Polk Audio has launched a new soundbar in its MagniFi range of home theater systems, and it could be a great alternative to the popular Sonos Arc if you're short on space.
The new Polk MagniFi Mini AX is a compact soundbar and subwoofer combo, looking ready to deliver Dolby Atmos surround sound without taking up a lot of space.
At just 37cm wide, the soundbar itself features a five-driver array and comes with Atmos and DTS:X surround sound to create what Polk describes as "a realistic cinematic listening experience" for any room. Like previous Polk soundbars, the MagniFi Mini AX features the company's voice adjustment technology, which should make it easier to hear actors mumbling by clarifying speech with the bar's central controller.
It comes with a wireless down-firing subwoofer, which should deliver boomy low frequencies without the need for a lot of cables winding around your living room - another plus if your home is smaller.
You'll be able to tweak the sound a bit, with Movie, Music and Night modes that alter the soundbar's audio performance depending on the type of content you're watching, or if you want to avoid disturbing your neighbors during late-night movies. . sessions An OLED screen on top of the soundbar lets you control your playback. You can also use the included remote control or control your TV if you use an HDMI connection.
The new sound bar should be easy to connect to your TV, with HDMI eARC/ARC, optical and AUX ports. There's also AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Spotify Connect and Bluetooth connectivity for streaming music from a mobile device.
Costing £429 in the UK, the global price for the new Polk soundbar hasn't been announced yet, but that works out to around £560 / AU$780. That's considerably cheaper than the Sonos Arc from $899 / £899 / AU$1,499, and yes, you'd be making some compromises in terms of features and specs if you opt for the Polk MagniFi Mini AX over the best soundbar of 2022.
Are upfiring drivers important?
Unlike the Sonos Arc, the MagniFi Mini AX lacks the refresh drivers needed for "true" Dolby Atmos (in which sound bounces off the ceiling and back into your ears to give the impression of height), instead relying on in digital signal processing to make movie soundtracks appear to be coming from all angles.
Virtual surround sound is rarely as effective as using actual Dolby Atmos speakers, but it can still be quite convincing, and soundbars using this technology are often much cheaper than those with updated drivers.
The difference between the two technologies is most apparent when you compare soundbars like the Sonos Arc and Sonos Beam (Gen 2). While the Sonos Arc, which comes with upward-firing speakers, gives a great sense of height and width, the second-gen Beam doesn't give that sense of width. Still, we were very impressed with the wide soundstage provided by the small Sonos soundbar.
As two soundbars that use virtual Dolby Atmos, the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is worth comparing to Polk's latest model, but we don't expect them to sound exactly the same.
While the Sonos Beam is the most compact Sonos soundbar on the market, Polk's new MagniFi Mini AX is only half the size, and that means the sound may not be as loud, powerful, or spacious. However, that is not a fact; both soundbars feature a five-speaker array and the MagniFi Mini AX benefits from an included subwoofer.
Whatever soundbar you're looking for, we've yet to find a Dolby Atmos model (better or not) that can outperform a true surround sound system that includes speakers placed around your room.
You can use a soundbar as part of a surround sound system quite effectively, with one bar acting as the center channel, two rear speakers, and a subwoofer. Doing this with the Sonos Arc or Beam is easy thanks to Sonos' multi-room wireless speaker technology, which makes adding extra channels as easy as pressing a few buttons in the company's app.
However, this can get very expensive very quickly, and Polk has a cheaper solution if you're on a tight budget. You already get the soundbar and subwoofer with the MagniFi Mini AX – just add a pair of Polk SR2 wireless speakers for £199 / £159 (around AU$270) to complete your setup.