JBL Bar 800MK2 vs Polk Audio MagniFi Max AX

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Bar 800MK2 compared with MagniFi Max AX

	JBLBar 800MK2	Polk AudioMagniFi Max AX
Overview
Released
Released	June 2025	2022
Sound
Type
Type	Soundbar	Soundbar
Channels
Channels	7.1	5.1.2
Dolby Atmos
Dolby Atmos	Yes	Yes
Drivers
Drivers	Six 44 × 80 mm racetrack drivers and two 25 mm tweeters in the main bar; one 44 × 90 mm racetrack driver per detachable rear speaker; 260 mm (10-inch) subwoofer. Dolby Atmos height is virtual, without upward-firing drivers	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.
Amplifiers
Amplifiers	780 W maximum total output at 1% THD; 400 W soundbar, 2 × 40 W rear speakers and 300 W subwoofer. Manual separately specifies 390 W total RMS at 1% THD, comprising 200 W, 2 × 20 W and 150 W respectively	–
Frequency response
Frequency response	35 Hz–20 kHz (−6 dB), maker specification	–
Audio formats
Audio formats	Dolby Atmos and DTS Virtual:X; DTS Virtual:X was scheduled as a late-2025 software update and is listed in the current maker specifications. No claim of discrete DTS:X decoding is made from review tables that conflate the formats	PCM; Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD and Dolby Atmos; DTS Digital Surround, DTS-HD Master Audio, DTS:X and DTS Virtual:X
Room tuning
Room tuning	Automatic sound calibration, MultiBeam 3.0, PureVoice 2.0 dialogue enhancement and SmartDetails; seven-band EQ through JBL One	SDA 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-Fi
Wi-Fi	Yes	Yes
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	Yes	Yes
AirPlay
AirPlay	Yes	Yes
HDMI eARC
HDMI eARC	Yes	Yes
Voice assistants
Voice assistants	None	None
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi	Dual-band 2.4/5 GHz Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax and Ethernet	802.11a/n/ac, 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz; no Ethernet
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.3; A2DP 1.3 and AVRCP 1.5	Bluetooth 5.0
Ports
Ports	One HDMI input, one HDMI eARC output, optical input, Ethernet and USB-A service port. HDR10+ and Dolby Vision passthrough; HIFI.DE reports a 4K 60 Hz limit. USB music playback is US-only; detachable speakers have USB-C charging ports	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.
Streaming
Streaming	AirPlay, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect and Roon Ready; subscriptions may be required	Apple AirPlay 2; Chromecast; Spotify Connect; Bluetooth; Works with Alexa using an external Alexa-enabled device
Multi-room
Multi-room	AirPlay or Google Cast multiroom; Broadcasting sends TV audio to one or both detachable rear speakers in another room. Night listening plays through the rear speakers while muting the main bar and subwoofer	MagniFi 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.
App
App	JBL One for network setup, calibration, equaliser, streaming services, Moment presets and software updates	Wi-Fi setup through Google Home, Amazon Alexa or iOS AirPlay; no dedicated full-control app (Mail & Guardian and Home Media Entertainment)
Design
Weight
Weight	5 kg (better)	5.83 kg
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	Each detachable rear speaker has a 3.635 V, 3283 mAh lithium battery; up to ten hours depending on volume and content. Dock to recharge or use USB-C; manual states full docked charging takes about four hours. Main bar and subwoofer require mains power	–
Controls
Controls	Included remote, top-panel source and volume controls, front display, HDMI CEC and JBL One; works with external Google Assistant or Siri devices, without a built-in voice assistant	Top power, Bluetooth, source, mute and volume buttons; supplied infrared remote; front OLED status display dims when idle; HDMI CEC and infrared remote learning
Microphones
Microphones	Built-in microphone for sound calibration	–
Mounting
Mounting	Included wall-mount brackets for the soundbar and rear speakers; supplied side caps cover docking surfaces	Table placement or supplied wall-mount hardware; screws and wall fasteners not included
Size
Size	Main bar 854 × 52 × 128 mm, or 1163 × 52 × 128 mm with rear speakers docked; each rear speaker 169 × 52 × 128 mm; subwoofer 325 × 400 × 325 mm (width × height × depth). Main weight is the maker's soundbar figure; each rear speaker is 0.7 kg and subwoofer 8.1 kg	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.
Colours
Colours	Black	Black
In the box
In the box	Main soundbar, two detachable rear speakers, wireless subwoofer, remote with two batteries, mains leads, HDMI cable, wall-mount kits, four side caps and mounting template; mains plugs vary by region	Soundbar, 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.