Polk Audio MagniFi Max AX SR Dolby Atmos 5.1 Soundbar Wireless Subwoofer surround sound speakers, DTS:X, Chromecast Audio Built-In, Works Alexa, Spotify Connect, Apple AirPlay 2. Bluetooth

Product Information

With Terminator: Dark Fate, the car chase in Mexico has proved a problem for some soundbars in terms of protecting dialogue from the cacophony of special effects. If there is one area where the soundbar failed a bit, that would be in its surround activity. The soundbar does try to create a multi-dimensional immersion bubble but with no rear speakers it can do so much with what it has. If you really want surround sound you will have to either buy the optional rear speakers kit or go for the Polk Audio MagniFi Max AX SR bundle that is the same soundbar with the rear speakers included. Thankfully Polk seems to have taken notice and offered three HDMI inputs which should be enough in most cases. Along with them there is an HDMI output, a digital optical audio input and a USB port. Everyone loves surround sound, right? But no one can be bothered to accommodate it any more – all those speakers and cables running everywhere. Soundbars are far more convenient. No matter how much they try, however, none have managed a convincing ‘virtual surround’ effect. The nifty Polk MagniFi Max SR soundbar doesn’t even try to go virtual. One-button presets for movie watching and music listening, along with Night Mode—so you won’t wake the neighbors or kids during late-night bingewatching sessions.

Magnifi Max AX SR | Polk Audio UK

Make the switch to the 3D Mode, and there’s more room for effects, music and dialogue to breathe. Everything sounds bigger and carries more weight as the soundscape becomes taller and wider. There are also plenty of ways to stream wirelessly, including Chromecast, AirPlay 2, and Spotify Connect, as well as Bluetooth 5.0. Alongside Dolby Atmos, the Magnifi Max AX also supports its main rival for Blu-ray discs, DTS:X spatial audio. Polk's decision to dedicate three speakers for the center channel alone also leads to clear and detailed dialogue in virtually any situation. While it’s a lighter flavor, it’s about as close as you can get to a discrete center-channel speaker in a single bar, letting you wave goodbye to dialogue issues. From sitcoms and prestige dramas to intense action, you’ll hear every lip movement and all the different vocal textures of your favorite characters. Great for music, too

MagniFi Max AX includes a remote and works with most TV remotes out of the box. Its intuitive front-panel OLED display indicates adjustments and automatically dims when not in use. And MagniFi MAX AX is Roku TV-ready for even easier configuration and control. On the top are the essential controls: power, source selection, Bluetooth, volume up and down, and mute. There are also dedicated buttons for VoiceAdjust – Polk’s clever tech for adjusting the volume of speech without affecting the level of other sound effects. After having tested most of Polk’s low budget Signa series the MagniFi Max AX feels like a big step forward in terms of cinematic performance and immersion. It feels like Polk took everything that made the Signa S4 such a fan favorite product and added more features and capabilities for the more demanding consumers. Instead, it comes with a pair of genuine surround speakers and a subwoofer, all of which connect wirelessly. While it isn’t sonically perfect, the Max SR does offer a decent compromise for people who can’t fit a full-on surround system into their lives. When it comes to those audio chops, I was immediately impressed at just how full and immersive this system sounds out of the box. Virtual surround sound engines have become increasingly convincing in the last few years, and Polk’s SDA version blends with its dual upfiring drivers for sound that pulls you into the action.

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But even if your TV does not support CEC the MagniFi Max AX gives you the ability to teach your IR (infrared) remote to control volume, mute and other functions (such as source selection or bass volume) on your soundbar. Detailed instructions on how to do this are included in the manual and they are very easy to follow. Sound United, a Masimo company, was founded in 2012 with a simple mission – to bring joy to the world through sound. Today, we are one of the world’s largest portfolio audio companies and home to several legendary audio brands—Denon ®, Marantz ®, Bowers and Wilkins, Polk Audio, Classé, Definitive Technology, HEOS, and Boston Acoustics ®. Each brand boasts its own philosophy and unique approach to bringing home entertainment to life. For our review we decided to use the pass-through capabilities of the soundbar so we connected our Zidoo Z9X media player and PS5 in two of the HDMI inputs and from there to the TV we had at hand. Obviously we can’t get 4K@120Hz gaming through this connection but for 4K@60Hz it is more than sufficient.The Max SR’s remote control is pretty decent, and a big step up on the blister-button unit the comes with the cheaper Polk Signa Solo. It’s a bit more substantial and has a rubber top that makes it quite pleasing to grip. There are some useful controls for adjusting the left-right balance and surround volume, as well as the usual stuff. It can learn IR codes, too. Also all functions are available through the included buttons, something we definitely like in comparison to some other brands that force you to use their mobile app for some more specialized features. A TV mode that seems to prioritize dialog more, an All Stereo mode that sends the front left and right channels to your surround speakers if you have these installed and lastly the Night mode which reduces bass and volume dynamics while improving voice intelligibility for low volume listening which can be very handy for late night use.