Getting bass out of a soundbar that conveys proper theater impact is asking for a bit much, so Polk Audio has wisely chosen to add a standalone subwoofer and name the package the SurroundBar SDA Instant Home Theater (IHT). Of course, soundbar shoppers are likely concerned about stringing wires across the living room floor, ceiling, or what have you, so Polk has added a wireless connection between the SurroundBar and the 6.5-inch subwoofer. Nice and tidy, and it'll ship this month for a buck under $600 $500.

It's not like we haven't seen miDocks before, but Polk Audio is enjoying the spotlight at CES and releasing a trio of newcomers to mingle with your iPod. Up first is the miDock Studio (pictured after the jump), which takes a subtle hint from the late iPod Hi-Fi in the design department and features a pair of 3.25-inch drivers and the ability to operate on AC power or from eight C-cell batteries. The miDock 10 (shown above), on the other hand, is entirely more suited for being hoisted over your left shoulder when pouncing down the street, while the diminutive Portfolio can be folded up for easy transport and operated on four AA cells for over eight hours. Notably, the Studio and 10 also sport USB inputs for direct computer connections, and the trio will run you $229.95, $179.99 and $119.95 in order of mention.

Remember that soundbar from Polk Audio we spotted last year? We certainly hope you've been saving those pennies if you instantly considered yourself in the market for one, because Polk's mighty proud of it. Debuting officially at CES, the SurroundBar 360 DVD Theater is a two-piece surround sound system that includes a single "multi-channel loudspeaker" alongside a separate console that houses a DVD / CD player, SDA (Stereo Dimension Array) signal-processing amplifier, AM / FM radio and a host of inputs. 'Course, whether or not you'll really feel immersed by sound is debatable, but at least you can look forward to 1080i DVD upconversion, an HDMI output and a gaping hole (known in this example as $1,199.95) in Sir Wallet.

[Via WidescreenReview]

As far as these surround sound bars go, Yamaha seems to have made quite the name for itself, but it looks like Polk Audio is offering up another iteration in its own lineup to compete. The SurroundBar 360 DVD Theater features a single 44-inch long speaker that purportedly provides a 5.1-channel experience "using patented SDA technology." Furthermore, the system looks to come with a dedicated DVD console, but we've no idea if the pair will ever be offered up separately. No word on price / availability at the moment, but we're expecting Polk to spill the rest of the beans sooner rather than later.

You can't run around launching fancy new music players these days without a secondary offensive of cases and car chargers following close behind, and Microsoft's new Zunes have a veritable cavalry behind them. In addition to the official accessories we've already heard about from J Allard and crew, the company's lined up a number of third-party manufacturers to crank out 60 different Zune-friendly products, including Polk, Belkin, DLO, Monster, Altec Lansing, Targus, iHome, Memorex and Griffin. Microsoft's new pals will be releasing everything from speaker docks to RCA cables, so it looks like you'll be able to build a happy little home for that new Zune of yours when it launches next month.

Already, new peripherals are popping up to take advantage of the new features in Apple's updated iPod line-up, with Polk Audio's I-Sonic Entertainment System 2 packing a poor man's equivalent of the Starbucks song purchase feature over in-store WiFi. When songs are playing over the built-in HD Radio, users can press a tag button, which creates a custom playlist on docked iPods, allowing songs to be purchased later when at a computer. The ES2 also features XM Connect & Play capability, a CD/DVD drive for audio playback, an alarm clock mode, and 360-degree sound, whatever the hell that is. The ES2 hits next month for $499.

Those looking to add a little Sirius content to their home theater system now have yet another option from Polk Audio in the form of its new SR-H1000 receiver, which will also let you spread those satellite signals to other rooms in your house. That latter feature is made possible with the separate SC-H1 Home Connect Tuner, which you can also hook up to any old TV to view song and channel information. According to Electronic House, the main unit will also store up to 44 minutes of content with its Instant Replay feature, and it boasts so-called Game Alert and Game Zone feature to ensure you don't miss a minute of your favorite games. While there doesn't appear to be any word on how much extra the Home Connect Tuner will cost, the main SR-H1000 unit will reportedly set you back about $350 when it's released sometime this month.

Although Polk Audio has made its miDock Portfolio available for your iPod in the past, it's about time that Stiletto receiver of yours received the same treatment. The SLPTD1, which can be powered with two AA cells or an AC adapter, was crafted to play nice with the Sirius Stiletto 10, 100, and shiny new Stiletto 2, and as any portable speaker station should, this one folds flat for easy travel, comes bundled with a protective case, boasts a 3.5-millimeter auxiliary jack, and even arrives with a "windowsill antenna." Look for it to land this October for around $129.99.

[Via MobileWhack]

We noted last week that the FCC's official approval of HD radio was good news for embattled terrestrial broadcasters, but Richard Menta of MP3 newswire clues us in to a dirty little secret on the consumer side of things: most of the hardware on the market today sucks. Specifically, Menta put three current models (Boston Acoustics' Recepter Radio HD, Polk Audio's I-Sonic Entertainment System, and the Accurian HD Radio from Radio Shack) up against three analog units he had lying around the house (his car stereo, a cheap Sony shower radio, and just for fun, a 1940 Zenith tube radio), and much to his surprise, even the crappiest of the latter group was able to pick up analog stations better than the most expensive HD device. Furthermore, the HD models did a terrible job picking up the digital stations they're meant to highlight in signal-rich central Jersey, as they were only able lock in one of the 13 channels promoted by the HD Radio Alliance with any regularity. Luckily this poor performance seems due to the lack of sensitivity in the tuners these radios are built with -- an issue that's easily solved -- so the real question is whether manufacturers have the will to start tossing better parts in. If not, things don't look very good for HD Radio, so all that NAB can really do is hope that its anti-merger smear campaign is gaining some ground

It's not quite an XM / Sirius combo unit, but Polk Audio's new I-Sonic system is nonetheless a first of its kind, combining XM and HD Radio capabilities along with a CD / DVD player for good measure. For those who still enjoy rocking it 20th century style, it'll also pick up plain old AM and FM radio stations. The unit itself measures a countertop-friendly 14.5 x 9.75 x 4.75 inches and packs two sets of auxiliary inputs that'll let you jack in just about any audio device you like (like, say, a Stiletto, perhaps?), as well as S-Video and composite video outputs in case you want to do more than just listen to DVDs. List price is a hefty $599 US, but Polk knows you're good for it.

[Via Talk Radio Nation]