One-minute review
The Polk React soundbar hits the bottom working with a classy, compact design that manages to look cute, severe and impartial all on the similar time. The rounded corners and huggable felt end give it an nearly smooth look, actually.
All ideas of softness disappear once you hearth it up, although. Despite solely primarily being a stereo soundbar, the React can pump out a forceful sound able to filling even massive rooms with no matter movie you’re watching.
It does this with none distortion within the bass or mid-range, too, regardless of having sufficient energy and projection to make sounds look like coming from the edges of the room quite than solely in entrance of you.
Detailing is great, and whereas bass is barely strong for those who purchase the soundbar by itself, low frequency impression turns into actually good for those who add the non-compulsory React sub to your bundle.
Wider dispersion of vocals, extra beneficiant HDMI connectivity and slightly extra finesse with the best trebles would have made the Polk React a cut-price basic. Even because it stands, although, it’s an important addition to the inexpensive/upgradable soundbar scene; particularly for those who’re searching for a soundbar so as to add to an current Amazon Alexa system.
Polk React value and availability
- Widely out there internationally
- Soundbar may be partnered with non-compulsory subwoofer and rear audio system
- React soundbar: $249 / £249 / AU$399; React Subwoofer: $179 / £149 / AU$369; Polk SR2 Surrounds: $179 / £159 / AU$219
Polk’s React soundbar, React Sub subwoofer and SR2 wi-fi rear audio system can be found just about globally. What’s extra, irrespective of the place you purchase them, they’re out there at significantly inexpensive costs contemplating the ability and sound high quality they’re able to delivering.
You’re $249 / £249 / AU$399 for the soundbar alone, with the subwoofer costing $179 / £149 / AU$369, and rear audio system setting you again $179 / £159 / AU$219.
Suffice it to say that whether or not you go for the React soundbar alone or a full bundle with non-compulsory subwoofer and rears, the React system is significantly good worth.
Design and options
- Available as a soundbar alone, or with non-compulsory subwoofer and rears
- HDMI eARC connectivity
- Main soundbar options two tweeters, two mid-range drivers and two passive bass radiators
The Polk React sells as a one-piece soundbar, however may be partnered with an non-compulsory wi-fi React subwoofer and wi-fi SR2 encompass sound audio system if you wish to add (a lot) extra bass or create a extra immersive soundstage. For the needs of this review we tried the React soundbar with the React Sub.
The soundbar seems very cute. Its smallish kind (864(w) x 121(d) x 57(h)mm) ought to slot handily beneath most of 2021’s TVs, and it’s simply the suitable measurement, too, to accomplice a variety of TV display sizes with out looking of proportion.
Its rounded ends give it a snug, homely really feel, as does the darkish material masking its entrance, facet and high edges. The React soundbar ships with a template you should use to assist wall mount it for those who’re searching for a compact soundbar to accompany a wall-mounted TV.
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The high of the soundbar sports activities a stylishly massive round panel containing primary button controls ought to the small however thoughtfully designed distant management not fall readily handy.
The soundbar doesn’t carry a show within the typical sense of the time period. Instead a skinny LED strip close to the highest of the entrance edge adjustments color to let you know what Alexa is as much as, whereas a separate small colour-coded Status LED mild tells you what the soundbar’s doing. For occasion, if the Status LED mild is purple you’re in Night Mode; if it’s yellow then the soundbar is receiving DTS Audio; and if it’s inexperienced Dolby audio is being acquired.
A correct readout telling you what’s happening could be simpler, in reality. But if it seems Polk has sacrificed the luxurious of a correct show within the quest for nice sound high quality at an inexpensive value, so be it.
The subwoofer can also be fairly cute in a big, chunky, subwoofery type of approach. It sports activities an identical all-over felt masking, with a daring Polk brand on the highest and a hefty driver pointing down from a backside edge that’s raised an inch or so off the ground by stylishly built-in toes.
The soundbar’s connections are slightly disappointing - particularly the supply of only a single HDMI port. This must be connected to your TV’s ARC/eARC HDMI port if it has one, in order that audio from no matter’s being watched on the TV may be handed by to the soundbar. As a outcome, there aren't any different HDMI inputs out there on the soundbar for attaching/looping by different exterior HDMI sources.
Only supporting HDMI-carried sound through ARC additionally means your TV should have the ability to go Dolby and DTS audio codecs on to the soundbar for those who’re to get one of the best outcomes from all sources, and we’ve seen loads of examples of ARC inflicting audio sync points with some sources (although we must always add instantly that we didn't expertise this concern in the course of the time we spent testing the Polk React).
Our guess is that not carrying any HDMI inputs means the React can sidestep the difficult questions confronted by soundbars with HDMI loop-through over whether or not that loop-through helps Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and the newest 4K at 120Hz video feeds now out there from the newest consoles and PC gaming units.
The solely different ports on the Polk React soundbar are a USB enter that’s solely there for service/firmware use, and an optical audio enter. The soundbar does carry each Bluetooth and Wi-Fi wi-fi connectivity, together with Spotify Connect streaming, however there’s no assist for Chromecasting or Airplay 2.
The most important React soundbar’s configuration options two 25mm tweeters, two mid-range drivers, and a pair of 110 x 100mm passive radiators for bass. There’s no nice push for big numbers of ‘real’ audio channels right here; whereas the soundbar can deal with Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 sound, its output is simply stereo except you add the non-compulsory rears and subwoofer. Since the React is just not designed to deal with Dolby Atmos or DTS:X, simply Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1, there aren't any peak results.
Anyone dissatisfied by the dearth of Atmos and DTS:X assist ought to keep in mind the core React soundbar’s very inexpensive value. For that kind of cash it’s not affordable to anticipate channels galore.
The subwoofer, for those who add it to the bundle, sports activities a sizeable seven-inch woofer, and is linked to the soundbar through a fairly simple pairing button positioned subsequent to the HDMI port.
Aside from hopefully providing an improve out of your TVs sound, the React’s largest attraction is its assist for Amazon Alexa voice recognition - full with 4 built-in far-field mics. Alexa is so effectively built-in, actually, that the speaker primarily works as a (great-sounding) Amazon Echo, and may even grow to be a part of a completely built-in Alexa Multi-Room system and management your different sensible residence units.
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The soundbar speaks to you in these acquainted Alexa tones as quickly as you turn it on, guiding you thru primary arrange steps in a pleasant and efficient method.(We have been impressed, too, by how effectively the soundbar picked up our plaintive cries of ‘Alexa!’ even within the midst of enjoying raucous motion scenes at foolishly loud volumes.)
The closing Polk React options of word are its provision of 4 themed sound presets (Night, Music, Sport and Movies), and a Voice Adjust possibility that provides emphasis to vocals for those who’re struggling to choose them out of a dense combine. We prefer to name this the ‘Tenet’ mode.
Audio efficiency
- Powerful and aggressive presentation
- Creates a surprisingly massive and ahead soundstage
- Adding the subwoofer is extremely really useful
Starting our exams with simply the soundbar, the primary issues we seen have been how large a sound area it may venture, and the way pleasingly aggressive it sounds with movie soundtracks.
The scale of its sound comfortably crammed a mid to large-sized room, and whereas we wouldn’t go as far as to say that we heard any sound results coming from behind us, we might clearly hear sound exercise happening to our left and proper sides. This exercise wasn’t simply imprecise ambient results both; the facet sounds contained ranges of element and specificity past something you’d think about potential from such a small and inexpensive soundbar.
The incontrovertible fact that we have been listening to sounds to our left and proper facet quite than simply all in entrance of us proves that the React is unusually good for its cash at propelling sound aggressively ahead into your room.
The sound’s projection is backed by loads of energy, too. Polk doesn’t specify energy rankings for the React, however there’s nothing in regards to the most volumes it may attain or the cohesiveness of its soundstage that means any deficiencies with any of the drivers. On the opposite, the React’s presentation appears expressly tuned to ship punchy, dense movie soundtracks, hitting laborious with impression sounds, and escalating cleanly and powerfully as large film scenes construct to a crescendo.
Dialogue is saved locked on the heart of the soundstage, too, and at all times stays crystal clear; a lot in order that we hardly felt the necessity to use the Voice Adjust possibility.
Bass from the React soundbar is slightly restricted with out including the subwoofer. But what’s there may be at the least delivered with out phutting or different distortions, and with out overwhelming another points of the combination.
There are, although, a few niggles with the React’s sound. The first is that, whereas dialogue is at all times clear, it may sound quite locked into the soundbar, with the outcome that voices appear to be slightly dislocated from the image. This is alleviated to some extent by a low seating place, so that you're sitting barely under the road of the soundbar and display, or by barely angling the soundbar up. It’s actually not an excellent scenario, although.
The different concern is that, at excessive volumes, treble results in dense film moments can grow to be a bit harsh. Not sufficient to make you wince, however sufficient to attract undue consideration to treble results and make you abruptly conscious that the React has a particular treble ‘ceiling’.
The React isn’t fairly up there with the perfect soundbars in the case of enjoying music. Its tone is only a contact medical for many genres. Its music efficiency does nonetheless sound clear and detailed, although, in addition to properly balanced in the case of its mix of high and low frequencies. The mid-range is open and compelling, too, and the React’s method to vocals can also be higher suited to music than motion pictures. After all, with music it doesn’t matter if vocals sound dislocated out of your TV display.
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Adding the subwoofer to the React soundbar makes an enormous distinction. It massively expands the vary of bass the system can produce, taking the impression and drama of huge motion film moments to a complete new stage.
It can get significantly deep with out distorting or dropping out, but tonally it feels expertly matched to the primary soundbar, by no means overwhelming it or feeling unnaturally sonically indifferent from it.
It’s maybe not the nimblest bass sound I’ve heard, nevertheless it’s simply completed sufficient to class as, for me, a kind of important addition to the React Soundbar. Even for those who can solely afford the soundbar by itself at first and wish to save lots of up longer for the subwoofer.
Should I purchase the Polk React?
Buy it if...
You need lots of sound to your buck
Even with none of its non-compulsory extras, the Polk React delivers a loud, aggressive and surprisingly immersive sound.
You wish to construct your system up over time
If cash’s tight, one of many good issues in regards to the Polk React is which you could begin with the already respectable soundbar and add a subwoofer and rears individually as funds enable.
You’re an Alexa family
The React’s built-in Alexa assist and talent to grow to be a part of a wider community of Alexa units might be a boon to households already effectively populated by Amazon units.
Don't purchase it if...
You wish to hear correct Dolby Atmos or DTS:X
The React doesn’t carry any up-firing audio system, and solely performs Atmos and DTS:X sources of their Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 ‘cores’.
You have a really large TV otherwise you sit fairly excessive relative to the soundbar
Vocals can sound quite dislocated from the onscreen motion if the soundbar sits under your viewing head peak
You need a number of HDMI inputs/loopthrough
The solely HDMI port on the React is an output that may additionally take DTS or Dolby Digital audio handed by to it through eARC from a appropriate TV; you'll be able to’t loop exterior sources by the soundbar.
- Looking for extra? Read our information to the perfect soundbars you should purchase in the present day
