Polk SurroundBar 3000 Soundbar

The Polk SurroundBar 3000 is one of the few soundbars which can offer a complete package at a reasonable price: it looks great, it comes with a wireless subwoofer and it can deliver powerful sound in most situations.

Design
This piece of audio equipment is one of the better-looking Polk systems you can find. The soundbar looks very slick and slim, the finishing touches are quite attractive and the front grille will draw just the right amount of attention. The subwoofer comes with a glossy finish, while the soundbar itself is only glossy on the outer edges. Both of the units have a simple, but very appealing design.

Setting up the Polk SurroundBar 3000
Like with any other soundbar around, this system can be installed underneath your flat screen TV with the help of a wall mounting bracket. All of the equipment needed is included in the package, so you don’t have to worry about finding the right tools. Keep in mind that the unit is 31 inches wide, 3.75 inches tall and 2 inches deep, so it will look much better on your wall if you own a 42 inch or larger TV screen. The soundbar is only 3.5 pounds heavy, so you don’t have to worry about cracking the wall behind it. Right behind the grille, this unit contains a pair of two by six inches drivers which get their power from a 50 watt amplifier.

The subwoofer measures 10 inches in height, 10.75 inches in depth and 10.25 in width. It is 7.8 pounds heavy, so placing it on a shelf shouldn’t be a problem. Because the subwoofer is not connected through wires, you can place it wherever you want. However, you will have to make sure that the lower sounds come from the right direction, so performing a few sound tests is crucial before you decide on the final position. Even if you have a large room, the 6.5 inch Dynamic Balance Poly Composite Driver will get the job done.

Once you find the perfect place for your Polk SurroundBar 3000, you can get the remote out of the package and see what the system can do. You will only get access to some basic features like volume, input, power, subwoofer volume and mute, but this should be enough in most cases. If you want to use your TV’s remote control, the Surroundbar 3000 will recognize it as soon as you finish programming it.

You don’t have to worry about the installation process; even if you don’t have experience with audio systems, there are only a couple of wires that need to be connected to the socket and you just have to make the connection between your TV and the soundbar. After that, you will be good to go.

Sound quality
If you like listening to classical music, you will notice that the Polk SurroundBar 3000 can deliver powerful sound without compromising on quality. It will hit every note and you won’t hear distortions no matter how high you crank up the volume. However, those who prefer listening to rock and decide to dial the subwoofer to the max will notice that the Polk 3000 is not the most powerful surround bar around. If you place the system in a large room, the subwoofer won’t have enough power to hit you in the chest with every note.

If you’ve been listening to movies through your TV’s speakers, this soundbar will bring something new to the table. The ambient sounds that often go unnoticed will make an impression on your year drums and you will often be immersed in the action of your favorite movie. There are some soundbars which offer higher quality when it comes to dialogue, but none at the price of the Polk SurroundBar 3000.

Pros and Cons
The Polk SurroundBar 3000 is certainly one of the more attractive units of this kind. It will look great next to any flat screen TV and the built quality is top notch. There is nothing to complain about when it comes to sound either. It won’t let you don’t in most situations and the system is quite versatile. The wireless subwoofer is also a plus.

The main problem with this soundbar is that it doesn’t decode DTS and Dolby Digital. This means that you can watch Blu-Ray movies, but you won’t experience the sound to its full potential. This might be a serious problems for those who plan on watching many HD movies and expect high quality sound.

Conclusion
The Polk SurroundBar 3000 is ideal for those who need a complete sound system. If you are looking for a unit that is great with all music genres and you also plan on watching a few movies, this might be the soundbar for you. However, if you are interested in high quality sound, you will want to search for a soundbar that can incorporate HD decoding and a few other features.