Polk Audio SurroundBar (42", 50", 360 DVD Theater, SDA IHT) - Review/ Help Thread

svtjoe

I have the 50" hooked up to my Denon and I love it. My 7 year old Velodyne CHT10 is still strong, but it wears out on heavy scenes at reference level and shuts down (flip the switch to restart). When everything is going, its a great sound. Loud, clear. Although when the sub drops its very noticable. What I noticed is that the SB360 had better bass than the 50". Very strange as the drivers are smaller...mabey its the internal amp of the SB360 that has been tweaked.


I need a powerful 12" subwoofer and I will be in business.

I also added (2) R15's (I had them in the closet..I will be getting the matched rears soon) and hooked them up to a rocket fish wireless adapter for a 7.1.


Awesome!

TECHNOKID

svtjoe wrote: »

I have the 50" hooked up to my Denon and I love it. My 7 year old Velodyne CHT10 is still strong, but it wears out on heavy scenes at reference level and shuts down (flip the switch to restart). When everything is going, its a great sound. Loud, clear. Although when the sub drops its very noticable. What I noticed is that the SB360 had better bass than the 50". Very strange as the drivers are smaller...mabey its the internal amp of the SB360 that has been tweaked.


I need a powerful 12" subwoofer and I will be in business.

I also added (2) R15's (I had them in the closet..I will be getting the matched rears soon) and hooked them up to a rocket fish wireless adapter for a 7.1.


Awesome!

You are very fortunate that could have a listen to both of them. It is fair that the 360 has some bass as it was designed for this and the 50' wasn't. I too find it weird that with smaller driver it reaches the lower better. I guess it is the Polk's magic Have you ever had a chance to compare (listen) the 42 and 50? I wonder if the extra 2 drivers make that much difference?

Your subwoofer, you might want to open it and do a little maintenance on it. Simply use an air compressor or vacum cleaner if the air compressor isn't available. Amplifier heat will attract dust and if sufficient dust packs in there, the natural way of ventilating is not efficient anymore. Also make sure it isn't in any enclosed area which will help for the breathing. If you have a NON NOISY fan, this might give a second breath to your subwoofer if you still like its sound quality.

Cheers

numbnuts22715

I ordered the surroundbar360 today. I will let you know all how I like it when it gets here in about a week or so. hopefully it comes faster, but they have to verify that i am actually an employee of best buy.

TECHNOKID

numbnuts22715 wrote: »

I ordered the surroundbar360 today. I will let you know all how I like it when it gets here in about a week or so. hopefully it comes faster, but they have to verify that i am actually an employee of best buy.

Congratulation... Please, let us know particularly what you think of the Low end efficiency without any subwoofer.

Cheers

Torin

Another new member here. As part of my "deal" with my wife in buying a house that she "loves", I was afforded the ability to finally get a new 52" widescreen lcd tv. The main reason of course is that the distance from myself to the wall where the TV will be placed is 19 feet away. Yeah, I know this is stretching it even for a 52" tv, but this is what I have to work with. Since she really wasn't prepared for me to spend what was needed on a 52" tv, I am stuck with trying to find some kind of audio solution for the bedroom that will work in a 20' deep (from me to tv) by 12' wide by 10' tall bedroom.

I've been using Polk equipment for a good many years now. I am not an audiophile, but I do want good sounding speakers for movies and video games, which are primarily conducted away from the living room surround setup that the kids almost always occupy.

So, while a wired system might be possible in the long term (i.e. in the wall speakers and whatnot), I need some kind of solution for the next year or two while I re-earn the right to spend a few more thousand on a new wired surround system. (and the wiring in the walls to go with it) One of the ideas I had was the Polk SurroundBar SDA IHT w/ Wireless sub, as it would allow me to not have to run wires 20' across the room, (and buy the $3000 rug to cover it up) but I wasn't sure how well A) the SurroundBar would fill my 2400 cubic ft. bedroom and the SurroundBar's SDA would work in a 20' deep room.

So, anyone have experience in this area? I'd like to keep my loyalty with Polk, as they've served me well in the past, but I really don't know what I'm getting myself into trying to do something like this in a bedroom this deep.

dorokusai

Is the bed on the far end of that 20' bedroom?

TECHNOKID

dorokusai wrote: »

Is the bed on the far end of that 20' bedroom?

I personnally think that for the purpose and the environment you have, a Polk SurroundBar would be suitable however, I would go for the 50" and as you pointed out the a powerfull wireless subwoofer (or if you have the room up front for the sub, a wired one should also do the trick). You have to make sure your set-up is centered with your bed just like an HT for proper listening position. I guess that is what was met by the bed on the far end???

Cheers

Torin

The bed is on the far end of the 20' length, yes.

+--------20'---------+
 |                    |
 |  +--+              |
12'|BED|            TV|
 |  +--+              |
 |                    |
 +--------20'---------+

I think you get the picture. Obviously the bed is not exactly to scale.

TECHNOKID

Torin wrote: »

The bed is on the far end of the 20' length, yes.

+--------20'---------+
 |                    |
 |  +--+              |
12'|BED|            TV|
 |  +--+              |
 |                    |
 +--------20'---------+

I think you get the picture. Obviously the bed is not exactly to scale.

Where is the door located? Anyway, the main goal (which seem to be accomplished) is to have your bed (sitting posisiton) centerered with your visual and audio gear. The bar doesn't need to help of the walls to do its job but proper sitting position is of utmost importance for optimum effect!

Cheers!

Torin

TECHNOKID wrote: »

Where is the door located? Anyway, the main goal (which seem to be accomplished) is to have your bed (sitting posisiton) centerered with your visual and audio gear. The bar doesn't need to help of the walls to do its job but proper sitting position is of utmost importance for optimum effect!

Cheers!

The door would be along the bottom edge near the lower right hand corner.

Edit: And yes, the bed will be directly lined up with the TV and audio gear. I just didnt know if it not being a square room (more long and narrow than anything) would affect the effect of the SDA, in that the surround effect would be less pronounced.

dorokusai

The IHT is too small for that room, IMO.

Torin

dorokusai wrote: »

The IHT is too small for that room, IMO.

For that matter, is any single speaker system going to be big enough? Or do I just have to push for something like 2 T90es and eventually turn that into a full surround system?

[Deleted User]

Hello Torin,
Thanks for considering our SurroundBar systems as part of your new home. I checked with the SB project manager for his input and he felt that you were in a good position to take advantage of the SDA technology. The size of the room would prevent any problems with side wall reflections and the SDA technology works well whether the listener is near or far away. He suggested the SB50 with a good sub-woofer would be a good choice for fairly high playing volumes. For more moderate playing volumes and eliminating the need for additional components the SB360 would be a good choice. In all likelihood, the SB IHT would not be able to work well in that size room unless the playing volumes were pretty moderate.
I hope this is helpful information.
Regards, Ken

TECHNOKID

Kenneth Swauger wrote: »

Hello Torin,
Thanks for considering our SurroundBar systems as part of your new home. I checked with the SB project manager for his input and he felt that you were in a good position to take advantage of the SDA technology. The size of the room would prevent any problems with side wall reflections and the SDA technology works well whether the listener is near or far away. He suggested the SB50 with a good sub-woofer would be a good choice for fairly high playing volumes. For more moderate playing volumes and eliminating the need for additional components the SB360 would be a good choice. In all likelihood, the SB IHT would not be able to work well in that size room unless the playing volumes were pretty moderate.
I hope this is helpful information.
Regards, Ken

http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/surroundbar/specs.php

debussyj

Torin, For what it's worth, your bedroom size is the same as my living (listening) room. I have my couch on the longer wall with my plasma directly across so I've got a shorter viewing/listening distance than you would have. I'm using the Surroundbar 50" with SVS SB12 Plus subwoofer. I must say the sound is quite satisfying. I'm very pleased. The SB 50" certainly needs the sub though.

numbnuts22715

TECHNOKID wrote: »

Congratulation... Please, let us know particularly what you think of the Low end efficiency without any subwoofer.

Cheers

I got it today, and hooked it up.
I think I have plenty of bass and more than enough sound(volume) for what my needs were. I'm extremely happy I went with this.
Most of what I do is tv watching, watching movies, and playing video games. I havent tested listening to music on it yet just because I really don't listen to music that often.

TECHNOKID

I got it today, and hooked it up.
I think I have plenty of bass and more than enough sound(volume) for what my needs were. I'm extremely happy I went with this.
Most of what I do is tv watching, watching movies, and playing video games. I havent tested listening to music on it yet just because I really don't listen to music that often.

I'm happy for you numbnuts22715! I think this will be the area where it will lack the most (music). Also try some (known/familiar) movies with lots of effects and thunder and you might find some weakness there too. I've quoted Kab's request for help on reviews for you to remember. I think it's the minimum we can do as they provide us with a forum where we can educate ourselves to make sound choices. Also keep in mind your review can help someone else make the best choice for themselves. Again, congrad and enjoy;)

kab wrote: »

This is a great and informative thread, offering great insight to those in the forum. I commend all the contributors.

We could use you help on the product pages. We're short on reviews for the SurroundBar 50, 360 and the new IHT. If you have an experience with any of these, we'd love to have to you contribute a short (or long) review.

Thanks,
Al

svtjoe

Here are some pics of my 50" Panny and my 50" SB. I tried to do a clean installation, there are sooo many wires. I ran 12 gauge to each SB input, HDMI to the TV, extension cords (CL2 rated), Subwoofer cable to my old schoo, trusty Velodyne CHT 10 (The Dust keeps it Vintage lol)..all to the closet with a RF repeater for my Harmony Remote. I also have two rear R15's ran wirelessly to add the 6,7th channel.

It sounds great.. I just need to fix some of the echoes..the tile and open(ess) don't help.


I was going to go with RTI10 and CSI3, but in this room space is tight and the option for a component cabinet (center channel stand) and the monster RTi's would make it even tighter. I am still keeping my eyes open on craigslist though.


Btw, the Surroundbar is Silver and the Grill is black.

Thanks,
Joe

dorokusai

Great pics Joe!

acekaye

I have had the SB50 for about 4 months. I use an Integra DTR 5.9 with an old Polk subwoofer with the sub running into the front inputs on the receiver. I have slightly tweaked the settings on the receiver, but not much. I am not hearing the surround as well as I had expected and I think that the lack of satisfaction is due to my room configuration. I attach the floorplan for reference.

I live in NYC and my living room is configured as follows approximately 11' x 23 ft. Note that in the last 1/5 of the living room (indicated below) there is a bar that separates the California kitchen from the living room. It is like the Jerry Seinfeld kitchen and the height of the bar is about 4 feet high.

My couch is along the back wall and the entire theater system is along the front wall about 6 feet in from the window.

I understand that the location of the SB50 precludes the full usage of the SDA technology in that the side speakers have nothing to bounce the sound off. I can tinker with the Integra DTR settings to indicate where the speakers should be in relation to the couch, but not the angle in which the sound should come out. Any insights on changing the settings or placement and types of reflective devices for the sound to bounce off of would be most appreciated. I will post pictures if that is helpful.

Thanks,

David

svtjoe

I have noticed that the effects are better when there is nothing behind you. I had a wall directly behind me in my last place and whenever I moved forward, I could hear the effects much more.

Also, run the rears around 6db+.. Pics would be helpful.

Thanks,

Joe

acekaye

svtjoe wrote: »

I have noticed that the effects are better when there is nothing behind you. I had a wall directly behind me in my last place and whenever I moved forward, I could hear the effects much more.

Also, run the rears around 6db+.. Pics would be helpful.

Thanks,

Joe

Thanks Joe. Unfortunately, there is not much space in the room so I am kind of limited with the wall behind the couch. How far bar was your wall from where you sat? Also, if you have the rears on 6db+, how high do you set the other speakers? I am including some pictures below to show how the system is set up.

jimbo1421

How about placing the TV in the corner by the window at about a 60 degree angle off the window wall? I have mine in a similar position in a 13' x 19' room. My room is open on the right side; I get a bit of a reflection off the left wall which is also where I placed the subwoofer. The net result is that the sound field is pulled a bit to the left. I still get a good 180 degree sound field from my SB 42.

But I can understand not wanting to give up even a square inch of window space.

TECHNOKID

svtjoe, Really looks like a nice clean job!

svtjoe

acekaye wrote: »

Thanks Joe. Unfortunately, there is not much space in the room so I am kind of limited with the wall behind the couch. How far bar was your wall from where you sat? Also, if you have the rears on 6db+, how high do you set the other speakers? I am including some pictures below to show how the system is set up.

Leave the rest of the Channels on 0. Set your rears to about +6db. Also not sure on your reciever, but set the delay to the rears to about .15ms. That would be about 15 feet (My Denon uses feet, not MS).

This will create a nice delay.

In my old setup I was about 10 feet from the bar on my couch. The wall was directly behind me. As I moved forward (I sat on my coffee table) I could hear stuff I never heard before with the bar.

Your angle and height of the bar look good. Its tougher to mount it on the wall as your TV will be too high if the bar is a tad above ear level..I still may move mine up a tad...I took a different approach on this house as I kept the tv at a tad above eye level when sitting down. I think most people mount their tv too high on the wall, when really, they should have bought a bigger screen

Try those reciever settings and watch Bad Boys II (The Tahoe chase scene<< awesome)


Tehncokid : Thanks! I need to see if I can fit a bigger sub under that table to keep it hidden. MY CHT10 is working hard to fill that non sound loving room!

rsharp2000

Another newbie here! Just installed the SurroundBar 50 below my Samsung 52" over the fireplace and it looks great! Love the look and cleanness of the SB50 on the wall w/ the 52" LCD.

I am running 5.1 now (may expand to 7.1?) but room is small so may not need to. Also running a PSW505 powered sub - which I just troubleshot w/ forum help (thanks to all!) and is working great! IMHO there is no comparism to having a separate sub to push the bass thru on movie soundtracks (or music) regardless of what any mfgr tells you - sorry guys!

Originally I had all my Onkyo 706 sound channels running to the SB50 but found the surround sound a bit lacking so I have recently added separates for the SR & SL channels on side wall locations just above the primary viewing area. For now am trying Cambridge Soundworks white S205 switchable bipole/dipoles (almost free - and looks very nice on the wall) and also have a smaller set of S100's to try as well - also switchable bipole/dipole (sorry again guys but both were rated very high & SW giving them away for less than $100 shipped - so thought I'd try them before springing for FXi 3s or 4s).

My physical room config has several "holes" in it since the left wall is entirely open to approx 9' above the floor. There is a 10'L x 8'H hole in the right rear wall going into the kitchen/breakfast area. Room size is approx 20'W x 26'L x 9'-24'H sloping cathedral ceiling.

For me it came down between the SB50 & Yami 4000. Yami sounded great too but relies more on physical room config & walls to bounce off so went w/ SB50. And my plan was that if I did need to add separate surrounds the SB50 would make a clean F-C-R speaker package w/ a large flat screen - which is where I am now.

Will send some pics shortly ...

... am also wondering if I can use the unused SB50 SR/SL channels as add'l front speakers w/ the SB50 F/L speakers(can I bi-amp or series/parallel wire them or ???) and set sound levels w/ Audyssey calibaration from the Onk 706???

jon5

Question for vm20 please help me out

i have pair of vm30 set as left and right front speakers and 1 vm20 as center

my question is that be good if i used pair of vm20 for rear surrounds ?
That mean = 2 vm30 front + 1 vm20 center + 2 vm20 rear surrounds?

Thanks am new baby from polk

YOTR

I have a question. I should be receiving my Surroundbar 50 in a few days and am concerned about my placement and if it will affect the sound. I currently have my tv on a stand and will put the Surroundbar in front of it. I have a av rack (for receiver, xbox 360, PS3, etc) right next to the tv stand on the left side. Will the SDA/Surround effect be lost on the left side because of the rack right next to the tv stand? I don't know how the sound field works on the Surroundbar 50 which is why I am asking. I really can't move this rack ( I might be able to move it out a few feet and put my sub between the rack and stand) so I thought I would ask. I have a Pioneer 5020 and have just enough room to put the Surroundbar 50 right underneath the screen where the detachable speaker normally goes. That would put it directly side by side with the AV rack. Thanks in advance!

debussyj

Hi, I have a similar scenario. I have the Pio 5020 also and two tall AV towers, one is on the right the other on the left. They kind of frame the space for the display. I have had no sonic problems with this setup at all. BTW, you're going to love how nicely the SB 50 fits underneath the Pio, like it was made for it. Enjoy!

[Deleted User]

Hello YOTR,
Thanks for posting on the Forum. In general terms the SurroundBar 50 works best if it is placed so that there are no large reflections coming from fairly flat objects to the speaker's left and right sides. The idea is to have the relationship between the "normal" audio channels and the "SDA" audio information reach the listener with no interference. If your component rack is fairly open with no large reflecting surfaces you should be fine. Try and push the rack as far back, as possible, and bring the SurroundBar as far forward, as possible, to minimize the reflections and you should be fine.
Take care and enjoy, Ken