Polk Announces Melee Headphones, N1 Sound Bar Availability and Extended Microsoft Relationship

BALTIMORE, Md., Nov. 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Polk, a high-performance audio brand with 40 years of sound, engineering and design expertise, today announced the retail availability of Melee, a gaming headset created for the Xbox 360 console, and the N1 sound bar which offers an immersive soundstage for gaming and entertainment across all gaming platforms including the new Xbox One. As Microsoft's Xbox 360 continues to be one of the top-selling consoles, the Melee and N1 are both custom engineered to immerse gamers in the worlds of their favorite Xbox games while delivering epic sound.

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Polk has also extended its partnership with Microsoft through the end of 2014, creating additional opportunity for product development and deepening Polk's presence in the gaming category.  The extension will open the doors for continued collaboration between Polk's sound engineers and Microsoft's 343 and Turn 10 Studios, who worked closely over the past year to create the perfect acoustic landscape for Xbox game play on the Halo and Forza game franchises.

"Gaming has become a focused part of our business as we introduce products that provide a whole new level of immersion into the virtual world of play," said Mark Suskind, vice president of product line development at Polk. "Our partnership with Microsoft and its gaming studios, 343 and Turn 10, has been an important part of our integration with the gaming community. As we move into the holiday season, our world class audio combined with best-in-class Xbox 360 and Xbox One consoles will finally give gamers high-performance audio to match the visually stunning worlds of their favorite games."

Featuring Polk's proprietary electronic and acoustic tuning as well as a DSP Amplifier for a richer, fuller listening experience, Melee helps to reveal more of a game's sounds, from the growling exhaust notes of Forza to the blasts of a rocket launcher in Halo. Its retractable near-field microphone allows users to chat with other gamers or take calls, and tucks smoothly up into the ear cup when not in use. Polk's thumb-reach Audio Mixer lets users adjust listening modes, audio and chat levels without ever having to take their hands off the controller. In addition, a spring steel headband with stitched leatherette padding and pivoting ear cups provide maximum comfort and a sophisticated fit and feel that help concentration, never hindering it. Though purpose-built for the gaming experience, Melee features a beautifully-crafted design for everyday use and also converts from games to music to movies with a 48" one-button control cable.

Licensed by Microsoft and designed for the newest Xbox One and Xbox 360 console, the N1 sound bar provides high-performance audio for the ultimate gaming experience while featuring an upscale design that complements the console's slimmer form factor. Polk's engineers thoughtfully crafted the sound bar leveraging Dolby Digital and four immersion modes that allow gamers to balance between unique listening scenarios as well as music, ambient details, special effects and dialogue, immersing them into game play more than ever before. For entertainment outside of gaming, listeners can also choose between Cinema and Music modes or step back into the gaming realm with the Halo® Warrior and Forza® Racer modes, bringing the entire room to life. Additionally, the N1 features Bluetooth® wireless technology for CD-quality music streaming.

Whether immersed in the fantasy worlds of driving or a First Person Shooter (FPS), or waiting in anticipation to see how an action-packed movie is about to conclude, the Melee retails for $199.95 and is available now in desert white, nova blue and ink black and the N1 sound bar is available for pre-order now for $299.95 in black on black or vanilla.

For more information, or to check out Polk's entire suite of audio-enhancing products, please visit www.polkaudio.com.

About Polk
Polk (www.polkaudio.com) is an award-winning designer and manufacturer of high performance audio products and the largest audio brand of Sound United. Founded in 1972, Polk is the market share leader in premium Home Theater speakers in North America, and is a leading manufacturer of sound bars, headphones, wireless speakers, mobile and marine speakers and amplifiers, and other high performance audio products. For more information on Sound United and its brands, visit www.soundunited.com. 
All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE Polk Audio