Polk Audio React Subwoofer for React Soundbar, Wireless Subwoofer with 7'' Driver, Alexa Compatible, Flared Port Tube, Polk Bass Adjust EQ, Long Bass Reach, Easy Setup

The Soundbar came packed well, with remote, batteries, powercable, HDMI and optical cables. There was however no manual in the box so had to search the Internet on how to setup. Also the power cable was useless, it didn't have a normal UK plug. Looked like a european plug with a UK converter put round it and it didn't fit my plug sockets. Luckily I had a spare figure 8 power cable.The Soundbar looks and feels solid, covered in mesh with a HDMI and an optical port. It has Alexa built which got really annoying as every time it herad a command (or thought it did) it would mute the TV volume. So that just got turned off.There is one small orange power light on the front and a bar. The bar also visualises the volume too. You cannot see it at all unless it’s lit up which is good. What the different colour of the light do I have no idea as it came with no instructions or manual.The soundbar is connected in my case via an eARC HDMI and was recognised by my LG TV automatically.The remote is small and fits nicely in your hand and includes batteries. You can adjust volume, base, ‘voice’ and balance from the remote. Shame the built in Alexa can't perform any of the remote functions. The remote also has 4 different modes; night, music, sport and movie. I couldn't notice much difference between any of them.Whilst turned up for a movie or music you could really notice the quality of the sound with good base and trebles. But at the lower setting I found the base over powering and kept having to turn the volume up and down.I'm sure there may be more feature and functions but with no manual I'm never going to know. This was my first soundbar and the experience was very under whelming. Don't think its worth £249 so will be returning.

Mr K here. Having gone through an array of sound bars and been disappointed in one way or another I decided to try something a lot more premium.I bought mine from the Amazon Marketplace for £199 so a few quid off was welcome. I think the HDMI cable might have been missing but everything looked brand new and unused.Sound >> Just amazing, totally amazing. It really does give you the ability to fine tune voice, bass and treble settings and although basic they do work well. The voice adjustment is really useful for streams or broadcasts with dodgy voice separation. I really don't how they get so much out of this gadget, there is some audio witchcraft going on. It's not Atmos but my goodness can it separate channels for a wide soundscape. Volume increments are good on my Panasonic 4K TV using HDMI ARC. No discernible voice sync issues but if you look hard enough they are there (but that may be in the original production). Bass is good but variable. Let's take Netflix... with 5.1 bass can be pretty deep, defined and certainly cinematic. Amazon Prime is similar although Prime is rubbish compared to the audio quality on Netflix (the dynamic range is terrible). TV is variable and I guess this is down to the broadcast in question (BBC is generally great). Music is excellent through streaming and I guess you could hook another device up with optical.React Sub >> I've got the React sub and it is loud and defined! Too loud in fact and lacks any volume control which is a big problem. That said, our home is sound sensitive for various reasons. For 5.1 you will love it but note, you will annoying the neighbours and anyone upstairs. Can you manage without one? Yes, but if you like movie punch or music bass get the sub and move into a detached house or sound proofed room.SR2 Satellite surround speakers >> Get them. They are excellent although a bit pricey. What a difference they make to music, films, TV etc. Keep in mind that they need mains sockets to supply power so positioning them can be a challenge. The sound bar music mode has an "All Stereo" mode which isn't mentioned in the manual. This gives you a rear split which is great and works really well for immersive music (or TV on stereo broadcasts). In movie mode you get pseudo surround from stereo broadcasts.Alexa >> I don't really use Alexa as I'm a bit old fashioned. That said I might use it more in the future. The Alexa app has basic sound settings and tbh is woefully underwhelming. You can of course zone the sound bar which is useful.Remote >> It's okay but not up to Sony or Panasonic quality. The buttons are not very nice to press and it does give you dumbed down controls. It's a massive oversight that all of the audio options are not available in the Alexa app - I think this is just plain lazy on Polk's part.Overall performance >> It's a premium product and it does compete head on with my Marantz 5.1 surround system which has good speakers and a dedicated sub. Okay so it doesn't have the shear soundscape of a dedicated 5.1, 7.1 or 9.2 systems but that's not what it's for. It offers a cinematic experience in a small virtually wire free package. Music is particularly good on it with Spotify. Suffice to say that the surround systems is being retired.Firmware updates >> No idea. I hope it does this automatically.Versatility >> It has ARC and Optical. ARC is better because of the higher bandwidth although I haven't tried optical yet. The sound bar can (apparently) learn your volume control on your TV remote which is very useful for optical but I haven't tested this.Value for money >> This is subjective. I think it is good value considering what you get. Another £250 will get you something with all the bells and whistles but that doesn't guarantee it will be sonically better. Personally I would buy the whole surround kit with the sub (when it comes into stock). You can always turn the sub off if it gets too much. It is well built and excellent quality apart from the remote.Would I send it back? This for me is the deal breaker. No is the answer, it is everything I wanted apart from the minor issues (which is not unusual with tech).

This soundbar allowed my home to get smarter, this is an amazing addition to my current Amazon ecosystem. Whilst it is a soundbar with amazing sound, it also provides Alexa which is fully integrated.This is very easy and simple to set up, provided was a HDMI and optical cable (for two different ways of connecting to TV) also is a remote for the soundbar with batteries included. To set up was as easy as it is to set up any Alexa product through the Alexa app.This product comes standalone and is affordable as is but if I wanted to increase my virtual sound experience, Polk does offer additional products which seamlessly connect.As a stand-alone speaker it fits perfectly under my 65” tv and sits nicely on my cabinet not taking too much space. It looks sleek with its fabric material in dark grey, it almost camouflages in some lighting as the immersive sound plays whilst allowing me to hear every word of dialog.The most amazing this is the proprietary technology of the voice adjust that Polk provides, I’ve always struggled with hearing dialog in movies and tv shows but with the Polk soundbar I’ve noticed I can adjust the soundbar to provide more emphasis on the dialog so everything can be heard but also doesn’t hinder the performance of the bass and treble.Finally the Alexa aspect of this sound bar works perfectly, it hears my instructions from every corner of the room and also provides me with a mute option for privacy when I’m not using AlexaThis is an amazing product with state of the art technology, you wouldn’t go amiss if you purchased this as I don’t regret it.

I've upgraded from a SONY soundbar to this. The sound is really full, higher-fidelity, and markedly better. I like the adjustable bass and the emphasizing of the "voice" (which is really just bringing out more mid and high-range frequencies in the sound). I did some research and this was one of the top 3 recommended soundbars in this price-band.One major flaw is the absolutely horrible remote. It feels cheap and flimsy. Most of all, using it is a giant pain in practical terms. The volume buttons don't make the soundbar respond the way one expects it to which is immediately with most other remotes in the world. The light on the front of the soundbar doesn't indicate well the level of volume as I'm adjusting it. It's simply horrible. It's a major design flaw. So bad, that had I known this, I would have reconsidered buying it despite the sound quality.

Whether you'll find the Polk appealing is going to depend on what you want to use the soundbar for. In my case, I have it connected to a cheap Samsung TV, so in the evening it's used to provide a stunning sound upgrade, bringing a richness and depth to movies and TV shows that has to be heard to be believed.During the day, we use the absolutely faultless Alexa integration. It actually looks as though an Echo Dot has been dropped into the top of the unit - complete with the familiar volume, silence and wake buttons. The Alexa app recognises the Polk soundbar exactly as it would any echo device, so if you're used to these, this is a complete doddle. Speak to the soundbar and Alexa's voice emerges, but it's when you ask Alexa to play music that the magic happens. Sound of wonderful quality and depth emerges - with a surprisingly powerful bass. So, this soundbar passes double muster, replacing our music system and Echo devices in that room AND upgrading our TV watching experience.Sound quality is easily on a par with the Bose and Philips systems I've tested recently, but ease of set-up and use is in a different league. For me, as a multi-media user, this is the perfect soundbar.