This issue I’m taking a look at the latest new product from premium PA brand HK Audio. It’s a portable column system that has ‘mobile DJ’ written all over it, let’s see how it performs out on the road…

As I sit here, on a cold Friday evening in February, watching Love Island and contemplating writing up this review, I’m reminded of the fact that it’s almost been a year to the day since I visited the HK Audio factory in St. Wendel, Germany. You can read all about the visit in Pro Mobile issue 95 by the way!

I took many things away from that trip. I made some new friends and I also gained an insight into the HK Audio brand, especially the care and personal attention they put into their entire manufacturing process. This is a definite win for the consumer, it’s reassuring to know that you’re buying a product which has been made by hand, and not something assembled on a production line by a load of robots.

The HK Audio Polar 10 is the latest column-style PA to hit the market. Systems like this that combine a tall vertical array of speakers with a single, powerful subwoofer containing a mixer and all the system connectivity, have been popular with DJs and solo performers for many years. It’s worth mentioning that this is not HK’s first venture into this style of PA either. Their Elements range has been around for a number of years and you may remember that I reviewed the Elements Gala system for Pro Mobile back in 2018. So not only does the HK design team have a fantastic audio pedigree, they also have experience creating this kind of system, which bodes well for the Polar 10.

The new system features a 10-inch subwoofer with an extra-long voice coil. It’s housed in a wooden box with curved edges that has been designed to minimise resonance yet give enough room to allow the bass speaker to do what it does best. This design results in a much bigger bottom end than you would expect from such a small LF unit, especially when you compare it to other systems in the same class.

You also get a two-piece column array, one of which is a spacer and the other contains six 3-inch neodymium midrange drivers and a 1-inch compression driver. The high-performance midrange speakers give you a perfect distribution of audio around the room whilst the compression driver, with its high 120-degree dispersion, offers astounding HF response. I should also mention that you can set up the Polar 10 without the spacer, which is handy if you are on a stage, for example.

Built into the top of the subwoofer you have an integrated 4-channel mixer. Channels 1 and 2 feature combination XLR / 1/4” jack sockets, switchable between microphone and line level input. Channel 3 features a 1/4” jack socket designed for use with high-impedance inputs, such as a guitar. Finally, Channel 4 is an aux input that can be used either with the stereo pair of RCA phono jacks or the built-in Bluetooth 5.0 receiver, which allows wireless audio streaming from a phone or tablet at a distance of up to 40m. In addition to the individual level controls for each of the four channels, there is also a Master level control as well as a separate Sub control. This can easily be used to dial in a bit of extra low end if you feel it is needed. An XLR output socket is also supplied for taking a mix of all the channels and feeding it into another active system if required.

You also get a handy backlit LCD display, which shows the input levels for the four channels and also provides access to the internal 24-bit DSP. This is facilitated via the Master level control; pushing it in switches it to a menu dial. Using the menu you can fine-tune the EQ to your own liking as well as apply any of the three built-in pre-set sound modes (Music, Speech and DJ) depending on how you are using the Polar 10. The system also features five user-definable pre-sets, which means you can save your preferred settings for easy recall at any time. The DSP also boasts a handy delay feature, which is great if you are planning to use the system part way down a particularly large room to augment a bigger main PA. Finally, on the back things are pretty simple with an IEC power input and a rocker power switch.

The Polar 10 is powered by a 2000Watt Class D power amplifier. HK don’t give an RMS figure, but the max SPL is calculated at 126dB. The frequency response is much better than other similar systems too, at 38Hz - 20kHz, which I believe is down to the remarkable HK engineering team.

I was really looking forward to using the Polar 10 for the first time and it really did not disappoint. It’s easy to move about and comes with padded bags for protection. The columns attach easily, although I did find them a little bit stiff when putting them together and then taking them apart at the end of the night, but I assume this would lessen over time. Either way, when it’s all connected together, it’s not going anywhere and there is no wobbling at all. The connector system between the subwoofer and columns is clearly over-engineered but, knowing HK as I do, this is typical of them. Audio travels up through the inside of the columns using HK’s own EAS connect system which requires no cables.

Although the included padded bags are a great addition to the system, I would have liked to see some additional protection included for the connectors. Strange things can happen to your kit when it’s in transit, so some plastic caps for the columns and subwoofer, together with a cover for the mixer, would be a nice touch. In the meantime, if you know someone with a 3D printer, you could easily make your own!

So, having already had two phone calls this morning about what I think of the audio quality, I’m going to tell you what I told them: amazing! And I’m not just saying that, the Polar 10 truly is remarkable. If your average size of gig is in a room designed for up to 150 people, with a dance floor space roughly 25ft x 25ft in front of you, then a pair of Polar 10s will work perfectly. For smaller gigs of up to 50-60 people, vocal work or ceremonies, you could use one on its own no problem at all.

The bass is solid, well-rounded and deep, something I’ve come to expect from HK ever since I bought my first LUCAS system many years ago. The columns deliver a superb, crisp signal throughout the audio frequency range, way better than some of the other column-style systems I’ve heard before, and I put this down to the compression driver. It just takes away the harshness I’ve found in other similar systems that do not have one.

Out on the dance floor, the sound is basically ‘loud Hi-Fi’. Beyond the dance floor the music can still be heard at a decent level, then towards the back of the room you can easily order your drink without having to shout at the person behind the bar. It’s not like some systems where you have to blow away the people on the dance floor, just to get audio to the back of the room.

From a visual point of view, I think it looks the business. Maybe a little too ‘industrial’ for ceremony use, however if it’s at the back of the room I don’t see that being a problem. I guess I’m lucky in that I’ve seen how HK make their stuff, and I hope I was able to relay that to you in the factory report I did last year, but rest assured these not only look good but are made to last too.

In terms of weight, one subwoofer and a pair of columns in their bags won’t break your back at around 27Kg. When fitted together, the Polar 10 stands at around 2.1m, which also makes it very venue friendly, even if you’re working in one of the newer conference-style function rooms with low ceilings.

So, the most important question, how much of your hard-earned money will the Polar 10 set you back? Well, a quick look around the internet reveals a price of just under £1,200 for a pair. Yep, that’s not a printing error… a PAIR… to your door, including the padded bags. I couldn’t believe it either! That makes the Polar 10 a remarkable system in many ways, definitely mehr sound für Ihr pfund!