Polk Command Bar Review: An inexpensive decent sound bar with Alexa

Polk had an interesting idea of ​​echo in a sound tape, not just serving something better than loudspeakers on TV, but also adding Alexa to your living room. This one -one solution is named to the driving bar, a modest sound tape that also coincides with having something similar to the actual echo in the middle. If you want Alexa in your living room and to improve your listening experience simultaneously, the driving bar is for you. It provides a good sound – definitely suitable for the normal consumer – and you have the additional bonus of a smart speaker. You can even tell the sound bar by changing the inputs, adjusting the sound and dress level, etc. However, if you already have an echo in the living room (or near it), the command bar is not the best purchase product. At $ 299 of MSRP, does not stick to similar options at this price point.

Goodness

Not very good

Design and devices

The command tape does not open a new floor here; It is a 42.95 “x 2” x 4 tape that works under your TV. There is a choice to stimulate the wall as well, if you feel a mile, and there are breaks to direct the cables. In general, it is a non -offensive device, it is easily ignored and you are watching your favorite content.

Believe me, this seems better than my living room

Where the mold breaks is the apparent inclusion of the actual echo of a slap in the middle, along the upper part. It is actually a full point (it misses some features), but it seems that Polk got well from Amazon to use the design – the LED ring is even the four buttons.

The driving bar is accompanied by a wireless sound, which only requires energy. This means that you can easily store it anywhere you want. In my case, I put it next to the sofa in front of the outlet. In this way, he was well hidden, but he was still heard (and I also felt it, too).

Not only does the control bar in the input tape and its size and the level of the brow, but also contains the Alexa button for manually created the sound bar to listen. Unfortunately, unlike a remote control in Shield TV, this device does not have a microphone, which means that you cannot speak to it directly. Fortunately, it’s solid with Clicy buttons – although it is a bit sponge – the soft fabric box is included. There are also options for pre -settings for sound, controls of media operation, and switching intolerance.

Polk guarantees some IR compatibility directly outside the box so that you can use a remote control of the TV to control the sound level. I took this step forward, I took enough time to form the control device for my shield so that, too, can set the size of the command bar (running my TV and turn it off).

For connection, you have HDMI and Optical (you used) inputs, two HDMI passes for traffic/switch, and a USB port always. There is support for ARC, so that this is good for each other. Oh, one of the HDMI inputs is convenient in a cavity, so be ready for it.

voice

It can be said that the most important element in the sound bar is sound quality. The possibilities are that almost anything you go to, including the driving bar, will be much better than the TV loudspeakers. So in this regard, your Paul hit this nail on the head. But you did not come here for that, I will see.

The sound bar quality is fine, but modest, a feeling of surface and boring; However, it completes what you see or play, especially when it comes to dialogue or other spoken content. The huge size is not a source of anxiety here – I did not dare test how high it is, for fear of disturbing my apartment building completely. Polk’s wireless sound is really helps to try everything, providing a strong blow to music and a wider depth of sounds and sound effects in movies and the like.

The command bar is characterized by some sound options. For beginners, you can adjust the sizes of the flowers and sound to create a well -working mixture for you. There are also prejudices for music, movies and sports – I do not watch sports, so I can’t talk to the latter, but the music mode adds more punch to the sound while relieving the sound control that you may hear in pre -films. For you the night album, the night mode is great. It comes out of things and reduces sudden jumps in size.

For the general consumer, the command tape is more than enough to significantly improve sound quality for their favorite A/V content.

Alexa

Alexa ordering feature is Alexa. Do not let the Echo Dot design confuse you, because this is not a complete echo device. It lacks some features such as multi -room sound, alternative trigger phrases, sound communication, and broadcasting, but your Paul assures me that this will be added “as soon as it is available.”

Other Alexa features work well, including Spotify (Premium). You also have an additional reward for telling your audio bar by switching inputs, changing the volume or starting content if you have Fire TV.

Prepared by very Spartan Polk Connect app. It is a soft, non -painful process in general, the application itself deals and is achieved from fixed programs. There are not many other things.

During my review, I felt frustrated more than Alexa from happiness. I find it less useful than Google, but this is not the right place for that. In the driving bar, Alexa was more disturbing than ever, as it was constantly active when I heard words that could not be misunderstood, both during the conversation or something on the TV.

Although this is annoying to the echo of my point, it is worse on the command bar because it is on the size of the TV so that it can hear you. When I wanted to activate Alexa, I had more mistakes than successes. It ended not to use it at all, making the random wake up more disturbing.

Classification /10

Polk Command Bar

At $ 299 of MSRP (although I saw him fell to $ 249 over the course of this review), the Polk orders is not what I expect completely. You pay for Alexa in a sound bar from 199 to 249 dollars, so if you are more interested in sound quality, the command tape is not the best option. Polk clearly shouts on people who buy one for Echo Dot features.

However, my general idea is that it is better to get something else in the range of $ 299 to $ 349 and picks up a resonance point when there is a good deal on it. However, since the driving bar has been sold for $ 249 (it is likely to be again), this is a difficult deal. In my view, you will mainly get an echo (without some things) free of charge at this stage, but I have been digging.

In the end, I have difficulty answering firmly to the question “you must buy” for the orders. It is a good product and certainly not a bad purchase, but you have to decide whether it is worth it. If you want to add Alexa to your living room, it also doubles as an improvement in the loudspeakers on TV, then by all means. But if you are just looking to improve your listening experience while watching something on Netflix, and don’t mean anything for you, look for other audio options in this price range.

If you are fine with something smaller, you may want to check Magnifi Magni’s Magni, which Rita enjoyed. It lacks an audio assistant, but supports ChromeCast and can be paired with Google’s house. It is also $ 299, but it decreased to less than 200 dollars before.

He buys: Amazon