MagniFi Max AX

Overview

The MagniFi Max AX is Polk Audio's flagship soundbar system, announced in September 2022. The bar is 1143 mm wide, 72 mm high and 118 mm deep and comes in black. It sits on a TV console or mounts on a wall; two wall brackets, spacers and a template are in the box. A 10-inch down-firing wireless subwoofer comes with it.

Polk calls it a 5.1.2 system with an 11-driver array: four 1 x 3-inch racetrack drivers and two 0.75-inch tweeters for the left and right channels, two 1 x 2.5-inch racetrack drivers and a 0.75-inch tweeter for the center channel, and two 2.6-inch height drivers. Polk's fourth-generation SDA technology widens the soundstage.

The TV connects over HDMI eARC or optical, and three HDMI inputs switch 4K sources. A USB-A port, Bluetooth 5.0 and dual-band Wi-Fi are on board; there is no Ethernet port. Music streams over AirPlay 2, Chromecast built-in and Spotify Connect, and the bar works with Alexa and Google Assistant speakers. Polk says it works with most TV remotes out of the box and is Roku TV Ready. MagniFi AX bars can be grouped for multi-room music.

The box contains the bar, the subwoofer, the deluxe remote with two AAA batteries, power cords for the bar and the subwoofer, an HDMI cable, the wall brackets (screws not included), spacers and template, the quick start guide, a registration card and a safety document.

What the specs mean

• 5.1.2 speaker setup: Polk's channel count for the system. The ".1" is the wireless subwoofer and the ".2" are the two height drivers that add the overhead layer of Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.
• HDMI eARC: the enhanced Audio Return Channel carries the TV's sound, including Dolby Atmos, to the bar over one HDMI cable.
• HDMI passthrough (4K60, Dolby Vision): a console or player connects to one of the three HDMI inputs, and the bar passes 4K video at 60 Hz with HDR and Dolby Vision on to the TV.
• Audio formats: Polk lists Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD, DTS, DTS-HD, DTS-HD Master Audio, DTS:X and DTS Virtual:X.
• VoiceAdjust and Night Mode: VoiceAdjust raises voices over other soundtrack elements. Night Mode raises speech and lowers bass for late-night listening.
• Expandability: Polk's SR2 wireless rear surround speakers are sold separately, or bundled with the bar as the MagniFi Max AX SR, which Polk calls a 7.1.2 system.