of the router."
* Power cycle both REACT bars. "Unplugging them for 5 minutes before plugging them back in."
If further assistance is needed, please get in touch with our product support team by visiting Customer Support | Polk (polkaudio.com)<https://www.polkaudio.com/en-us/contact-us.html> or by calling Product Support at 800-377-7655
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Did not help. Actually made it worse. Now one soundbar cannot be added to the speaker group and the other can be but drops after the first song still. If I exclude the soundbars from the group it works perfectly. I will contact support. I would like to know how to confirm the firmware is up to date on the soundbars. When you tell them to update via alexa they say the function is not supported. Thanks.
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I'll let him know.
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I heard from him, he recommends contacting Polk's support team by visiting Customer Support | Polk (polkaudio.com)<https://www.polkaudio.com/en-us/contact-us.html> or by calling Product Support at 800-377-7655
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Last night one of the soundbars had a network error according to the speaker grouping function in alexa despite being able to accept any kind of alexa command. This morning though, the error was gone and I was able to add the soundbar back to the speaker group and everything was fine. Working as it use to work a couple of months ago. Thanks for you help.
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So I'm posting this here in case there is someone at Polk listening. I followed this thread and maybe a couple of others where people who got React's could not use Multi-room music when they first get it, and then after some amount of time, it starts to work. I had presumed that this was due to a firmware update getting pushed on the first day and then everything is roses. I now have my React, and I too got a "Network Error" whenever I tried to use it with Multi-room music, and then I went back several hours later and it worked.
However...
The software version reported by the Alexa app remained the same (68), and every time you power cycle the React it has the same issue as when you first get it. You can no longer add it to a speaker group, and if you already have it in a speaker group, it won't work and basically kills the group, until some amount of time has passed and it starts working again. I haven't yet figured out how long that some amount of time is. Maybe several minutes, maybe several hours.
Probably not a big deal to most people, but for me I'm installing this into my travel trailer and I have to change power sources maybe a couple of times a day... I asked Polk support about this and they quickly replied and said that anything multi-room music is outside of their purview and I should contact Amazon for help, and I know that doing that would be a waste of time...
Does anybody know if 68 is the latest firmware and if not, how does one go about updating it? -
I'll forward this to some Polk specialists.
