| | |  | Small Appliances | Home » » » » POLK AUDIO AM1195-A ISONIC ENTERTAINMENT SYS | | | | | | | Product Promotions: | | | | | Description: | | The new I-Sonic® ES2 includes a second generation HD Radio tuner with full multicasting. With its advanced acoustical system, Digital Signal Processing, and new HD Radio tuner technology, the I-Sonic ES2 is the highest performing self-contained HD Radio product on the market. The I-Sonic ES2 accepts all iPod models with dock connectors in its top-mounted iPod dock hidden beneath a sliding door. S-Video and composite video outputs allow the user to connect a television or video monitor to the IES2 for viewing video content stored on a video iPod. The I-Sonic ES2 introduces a new music discovery feature from Apple® called iTunes Tagging which makes it simple to buy songs you hear on HD Radio stations. The iTunes Tag button on the I-Sonic ES2's front panel and remote control allows you to "tag" songs broadcast by HD Radio stations. The I-Sonic ES2 stores information about the tagged songs to its memory and transfers the tags to an iPod* when docked. When you sync your iPod with your computer, iTunes automatically presents the songs in a new Tagged play-list for the you to preview, buy, and download. iTunes Tagging is a great way to discover new music and add it to one's collection. | | | Features: | |
• HD radio receiver with iTunes tagging
• Four speakers with the exclusive Polk Audio I-Sonic technology for room-filling 360-degree stereo sound
• iPod video out via composite or S-video outputs (No video for iPhone or iPod Touch)
• Top mounted iPod dock hidden behind a sliding door with iPod charging while docked
• Patented PowerPort venting technology
| | | Product Details: | | | Product Length:
| 14.25 inches | | Product Width:
| 9.5 inches | | Product Height:
| 4.9 inches | | Product Weight:
| 8.0 pounds | | Package Length:
| 19.5 inches | | Package Width:
| 12.8 inches | | Package Height:
| 8.2 inches | | Package Weight:
| 10.4 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 28 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
 Great Sound but Controls could be better..Oct 20, 2009
The system is really excellent and has fantastic sound quality. The I-Sonic blows the Bose systems out of the water effortlessly, and has far more functionality, with
an input for an auxilliary device, direct port for satellite radio antenna, etc. The only issue I have with the system, and the only reason i didn't give it 5 stars is due to the limited access to the alarm functions. You literally have to use the small remote control to select, change, and ultimately turn on and off the alarm functions, which doesnt make any sense. Of course, there is a snooze button so if you want to snooze and not turn the system off once the alarm sounds, you're in business. Despite this, it is a fantastic system, well worth purchasing!
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
 Kind of conflicted on this thing.Sep 20, 2009
This device is, well, unusual. I have a lot of feelings about it, both positive and negative.
Pos. Has HD radio - something you can't get with Bose. HD sounds GREAT, mostly because the signal is not generally "processed" like the analog FM signal is. HD is noticeably cleaner with better dynamic range.
Con. The HD is pretty marginal. It seems reluctant to "lock up" with the HD signal. It has a a unreliable, unpredictable feel to the HD function. I have a not-very-expensive JVC HD radio in my car, and the HD works a LOT more reliably and transparently than in the Polk.
Pro. FM without HD sounds good. Tuning ease is acceptable.
Con. FM reception seems weak. I had to use a C.Crane Reflect antenna to get reasonable reception. I use the radio at work, on an outside wall, near a window, and about 7 miles from the major broadcast antenna farm for the area. This should provide very strong signals with virtually any or no antenna, but no such luck. I tried several antennas and the C. Crane works the best, but it has to be carefully positioned, and cost another $35 to boot.
Pro. Sound is good. It seems to be comparable to my Bose Wave Radio and Bose Wave Radio II. (The II is clearly the better sounding of the two.) The bass and treble controls on the Polk are nice to have. Bose seems to have a very, umm, arrogant attitude of "We know what you need, so don't even consider that you need controls."
Cons. The sound isn't maybe as well defined as on the Bose Wave Radio II, although the HD reception pushes the Polk ahead of the Bose in my book.
Pro. Nice feature set at a good price point. The HD radio and iPod dock (works fine with iPhone 3G) and AUX inputs are nice. There is no CD, but then, that is pretty much '80s tech. At price in the low $300 range, the price is attractive.
Cons. There are some clever features, but the overall build quality is no where near the Bose stuff, and feels like it should be at least a hundred bucks cheaper.
SUMMARY. There is a lot to like in this radio. The feature set is really slick. The problem is that much of the stuff feels like it could have been executed better. Like other reviewers have said, it seems like the thing snuck out the door to production before all the engineering work was done. The price is attractive, but at $300+, it isn't cheap. I would have considered paying $100 more to have all of the features work better (especially HD) and have the build quality of a Bose. I have had mine for about 6 months, and I wouldn't want to send it back, but I would like it to work better and have fewer aggravations. As always, Amazon service was excellent.
1 of 3 found the following review helpful:
As a kitchen stereoAug 15, 2009
* Out of the box, with no firmware upgrade, seems to fully support iPod Touch 2G
* I've always had problems with radio reception; this was no cure-all
* Sound is not Bose, but considering the price I am satisfied
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Sound reviews are definitely over-hypedAug 09, 2009
I'm searching for a new ipod alarm clock radio, and saw the great reviews for the Polk Isonic here on Amazon. The product looks pretty sweet too. I *almost* bought it immediately, because of the rave reviews and a deeply discounted price. But I decided to go to Best Buy to listen to the Isonic and compare to other stereos. I must say that I'm glad I didn't buy it. I was disappointed in the sound. It is quite good, but not as good as others in the $400-$500 price range. Specifically, the sound from the Chestnut Hill George was far superior- it has crisper, clearer highs, and tighter bass, while the Polk isonic had a little tinny-ness in the highs and muddier bass. Don't get me wrong, the Isonic does sound good, and its 4-speaker design gives good room-filling sound, but for $500 I expect better. If you're an audiophile, get something else (possibly the Chestnut Hill - it sounds a lot better). But if sound isn't your utmost concern, the Polk Isonic offers moderately good sound and really nice looking design.
2 of 4 found the following review helpful:
Polk Audio I-SonicAug 07, 2009
I received mine the other day, it's pretty much as advertised. Very good deep sound, I was just going to get a new Bose with the ipod dock. I'm glad I didn't, this is $200 cheaper and has HD Radio and the HD Radio is wonderful. Only 2 flaws I can see, AM radio is weak, but hey, (there is nothing but right wing nuts on AM anyway), and they should have included a battery backup.
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