invision UK

Invision UK now stocking Polk SurroundBars

 Invision UK, the leading trade-only distributor of integrated AV solutions for residential, commercial and marine applications, has confirmed that Polk Audio’s reference-level SurroundBar® Systems are now available in the UK. 

Announced earlier this year, at ISE 2011, the SurroundBar CHT500 and CHT400 represent the next generation of one-cabinet speaker systems designed for bespoke homes either short on space or after as clean and cable-free installation as possible. 

The SurroundBar CHT500 and SurroundBar CHT400 are well suited to a home cinema as to a bedroom or study thanks to Polk Audio’s ‘no compromises’ attitude to sound quality. Offering a stunning seven channels of surround sound, the both SurroundBars represent the new benchmark for such systems and will impress even the most ardent of multichannel audiophiles, 

Commenting on the SurroundBars availability in the UK, Chris Dawson, Invision UK Product Manager, said: “We’re really excited to be able to offer UK custom installers Polk’s SurroundBars. Single-cabinet speakers used to be all about compromise, but that all ends here – we think we’ve found the perfect way to bring high-end 7.1 multichannel sound out of the dedicated home cinema room and into common living areas and secondary rooms where clients tend to be wary of unsightly cables and big speakers.” 

A two-piece product consisting of a single speaker and a separate subwoofer unit, the SurroundBar CHT500 sports a black aluminum enclosure that ensures it won’t jar with the latest flatscreen TVs. Just 40mm deep and with a cabinet designed to match the length of a 50-inch flatscreen TV, the SurroundBar CHT500’s innards have all the hallmarks of a serious home cinema solution. 

Three ¾-inch ring radiator tweeters befitting of high-end speakers are accompanied by nine of Polk’s proprietary Starfield anodized aluminum dome mid-woofers, each 3-inch in diameter and 22.86mm in depth.

High power handling is what the Starfield driver’s 1 ½-inch voice coil guarantees, which together with its coupler creates rigidity to the dome’s surface. The all-important smooth frequency response is helped along by the signature concave pattern of Starfield, with impressive 7.1-channel surround sound the result. 

An enveloping soundstage is also helped along by Polk’s own SDA® (Stereo Dimension Array) digital signal processing surround technology, which feeds into the external SDA® Control Module, which comprises all the crossover components. 

That high technology is low maintenance for custom installers as the SDA Control Module connects to an AV receiver’s multichannel speaker outputs to handle all of the SurroundBar 500CHT’s signal and crossover processing. 

The SDA Control Module ships as a separate component to the main SurroundBar 500CHT unit, with a wall bracket, two shelf cradles and a rack-mountable connectivity module, and multi-conductor cable (for attaching a Polk Audio subwoofer) also supplied. 

Designed to be paired with a 42-inch display, the SurroundBar 500CHT is 63.5mm deep and comprised of seven 2 3/4” composite mid-woofers, tuned with Dynamic Balance® technology to prevent distortion. Fine detailing is from three 3/4” silk polymer dome tweeters while powerful neodymium magnets bring smooth frequency response throughout a wider soundstage for both music and movies.