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Polk Audio always has a unique take on their sound bars. Forward thinking additions like adding smart home assistants to their soundbars, units that could learn your remotes, and big sound out of a small device made them one of our go to choices for competitively priced soundbars. In April of 2022, we covered their release of the petite MagniFi Mini AX, an updated version of their MagniFi Mini. Now, Polk Audio upped the ante with two new flagship soundbar systems, the MagniFi Max AX and MagniFi Max AX SR .
Polk Audio Debuts MagniFi Max AX and MagniFi Max AX SR Dolby Polk Audio Debuts MagniFi Max AX and MagniFi Max AX SR Dolby
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. 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. And as a not-insignificant final bonus, the MagniFi Mini AX proves a very good soundbar/lozenge for music listening. A great deal of music sounded highly enjoyable, the bass continuing to be a strength here as well, and the system could be taken really quite loud without the usual musical distress that soundbars get into. We found it tempting to notch up the bass one or two points with those extra volume controls on the remote control, but that could cause some material to become overwhelming: the underlying bass content of RedBone’s The Witch Queen of New Orleans (streaming via AirPlay from Apple Music) was overcome by a weird swampiness in the lower ranges until we returned the bass to its neutral position.Polk Audio does not provide any further information regarding the hardware so we have no clue of the soundbar’s power rating or frequency response. The technology has come a long way in height virtualization where you don’t truly have height speakers firing down from the ceiling, but rather upfiring speakers (or none at all) that use special processing or reflections off the ceiling to simulate height channels. We always advocate for dedicated height channels where possible, but at least Polk’s MagniFi Max AX sound bars have dedicated up-firing speakers to provide that critical overhead element of Dolby Atmos and DTS:X object-oriented sound formats. Thankfully Polk seems to have taken notice and offered three HDMI inputs which should be enough in most cases. Along with them there is an HDMI output, a digital optical audio input and a USB port. Also all functions are available through the included buttons, something we definitely like in comparison to some other brands that force you to use their mobile app for some more specialized features. The surround speakers do a decent job of hurling effects behind you, with suitably similar voicing to the soundbar that they don’t jar.
Magnifi Max AX | Polk Audio UK
If there is one area where the soundbar failed a bit, that would be in its surround activity. The soundbar does try to create a multi-dimensional immersion bubble but with no rear speakers it can do so much with what it has. If you really want surround sound you will have to either buy the optional rear speakers kit or go for the Polk Audio MagniFi Max AX SR bundle that is the same soundbar with the rear speakers included. The sound bars can be placed on a TV console or wall-mounted to accommodate any home theater design. Beneath the grille are four 3×1-inch oval woofers, a 1-inch mid-range driver and two 0.75-inch tweeters, all driven by a 180W amp. There are bass ports at either end, and a useful row of LEDs to display the volume level and device status. For our review we decided to use the pass-through capabilities of the soundbar so we connected our Zidoo Z9X media player and PS5 in two of the HDMI inputs and from there to the TV we had at hand. Obviously we can’t get 4K@120Hz gaming through this connection but for 4K@60Hz it is more than sufficient. The new sound bars support both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X along with Polk's patented Stereo Dimensional Array (SDA) technology for immersive sound, and AirPlay 2 is a welcome inclusion for Apple fans. Google Chromecast, Spotify Connect, and Works with Alexa services are also supported thanks to both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.
Summary
These compact, high-performance systems bring movies, TV, music and games to life in immersive, multidimensional Dolby Atmos and DTS:X sound One-touch modes optimize the systems for movies, TV, or music, while Night Mode turns down the bass to reduce potentially disruptive bass sounds and Polk's VoiceAdjust technology ensures that voices are intelligible above the rest of the audio. Connections include 3-in/1-out 4K HDMI ports with eARC, as well as an optical input. A subtle OLED display on the front panel shows your adjustments but dims when not in use. One thing the bar skimps on is audio settings. The rubbery remote gives you the basics, including bass and treble controls, the ability to adjust height channels for effective spatial audio performance, as well as a Voice feature to pump up dialogue. But you won’t find deeper settings, such as a subwoofer control or multi-band EQ, and there’s no automatic calibration like a lot of competitors offer.
Polk Magnifi Max AX Dolby Atmos Soundbar Review - Great sound
Earlier this year, Polk Audio pulled off a real tour de force with the Polk MagniFi Mini AX soundbar, an ultra-compact model capable of creating surround sound in Dolby Atmos and DTS:X without obscuring the screen. A compactness made possible by the brand’s exclusive Stereo Dimensional Array (SDA) processing. The Polk MagniFi Mini AX soundbar offers an enveloping soundstage from a compact, discreet device thanks to Stereo Dimensional Array (SDA) spatialization technology.
What We Think…
The Max AX is also a very capable music streamer. That smooth blend between the subwoofer and bar is once again on display when streaming over Wi-Fi as the two combine for warm and full sound for everything from pulse-raising electronic pop to acoustic tunes.
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