Polk and Definitive Technology sign up for DTS Play-Fi streaming products

After debuting late in 2013, little has been heard about DTS' Play-Fi, but now Polk and Definitive are the first major companies to announce products supporting the wireless music standard.

Ty Pendlebury Editor

Ty Pendlebury is a journalism graduate of RMIT Melbourne, and has worked at CNET since 2006. He lives in New York City where he writes about streaming and home audio.

Expertise Ty has worked for radio, print, and online publications, and has been writing about home entertainment since 2004. He majored in Cinema Studies when studying at RMIT. He is an avid record collector and streaming music enthusiast. Credentials

Ty was nominated for Best New Journalist at the Australian IT Journalism awards, but he has only ever won one thing. As a youth, he was awarded a free session for the photography studio at a local supermarket.

See full bio

Ty Pendlebury

Sept. 5, 2014 12:30 p.m. PT

2 min read

Speaker manufacturers Polk and Definitive Technology have simultaneously announced multiroom streaming products featuring DTS' Play-Fi technology.

Polk has immodestly called its new Omni series of products the "First Great Sounding Wireless Music System" and it features two speakers, a sound bar, an amplifier, and an adapter for existing systems.

The two speakers are the Omni S2 ($179), which offers a compact size as well as phone charging, and the Omni S2 Rechargeable ($249), which offers portability as well as weather-proofing for outdoor use.

The Omni SB1 Sound Bar ($699) offers a separate 8-inch wireless subwoofer and features VoiceAdjust Technology in a bid to produce clearer dialogue.

Following Sonos' lead, Polk also offers an streaming amp (Omni A1 Amplifier, $399) and a separate adapter for streaming to an existing system (Omni P1, $299).

Definitive has announced the "First Audiophile-Grade Wireless Music System." Definitive Technology

Meanwhile Definitive is going for the higher end with a similar set of products that includes the W7 Wireless Speaker ($399), the W9 Wireless Speaker ($699), the W Studio Sound Bar with included Subwoofer ($1,299), the W Adapt ($399), and the W Amp ($499)

The speakers feature DTS' Play-Fi, which is designed to be an open-platform system offering cross-compatibility among different companies, as well as operating over Wi-Fi instead of a proprietary mesh network.

The Play-Fi app features support for Pandora and Spotify as well streaming from a user's phone or DLNA server (NAS or PC).

Until now Play-Fi has only appeared in a couple of -- frankly disappointing -- budget systems from DTS sister company Phorus, as well as a standalone speaker from Wren.

Both sets of products will be available in October.