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Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar vs Polk Audio MagniFi Max AX

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

BoseSmart Ultra SoundbarPolk AudioMagniFi Max AX
Overview
ReleasedOctober 20232022
Sound
TypeSoundbarSoundbar
Channels5.1.25.1.2
Dolby AtmosYesYes
Drivers9 total speakers and centre tweeter (as Bose lists it)Left/right channels use four 25 × 76 mm racetrack mid-woofers and two 19 mm soft-dome tweeters; centre uses two 25 × 64 mm racetrack mid-woofers and one 19 mm tweeter. Two up-firing full-range drivers are 64 mm in the current product table; the earlier information sheet gives 66 mm. Included down-firing, ported subwoofer has a 254 mm driver.
Audio formatsDolby Atmos, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby TrueHD (TechRadar); Bose TrueSpace upmixes other signalsPCM; Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD and Dolby Atmos; DTS Digital Surround, DTS-HD Master Audio, DTS:X and DTS Virtual:X
Room tuningADAPTiQ room calibration; adjustable EQ and bass; AI Dialogue ModeSDA soundstage processing; VoiceAdjust dialogue level; bass, treble, height and surround level adjustments; Auto, TV, Movie, Music and Night modes. All Stereo mode requires connected rear speakers. No automatic calibration (Home Media Entertainment).
Connections
Wi-FiYesYes
BluetoothYesYes
AirPlayYesYes
HDMI eARCYesYes
Voice assistantsAlexaNone
Wi-FiWi-Fi, 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz802.11a/n/ac, 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz; no Ethernet
BluetoothBluetooth 5.0, 10 m rangeBluetooth 5.0
PortsHDMI eARC/ARC; optical; Ethernet; USB (service only)Three HDMI inputs and one HDMI eARC/ARC output; 4K 60 Hz, HDR and Dolby Vision passthrough; digital optical; USB-A. The current owner manual supports basic MP3 playback from a flash drive, without track navigation controls; the product table and earlier sheet describe USB as updates only.
StreamingApple AirPlay 2; Spotify Connect; Chromecast built-inApple AirPlay 2; Chromecast; Spotify Connect; Bluetooth; Works with Alexa using an external Alexa-enabled device
Multi-roomGroups with Bose smart speakers and soundbars in the Bose app; SimpleSync to Bose Bluetooth headphones and speakers; up to two matching Bose Bass Modules; Personal Surround Sound with Bose Ultra Open EarbudsMagniFi AX streaming multi-room support; optional SR2 wireless surrounds. The Max AX SR package includes the same bar and subwoofer with two rear speakers, giving a 7.1.2 system.
AppBose app; Voice4Video TV control with Alexa; works with third-party remotes that have Bose IR codesWi-Fi setup through Google Home, Amazon Alexa or iOS AirPlay; no dedicated full-control app (Mail & Guardian and Home Media Entertainment)
Design
Weight5.75 kg5.83 kg
Controls–Top power, Bluetooth, source, mute and volume buttons; supplied infrared remote; front OLED status display dims when idle; HDMI CEC and infrared remote learning
MicrophonesBuilt-in microphone for Alexa–
MountingBose Soundbar Wall Bracket sold separatelyTable placement or supplied wall-mount hardware; screws and wall fasteners not included
Size5.8 × 104.5 × 10.7 cm (H × W × D)Soundbar overview gives 45 × 2.8 × 4.6 in. The detailed product table gives width 1143 mm, height 118 mm and depth 72 mm, whereas the information sheet labels the same 118 × 1143 × 72 mm sequence W × D × H; these maker dimension labels conflict. Subwoofer 302 × 399 × 407 mm, W × D × H, and 11.9 kg. Main 5.83 kg weight is the bar alone.
ColoursBlackBlack
In the boxSmart Ultra Soundbar, HDMI eARC cable, optical cable, ADAPTiQ headset, power cable, remote control (battery included), quick start guideSoundbar, wireless subwoofer, infrared remote, two AAA batteries, HDMI cable, two power cords, wall-mount hardware/template and guides; SR package also includes two wireless surrounds. Maker launch stated October 2022 availability; UK security declaration labels product release 4 August 2022. Actual first retail day/month remains unconfirmed, so release uses year precision.

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