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Polk Audio Customer Service 800-377-7655 (Outside USA & Canada: 410-358-3600) polkcs@polkaudio.com
SurroundBar3000
Frequently Asked Questions
SurroundBar3000. No Sound. Funny Sound. And Things that Go Bump
In the Night.
1. The bar has no sound and has a slow blinking green on
the front status light.
§ The bar is either muted or turned down all the way. Try
unmuting the bar or turning up the volume control.
2. On some TV channels, I get sound but others I do
not, while connected via the Optical Digital/Source 1
connection.
§ More than likely if the optical connection is not working,
it’s because the TV (or the source before it) is presenting
a digital audio format that is not compatible with this bar
(namely Dolby Digital). To solve this, go into the setup menu
of the source unit and the TV- look for an option that says
“Digital Audio Output format” or something similar. If you
see anything set to “Dolby Digital”, switch it to “PCM.”
You may have to consult the TV manufacturer’s owner’s
manual or technical support department to assist with this.
Keep in mind some TVs and Source Units may not have
this option, in which case the Source 2 or Source 3 analog
connections would be the only alternative.
3. After I turn off the unit and turn it back on, the volume
“resets” itself to a loud volume.
§ If you are using some kind of a “switched” or “power
saving” surge suppressor or similar, make sure it is not
switching power off of the bar. This bar needs to have
continuous power available to it, otherwise it reset to
factory default settings.
4. Why does my SurroundBar shut itself off after about 15
minutes or so of use?
§ If you’re using the analog Source 2 or Source 3 inputs (2 or
3 blue lights on the left hand side of the bar when it’s on)
the level of the signal coming into the bar is probably too
low to keep the unit on and is triggering its automatic shut
off circuitry. You need to set the audio output level, which
you access through your TV’s setup menu, to the” Fixed”
setting. The “Variable” setting is not strong enough in level
due to the volume control setting to keep the SurroundBar
“awake” and active. If your TV does not have a “fixed”
setting, turn the TV volume control higher..
5. I hear an echo through the system
§ Be sure the TV speakers are not playing at the same time
as the bar. Ideally, you’d disable the TV speakers completely
by going into the TVs setup menu and looking for an option
that says “speakers off” or “external sound system”. You
may have to consult with the TV’s owner’s manual or their
technical support department for help with this.
6. The subwoofer is making funny noises on its own.
§ The unit is likely getting wireless interference. Try changing
the “channel ID” switch on the back of both the subwoofer
and the bar to a different channel (they both have to be set
to the same number) and you should be able to find at least
one clean channel. If all 4 channels continue to make noise,
give us a call.
7. I don’t hear anything out of the subwoofer unit.
§ It depends on what is playing. Keep in mind the subwoofer
plays only lower toned sounds. If you’re watching a
show that has mostly talking (e.g. comedy, news, etc.),
you won’t hear much coming out of the subwoofer. To
check its operation, first make sure the light on the back
of the subwoofer is solid green. Next, turn some music
on that has good bass content and turn the music up to a
moderately loud volume. Then go to the subwoofer and feel
the cone on the bottom for vibration. It should vibrate to
the beat of the music. You may need to turn the subwoofer
louder by following the directions on Question __.