Does the world need the ultimate tabletop radio? Or, more specifically, does a nightstand, living-room end table, kitchen counter, or office shelf in your world need a radio that can play DVDs and CDs, tune in XM Satellite Radio as well as HD Radio and analog AM and FM — and still wake you up in the morning? With the introduction of the I-Sonic, Polk Audio is betting that the answer is yes. And now that more manufacturers are anteing up at the high-end clock-radio table, so to speak, the Polk Audio I-Sonic tabletop audio system raises the stakes — and the price — by offering more sources, more speakers, and more features.
SETUP Getting started with the I-Sonic was simple. My test sample came with an XM Connect-and-Play antenna module (a $60 accessory available from Polk), but you'll need to subscribe to XM Radio ($12.95 a month) if you don't have an existing account. I had only to plug in the puck-like antenna and make sure it had southern exposure to get celestially connected. The first time you turn the I-Sonic on, you're asked to select a time zone, switch Daylight Savings Time on or off, and set the local time using the volume buttons. But with an XM antenna attached, the info is entered automatically. Sweet.
Along with the port for the XM antenna, the I-Sonic's back panel sports a coaxial connection for a supplied FM dipole antenna, as well as screw terminals for a supplied AM loop antenna. There's also a switch back there to select the internal or external AM antenna (switching to the external antenna connection for FM is done electronically via one of the multifunction keys). Also on tap are composite- and S-video outputs for connecting the DVD player to a display, as well as RCA stereo audio inputs and outputs. On the left side there's an auxiliary minijack input for an iPod or MP3 player and a headphone jack for private listening.
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The Short Form
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| Price $599 / polkaudio.com / 888-869-4375 |
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Snapshot
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| The ultimate table radio, with more sources and more speakers than its competitors — but they come at a price. |
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Plus
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•Great sound from a compact unit •Rich bass •XM Satellite- and HD Radio-ready •Plays DVDs and CDs |
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Minus
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•Among the most expensive table radios •Somewhat cumbersome top-panel controls |
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Key Features
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•Plays DVDs, CDs, MP3-encoded CDs, and photo discs •Receives AM, FM, XM Satellite, and HD Radio •Four-speaker All-Around sound field technology •30 radio presets, with any combination of XM, AM, or FM •PowerPort bass technology •(2) stereo audio inputs; S-/composite-video, stereo audio, headphone outputs •Dual alarm clock |
PERFORMANCE I tested the I-Sonic in several locations in my home, including my large (15 x 30 feet) living room. While not as robust, dynamic, and accurate as an excellent set of bookshelf speakers driven by a good amplifier, the I-Sonic filled the room with surprisingly good sound for a table radio, and the sheer volume output of its four 3-inch speakers was impressive. Polk's Power Port bass-loading technology yielded a deep, if somewhat boomy, low end. When I listened to Bluesiana Triangle — a favorite jazz recording by Dr. John, David "Fathead" Newman, and Art Blakey — Newman's sax sounded a little harsh and strained at moderately high volumes but for the most part was warm and realistic. And in the drum-heavy jam "Shoo Fly, Don't Bother Me," the percussion was surprisingly forceful, if not totally lifelike.
To check out Polk's "Stereo All-Around" sound-field feature, I also listened in my home office with the radio sitting on a coffee table in the middle of the room. Two of the I-Sonic's four speakers fire toward the back from its curved side panels, making it ideal for placement on something like a kitchen island. The approach works well enough; the sound quality stayed fairly consistent as I moved around. Joan Armatrading's What's Inside CD kicks off with a deep-bass throb on the opening track "In Your Eyes," and the I-Sonic created good low end throughout the room. I played the same Armatrading track with my 40-gig iPod connected to the rear aux-in jacks and experienced similar sound quality, and when I played a disc of MP3s, the track numbers came up on the I-Sonic's LCD display without a hitch (though you need to have a video monitor connected to get full metadata). XM sound was also superb.
Since the advent of satellite radio, I've pretty much given up on terrestrial radio, but my experience with HD Radio gave me hope. I went to hdradio.com and printed a list of HD stations broadcasting in Portland, Oregon. Of the 13 on the list, however, only eight were actually broadcasting in HD, which the I-Sonic indicates via an HD icon. The HD indeed sounded much better than the conventional FM broadcasts from the stations I listened to — bass was more pronounced, and the music didn't have that overly compressed, trebly sound you usually get with FM. But the real payoff is access to HD sub-frequencies, essentially additional channels with unique programming. For example, KIJZ at 105.9-1 transmits smooth-jazz pap, but the station's HD2 traditional-jazz format at 105.9-2 played gems such as Erroll Garner's "Paisley Eyes." Even better was finding out that one click over from country station KWJJ at 99.5-1 was a hardcore blues channel playing Blind Willie Johnson's "Nobody's Fault But Mine" and Bessie Smith's "Downhearted Blues" at 99.5-2. You get the idea. Happily, when you find stuff you like, you can fill the I-Sonic's 30 presets with any combination of stations from AM, FM, or XM, including these alternate HD streams.
I also connected the I-Sonic to a 32-inch Sony Trinitron TV in my bedroom to see how it worked as a mini home theater of sorts. Cueing up the James Bond flick Die Another Day one evening, I was mesmerized by the crash-and-burn hovercraft scene in Chapter 4. While it didn't have the impact of my full-blown home theater, for late night in-bed viewing, the I-Sonic was ideal. I also checked out the Norah Jones and The Handsome Band — Live in 2004 music DVD, and the sound was so absorbing that for a moment I forgot it was coming from what amounts to a seriously glorified clock radio.
BOTTOM LINE While there's little doubt that the Polk Audio I-Sonic tabletop audio system is near the top of the heap among table radios, the questions still remain: Does your world need an I-Sonic, and is the extra dough — $599 prior to any discounts or rebates — worth it? If you just need something to wake you up in the morning and play CDs, go with the $30 Wal-Mart special. But if you want to spin nearly every disc in your collection, if you're a radio junkie who craves the latest and greatest radio technology, if you appreciate good sound, then the I-Sonic will surely make your world — and the start of each day — much more musical.
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