It took me just a few minutes to setup the sound bar and the DVD console on my TV stand using the bar's included cradle mounts. This allows it to slip right into an equipment rack or sit happily on a shelf under a cable or satellite set-top box. The separate DVD/receiver console is conveniently sized as well: 16 1/2" wide, 11 1/2" deep and 3 3/16" high. This allows it to be mounted on the wall, above or below a flat panel TV, or placed on an AV rack just in front of the TV's base, depending on your preference. The magnetically shielded Surround Bar itself measures in at 44 1/2" wide by 4 7/8" deep by 4 1/8" high. The SurroundBar 360 differs from earlier SurroundBars in its ability to act directly on the multi-channel digital audio signal from its built-in DVD player or any other A/V component connected via a coax or fiberoptic digital connection. This patented design relies in part on the shape and layout of the human head and ears to create a simulated surround field from a slim low-profile speaker bar without the need for rear speakers. SDA Surround combines signal processing and acoustical geometry to achieve 360 degree surround sound from its eight enclosed drivers. And this, in turn, was based on Polk's original SDA technology that it developed in the 1980s to enhance the width and depth of the soundstage on stereo speaker systems. The technology used in the Surround Bar 360 is a new digitally enhanced version of Polk Audio's SDA (Stereo Dimensional Array) Surround technology that Polk first began using a few years ago in its passive Surround Bar single-speaker systems. So it makes sense that Polk (the man and the company) would venture into the single speaker solution category for home theater applications. OK, so we might be stretching the truth about some of these facts, but Matthew Polk, who actually founded Polk Audio in 1972, is a direct descendant of the former president, and is considered one of the top speaker designers in the industry. They have been around since President James Polk left the White House in 1849, founding the company in order to have something to do with his new-found free time. Polk Audio is one of those quality audio companies that is well known among audio hobbyists and aficionados of quality sound, but does not have the overall brand awareness of some of the larger companies in the space. The SurroundBar 360 provides a simple, elegant packaged home theater solution. And do you think having multiple speakers will drive costs lower? Au contraire! It means that the maker will have to make additional sacrifices in quality in order to reach said low price point with these additional components in the system. These systems normally feature four small speakers for front and rear channels, perhaps a slightly larger center speaker and a subwoofer. Then there's this: many multi-speaker HTiBs are designed to reach a low price point, usually at the expense of sound quality. Although discrete surround sound is generally preferable over virtual surround in terms of its realism, there are times when a wired 5.1-channel home theater system simply isn't feasible. It takes up less space than a standard multi-speaker system and it eliminates the need to run wires. The question is where does a single speaker home theater solution fit and when is its use appropriate? In an apartment or a small to medium-sized multi-purpose room, or in a room with non-traditional layout, a single speaker virtual surround system is a fine choice. And here we have Polk Audio's recent entry into the category, the SurroundBar 360 DVD Theater. And this is why virtual surround HtiB (Home Theater in a Box) systems have become so popular of late. The very idea that one could add robust and enjoyable surround sound to a flat panel TV with just a single component and a slim elegant speaker bar is intriguing. There is something to be said for simplicity. Polk Audio SurroundBar 360 DVD Theater Review
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