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Polk Audio I-Sonic ES2 features iTunes song tagging
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.
Polk intros multi-stream SR-H1000 Sirius receiver
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.
Polk Audio announcing SurroundBar50 at CEDIA '07
Settling for the tiny, paper stock speakers flat panels come with is almost as bad as running coax from your cable box to your HDTV, so we are glad to see Polk Audio adding to their offerings. Polk intro'd their original 42-inch SurroundBar (pictured) two years ago to an empty market, but now quite a few manufacturers produce so-called "sound bars." Their latest, SurroundBar50, is designed with 50-inch flat-panels in mind, as the speaker is 51-inches long and mountable either above or beneath the set via the included mount. The extra real estate enhances the virtual surround field as well as providing more internal volume and producing deeper bass. The official announcement isn't happening until Polk Audio's CEDIA press conference on September 6th, but expect the SurroundBar 50 to land at $1,099 this October. We know these virtual surround speakers aren't as good as the real deal, however, don't knock these speakers till you hear 'em in person, as they're a solid alternative to a room full of speakers.
Polk Audio delivers miDock Portfolio for your Stiletto
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]
Current crop of HD radios worse than analog models?
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
Polk Audio ships I-Sonic XM/HD Radio combo system
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]
