In today’s featured setup from the Pacific Northwest, Polk Audio boosts Mac mini sound with bookshelf speakers on the desk as well as a subwoofer under it. But that’s not the extent of the user’s devotion to Polk, an admired longtime brand we rarely, if ever, see in setups coverage. The Mac mini setup is just one part of a magnificent man shed. The other part is a home theater festooned with more than enough Polk Audio hardware for stellar surround sound.
Polk Audio boosts Mac mini sound with raft of speakers, subwoofers
150 watts Polk Reserve R100 Bookshelf Speaker $649.00 $599.99 These relatively small bookshelf and desktop speakers feature dynamic, detailed home theater audio through 1-inch Pinnacle Ring Tweeters and 5.25-inch Turbine Cone Woofers. Hi-Res Certified, Dolby Atmos and IMAX Enhanced. Pros: Good power and clarity for small speakers
Good power and clarity for small speakers Hi-Res certified
Hi-Res certified Dolby Atmos Cons: Somewhat pricey Buy from Amazon
Based near Seattle, Washington, Redditor bandwagonbetty (“BB”), showcased the M4 Mac mini setup in a show-stopping man-shed home theater in a post entitled, “Converted my backyard shed into a WFH office & theater [Outside Seattle, PNW].” Like other sheds or garages converted to computer setups and entertainment grottos, this one is impressive.
Last week I covered the M4 Mac mini (16GB memory, 512GB SSD storage), the LG display and BB’s efforts to make the man shed a reality. Today I’ll focus on his devotion to Polk Audio hardware, used in both the setup and the impressive home theater.
Polk Audio speakers and subwoofers in setup and home theater
BB’s thorough use of a variety of Polk Audio speakers is impressive. The brand’s history goes back to 1972 but the company shows every sign of keeping up with modern advances.
And maybe all that audio gear is why the new man shed got built. He mentioned his wife in his post when commenters suggested he might mess up his marriage if he spends all of his time in the shed. But they may have it backwards. He said his wife joined him just once in the shed to watch a movie. Perhaps she doesn’t want all that floor-shaking audio in the house, and him not being around much isn’t too much of a tradeoff.
Tremendous home-theater audio makes Mac mini setup’s massive sound seem weak
And truly house-shaking audio it would be. Just in the Mac mini setup, on the desk BB sports a pair of 150-watt Polk Audio Reserve R100 bookshelf speakers properly elevated and tilted on stands. And under the desk sits a Polk Audio SVS SB-2000 Pro subwoofer. That’s potentially bone-rattling right there. But it’s just the start.
The setup’s Polk Reserve R100 Bookshelf Loudspeaker features Polk’s 1-inch Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter and a 5.25-inch Turbine Cone Woofer for clear tones across the audio spectrum. It boasts Hi-Res Audio Certification, Dolby Atmos and IMAX Enhanced functionality. It supports hi-res audio formats like DSD, FLAC, WAV, ALAC and MQA.
And the speaker includes a bass reflex cabinet with a rear-firing port and Polk’s Patented X-Port Technology with Eigentone Filter (ETF) for distortion-free bass. Yet even with that attention to bass already present in the bookshelf speakers, BB adds a big subwoofer on the floor. The advanced Polk Audio SVS SB-2000 subwoofer pushes 550W (up to 1,500W peak) of low-end power.
And the amazing thing is, all of the audio above — seemingly enough to shoot the shed into space under the power of sound waves alone — is the more modest audio setup of two. The other multichannel (7.2.4) audio setup brings surround sound to the shed’s laser-projector-based home theater. It features several in-wall Polk Audio speakers, several overheads and surround-sound boxes, and another SB-2000 subwoofer.
With that staggering audio power (not to mention electric guitar and amp), no wonder his wife wants him in the man shed rather than in the house (just kidding).
Shop these items now:
Audio and video gear:
Home theater 7.2.4 setup:
Huge bass Polk Audio SVS SB-2000 Pro Subwoofer $899.00 This DSP-controlled 12-inch sealed subwoofer maintains 550 watts of power (1,500W peak). Comes in Black Ash color. Pros: Powerful low-end
Powerful low-end Good for home theaters Cons: Not for budget setups Buy from Amazon
Computer and display:
Input devices:
If you would like to see your setup featured on Cult of Mac, send some high-res pictures to [email protected] (iPhone pics usually suffice). Please provide a detailed list of your equipment. Tell us what you like or dislike about your setup, and fill us in on any special touches, challenges and plans for new additions.