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Polk Audio MagniFi Max AX · Polk Audio
Polk Audio · MagniFi
MagniFi Max AX
A 5.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundbar with up-firing drivers, an included 10-inch wireless subwoofer and three HDMI passthrough inputs.
- Type
- Soundbar
- Atmos
- Yes
- Connects by
- Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and HDMI
- Battery
- –
- Weight
- 5.83 kg
What reviewers say
Reviewers praise the powerful bass, immersive front sound and useful dialogue adjustment. Home Media Entertainment finds convincing elevation in a suitable room, but limited rear effects without surrounds. Mail & Guardian cannot clearly hear changes from the height control and reports difficult Wi-Fi pairing. Both find the remote-led controls less flexible than a dedicated app.
From h-m-entertainment.com and mg.co.za
Specifications
Report a wrong or missing specSound
- Type
- Soundbar
- Channels
- 5.1.2
- Dolby Atmos
- Yes
- 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.
- Audio 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
- 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
- Yes
- Bluetooth
- Yes
- AirPlay
- Yes
- HDMI eARC
- Yes
- Voice assistants
- None
- Wi-Fi
- 802.11a/n/ac, 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz; no Ethernet
- Bluetooth
- Bluetooth 5.0
- 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
- Apple AirPlay 2; Chromecast; Spotify Connect; Bluetooth; Works with Alexa using an external Alexa-enabled device
- Multi-room
- 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
- Wi-Fi setup through Google Home, Amazon Alexa or iOS AirPlay; no dedicated full-control app (Mail & Guardian and Home Media Entertainment)
Design
- Weight
- 5.83 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
- Mounting
- Table placement or supplied wall-mount hardware; screws and wall fasteners not included
- Size
- 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
- Black
- In the box
- 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.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Dedicated up-firing height drivers and a separate wireless subwoofer
- Three HDMI inputs with 4K 60 Hz, HDR and Dolby Vision passthrough
- AirPlay 2, Chromecast and Spotify Connect streaming
Cons
- HDMI passthrough limited to 4K 60 Hz
- Rear speakers sold separately in the standard package
- No automatic room calibration
Closest rivals
Model | Type | Atmos | Connects by | Battery | Weight | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundbar | Yes | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and HDMI | – | 6.3 kg | 2022 | |
| Soundbar | Yes | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and HDMI | – | – | Mar 2022 | |
| Soundbar | Yes | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and HDMI | – | 5.75 kg | Oct 2023 |
Sources
- polkaudio.com/en-us/product/sound-bars/magnifi-max-ax/300542.html
- polkaudio.com/on/demandware.static/-/Library-Sites-polk_northamerica_shared/def…
- polkaudio.com/on/demandware.static/-/Library-Sites-polk_northamerica_shared/def…
- hometheaterhifi.com/press-releases/polk-audio-debuts-magnifi-max-ax-and-magnifi…
- polkaudio.com/on/demandware.static/-/Library-Sites-polk_europe_shared/default/d…
- h-m-entertainment.com/polk-audio-magnifi-max-ax-review
- mg.co.za/2023-04-04-review-the-polk-audio-magnifi-max-ax-soundbar
Photo: Polk Audio
- MagniFi Max AX soundbar, front: Polk Audio
- MagniFi Max AX soundbar, rear: Polk Audio
- Included MagniFi Max AX subwoofer, front: Polk Audio
- MagniFi Max AX remote: Polk Audio
- Included MagniFi Max AX subwoofer, front with feet; isolated from the maker’s orange studio background: Polk Audio
- MagniFi Max AX rear HDMI, optical and USB connections: Polk Audio
