Big Picture Big Sound

Polk Hitmaster Review

So You Want to Be a Rock-n-Roll Star?

This was supposed to be the review in which I made fun of the whole Rock Band phenomenon, despite the fact that I'm completely wrapped up in it. It was supposed to be the review where I attempted to regain a few of the cool points I lose every other weekend when I plug plastic instruments into my home theater and pretend to be a rock star. I figured ragging on Polk's new mini stage monitor as little more than a cheap cash-in on the Rock Band gravy train would ameliorate at least a bit of my public shame. This was supposed to be the review that helped me regain a bit of self-esteem.

This is not that review. But, honestly, can you blame me for wanting to write it? On paper, the Polk HitMaster just sounds like a gimmick. It's a scaled down replica of a stage monitor (roughly 14 inches wide and nine inches tall), with a 6.5-inch woofer and two 1-inch neodymium tweeters housed in 2.5-inch by 5.5-inch horns, and 80 watts of amplification. It's designed to be plugged directly into the back of your Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, or Wii and provide a rockin' alternative to TV speakers, not to mention add a bit of verisimilitude to your Rock Band or Guitar Hero parties.

But is it really necessary?

Hook Me Up, Yo

Getting to the root of that question takes all of thirty seconds. That's how long it takes to plug the HitMaster into a power main and run the included stereo cables from the monitor to the unused RCA connections dangling from the Xbox 360 Component HD AV Cable behind my display. Honestly, it takes longer to boot up my 360 and load up Rock Band 2.

It takes even less time to realize that while the HitMaster doesn't exactly sound perfect, it sounds a heck of a lot better than expected. Mids and high frequencies are somewhat pronounced, and dynamic range isn't exactly through the roof. But that's compared to the pair of MartinLogan Purity speakers and Anthem D2v processor I'm used to playing Rock Band through. Hardly a fair comparison. So I disconnect the HitMaster and plug my 360 directly into the back of my TV to gauge how most of the HitMaster's target demographic is used to hearing the game, through the tiny little speakers built into their TVs.

Can you say "ewww," boys and girls? I knew you could. Seriously, people play like this?

Compared to my TV speakers, the HitMaster is a downright revelation, especially for a penny under a hundred clams. At that price, you shouldn't expect the utmost in fidelity, and you're not going to get it, but for what it is, this little monitor doesn't sound half bad. The bassline at the beginning of Boston's "Foreplay/Long Time," for example, comes through with a rich and surprising punch -- a shocking amount of oomph for such a small speaker. It won't rearrange your furniture or anything, but it's way more bottom end than one would expect.

High frequencies can be a touch harsh, especially if you're standing directly on-axis (although it should be noted that the unit I'm reviewing is a pre-production sample; Polk's VP of Product Line Management Mark Suskind assures me that "There will be an improvement in HF output above 10k in Production"). And when the mix gets really dense the little monitor can get a bit overwhelmed. But picking such nits is kind of missing the point. To fuss over minor sonic imperfections or compare the output to a $3000 pair of electrostatics is to ignore the fact that the HitMaster actually enhances the Rock Band experience in a way that few other gaming peripherals do.

Performance Enhancement

To wit: I don't care how many times I've run through the calibration menus on Rock Band 2, there's always just a touch of sonic lag that I simply cannot get rid of -- a level of delay that doesn't really matter if you're passively listening to music, but which becomes downright infuriating when you're trying to nail the rapid-fire trills in the seemingly never-ending guitar solo for The Allman Brothers' "Blue Sky" on Expert difficulty. I've never been able to perfect that stinkin' solo. Through the HitMaster, though, I'm nailing Duane and Dickey's noodling notes like it ain't no thang, in the parlance of our times.

As any gamer will tell you, a bit of aural richness is a small price to pay for increased high scores. And if you're stepping up from TV speakers, the HitMaster equals better fidelity and an enhanced gameplay experience to boot. Bonus!

Turn Ons:

• Easy setup
• Sounds better than expected
• Enhances gameplay
• The fun factor is undeniable
• Daisy-chainable for multi monitor mayhem

Turn Offs:

• The power cable is kind of short
• A three-band EQ (or even bass and treble adjustments) would have been nice

Final Thoughts

There's just no denying that having a monitor on the floor blasting music up into your face while you dance around the living room, beating the crap out of faux musical instruments is a hell of a lot of fun. So much so that I'm leaving the HitMaster in place for our next Rock Band party, and considering daisy-chaining another one into the mix. With two monitors in place, I'm hoping to be able to dial the volume back down from 11 and maybe relieve a bit of the sonic strain. But even with only one in place, it's hard to deny that Rock Band just got a little more fun to play. The HitMaster might not do complete justice to the game's sound quality (Rock Band tracks often sound better than their CD counterparts), but it definitely adds something to the faux rock star experience. And when you consider that it doesn't cost much more than the average plastic Rock Band controller, it's an incredible value.

System Specs:

• Drivers: 2.5" x 5.5" horns with 1" neodymium tweeters (2) and a 6.5" woofer
• Frequency Response: 40Hz-20kHz (-10dB)
• Power: 80 Watts maximum, 60 Watts RMS
• Dimensions: 14" x 10.2" x 9"
• Weight: 12.8 lbs.
• MSRP: $99.99

Manufacturer's Contact Information:
Polk Audio
5601 Metro Drive
Baltimore, MD 21215
(410) 358-3600

On the Web: www.polkaudio.com