The MagniFi Max AX 5.1.2 surround sound system features an 11-speaker array with up-firing height drivers. This means sound can bounce off the ceiling for overhead sound to deliver Dolby Atmos and DTS:X sound. Photo: Supplied
If you have a 4K smart TV, chances are its built-in sound is not going to cut it. You will probably want to shop around for a soundbar to elevate the audio to match the high-quality visual.
We have been testing Polk Audio’s new MagniFi Max AX soundbar, provided for review, which is aimed at those who want more from a basic soundbar such as a cinematic home experience.
The MagniFi Max AX 5.1.2 surround sound system features an 11-speaker array with up-firing height drivers. This means sound can bounce off the ceiling for overhead sound to deliver Dolby Atmos and DTS:X sound.
It is paired with a 10-inch down-firing wireless subwoofer that is Polk’s most powerful soundbar sub yet. It uses Polk’s fourth-generation patented Studio Dimensional Array (SDA) technology to “eliminate interaural crosstalk to deliver an ultra-wide soundstage”. The sound enhances movies, gaming, and music for its Dolby and DTS formats.
The soundbar is suited for the streaming lifestyle, and supports multiple connectivity options such as Bluetooth, Apple AirPlay 2 through wi-fi, Google Chromecast, Spotify Connect, and Works with Alexa services.
In terms of connecting multimedia devices to the soundbar, you can simplify your set-up with its 3-in/1-out high speed high-bandwidth 4K HDMI ports with eARC and input switching.
Essentially, three HDMI ports are regular, and one supports eARC/ARC (enhanced) Audio Return Channel, which transmits digital audio data solely from the HDMI cable. If your TV supports HDMI 2.1, it will probably support eARC.
The soundbar has a front panel OLED display to show your settings and adjustments, which dims if you’re not using it. There are buttons on the top panel: power, Bluetooth, volume, input and mute.
At the back you will find the HDMI ports, an optical input for older TVs, a connect button to pair the subwoofer or extra surround speakers, a USB port, status lights and a power out. The subwoofer has a connect button and status light.
Setting up the soundbar
The speakers come in a big box that looks like a chair, with dimensions of 56.9 x 121.8 x 35.8cm. You may want to recycle the packaging once you are done unboxing. At 115cm long, the soundbar requires a fair amount of space in front of your TV.
Included with the soundbar and subwoofer are power cables for each piece; a remote control with batteries; an HDMI cable; a wall mount template with two brackets; and a quick start guide.
Setting up the soundbar was straightforward but if you have a lot of devices connected to your TV, decide which ones you want on the soundbar versus directly on your TV.
I used one HDMI port for a connection to the TV, one for a Google Chromecast, and the remaining two for gaming consoles. Other devices such as a decoder and Apple TV were connected directly to the TV’s HDMI ports.
There’s a lot of cables to deal with but the soundbar is long and high enough to hide the mess and make it look neat from the front.
Personal preference and features
After setting up, a few tweaks were needed for personal preference. One of the first things I attempted was to connect to wi-fi, which requires you to long press the power button to get it into pairing mode. You will hear a sound to confirm you’re in the correct mode.
Pairing to wi-fi is done via the Google Home or Alexa app. I struggled with pairing it on both but eventually linked it to the Google Home app but was not successful with Alexa.
Despite going quite far on the Alexa app, it kept failing to accept my wi-fi password. Nevertheless, it was sufficient being connected on the Google Home app because this step is required for firmware updates on the soundbar.
The remote has a lot of buttons: power, TV, Bluetooth, input, volume keys, mute, sound, and info. It has individual controls for bass, treble, voice, height, delay and surround. Pressing the buttons requires a bit of pressure to accept your input.
Sound quality for different modes
After initial adjustments, I preferred to keep the bass, treble and voice on standard for casual watching because the default settings from the one-touch modes were satisfactory. You can choose between TV mode, auto, movie, night or music.
The modes are quite nifty. For example, night mode reduces bass but improves voice intelligibility, whereas TV mode is for casual watching, which enhances dialogue and effects when the volume is on low to moderate levels.
Movie mode is for a more dynamic cinematic experience, with adjustments to height and sound effects in Dolby Atmos and DTS:X audio formats. Music mode is for streaming services.
When I streamed from Spotify, I preferred making my own adjustments to the standard music mode. Bass levels go deep and powerful to the point where you may want to consider your neighbours. When it came to the height adjustment feature, I couldn’t really tell the difference.
You can cast music directly from supported apps like Spotify, Tidal, Deezer, Amazon Music, TuneIn Radio, and SoundCloud. However, when you disconnect, it does not default to what was previously playing; you need to select the TV button on the remote to switch back.
The sound is immersive when you’re watching movies that support enhanced audio modes such as Dolby Atmos on Disney+ (US) on an Apple TV when connected to the ARC port. You will be tempted to play with the granular controls and tweak them individually.
Polk has a unique VoiceAdjust patented speech-clarifying technology that works with MagniFi’s integrated centre-channel speakers to adjust the volume of voices above other elements.
If you struggle to hear voices in certain scenes when the background sound is overpowering, you tap the voice button on the remote to enhance it without increasing the volume. I didn’t expect to use this feature as much as I did.
There’s also an audio delay button if you want to make tweaks for sound that is out of sync.
Final thoughts
The MagniFi Max AX soundbar takes your audio experience to the next-level with cinematic sound, deep bass levels and minimal distortion. The VoiceAdjust feature truly shines.
But the remote feels dated, and an app was lacking for smartphone controls. There’s no user manual included in the box; you need to download it off their website.
The MagniFi Max AX soundbar is available at Homemation for R17 824