SEPARATED AT BIRTH? Polk & Denon soundbars share specs
We’re not much for conspiracy theories, but we have to suspect that the engineers who worked on Polk’s new Signa S4 soundbar and subwoofer package
may have been peering over the shoulders of the engineers who worked on Denon’s DHT-S517 soundbar and subwoofer package (see previous page) — or perhaps vice versa. Styling aside, we can’t spot any difference in the specs, other than a slight difference in the subwoofer’s physical size (the bass driver, however, is the same). Both are Atmos-capable 3.1.2-channel systems. All driver counts and sizes are absolutely identical, right down to the use
of 120x40mm racetrack drivers and a centre driver of one-inch diameter labelled as “full-range”. They have the same inputs. The soundbar size is, for Polk and Denon respectively, and quoting in inches as we don’t have local Denon specs, 41.2 x 3.7 x 2.4 inches versus 41.3 x 3.8 x 2.3. The press releases for the two products even came out on the same day, making comparisons inevitable.
Both brands are, of course, part of Sound United, which seems to be taking its name rather literally in this example. But as with similarities between Denon and Marantz receivers, it’s possible that sonic differences may lie in the final sound tuning. Or not. Meanwhile, hey, the Polk pair is $50 cheaper at $699. More info: au.polkaudio.com