Polk already has a number of surround bars in their stable but the popularity of these solutions mean that they have to keep innovating to retain the consumer's attention and also to take advantage of newer technologies. Polk Audio has generally gone for the latter, a solution that tends to work best in open spaces where bouncing the sound isn't possible where the listeners can sit on axis with the speaker. There are two main ways of creating a pseudo surround effect - bounce the sound off the walls, ceiling, and anything else to get the sound behind the listener or to use phase to trick the ear into thinking the sound is coming from somewhere other than the front of the room.
POLK AUDIO AUDIO BAR SPEAKER TERMINALS MOVIE
While the idea is to surround the listener with the musical or movie content to create a believable 3D image, it's hard to do without the rear speakers. There's a decent front soundstage, excellent clarity, plenty of bass and an energetic delivery, making this excellent soundbar and subwoofer combination a great all-rounder.One thing that surround bars have against them is, well, the lack of speakers. The YAS-209 is impressive sonically, producing a solid overall performance with both movies and music.
They also sport matching designs, although the Yamaha is slightly better built, and have comparable remotes.
POLK AUDIO AUDIO BAR SPEAKER TERMINALS BLUETOOTH
In most other respects the two soundbars are quite similar, both are limited to lossy audio, have built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, various sound modes and there's a Clear Voice feature.
This model is a bit more expensive compared to the Signa S3, but the added cost is justified by an HDMI input, built-in Amazon Alexa and support for DTS Virtual:X. The obvious alternative is the Yamaha YAS-209, which is a similarly-specified 2.1-channel soundbar with a wireless subwoofer. Overall, this is a well-made, great-sounding and competitively-priced soundbar that proves to be an excellent all-rounder and comes recommended. This soundbar can even work with Google Assistant. The decoding is restricted to lossy Dolby Digital, but there are a few sound modes, along with Voice Adjust tech to enhance dialogue.
Unsurprisingly given its price, the Signa S3 has a limited set of features, with a single HDMI connection that supports ARC, along with Chromecast and Bluetooth. In the case of music, the delivery benefits from excellent clarity and plenty of energy. In the case of the former, the soundstage is spread across the front of the room, dialogue remains clear despite the lack of a centre speaker, and the sub also gives low frequency effects real punch. This unassuming 2.1-channel soundbar is well-made and produces an impressive front soundstage, while the wireless subwoofer is effectively integrated, and provides a solid foundation of bass.Īs a result, the performance is good with both movies and music. The Polk Audio Signa S3 represents another great soundbar from the company, one that effortlessly combines affordability with a solid sonic performance. However, should you find that you are struggling to understand what someone is saying, the Voice Adjust feature can prove very helpful. Whether its Sean Pertwee’s voiceover on Masterchef: The Professionals, a commentator in a sports broadcast, or movie dialogue, the Polk remains intelligible. The lack of a dedicated centre speaker doesn’t seem to affect the clarity of dialogue, which remains clear and focused on the screen. The saxophone breaks are nicely rendered, while the soundbar handles Bowie's falsetto delivery before the chorus with skill. The subwoofer is also nicely integrated, ensuring the opening drum salvo of David Bowie's Young Americans is delivered with all the precision that his 'Plastic Soul' period deserves. There’s some excellent stereo separation, combined with an energetic delivery. The two-channel nature of the soundbar ensures the Signa S3 handles music extremely well. The separate wireless subwoofer also plays its part, producing a solid foundation of bass for both movies and music. As a result, the two speakers built into this soundbar produce an excellent front soundstage with some impressive stereo imaging and precise placement of instruments and effects. The Polk Audio Signa S3 delivers an excellent 2.1-channel performance that benefits from the company's years of experience when it comes to designing speakers.
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