Unlike the LG Éclair, the MagniFi Mini AX allows you to stream from a variety of sources. Those include Bluetooth 5.0, along with Chromecast, AirPlay 2, and Spotify Connect over Wi-Fi. The USB port on the rear can be used for firmware updates or playing music, but it’s limited to MP3 files. As for the rest, the unit is Roku TV ready which means that if you have a Roku equipped TV setting up and controlling the unit can be a lot easier. Lastly you have the ability to expand the system to a 7.1.2 channels setup with the addition of the optional Polk SR2 Wireless Rear Surround Speakers. The MagniFi Max AX is a system that may not drop your jaw on the floor with its qualities but surely it can create a very satisfying melodic atmosphere. No soundbar should be considered HiFi material and this one does not break this standard. We have tested far more expensive soundbars that offer similar music performance and it is obvious where the limits of soundbars truly are. The new Polk MagniFi Max AX sound bar is already available at a price of €799. The first units are expected this week. Polk MagniFi Max AX SR: wireless surround speakers The unit comes with a music mode so we opted to use that for this part of our testing. But as we always say, choosing a specific sound mode has to do a lot with the personal preferences of each user so we strongly advise you to try them all and decide for yourself which one sounds better to your ears.

Polk Audio Introduces New MagniFi Max AX Sound Bar Systems

Besides, there are more ways to play, thanks to the Polk’s Wi-Fi connection. This enables AirPlay 2 and Chromecast streaming, while there’s also Bluetooth, although no indication of any high-quality Bluetooth codecs, so use the Wi-Fi streaming if you’re able. Enjoy seamless integration with Spotify, allowing you to easily access and stream your favourite songs, albums, playlists and more in high quality over Wi-Fi. Unlike Denon who opted to use just a few discreet speakers in their DHT-S217 2.1 Dolby Atmos Soundbar, Polk is using an 11-speaker array featuring dedicated center channels, up-firing height speakers and Polk’s Stereo Dimensional Array (SDA) technology. First and foremost the remote, and here we were a bit surprised as the one we found in the MagniFi Max AX is completely different from all the other Polk remotes in the past. The MagniFi Max AX and MagniFi Max AX SR leverage 50 years of Polk speaker design expertise to deliver Polk’s best sound bar to date,” said Frank Sterns, Polk Audio President. “And with Polk’s patented Stereo Dimensional Array (SDA) and Voice Adjust technologies, the Magnify Max AX and MagniFi Max AX SR will fill any room with exceptional sound without filling the room with speakers. Add built-in wireless music streaming and you have the ultimate all-in-one entertainment hub.”If you give the Polk lozenge a compatible HDMI eARC connection, then set-up could hardly be more simple. We gave the lozenge and the subwoofer power, plugged in that HDMI cable – our smart TV recognised that an Atmos-capable ‘receiver’ was attached, and its sound was routed almost immediately through both the lozenge and its wirelessly-connected subwoofer. I got the Sony HT-7000 and SA-SW5 sub a few months ago and the recently released SA-RS5 wireless upfiring rears a couple of weeks ago. Very hefty price overall, but sounds incredible, is well specced if you’re hooking up consoles etc and it gets updates. VRR pass through support is hopefully incoming, but I’m a few years off having a VRR tv anyway. Just in case four sets of volume controls aren’t enough for you, the Polk also has sound ‘modes’, but they’re not so numerous as to confuse, and serve a genuine purpose. Metaxas & Sins Ethereal Electrostatic Headphone Amplifier Now Available from Reel Sound Distribution October 27, 2023

Polk MagniFi Mini AX Review | Trusted Reviews Polk MagniFi Mini AX Review | Trusted Reviews

But even if your TV does not support CEC the MagniFi Max AX gives you the ability to teach your IR (infrared) remote to control volume, mute and other functions (such as source selection or bass volume) on your soundbar. Detailed instructions on how to do this are included in the manual and they are very easy to follow. From there you have to calibrate the different channels manually and select the appropriate sound mode that you prefer. That’s all there is to it. After everything is said and done we were ready for testing. Movies But I don’t think it achieves the effect it’s going for, nor does it sound immersive in the true sense of the word. However, that doesn’t mean this isn’t a good soundbar experience. It’s the most satisfying I’ve come across from this recent trend of ultra-compact soundbars – better than the LG Éclair and the Creative Stage 360. After having tested most of Polk’s low budget Signa series the MagniFi Max AX feels like a big step forward in terms of cinematic performance and immersion. It feels like Polk took everything that made the Signa S4 such a fan favorite product and added more features and capabilities for the more demanding consumers.Things fall down with the integration of the sub, as the soundbar doesn’t extend quite well enough toward the bottom end and neither does the subwoofer attempt to meet it halfway. It probably won’t bother you during most TV viewing, but on occasion it can be too obvious that a certain sound is coming from the sub rather than just the system as a whole. You don’t want a subwoofer to be a distraction, but you also don’t want to turn it down so much that you might as well not have it. I don't know exactly what the current CA code is, but it seems to be something like a power point every linear 6 feet of wall. The MagniFi Mini AX also comes with a downward-firing subwoofer that dwarfs the main unit. As it’s wireless, there’s no cable required, but Polk Audio recommends it’s placed on the same wall and as close to the TV as possible, with no more than a 10m distance between the sub and the main unit. On the bass front, the included 10″ soundbar was really a beast. The low end felt menacing, powerful and will send plenty of low end sonic waves your way. During the last ride of the Rohirim it was as if the battle was taking place inside our room. And while the subwoofer offers plenty of shakes and low end hits it never felt muffled or too boomy. There were a couple of moments when we though that it lost its balance but it regained stability immediately.

Polk Magnifi Max AX Dolby Atmos Soundbar Review - Great sound

But the MagniFi Mini AX proves to be pure Polk, and its outlying approach to music, TV and movie sound took us by surprise, not least with the success it achieved across all manner of genres, musical and cinematic. This lozenge is physically discreet, while the system delivers a solid entertainment performance for those seeking a simple solution at this price, and we're not at all surprised to see it further recognised by a gong in the 2022/2023 EISA Awards. On the top are the essential controls: power, source selection, Bluetooth, volume up and down, and mute. There are also dedicated buttons for VoiceAdjust – Polk’s clever tech for adjusting the volume of speech without affecting the level of other sound effects.

Sound United, a Masimo company, was founded in 2012 with a simple mission – to bring joy to the world through sound. Today, we are one of the world’s largest portfolio audio companies and home to several legendary audio brands—Denon ®, Marantz ®, Bowers and Wilkins, Polk Audio, Classé, Definitive Technology, HEOS, and Boston Acoustics ®. Each brand boasts its own philosophy and unique approach to bringing home entertainment to life. MagniFi Max AX includes a remote and works with most TV remotes out of the box. Its intuitive front-panel OLED display indicates adjustments and automatically dims when not in use. And MagniFi MAX AX is Roku TV-ready for even easier configuration and control. Polk Audio advertises a lot their VoiceAdjust technology that was included in all the previous Signa soundbars and we find it here also providing different levels of adjustment. Both new soundbars include a solid looking 10-inch down-firing wireless subwoofer; it’s the most powerful soundbar sub Polk has released yet. The new MagniFi Max AX's 10" subwoofer is a HUGE upgrade from the small plastic MagniFi Mini AX’s sub with a 5”x7” woofer.