Dateline: 06/14/2012
If you are looking for a way to experience surround sound without a room full of loudspeakers and wires, then consider the purchase of a Sound Bar, such as the newly announced Polk IHT (Instant Home Theater) SurroundBar 5000 and 9000.

Both units combine an amplified sound bar section paired with a wireless powered subwoofer, and feature proprietary Digital Logic sound processing.


Audio inputs to connect your components are also provided. As an added convenience, both units come packaged with a wireless remote. In addition, the sound bar sections can be either shelf or wall mounted.

The SurroundBar 5000 is 31-inches wide, and the subwoofer is also compact, housing a 6-1/2 inch downfiring driver, making this combination a good match for smaller screen LCD TVs. In addition, the SurroundBar 5000 also provides both wired and Bluetooth connectivity for compatible portable audio playback devices.

The SurroundBar 9000 is Polk's new top-of-the-line IHT unit. With its 45-inch width, it is a great fit for LCD or Plasma TVs up to 50-inches in size. Inside its cabinet are eight speakers (which include five 2-1/2 inch midrange drivers, three 1/2 tweeters, plus two additional ports to support lower frequencies. Total amplifier power output for the 9000 is 510 watts (45 watts to each speaker driver). In addition, the subwoofer comes with an 8-inch downfiring driver and is capable of delivering up to 150 watts.

To provide an anchored center channel, the 9000 also incorporates an Optimized Center Array and the added inclusion of Polk's SDA surround technology serves to deliver a wider surround sound field. The 9000 also features built-in Dolby Digital and DTS decoding.

Both SurroundBar systems are expected to be available beginning in September 2012, with the IHT SurroundBar 5000 having a suggested price of $399, while the step-up IHT SurroundBar 9000 is expected to be priced at $849. Photo Top Right - SurroundBar 5000, Photo Left Side - SurroundBar 9000 (c) Polk Audio

As of the date of this blog post, neither the 5000 or 9000 have been assigned official product pages, which would provide additional details, but check out more details on Polk's current SurroundBar line-up.

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