Features
Controls
Connections
Mounting Options
Features
Instant Home Theater (IHT): The Polk Audio SurroundBar 9000
Instant Home Theater (IHT) is a complete 5.1-channel home theater system
comprised of a single self-powered surroundbar speaker, a wireless powered subwoofer, and an
IR remote control. The SurroundBar 9000 IHT utilizes two Polk 3D Audio
technologies (Polk Digital Logic and SDA Surround) along with SRS TruSurround
HD4 to deliver richer, fuller
sound (with no rear speakers) to your flat-panel TV from a compact system with
no complex hook-up or set-up.
Active surroundbar: The active surroundbar features three
0.5" silk dome tweeters and five 2.5"midbass woofers powered by a built-in 360
watt amplifier (45W x 8ch). High and low pass filters are handled electronically
with no passive components in the signal path. This reduces phase shift and
lowers distortion inherent in all passive crossover networks. The SurrounBar's enclosure is a combination of ABS and
Plexiglas, which
adds extra rigidity, strength, and higher damping factor. This makes the
enclosure more acoustically inert and less resonant. The grille frame is a
single molded piece wrapped with cloth. And as with high-end loudspeakers, the
grille has no lattice work in front of any of the drivers or tweeters to ensure
dispersion is unimpeded. The surroundbar's dual tuned-port enclosure design optimizes the realistic blending of
midbass drivers with the wireless subwoofer, for more dynamic performance
throughout the room.
Wireless Powered Subwoofer: The wireless powered subwoofer
features a down-firing 8" poly-composite Dynamic Balance woofer with rubber
surround and down-firing flared J-port in a 3/4" thick MDF cabinet. The 8"
woofer is powered by a built-in 150 watt amplifier. The powered subwoofer
receives it audio signal wirelessly (up to 50') from the system's surroundbar,
so there is no subwoofer cable to connect.
Dynamic Balance Driver Technology: Polk Audio's patented
Dynamic Balance process allows Polk to design their drivers specifically for
flatter frequency response, revealing the sharpest details and a more lifelike
transparency, with absolutely no strain even at high volume. It's a bold, rich,
warm, and lifelike sound.
Digital Signal Processing (DSP): Polk Audio has incorporated
the most powerful DSP engine ever used in its amplified surroundbars, capable of
160 MIPS (millions of instructions per second) including 58 discrete DSP blocks
for delay, frequency shaping, crossover points, signal mixing and parametric
compression. Amplitude smoothing addresses even minor irregularities of all
active drive units.
3D Audio: Polk Audio's 3D Audio combines two groundbreaking,
patented technologies to produce an audio environment that can only be described
as 3-dimensional. Combining Polk Audio's proprietary SDA Surround technology and
Polk Digital Logic processing technology produces a rich, enveloping listening
experience. It reaches out beyond your TV screen to put you in the center of the
action.
- Polk Digital Logic: The surroundbar 9000 Instant Home
Theater utilizes Polk Digital Logic (Polk's proprietary DSP programming) to
deliver big, crisp sonic performance with no complicated setup or
calibration. Through Polk Digital Logic, the surroundbar 9000 IHT's sound is
created independent of any room boundaries. Polk Digital Logic helps to
maintain a solid center channel for clear, intelligible dialogue and Polk's
signature warm & full sound.
- Stereo Dimensional Array (SDA) Surround: Polk's
patented Stereo Dimensional Array (SDA) Surround technology is based on
fundamental research into the way our ears process sound and perceive the
direction of sounds. It uses a patented combination of signal processing and
acoustical geometry that complements the spacing between your ears to
produce a wide sound stage without the need for rear mounted speakers. Since
the surroundbar works directly with the hearing mechanism and requires no
special room characteristics, it can deliver a room-filling surround
experience in nearly any location in almost any type of room.
SRS TruSurround HD4: The Polk Audio SurroundBar 9000 also incorporates
SRS TruSurround HD4 for a high quality, feature-rich surround sound experience
from its front-facing speaker configuration. The result is rich bass, high
frequency detail, and clear dialogue.
Optimized Center Array (OCA): Optimized Center Array (OCA)
provides unprecedented clarity and intelligibility of center channel information
over a wide listening area. Everyone hears natural sounding, clear dialog, while
musical instruments and center-channel effects are anchored to the screen. All
five 2.5" drivers of the surroundbar contribute to the center channel
performance in a sophisticated, amplitude tapered cascaded array design (known
as Optimized Center Array). The SB9000's OCA progressively low-passes the
outer and inner driver pairs to mitigate undesirable constructive and
destructive interference that otherwise would result in off-axis frequency
response irregularities. OCA controls off-axis amplitude response by appropriately limiting each
mid-bass driver's passband for minimal interference for off-axis seating
locations as follows:
- outer and inner driver pairs reproduce center channel information from
80-450Hz and 80-700Hz respectively
- the center driver plays center channel
program material through the upper midrange all the way up to its crossover
point with the center tweeter (80Hz-4kHz)
- the outer
tweeters are also employed as "super tweeters" (6kHz - 20kHz) for center
channel material in addition to serving their primary duties in the
reproduction of Front (FL/FR) and Surround (SL/SR) channels
Full Complement Bass (FCB): Full Complement Bass is based on
the idea of several smaller drivers working together to create the effects of a
much larger one. FCB provides
the equivalent surface area of a 5.25" mid-bass driver to give the lower midrange and
upper bass tonal richness and speedy transient response, ensuring that no single
driver is overtaxed since all share the demanding 80-200Hz band equally. The low 80Hz crossover point, achievable by employment of FCB, effectively eliminates localization of the
system's powered subwoofer.
Controls
System Controls: The SurroundBar 9000 IHT offers the
following system functions - Power, Surroundbar Volume, Subwoofer Volume, Source
Selection (1/2/3/4), and Mute. You can control these functions from the surroundbar's
touch-sensitive controls or included remote control.
- Touch-Sensitive Controls: The touch-sensitive buttons on the
front of the surroundbar offers easy operation of the system.
- Remote Control: The included IR wireless remote control
provides wireless operation of the system.
Program Remote: You can also program the SurroundBar 9000 IHT's
Power (on/off) and Volume (up/down) to
respond to your TV's remote.
Sync: The Sync button is located on the back-panel of the
surroundbar. If the wireless subwoofer stops receiving an audio signal from the
surroundbar, press the Sync button to regain system connection.
Auto Power: When their master power switches are left on,
the amplifiers in both the surroundbar and subwoofer turn on automatically when
the surroundbar receives an audio signal. Both amplifiers turn off after
approximately 15 minutes without an audio signal.
Connections
Digital Connection (Dolby Digital/DTS compatible): The surroundbar also features two
optical digital inputs to connect your flat-panel TV with an optical digital
output (optical digital cable included). Both of the surroundbar's optical
inputs can decode and reproduce Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 program material.
Many soundbars can decode 5.1, but can only reproduce it as 2-channel stereo.
The SurroundBar 9000 IHT plays back all discrete channels as intended for
optimal surround performance and fidelity. The surroundbar's digital inputs also
support 2-channel PCM.
Analog Connections: The surroundbar is equipped with two
analog 3.5mm stereo inputs to connect your television (which may lack an optical
digital output). If your TV is equipped with stereo RCA outputs, a
minijack-to-RCA adapter is provided. The additional 3.5mm stereo input can be
used to connect another audio device, such as your MP3 player.
Wireless Connection: The surroundbar and powered subwoofer
communicate with one another wirelessly (up to 50'). The surroundbar sends the low-pass
audio signal from your TV or connected source to the powered subwoofer
wirelessly over an RF frequency.
Note: The surroundbar and powered subwoofer come from
the factory preset to work together. If the wireless subwoofer stops
receiving an audio signal from the surroundbar, there is a sync button on
back of the surroundbar to press to regain system connection.
Power Supply: Both the surroundbar and wireless powered
subwoofer require an AC outlet connection using the supplied AC power supply and
AC power cords.
Mounting Options
Mounting the surroundbar: The surroundbar speaker can be
placed on a tabletop or wall-mounted. The surroundbar comes with two rubber feet
that can be easily removed and re-installed anywhere along the length of the
speaker to allow installation directly in front of any TV, regardless of the
type of stand provided. Keyhole slots located 24.5" apart allow either on-wall
installation or attachment to an aftermarket display mount and center-channel
bracket. The surroundbar should be centered under or above your flat-panel TV
screen.
Powered Subwoofer Placement: The powered subwoofer receives its signal from
the surroundbar wirelessly, so it can be placed virtually anywhere in the room
(up to 50' from surroundbar). It only requires plugging into an AC outlet.
