Polk Audio's Radio Goes Overboard

Vying to claim Bose's throne in executive stereos, the $599 I-Sonic packs a bundle of extras. But does anyone really need all this?

by Douglas MacMillan

Editor's Rating:

The Good: Includes XM satellite, HD Radio tuners; DVD/CD; iPod inputs; TV outputs; dual front/rear speakers

The Bad: Expensive; cumbersome; muddy sound; problematic CD drive; XM antenna not included

The Bottom Line: The Swiss-Army-knife approach to digital radio doesn't quite work

Reader Reviews

In the 1990s, Framingham (Mass.) Bose single-handedly defined the premium audio category. With its high-tech proprietary technologies, the company packed a colossal, brilliant sound into tiny little speakers that fit on the corner of a desk. For years, no audio maker dared compete with Bose in the space.

That was back when the Smashing Pumpkins were still big. In this decade, the proliferation of new formats such as MP3s, satellite radio, Internet radio, and now HD Radio, has left Bose struggling to decide what consumers of high-end audio really want. The company still has a hit with its bestselling CD player, the Acoustic Wave II sound system, and its SoundDock is popular with Apple (AAPL) iPod users, but it has missed an opportunity by steering clear of digital radio.

This is where Baltimore electronics maker Polk Audio took its cue for the $599 jack-of-all-trades I-Sonic, released in 2005. By putting satellite radio, HD Radio, a CD/DVD player, iPod inputs, video outputs, and an alarm clock into one unit, Polk is hoping to entice the grown-up version of that kid who brought all of the latest and greatest toys to school and wouldn't let anyone else play with them at recess.

Commanding Presence

I was never that kid, but I sure felt like him when my I-Sonic review unit showed up on my desk. This is going to be great, I thought to myself. I get to listen to my favorite hip-hop station on HD, flip over to a bluegrass station on XM Satellite Radio, and then pop in a jazz CD—and I hardly have to lift a finger! Too bad the I-Sonic fails to do even one of these things well.

The radio is the biggest and meatiest of its class, weighing in at about nine pounds, and because of its commanding size, it appeared out of place on my desk. Note of warning: The I-Sonic's high-tech look will make friends and colleagues think of you as an audiophile. In the course of preparing this review, I had to politely turn down one BusinessWeek editor's request for help setting up a home-theater system, and one writer's inquiry about transferring files in a digital voice recorder to MP3s.

But I do like the I-Sonic's smooth, shell-shaped top, which highlights the attractive silver panel of buttons just above the LED screen. These controls were the easiest to use of any HD Radio player I've reviewed so far. Only on/off, volume, and the snooze/mute bar are labeled, and the other six little buttons line up with a digital label appearing on-screen. It sounds confusing, but after a short while spent clicking around I was navigating between audio platforms, radio stations, presets, and settings with ease.

Errors in the Aria

I put in a CD of Puccini's Turandot. For the high price, I was expecting phenomenal audio quality, but the I-Sonic just sounded good, not exceptional. It has four speakers—two in the front and two in the rear—so it actually sounded better when I placed it in the center of a room, rather than up against a wall. You can adjust bass and treble levels, but after playing with these I was still unable to remedy the I-Sonic's main problem: too much muddy, middle-level sound.

During an aria, what should have been the angelic tones of the soprano and the deep sinister bellows of the tenor were dulled down by the blaring voice of the chorus. At half the price, Boston Acoustics' Receptor Radio HD has better overall sound (see BusinessWeek.com, 4/13/07, "The Big Noise in Digital Radio").

The CD/DVD drive itself appears to have some glitches, too. After the opera, I put in a CD of the Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane. The disc was brand new, not a single hair or scratch on it, and the I-Sonic was unable to read it. A representative from Polk Audio—who also happened to own that very CD—says he has never experienced this problem.

Auditory Overkill

The reason the I-Sonic is such a big investment for a single piece of equipment is that you're paying for two proprietary technologies: an XM Satellite receiver and an HD Radio receiver. This raises an interesting question: Are the two technologies complementary, rather than competitive? I don't see how someone could conceivably use both on a regular basis. Personally, if I already paid a subscription fee for satellite radio, I would never touch HD Radio. Satellite has a greater range of content, no commercials, better sound quality (for now, at least), and is easier to navigate.

Polk's I-Sonic suffers from an identity crisis. It has satellite radio, so who needs HD? It's designed for the desktop, so why does it have a DVD player? It's a bulky piece of equipment, so why use it as an alarm clock? Its main feature is XM radio, so why doesn't it come packaged with an XM antenna?

While it's sure to impress the all the kids at school, at the end of the day the I-Sonic is an embarrassment of riches.

MacMillan is a reporter at BusinessWeek.com in New York.