Polk Audio Woodbourne Review

Polk Audio has built a good-looking and solid speaker, which enhances the attraction value of any living room. Furthermore, it sounds wickedly good, and the acquisitiveness is hard to stop.

The moment I lifted up the box in the "test lab", I suspected that this could be something good. Although it is quite small considering it weighing in at almost eighteen pounds, which indicates that there are a lot of electronics under the hood.

Works Well As A TV Speaker

When I opened the box, I realized quickly that Polk put a lot of effort trying to charm potential buyers. The arching speaker is built of wood, and the fabric-covered, curved front feels very appealing. In the middle of the front is a narrow ramp of LEDs and buttons to adjust the volume or switch between audio sources. The speaker gives a very solid impression, and judging from friends' and colleagues' gaze and comments, the wow-factor is high.

On the back we find a lot of connectivity options, clearly more than what is usually found on wireless speakers. Of course we choose to start with running wirelessly via AirPlay, and quickly do all the network settings by copying them from the phone via USB cable. It works perfectly - no hassle whatsoever. You can also connect via Bluetooth, which is probably the first choice for most people.

Those who prefer a wired connection has both an optical input and a standard RCA auxiliary input to choose from. Optical also provides support for Dolby Digital, which makes the speaker suitable as a TV speaker. There´s no support for DTS, unfortunately.

Powerful Sound

The sound is large and spacious, with a very prominent bass that adds a hefty foundation. This depends to some extent on where you choose to place the speaker, it is a bit sensitive to the distance to the walls. Correctly positioned, the speaker sounds warm and cozy, with a relaxed midrange that feels really inviting. In short, it sounds very good.

The curved front is also shown to have a positive impact on more than appearance. According to Polk, it also improves the stereo separation, and I experienced a quite wide sound image, given the source. Woodbourne can also play very loud, so if you're having a party at home you do not need much more than this.

Conclusion

The Polk Audio Woodbourne is no cheap story, but as they say, you can´t make an omelette without breaking eggs. Recommended retail price is $699.95, which is probably more than most people are willing to spend on a wireless speaker. But it's hard not to fall in love with Woodbourne - it's totally gorgeous and sounds tremendously good.