Wed usually engage a full surround system to enjoy a Marvel movie, but we gave Guardians Of the Galaxy Vol. The Polk Audio MagniFi Mini AX offers powerful home theater audio with just a small soundbar and a subwoofer, though it can't fully produce accurate spatial audio imaging. The main speaker that sits in front of your TV is crazy small as far as soundbars go. Audio formats: Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Polk SDA 3D Audio A 3D Audio Mode can upmix any standard content to virtualized 360-degree sound, complete with height channels. NY 10036. Sure, they might not be quite as good as a full, conventional home theater system, but for most people, the simplicity they offer more than outweighs any concerns on that front. And thats because the delivery from just the lozenge and subwoofer alone was pretty darned extraordinary. remotes out of the box. Hes written about music and technology for more than 20 years for a raft of publications including Wired, Mens Journal, PC World and Macworld. As long as Polk continues to provide software updates when needed, the MagniFi Mini AX should last for many years to come. Find out more about how we test, analyze, and rate. Sign up for Lab Report to get the latest reviews and top product advice delivered right to your inbox. MagniFi Mini AX Ultra-compact Dolby Atmos Sound Bar with wireless Subwoofer Experience movies, TV, and games in cinematic, Dolby Atmos and DTS:X surround sound and stream music via Apple AirPlay 2, Chromecast, and Bluetooth with Polk's advanced sound bar and subwoofer system. If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. The opening acoustic guitar plucks dont reach quite low enough to set off the subwoofer unless at high volume levels, but they still manage to sound full. Find out more about how we test, analyze, and rate. The Mini AX has an LED display on the front that only comes on when you do something, such as change the volume, input or sound mode. By Chris Welch, a reviewer specializing in personal audio and home theater. in use. Hear your favorite movie, TV show, video game, or a song like never before. This is not only helpful for making standard 2-channel and 5.1 Dolby Digital content feel more immersive, but its also essential as far as Im concerned for getting the most out of Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. Also new to the collection are two C-Series models that bring the price of better TV sound down to $200 or less. In an Atmos system with discrete speakers, those bullets sound like theyre whizzing in from all around you, letting you feel what it might be like to be Bond inside the car. The compact home entertainment speaker measures just 14.5 inches wide (37 cm) but is still capable of handling Atmos and DTS:X audio. Hold on to your hat, folks, because the Polk MagniFi Max SR surround soundbar system might just blow it clean off your head. And as a not-insignificant final bonus, the MagniFi Mini AX proves a very good soundbar/lozenge for music listening. Thats the width of the companys new $499 MagniFi Mini AX, which supports both Atmos and DTS:X. The code for 1-Spectral Clustering is published as free software under the terms of the GNU GPL v3.0. Its lozenge is physically discreet, yet facilities are impressive, with networked music streaming in addition to Dolby Atmos and DTS:X compatibility, while the system delivers a solid entertainment performance for those seeking a simple solution at this price. The Mini AX does have more bass than the Beam, if that is most important. This compact soundbar features an advanced five-speaker array and can easily be paired with other Polk speakers to create the ultimate home sound experience. Dialogue sits slightly in the back under default settings, but increasing the VoiceAdjust setting, which pulls out voices, fixes that. But the MagniFi Mini AX proves to be pure Polk, and its outlying approach to music, TV and movie sound took us by surprise, not least with the success it achieved across all manner of genres, musical and cinematic. Top view of the MagniFi Mini AX soundbar (bottom) and an Energy center channel speaker. You can also blend the low frequencies of the soundbar and sub with BassAdjust and Night Mode will reduce those tones (while increasing dialogue) to lessen the chances of waking someone. And the Beam is bigger. For soundbars and other speakers, small size usually means small sound. By comparison, the Sonos Beam, another small soundbar, is 25.6 x 3.9 x 2.7 inches. Price & Availability. Polk Audio says that the new MagniFi AX is "a powerful Experience a new level of surround sound that would never be expected from such a compact soundbar! Polk Audio is bringing [..], Polk recently released their new DTS Play-Fi wireless speaker system for their Omni Series, giving great sounding wireless options for your house. So the DTS licence here is a redundant inclusion on which Polk could have saved a few dollars per unit. But Polk has included a ton of functionality in this tiny thing. Best of all, it takes up little space and can work well with small TVs and large computer monitors. You can also choose between Movie, 3D, Night and Music modes. Because the soundbar has no HDMI inputs, if your TV cant transmit Dolby Atmos, theres no other way to deliver an Atmos signal to the speaker. We gave the lozenge and the subwoofer power, plugged in that HDMI cable our smart TV recognised that an Atmos-capable receiver was attached, and its sound was routed almost immediately through both the lozenge and its wirelessly-connected subwoofer. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time. The system is compatible with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. That clarity makes speech and dialog another bright spot. Not every Dolby Atmos TV can do this, so double-check your TVs specs to avoid disappointment. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. All rights reserved. All Rights Reserved. The Signature Series is a Hi-Res certified collection of 8 pieces including 3 tower speakers, 2 center speakers, and 3 bookshelf speakers. You dont need to use the remote if you just want to control the volume your existing TV remote should work with it. The MagniFi Mini AX includes five speaker drivers but none of them are up-firing. The system also has multiple connectivity options and a variety of high-tech sound technologies, so you . Youll know because the remote control provided has a useful info key at top right; one press invokes the white alphanumeric LED display behind the lozenges front grille to display the input, while two presses very usefully shows the file type, whether PCM 2.0 or Dolby Atmos-MAT. The MagniFi Mini AX is available now for $499 (479/429). The Vizio M-Series 5.1 Sound Bar (M51ax-J6) ($329.99), meanwhile, offers horizontal surround imaging with rear surrounds and a subwoofer, but is significantly larger than the Polk. Because it has only a single HDMI port, HDMI passthrough isnt available. Of course a proper hi-fi with stereo speakers will have many sonic advantages, but for a soundbar, particularly one at this price which also does movies well, this is a good performance. Following up on the release earlier this year of the MagniFi Mini compact soundbar/subwoofer system, Polk Audio has decided to release two additional models that include most of the same features as the MagniFi Mini but with a wider 45-inch soundbar design that is better suited for larger screen TVs and, unlike the MagniFi Mini can be either shelf/table or wall mounted. The MagniFi Mini AX comes with a remote that is common for Polk soundbars. Polk backs the MagniFi Mini AX with a one-year warranty on the amplifiers and a three-year warranty on the speakers. The Polk Audio MagniFi Mini AX offers powerful home theater audio with just a small soundbar and a subwoofer, though it can't fully produce accurate spatial audio imaging. The MagniFi Mini AX offers a lot in a little unit: It has good overall sound, but really shines by creating a wide, bassy sound. MagniFi Mini AX comes with a remote control, but the unit works with most TV Your TV should automatically recognize that its connected to a soundbar. After it was connected, the unit automatically updated its firmware. MSRP $499.00. Priced at over $200/130 more than its predecessor -the Magnifi Mini - the AX is far more of an investment than its younger sibling, putting it up against premium bar-and-sub combos like the $499/549 JBL Bar 5.1 or Polk's own . Polk claims the MagniFi Mini AX can produce quality that youd expect to pay two or three times as much for. The companys VoiceAdjust feature optimizes voice clarity through the center channel and keeps all dialog easy to understand. But no, at 8cm high it was just perfect to fit below a resident 75-inch Samsung. The Polk Maginifi Max SR soundbar and subwoofer combo is available for pre-order for $500 while the package with wireless surround speakers included goes for just $600. Polk has a new model in its MagniFi range of ultra-compact soundbars. The new Polk MagniFi Max SR takes that energizing sound quality to the next level, adding a larger wireless subwoofer and optional wireless surround speakers, while maintaing a svelte, sexy form factor. By subscribing, you are agreeing to Engadget's Terms and Privacy Policy. The goal is to improve stereo imaging by removing the dilution of crosstalk. While it does come with its own remote control, the soundbar is also compatible with your current TVs remote and is certified Roku TV Ready for a seamless setup experience with any Roku TV. / Sign up for Verge Deals to get deals on products we've tested sent to your inbox daily. That means theres a power brick youll need to hide. According to Polk, the answer is 14.5 inches. See latest. It cant compete with the Mini AXs rumbling subwoofer, but it has an expansive soundstage, and like all Sonos products, its a superb music companion that works with every streaming service you can think of. design is equipped with an advanced 5-speaker array and a separate wireless down-firing A few minutes later, the soundbar downloaded and installed the latest firmware, and I was good to go. Bath How small can a soundbar get while still offering Dolby Atmos? Polk also lets you dial back the bass or enable night mode to cut down on rumble if youre watching something late at night. This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. The Polk Audio MagniFi Mini AX soundbar system is priced at 479 / 429, and will be available to purchase in the second half of March 2022 through the Polk Audio website and authorised.