

- #Polk audio bar digital cable picture portable#
- #Polk audio bar digital cable picture pro#
- #Polk audio bar digital cable picture tv#
Doing this before turning on the React for the first time will make the process much smoother.
#Polk audio bar digital cable picture pro#
Pro Tip: If you’ve never downloaded or used the Alexa app before, take a few minutes to download it and create a new account or use your existing Amazon account. Within a few seconds, the app will automatically recognize that the React is available to be set up and will prompt you to do so. Plug in the power cable and open the Amazon Alexa app. Otherwise, an optical connection is fine and won’t impact sound quality at all.
#Polk audio bar digital cable picture tv#
If your TV has HDMI ARC, and you don’t mind sacrificing an HDMI port on your TV, use that connection - it will let the soundbar control TV volume/mute functions and vice versa. Simply place the soundbar and connect it to your TV. The good news is that the procedure of getting the React set up using the Alexa app couldn’t be easier. Wi-Fi access, multiroom audio, and smart speaker functions all require the Alexa app.

Yes, it’s possible to use the Polk React soundbar on its own, without setting it up for use with Amazon Alexa, but if that’s your intent, I recommend finding a different soundbar. Connecting one of them locks out the other. There’s also no way to use the optical and HDMI ARC as separate inputs. The procedure of getting the React set up using the Alexa app couldn’t be easier.
#Polk audio bar digital cable picture portable#
There’s no analog input, so don’t count on being able to connect an external wired sound source like a portable media player. You get a single HDMI ARC port for audio-only, an optical port in case your TV doesn’t support HDMI ARC, and a USB port. The React is fairly barebones from a connections point of view. Surround speakers are rarely notable for their design, which makes the SR2 a refreshing change. Or, you can simply use the included mounting hardware. Their rubber feet let them sit comfortably on any surface while their standard speaker-mount threaded holes let you use a variety of third-party mounts and stands. They have a fabric grille that matches the React soundbar, and a trapezoidal shape that gives them a lot of flexibility in terms of placement. The React wireless subwoofer, like so many other subs, is a basic black box, but thanks to its rectangular shape, you may find it easier to hide behind or beside a couch than some of the more cube-like designs we’ve seen.īut I’m very taken with the optional Polk SR2 wireless rear speakers. Also hidden (until they light up) are two LED indicators: A long, segmented horizontal bar that does double-duty as a level indicator for settings like volume and bass, as well as Alexa’s colorful, animated responses cues, and a small LED dot that lights up different colors depending on the source signal (blue for Bluetooth, green for Dolby Audio, etc.).

Hidden behind the React’s fabric exterior are two midrange drivers, two tweeters, and two passive bass radiators. Unlike the Sonos Beam or Arc, or Bose Soundbar 300, using Alexa is central to the React’s setup, but we’ll discuss that further below. This is not that far from the truth - that circular set of buttons and microphones are indeed the telltale signs that the React is also an Alexa smart speaker.

On the top surface, it looks like someone punched an Echo Dot-sized hole into the speaker and then dropped an Echo Dot into it. I think it’s far more attractive than Polk’s first effort at a smart soundbar - the $299 Polk Command Bar. The (almost) completely dark grey fabric-wrapped exterior is perfectly neutral and calls very little attention to itself, which in my opinion is exactly what you want in a soundbar. DesignĪt just 34-inches wide, the Polk React should be easy to place in front of almost any TV and its 2.2-inch height means it’s short enough to avoid blocking the bottom of the screen (and any infrared receivers that might be located there). It calls very little attention to itself, which is exactly what you want in a soundbar.
