The Polk React has a lot going for it. It’s easy on the wallet because you can add optional extras in stages. It also has great Amazon Alexa features built in and, most importantly, it can make a sound that’s more clean, detailed, powerful, and movie-friendly than you’d expect from such a small speaker.
It would have been nice to have an HDMI loopthrough, voices can sound a little far away from what’s happening on screen, and trebles can get a little sharp at high volumes. Overall, though, the Polk React has a lot to offer for not a lot of money, especially if you add the optional sub.
The Polk React has a four-driver array that powers the left, centre, and right channels. It has two 96 x 69-mm mid-range drivers and two 25mm tweeters. Two 110 x 100-mm passive radiators provide low-frequency effects. The React works with both Dolby and DTS audio, and it also has Polk’s virtual surround-sound technology.
However, it doesn’t work with object-based Dolby Atmos or DTS:X audio, so you won’t be able to get 3D sound. In fact, Polk Audio just released its first Dolby Atmos soundbar, the Polk Audio Signa S4. However, its existing MagniFi 2 soundbar has a 3D audio mode that gives virtual height cues (read our Polk Audio MagniFi 2 review). The Polk React can be upgraded with the $199 wireless React Sub and/or the $199 wireless Polk SR2 surround kit. When you add the subwoofer and surrounds to the React, it becomes a full-fledged 5.1-channel system.
The Polk Command Bar didn’t look as good as the Sonos Beam, but the React makes up for that with details like its soft, woollen grill. The unique central ring section is still there, with volume, action, and on/off buttons set in a circle that looks like the top of an old-school Echo. However, the activity light is now a lit bar across the front edge. The bar is 2.2 inches tall, 4.76 inches wide, and 34 inches across. The back of the soundbar has keyhole mounts that can be used to hang it on the wall. Two midrange drivers, two tweeters, and two bass-boosting passive radiators make up the audio section.
Inputs go to a single HDMI (ARC) output, an optical input for TV audio, Bluetooth, and a USB port that can only be used to update the firmware. We do wish it had a second HDMI port like the Polk Command Bar, which is helpful for people who have more than one device. The unit also has Wi-Fi, but not Ethernet, so that the voice assistant can connect to the Internet.