So you’re sick of listening to your crappy TV speakers, but don’t want to spend a fortune on a separate audio system. Can you afford 200 bucks? $150? How about $130?
The Polk Signa Solo ($129/£149) is the cheapest sound bars we’ve ever seen in the CNET office. Unfortunately for the Solo, however, the standard of entry-level TV speakers has truly been raised thanks to Polk’s own Signa S1 and the incomparable Vizio SB3621N-E8, which both cost just a few bucks more.
They both include subwoofers, and that’s a big reason why the Solo doesn’t sound as good as either one. Sure, it makes TV louder, and it has all the connectivity you need, but with two brilliant sound bars competing directly against it, the Solo doesn’t make as much sense without a price cut. If the Solo was available for $99/£99, it would be much more recommendable to people who want an ultracheap sound bar but don’t want a sub.