Polk Brings 30 Additional SKUs To CEDIA Expo
By Joseph Palenchar -- TWICE, 9/3/2007
DENVER — Polk is coming to the mile-high city with a mile-high stack of almost 30 product introductions, including architectural and in-room speakers, a new tabletop audio system and a passive one-piece surround-speaker system.
The products include:
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a brand new in-room speaker series designed for use with flat-panel displays.
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a redesigned RM series of small satellite speakers whose cabinets are triangular-shaped to improve appearance and performance.
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Polk's second tabletop audio solution, the I-Sonic Entertainment System 2 which features integrated iPod dock and HD Radio.
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two IP-ready architectural speakers designed for use with NetStreams's IP-based multiroom-audio system, which sends control signals and content over CAT-5 Ethernet wiring to simplify installation and eliminate signal loss;
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the high-end MicroPRO subwoofer series, equipped with DSP and touted as the company's best-ever powered subs;
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Polk's second passive single-speaker surround bar, complementing an existing model; and
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Polk's first component Sirius Satellite Radio tuner, joining a component XM tuner.
The Sirius tuner, the $349-suggested SRH-1000 due in October, provides two-zone capability when an optional palm-size $49-suggested SiriusConnect home tuner is plugged in. An instant-replay feature plays back the previous 44 minutes of a broadcast. The tuner also features RS-232 port and 5-volt to 12-volt remote-trigger inputs.
The company's second SurroundBar, the SurroundBar 50, is a passive single-speaker surround system matching the width of 50-inch flat-panel displays. It's due in October at a suggested $1,099.
For a shelf or desk, Polk is launching its second one-piece I-Sonic entertainment system, the I-Sonic Entertainment System 2 (ES 2). At an everyday $499, the ES 2 incorporates multicast HD Radio, integrated iPod dock and clock-radio functions.
The two IP-ready architectural speakers are the round $175-each SC80 IPR and the $215-each rectangular SC85 IPR. Their internal passive crossovers can be bypassed with the flip of a switch to connect to NetStreams's network, which delivers biamplified power, music and DSP processing to optimize performance.
The IP-ready models complement two IP-addressable speakers whose on-board amplification, electronic crossovers and DSP helped drive up their prices to $2,400 and $2,900 per pair.
Among in-room speakers, the VM series for use with flat-panel displays consists of three narrow speakers with extruded-aluminum enclosure, satin-gloss black or aluminum finish, and tempered smoked-glass bases. The trio consists of a floor-standing tower and two LCR satellites with multiple mounting options and ability to be configured for horizontal or vertical placement. They ship in September.
The 49-inch by 6-inch by 6-inch VM 30 tower retails for a suggested $1,149 each. The 25.25- by 5.5- by 4.25-inch VM 20 LCR at $529 each and 11- by 4.25- 4.1-inch VM 10 LCR at $349 each come with cradle/wall-mount bracket for placement on a shelf or on the wall. Optional floor stands are available for both, and an optional table stand is available for the 11-inch-tall model. All are designed to mate with a choice of subwoofers at crossover frequencies of 60-150Hz.
The four-SKU RM home theater series consists exclusively of tabletop satellites and now excludes towers. The triangular-shaped speakers are sold individually or as part of five-speaker packages that can be purchased with a separate choice of subwoofers. Polk said prices per satellite range from a suggested $99 to $149 each. Four packaged systems range from $479 to $699.
In subwoofers, Polk is launching the compact MicroPRO grille-less models, which put out 1,200 continuous watts at suggested retails of $950, $1,180, $1,450 and $1,780, will ship this winter. All MicroPRO models use DSP to perform crossover, volume and phase functions in the digital domain, and they reduce distortion by active means through a proprietary "zero-latency system."
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