Product review: Polk Signa Solo Soundbar

The Polk Signa Solo TV soundbar takes cues from the well-reviewed Signa S1. Read on to find out all the details of this compact soundbar…

What’s the biggest problem with modern televisions? Picture? Nope. Design? Wouldn’t have thought so. Functionality? Not even slightly. Well what about sound quality? Bingo. Manufacturers, it would seem, don’t seem to put any effort into the speakers in televisions these days, largely down to the fact that with screens getting thinner by the day there simply isn’t extra room. Sure, some are better than others but to call the sound quality of most TVs “good” would be a bit of a stretch. This is why we’ve continually seen ways to upgrade the sound in our televisions. From surround sound systems to soundbars, there’s plenty of options out there and we seem to get more and more choice each day. Today we have yet another option for you from American audio specialists Polk Audio.

We’ve had the Polk Signa S1 in the store for a while now and this new Signa Solo seems like it could be classed as its younger sibling. It’s smaller, lighter and doesn’t come with a separate subwoofer of any kind. It’s a more simplistic take on getting better audio from your TV and I’m just hoping it lives up the original Signa and does the name justice. Like most soundbars, connectivity is pretty straightforward with a standard digital optical connection and 3.5mm analogue input.

There doesn’t seem to be any frills or extras here. It’s a sleek looking product and the rounded, smooth look helps it become unobtrusive. All in all, it looks good enough and the build quality is decent for the price point. But what about the sound? Let’s find out.

It seems like “Solo” aspect of this soundbar comes from it having no subwoofer. It just stands alone, plugs into the TV simply and works. They’ve included an optical cable in the box so it’s connected in no time and away we go.

For the money this Signa is available for I’m pretty impressed. Dialogue is clear and profound, whilst the sound is full enough not to warrant an extra subwoofer. Obviously the bass isn’t going to blow you away here but it’s enough to you going even during the most explosives scenes in your favourite action film. It’s definitely a huge upgrade over any television speakers and well worth having a listen to.

The Signa Solo is discreet, perfect for any space.

If it’s not just better TV sound you’re after though then switch to Bluetooth and you can have your phone streaming music to it in seconds. Much like when playing the TV through it, it’s a big upgrade from any standard portable speaker or any phone you might have. There is a few different sound modes to choose from and the music mode does add a bit of fullness here so it’s worth playing around with. All in all the Signa has impressed me and will be a useful upgrade to any TV speakers you have at home.

Fancy a sound upgrade in your own home? Then pop into your local Richer Sounds to give the Signa Solo a shot, or test out any of the wide soundbar options we have in stock.

Click to find out about the Polk Signa Solo Soundbar.

Author: Bradley, Plymouth store