Polk Soundbar Buttons Explained in Detail

Polk Audio, among other reputable brands, has a long history of making soundbar ranges that are nothing short of quality. What’s more? The Polk soundbars come equipped with several buttons, all serving the purpose of enhancing your audio experience.

In this blog post, we’ll explain in depth the functions of each button on your Polk soundbar. After reading this, you will understand how the simple controls of your Polk soundbar hold the key to unlocking a lot of customizations.

Polk Soundbar Buttons: Fully Explained

The onboard buttons of Polk soundbars range from 3 to 7. They make different arrangements depending on the model. We’ve highlighted below some of those you may find on your model.

1. Volume Buttons

Typically, the volume up and down buttons are labelled “plus” and “minus” respectively. On your Polk soundbar, you will always find them opposite to each other. The volume buttons allow you to adjust the soundbar’s loudness to your liking.

Volume control can be essential for maintaining a balance in your audio output for an optimal experience.

2. Power Button

With this button, you can switch your Polk soundbar to standby mode. When in this state, the soundbar consumes less power. It’s a great way of saving energy or allowing for quick startup when needed.

3. Source/Input Button

This button helps to cycle through different audio input sources. Polk soundbars often support multiple inputs like HDMI, Bluetooth, or optical. The input selection button lets you choose the source you want to listen to, whether it’s your TV, gaming console, or Bluetooth device.

4. Voice Adjust

Do you know that you can automatically fine-tune the audio from your soundbar at the push of buttons? That’s what the voice adjust button does. All models of Polk’s MagniFi and Signa series have this feature included.

The Polk VoiceAdjust technology promises to make you “never miss a single word” by enhancing dialogues and boosting the clarity of voices. This tech makes it easier to follow conversations in TV shows and movies.

5. Bass Adjustment Buttons

The bass control buttons are similar to the volume control buttons. This dedicated button lets you increase or decrease the bass levels.

The button can come in handy when you want to feel a vibration while watching an action-packed movie or remove deep bass.

6. Mute Button

The mute button silences the soundbar’s audio output temporarily. It’s useful when you want to mute TV commercials. To unmute, press it again. It restores the sound to its previous volume level.

7. Bluetooth Button

This button will initiate the pairing process of your Polk soundbar with Bluetooth-enabled devices like tablets and phones.

9. Microphone On/Off

When this turns red, it means the microphone is mute. Alexa will not be able to receive audio instructions in this state.

Polk Soundbar Remote Buttons: Extending your Soundbar’s Functionality

The remote control will help you extend the functionalities of your Polk soundbar. Note that some of the buttons on the remote control are also on the soundbar frame.

That said, let’s dive in.

1. The Mode Buttons

The Mode buttons are sound presets made available by Polk, so you get a sound customized for the content you’re enjoying.

You’ll identify these modes on your remote (if present) as they look like their names. For instance, the movie mode button looks like a video recorder.

• Movie Mode: Watching your favourite TV series or shows in the movie mode. You should hear a clearer dialogue and an enhanced bass for sound effects. Some models of Polk soundbars may include a cinematic audio atmosphere that makes your TV characters’ voices feel lifelike.
• Sport Mode: This one is tailored to enhance the audio experience when watching sports like football matches. You should expect an emphasized crowd noise, a clearer commentary, and a dynamic sound boost in the sports mode. In short, the mode is there to make you feel immersed in the game.
• Music Mode:In this mode, you should enjoy balanced and clear audio from your Polk soundbar. It emphasizes the midrange and treble frequencies while providing a well-rounded soundstage for a pleasing musical experience.
• Night mode: On some Polk models, you’ll find this as “Night Effect”. You’ll find it particularly helpful at night as it helps prevent loud and sudden sound effects from disturbing your roommates or neighbours. It can also come in handy when you prefer a serene audio experience in a quiet environment.

2. Playback Control Buttons

If your Polk soundbar model supports music playback (e.g. via Bluetooth), these buttons will be available to control the media you’re playing. There are three of them: the play/pause button, and the forward and backward buttons.

Typically, when you press the forward button once it skips to the next track or chapter in your media player. When you long-press, it will fast-forward the content at a faster pace.

3. Source/Input Button

Use this button to cycle through different audio input sources, such as TV, Aux and Bluetooth. The AUX is used mostly to connect with headphones, phones and MP3 players via a 3.5mm audio cable. Some Polk remote controls don’t include it.

4. HDMI Buttons

If your Polk soundbar supports HDMI, you will find the HDMI buttons that allow you to switch from one to another seamlessly. The Magnifi MAX and MagniFi MAX SR, for instance, have up to three “HDMI in” ports, so the remote has this feature.

5. Voice Adjust Button

This button helps to control the clarity and volume of dialogue or voices in movies and TV shows.

6. Surround Speakers Buttons

These surround buttons are located at the bottom of the remote. They control the left and right wireless surround speakers if they are connected. You can control the speaker’s volume with this button. You can also press the “R” balance button to increase the volume on the right surround speaker compared to the left one. The “L” button does exactly the opposite.

Wrap-up

We hope you’ve gotten a grasp of Polk Soundbar buttons from this comprehensive blog post. If you need more clarity, kindly refer to your model’s manual for more specific information.