Polk Audio Signa S3 vs Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Max
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| Polk AudioSigna S3 | SennheiserAMBEO Soundbar Max | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | 2020 | 2019 |
| Sound | ||
| Type | Soundbar | Soundbar |
| Channels | 2.1 | 5.1.4 virtual |
| Dolby Atmos | No | Yes |
| Drivers | Two 1.25 × 4.4 in oval midrange drivers and two 1 in tweeters; ported wireless subwoofer has a 5.25 in driver. Maker sheet's 165 mm parenthesis conflicts with the current maker table's 13.34 cm. | Thirteen drivers; six 100 mm cellulose-sandwich low/mid drivers, five 25 mm aluminium tweeters and two 90 mm upward-firing cellulose full-range drivers. The 5.1.4 presentation is virtual surround from the bar, without rear satellites. Originally sold as AMBEO Soundbar; renamed Max in 2022 when Plus was introduced, rather than a new hardware generation |
| Amplifiers | – | Thirteen class-D amplifiers; 250 W RMS and 500 W peak total audio power according to the manufacturer manual |
| Frequency response | 45 Hz–20 kHz system response (maker; no tolerance published) | 30 Hz–20 kHz (-3 dB, manufacturer) |
| Audio formats | Dolby Digital 5.1 decoding and PCM over HDMI ARC or optical, reproduced through a stereo 2.1 system; no Dolby Atmos or DTS Virtual:X (GearLab) | Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Digital, DTS:X, DTS-HD and MPEG-H; multichannel LPCM. Current UK product page also lists Sony 360 Reality Audio; available formats depend on input and software |
| Room tuning | Movie, Music and Night modes; eight bass adjustment steps and three VoiceAdjust levels | Included external calibration microphone measures the room and listening position; AMBEO processing uses room reflections for virtual height and surround. Light, Standard and Boost processing levels; performance depends on placement and room surfaces |
| Connections | ||
| Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| AirPlay | No | Yes |
| HDMI eARC | No | Yes |
| Voice assistants | None | None |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi networking for Chromecast built-in; setup through the Google Home app | IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac; 2.4 and 5 GHz, 2×2 MIMO; wired Ethernet available |
| Bluetooth | – | Bluetooth 4.2, class 1, with SBC and AAC; NFC pairing |
| Ports | One HDMI ARC connection, Toslink optical and 3.5 mm AUX input; USB maintenance port, not normal playback; no separate HDMI video input or passthrough (AVForums) | Three HDMI 2.0a inputs and one HDMI TV eARC/ARC output; up to 4K at 60 Hz with Dolby Vision passthrough. Optical S/PDIF, stereo RCA input, mono RCA subwoofer pre-out, Ethernet, USB-A accessory power/service updates and 2.5 mm calibration-microphone input; USB does not provide music-file playback |
| Streaming | Chromecast audio from compatible music apps over Wi-Fi, plus Bluetooth playback | AirPlay 2, Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect and UPnP network streaming on current software; service availability varies by region |
| Multi-room | Google Home grouping with other Chromecast-enabled speakers | Network music streaming; an external subwoofer connects through the wired RCA pre-out. No wireless rear-speaker expansion is specified for Max |
| App | Google Home for network setup, grouping and automatic overnight firmware updates | Sennheiser Smart Control for setup, calibration, equaliser, sound profiles and updates; current AMBEO OS2 adds adjustable voice enhancement |
| Design | ||
| Weight | – | 18.5 kg |
| Controls | Top power, source, Bluetooth and volume buttons; IR remote, HDMI CEC and IR learning; four status LEDs. Google Assistant music control requires a separate compatible speaker; no built-in voice assistant. | On-bar buttons, infrared remote, OLED status display and AMBEO indicator; Movie, Music, News, Sports and Neutral profiles, plus night mode |
| Microphones | – | Included external omnidirectional room-calibration microphone; no integrated voice assistant is specified for Max |
| Mounting | Rear keyhole hangers and supplied wall-mount spacers | Tabletop placement or optional SB01-WM wall bracket; room-calibration instructions require space around the bar and an unobstructed upward sound path |
| Size | Current maker table gives soundbar 89.99 × 5.46 × 8.18 cm and subwoofer 17.07 × 34.04 × 30.99 cm, W × H × D. Maker sheet separately lists bar 898 × 56 × 83 mm and subwoofer 171 × 311 × 343 mm, with conflicting inch equivalents. | Approximately 1265 × 135 × 171 mm (W × H × D, including feet), or 1265 × 125 × 171 mm without feet, from the model SB01 manual; the UK product table rounds width to 126 cm and repeats the same height for both entries |
| Colours | Black | Black fabric grille with brushed aluminium housing |
| In the box | Soundbar, wireless subwoofer, IR remote and AAA battery, two power cords, HDMI and optical cables, wall-mount spacers and literature (maker quick-start guide); information sheet additionally lists a soundbar power supply. | Soundbar, country-specific power cable, approximately 1 m HDMI cable, remote with CR2032 battery, calibration microphone with holder and approximately 5 m cable, quick guide and safety guide |
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