Polk Audio React Sound Bar, Dolby & DTS Virtual Surround Sound

I previously tried a different brand sound bar with Alexa that was less expensive and had issues connecting to network. I use a separate vlan for IoT devices and suspect that was the issue, but the bar may have been defective. Either way, this one connected through the Alexa app instantly and works perfect. Connected to TV at first without the subwoofer and was really impressed by the sound from this bar. Great sound and surprising bass overall for as small and inexpensive as it is. Connecting to the sub took maybe 30 seconds and it added a lot on the low end. Alexa works just like any of my other echos, listens well and responds accurately. When I change sound mode she speaks the mode but it is not loud and looks like they fixed that issue. Sound is pretty good for a sound bar, definitely built for vocals. Lots of mids which is not the best for listening to music if you are looking for audiophile quality but I have no complaints. TV dialog is much clearer than TV speakers and the sub adds great bass extension. Remote is nice, recessed buttons are a bit odd but it works good and doesn't feel cheap. Only wish I had was there was better settings control in the app that would match the ability of a regular echo. Limited but not limiting. Overall highly recommend and would definitely purchase again.

I have had this sound bar for many months now and I use it almost everyday. The sound quality is great for watching television and for listening to music. My biggest tip would be to connect this sound bar to a 5ghz wifi connection rather than 2.4ghz. I started this off on a 2.4ghz connection as the manual recommends, but kept running into connection issues. The sound bar would randomly drop out of the Echo music group every so often. It was annoying and troublesome and I almost gave up on it. Then I switched it to a 5ghz connection and I have not had any issues since! It works every time it's supposed to, the way it's supposed to. It fits right in with an Alexa/Echo ecosystem - this may as well be an Amazon device. I have this set up in a multi-room music group along with other Echo devices and they all work together in a music group seamlessly. I can use my Alexa app to change the settings on this sound bar, including the bass and treble. It also has the "do not disturb" setting like other echo devices. This is my primary Echo device in the living room - it responds to the name "Alexa". It speaks only when I use the wake word, that's it. Volume can be adjusted using the buttons on the bar, the remote control, or by voice command. "Alexa, volume #" (mute, max, or anywhere between 0 to 10). I would definitely recommend this sound bar to anyone who has an Echo ecosystem and to those who often use multi-room music groups.

UPDATE 4-15-22: I found a switch (that I don't recall now) on my iPhone and iPad that enabled me to play Apple Airplay through the Polk React, that is a non-issue now. Otherwise, my review stands as is. I've had the Polk React for over a week. I replaced a Sonos Beam and my review perspective is based on that. BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT: I want to give the Polk React 5 stars, but in good conscience cannot give more than 4 due to sound quality and not being compatible with the Apple TV streaming device for Apple Airplay. I cover these below. SETUP AND CONNECTION: I was nervous, I read it was easy, but had a bad experience with the first generation Sonos Beam with Alexa. That process was horrible, taking two hours to get it right. Then the Beam needed updating, which had to be hard-wired to the router to do, causing a total reset of the Beam and another two hours to restore. Happily, the advertised setup/connection of the Polk React was exactly as stated. Plug it into a power source and HDMI to the TV's HDMI/ARC jack, and within 30 seconds the React was connected to Alexa, where I went to it’s app to do final setup. Full process, including plugging in — 2 minutes and I had full (for me enhanced) Alexa capability, including streaming music. I never entered a user ID nor password, the Alexa app handled it all. Which brings me to this VERY IMPORTANT TIP: I did not catch this when ordering from Amazon, but there is a note on the right side lower ordering block, a box with a blue check for Amazon to link the device to your account. That was the key to the ultra-fast hands-free connection. I did a mock reordering and happily discovered that was the default position for an Amazon React order. DON'T UNCHECK THAT unless you want a more hands-on connection process. SOUND: Disclaimer — I have tinnitus in both ears plus a 15% hearing loss. However, I have to give the edge for sound to the Sonos Beam, which was a bit more high fidelity IMHO. I have tried the various sound options on the remote control. Frankly I couldn’t discern a noticeable difference. The voice control (AKA treble) made no noticeable difference, I almost agree with another reviewer who suggested the React didn’t sound too much different from their TV's Internal speakers. The React does, but not much. Except, when I had a program on that had high quality audio, an eagle screamed in one scene and the sound was projected to where I thought it was literally outside our house, then on the other side. That was very impressive. I found that noteworthy. Just the sound bar, no sub woofer nor rear speakers. One reviewer suggested the internal bass system on the React could shake the floorboards. I live too close to neighbors to crank up the sound to see if it does, but the one time I took the sound up mid-way, I did get some pretty good vibrations. However, I’ve noticed some distortion on higher level sounds with the sound up. I was not sure if that was the source or the React. PERIPHERALS: I am somewhat disappointed with the remote control. It’s challenging to aim and find the sweet spot on the React, especially from an angle. As previously mentioned, I don’t find the sound modes all that different. I mostly just use the remote for Alexa and streaming music when the TV is off. I use an Apple TV streaming device for video sources; it works with the React for streaming video and sound. When I tried to use Apple Airplay from my iPad, it would not connect unless I disconnected the HDMI and used internal speakers; was not a problem with the Sonos Beam. I queried Polk Support, which replied the React does not support the Apple TV's Airplay streaming system at this time. That was not noted in the various product descriptions and reviews I’ve read. The React has Bluetooth connectivity. I see how to do it, but haven’t tried it yet, as the only music service I use is Amazon Music, which Alexa connects to, as well as other services. I’ve found the React's volumes for various networks and services are not too different. However, the Alexa voice seems to be low when streaming music. The Sonos Beam had anything Alexa much lower in volume than what you might have been watching. Advantage: React. MISCELLANEOUS: Some reviewers mentioned things that concerned me. One said the volume of the sound mode announcement from the remote control was too loud. Not for me. Another said there’s never a time when a sound bar light is off. Not for me. The light that stays on when In use is a low level brightness LED on the front, about 1 mm diameter. When the system is off, all lights are off unless using Alexa. The Alexa light bar works like any Alexa system, it illuminates when actively using Alexa, but not while streaming music. The light bar also momentarily illuminates white while adjusting volume, bass, or voice from the remote control. Another person suggested when streaming from a mobile device or through Alexa, the program abruptly stops after 20 minutes. That was a real concern as I like to stream music for hours. But happily, not for me. [UPDATE 11-17-2022: I am now experiencing this through Alexa on the sound bar, very frustrating.] I did not mount the React on a wall. I’d suggest it’s weight could be an issue unless the studs align with the hole template. SUMMING UP: Overall I am fairly satisfied, but I expected more in what I thought the sound should be. And I am frustrated I cannot use Apple Airplay. Otherwise, a very good purchase in its price range (mine seemed to be on a Polk short time price cut at about $180; the Amazon price went up to $270 two days after ordering).

I'll start off by saying I generally done write reviews but I felt compelled with this system. Since forever I have always but a dedicated stereo system person but was looking for something more stream line for my living room. I did purchase the entire kit (sound bar, sub, surrounds). For the price point this system absolutely blew me away. For $189 this sound bar is AMAZING, the center channel can be a little muddy at times but that's virtually its only fallback. The sub punches WAY above its class comparable to the 10in sub I had in my tv setup before. The surrounds are probably the weakest link in this system. The fact they are wireless is the reason I got them. My setup only allows for wireless currently. The sound output is a bit underwhelming but they do get the point across. As for connectivity of the sound bar the Bluetooth works great. As for Alexa I can't comment as I don't use it.

The ease of setup was great! The sound quality was what we were looking for. The voice control was so perfect, nothing worse than extremely loud music/action scenes but super quiet dialogue. However, we couldn't connect it to the WIFI or Alexa. We tried all the troubleshooting recommendations and even looked up other troubleshooting on the internet done by others, we even got a replacement soundbar as we thought it might be a defective item. The replacement was the same. We are technologically savvy so we think it has to do with our duel band WIFI possibly. It's disappointing as this is such a sleek and simple item with the features we wanted, which is what we were looking for. Wanted to love it, but I cannot stand when something doesn't work 100%, ultimately we will be returning and looking for something different.

If you know how to really take advantage of this thing - if for example you want to tell your TV soundbar to check that your front door is locked, read an email while you're cooking, alert you about scheduled reminders, play multi-room sync music across your entire house, and behave like a normal TV soundbar, then buy this. This is an Alexa device on steroids and its the best value for an Alexa enabled soundbar. The microphones pick up from very far across the room - it's as good as the Gen 4 Alexa devices as far as mics. It has Hdmi Arc, Bluetooth if you need it. And the subwoofer works flawlessly and has much deeper subsonic levels than an equivalently priced Sony wireless sub I bought 7 years ago. Also - the sub syncs wirelessly to the soundbar *and* works with Alexa for multi-room sync at the same time. I bought this at launch and there was one significant software bug that was fixed by a OTA update that I and others reported. The fact that a soundbar is receiving OTA software updates at all, is impressive. You need know that you cannot change the prompt word from "Alexa" to anything else. This is pretty ridiculous if your smart home is setup well, but I was told that Amazon is blocking developers from programming for this. I promise you that the Bose and Sonos equivalently enabled smart soundbars do not sound "better" than this unless you also think that wine tasters can taste the difference between an expensive wine and a basic, respectable wine. The sound fidelity and separation on this soundbar is money well spent because this is the point at which spending anything extra begins to offer meaningless additional acoustic or practical software advantages.

The Polk Audio React soundbar, made in China, can be bought with other components bundled together or separately. Other components include wireless surround speakers and a 7" wireless subwoofer . Unlike the other soundbars I own, the A/V sources do not plug into the Polk Audio React. Instead, these sources remain plugged into the TV and somehow push the sound to the soundbar. This is supposed to work on any modern TV except for mine. I cannot figure out how to get this soundbar to work with my flat-screen LED TV. All I have is an outrageously expensive Echo Dot . I followed the provided instructions, which included an option to hang the soundbar on the wall. Without a shelf or console to place the soundbar on, I decided to use this option. Hanging hardware is not provided, which left me on the hunt for the appropriate anchors. I tried several options and never found a solution since the screw must remain .25” from the wall. Instead, I hung the soundbar off-center to align with my 16” center studs. Once the soundbar was properly hung, the instructions required scanning the QR code that was then pressed up against the wall. Hanging the soundbar is overly complicated due to poor planning by Polk Audio. The instructions did not indicate how to get sound from my TV into the soundbar. The only instruction was to plug the chosen cable into a port on the soundbar and then the TV. My web research has indicated the resolution of this problem is in the TV settings. However, my TV doesn’t have the setting options indicated for resolution. There really should be a listing of compatible TVs, better instructions, and a toll-free helpline. After a week of trying to get this soundbar to work and failing to make any progress, I am simply frustrated and give up. If you’re searching for a simple-to-use soundbar that provides excellent sound, look elsewhere. ► PROS: Connects to Alexa with ease ► CONS: No hanging hardware provided Inadequate instructions Poor installation process Overly expensive Echo Dot Edit 12/5/2021: The unit lost the internet connection. I’ve tried reconnecting the wifi link, but the process is broken. The sound bar is now completely useless.

TL/DR: this product has so much great potential, and as an entry-level home-theater soundbar (HDMI/ARC) it is superb. Where it fails (badly) is in the Alexa integration. Sound quality is exceptional for a budget sound bar. I am using it with the React subwoofer (the only sub you can use it with), and the sound is well above average in this segment, and exceptional for the price, especially at Amazon Warehouse prices. Definitely punching above its weight in this price category. Sound is superior to the comparable Sonos and Bose (yes, really) units, which surprised me. This was also significantly less expensive than either, and would be very good value if it worked the way any Alexa-enabled speaker should, which it sadly does NOT. I picked it up from Amazon warehouse for under a hundred bucks. Scored the sub for a little over that. A very good deal. ...And now I know why. It sure would have been nice if somewhere in the product description they would have pointed out that this device DOES NOT SUPPORT APPLE MUSIC OR SIRIUS XM. The description states: "React enjoys the deepest Alexa integration in the sound bar category." This is simply not the case - common apps are disabled and do not function. This is not "deep integration". Commonly-used apps which work on other Echo devices are intentionally disabled by the manufacturer. Not cool, Polk. It is in fact, extremely uncool. All the returns resulting in lots of used purchase options make sense. I bought this to replace a dying Echo device with something with better sound. I did not purchase it for home theater purposes (I already have a home theater setup with polk audio floorstanding loudspeakers). I simply wanted an Alexa-enabled device to use like an Echo, but with more oomph for listening to music. This seemed like a great alternative solution. I love being able to use my voice to control Apple Music on other Alexa devices. Unfortunately Polk Audio seems to have a relationship with Spotify (they suggest using Spotify right in the user manual) which precludes allowing Apple music to function natively on this device, even though it is configured to do so in the Alexa app. The device issues an Apple Music-specific error when you ask it to play something from Apple Music: "Apple Music is not supported on this device". I have included a video of the device issuing this hard stop message. I am knocking 2 stars off because Polk Audio (of whom I am otherwise a huge fan), has intentionally configured this device's firmware to prevent it from playing Apple Music, and has stated in an email to me they will not enable it. So uncool. Here is Polk's official response to the Apple Music issue after wasting hours on the phone with several different "support technicians", and email correspondence with a senior tech. Note that NONE of them had a clue what they were talking about, and all initially expressed surprise it did not work. "As per further checking, the Polk React Soundbar is not compatible with both Apple Music on the Amazon Alexa Application Skilling and Apple Airplay. The only way it can play Apple Music as a source is through wireless bluetooth connection. It does support Spotify Connect and should play music content or source using the said application." (*Note: I do not use Apple AirPlay, but if you do, you are apparently also hosed.) It also cannot seem to play Sirius XM, despite relinking my account in the Alexa app twice. It tries and fails to play, resulting in about ten seconds of silence followed by another frustrating error message. These services both work on my other Echo devices. What good is an Alexa-enabled speaker that can't play Apple Music or Sirius XM stations? Polk audio just went down a notch in my books. The video I added demonstrates both errors, the XM error first, then the Apple Music error. Knocking another star off forgo XM Support. Lost another star for this. We're down to TWO stars now. I am knocking an additional star off for three unrelated technical issues: 1) Despite the fact that it *looks* like there is an Echo Dot nestled in the middle of the soundbar, this is NOT the case. Polk is simply mimicking the look of the top of an Echo dot. The microphone inside is NOWHERE NEAR near as good. Even a first-gen dot can hear me in another room 30 feet away when I speak normally. The mic in this device does not offer that level of performance. Standing in the kitchen, 20 feet from the React soundbar, I asked it to tell me the weather. It did not respond--but the first-gen Echo Dot in another room about 30 feet away did (it continues to surprise me with how well it works, 8 years after I bought it). This is a persistent issue. The mic in this soundbar just sucks. Disappointing. 2) Initial setup in the Alexa app failed the first time each time I had to do it, once when I first unboxed and set it up, and again when the Polk tech asked me to factory reset it. The second attempt worked in both cases. Be patient - it will work the second time. 3) The soundbar seems to occasionally have issues staying connected to my Wi-Fi, despite being located THREE INCHES from the router (see photos) . This has happened once per day for a short period of time since I got it. It self-corrects in a few minutes. Frustrating. Due to all these issues, the remaining one lonely star is all there is left, and it is solely attributed to sound quality: this thing sounds GOOD. When paired with the sub, it would make a fantastic entry-level home theater setup. If only it could actually play the only two music services I actually use... To be clear, you are able to stream to the soundbar from a phone or tablet via Bluetooth if you want to play Apple Music or Sirius XM that way - you just cannot use your voice to control it. Native Alexa functionality in the soundbar for these apps is simply disabled. I hope Polk Audio sees this review and makes the choice to issue an over-the-air update (this device is capable of receiving them) enabling Apple Music and Sirius XM. If they ever do, I will update this review and add the deducted stars related to this issue back in. At this time, Polk has officially told me they will not be doing this, so chances of this are essentially zero. In summary, this product has so much great potential, and as an entry-level home-theater soundbar it is superb. Where it fails (badly) is in the Alexa integration. If you are buying it for this, you will be disappointed. If you are looking for something to use with your home theater setup, and you do not mind streaming audio (music) to it from another source (or if you have Amazon Music, Spotify, or Tidal), you will be delighted at the excellent sound quality. In fact, this setup has so much potential giving it a one-star review just feels unfair, so out of sheer mercy I added a second star back in: two stars. Additional note: The React Soundbar certainly does react ...to other IR remotes. I have a Roku IR remote for a Roku TV, and when I adjust the volume on the tv, it also adjusts the soundbar's volume. I do not mean as a result of the volume in the TV changing, I mean the 0-100 volume setting of the soundbar is changed. The bar lights up on the front as though you were using the actual React remote. Thoroughly annoying. I know this is the case because I do not use the soundbar with the TV - it is not connected to it. Not recommended if you were hoping to stream Apple music or Sirius XM from it. Not recommended if you are expecting Echo-like far-field microphone performance--not happening. Otherwise great for home theater (HDMI/ARC) use.

Esta genial y mas si le agregas el subwoofer y las bocinas extras inalámbricas al principio se subia solo el volumen al máximo sin yo moverla a nada me imagino que una vez que se actualiza la alexa interna ya no me dio ese problema pero si la recomiendo ampliamente

I have been a fan of Polk Audio for a while now and this med level performance speaker does not disappoint. The Alexa compatibility along with a solid little remote makes for easy listening. The 4 listening modes actually do create different listening experiences. If your looking to enter the sound bar market this one is worth your time.

My journey to find a worthy successor to my Signa S2 was longer than originally anticipated but thanks to amazon's amazing return policy, I was finally able to find the soundbar I was looking for. At first I tried a Signa S4, while it was clearer and more detailed than the Signa S2, the bass was severely lacking. The Polk Audio React soundbar is nice and clear, a surprising amount of bass from just the soundbar. I picked up the matching subwoofer and well... To say I was impressed is quite the understatement. The subwoofer makes a huge difference, definitely worth keeping an eye out for sales. The Sr2 rear speakers that turn this modular system into 5.1 surround sound really complete the set and absolutely blew my mind. It's everything I was looking for and more. I couldn't be happier. As for Alexa being built in, I don't even bother with it since I've got a full sized echo device already in the living room.

Hasta el momento todo bien

The Polk react sound bar is great in itself. I looked up a lot of sound bars but I really wanted one with voice control as I like to control my tv while I’m cooking. The sound is pretty good, the bass could be better but really easy to set up as long as you have the Alexa app. I am planning to get the Polk react subwoofer maybe a little later, not sure yet. If it wasn’t for the box being damaged upon arrival, it would be a 5 star.