The Polk Audio MagniFi MAX SR is a 5.1 setup with a sleek design. It comes with a discrete subwoofer and two satellites. It has a Stereo Dimensional Array surround sound feature advertised to help create a more immersive sound, though we don't test for this. Also, it has a Voice Adjust dialogue enhancement feature, and you can adjust its volume to customize the dialogue performance based on your preferences. This soundbar scored well on many of our sound tests, conducted using a sine wave tone to measure frequency response. However, we noticed several issues when listening to real-life content like music and movies. Audio seemed diffused and processed at times, and we noticed very audible port noises when listening to bass-heavy tracks. There was also a lot of compression and distortion present, especially in the bass range. We even had connectivity issues with the Google Home app. Though we retested the bar and updated the firmware, we experienced the same problems. It seems that many other users have reported similar issues with the bar, which you can read about here, here, and here.
Our Verdict
With its 'Music' preset, the Polk Audio MagniFi MAX has a somewhat U-shaped sound profile when listening to real-life content, making it suitable for listening to most types of audio content. Voices reproduce clearly and accurately, and you can enhance them using the unique Voice Adjust feature. However, audio can seem diffused and processed, and you may notice port noises and compression when listening to bass-heavy audio content. It doesn't support Dolby Atmos content, either.
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Gets loud.
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Adjustable dialogue enhancement feature.
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Noticeable compression at max volume.
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No Atmos support.
The Polk Audio MagniFi MAX has a discrete center channel, which helps to more accurately localize voices within the sound image. This channel offers a balanced mid-range, so voices reproduce clearly and with detail. There's also an adjustable Voice Adjust feature that lets you control how crisp and clear dialogue sounds. While you can wirelessly stream podcasts and audiobooks to the bar via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Chromecast built-in, unfortunately, it doesn't support Apple AirPlay.
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Gets loud.
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Adjustable dialogue enhancement feature.
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Noticeable compression at max volume.
With its 'Music' preset, the Polk Audio MagniFi MAX has a somewhat U-shaped sound profile when listening to real-life content, so there's a little extra emphasis in the bass range while vocals and lead instruments are bright and sparkling. It's suitable for listening to most music genres, although the port noises and compression when listening to bass-heavy content may not be ideal for fans of genres like EDM and hip-hop. While you can adjust its bass level, there aren't a lot of other customization features available.
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Bass adjustment feature.
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Gets loud.
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No graphic EQ.
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Noticeable compression at max volume.
The Polk Audio MagniFi MAX has two discrete satellites that help more accurately localize sound objects like voices and footsteps within the sound image when you watch surround content. Unfortunately, these surround channels have a very boomy, bass-heavy frequency response that can muddy voices and instruments. Also, it doesn't support Dolby Atmos content.
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Bass adjustment feature.
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Gets loud.
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Noticeable compression at max volume.
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No Atmos support.
- 7.7 Mixed Usage
- 8.6 Dialogue/TV Shows
- 7.7 Music
- 7.0 Movies
- Updated Jan 29, 2024: Updated text in Stereo Dynamics, Audio Latency: ARC, Audio Latency: HDMI In, and Audio Latency: Optical boxes with new methodology from TBU 1.3. Some updates to the usages as well.
- Updated Jan 29, 2024: We've converted this review to Test Bench Update 1.3. If applicable, we've retested stereo sound based on the manufacturer's recommendations. Additionally, we've expanded our audio latency tests to the following boxes: Audio Latency: ARC, Audio Latency: HDMI In, and Audio Latency: Optical. You can see the full changelog here.
- Updated Sep 01, 2023: Added market comparison with the Polk Audio Magnifi Max AX SR in the Height (Atmos) box.
- Updated Aug 31, 2023: Updated the results for 4k Max Refresh Rate from 120Hz to 60Hz. 4k @ 120Hz @ 4:2:0 only works with this soundbar if you create a custom resolution. The EDID restricts it to 60Hz. This behavior is typical for HDMI 2.0 bars, so we updated the results for consistency across reviews. The Video Passthrough to TVscore dropped to 7.8 as a result.
- Updated Jul 31, 2023: Updated the Satellites - Dimensions photo for greater consistency and comparability across reviews.
- Updated May 05, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 1.2. Updated the results for audio format support via ARC/eARC, HDMI In, and Optical. Added Video Passthrough to TV results as well.
- Updated Mar 01, 2023: Added cable lengths to In The Box.
- Updated Mar 01, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 1.1. With this update, we've added a Mounting test and added information aboutSubwoofer Output, Spotify Connect, and Microphone Mute.
- Updated Aug 31, 2021: Review published.
- Updated Aug 25, 2021: Early access published.
- Updated Aug 10, 2021: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Aug 09, 2021: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
- Updated Aug 02, 2021: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
- Updated Jul 25, 2021: The product has won our suggestion poll, so we'll buy and test it soon.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Polk Audio MagniFi MAX SR 5.1 is available in 'Black', and you can see the label for the model we tested here.
You can also find a version of this soundbar called the Polk Audio MagniFi MAX, but we haven't tested it, so we can't confirm its performance.
If you come across another version of this soundbar, let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.
Compared To Other Soundbars
The Polk Audio MagniFi MAX soundbar is a 5.1 setup that comes with a unique Voice Adjust feature that lets you control the clarity of voices in your audio content. While it performed well in our sound tests, we noticed some issues when using the bar to listen to real-life content like music and movies. Audio seems unnatural and diffused at times, and there was audible distortion and compression, especially in the bass range.
See our recommendations for the best 5.1 soundbars, the best soundbars with subwoofer, and the best soundbars.
The Sonos Arc is better than the Polk Audio MagniFi MAX SR. The Sonos is better built, and it supports Dolby Atmos content. It also has better soundstage and surround performances. Unlike the Polk Audio, it has room correction and built-in voice assistant support. However, only the Polk Audio has a Full HDMI In port and EQ presets.
The Polk Audio Magnifi Max AX SR is better than the Polk Audio MagniFi MAX SR. The AX SR is better built and comes with two additional surround channels. Plus, it adds support for Dolby Atmos, so you can take advantage of height content commonly found on various streaming services.
The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is better than the Polk Audio MagniFi MAX SR. The Sonos is a small, compact standalone soundbar with a premium build. Unlike the Polk Audio, it supports Dolby Atmos content. It also has better soundstage and surround performances. Although the Polk Audio can reproduce a more extended low-bass, in our tests, there were some audio quality issues that really took away from the listening experience. Other listeners have also reported problems with compression and distortion.
Depending on your listening habits, you may prefer either the Polk Audio MagniFi MAX SR or the Polk Audio Signa S4. The MAX SR is a 5.1 setup that comes with dedicated satellites, and it has a better surround sound performance. However, it doesn't support Dolby Atmos content like the Signa S4. Also, the MAX SR reproduces a lot of compression and distortion, especially in the bass range, that affects the sound of your audio.
You may prefer the Sonos Beam or the Polk Audio MagniFi MAX SR, depending on your listening habits. The Polk Audio is a 5.1 setup with a dedicated sub and discrete satellites. It reproduces more of the thump and rumble in your audio and has a better surround performance. However, there were some audio issues with the model we tested. Also, the 3.0 Sonos is better built with built-in voice assistant support. It has a better soundstage, and some listeners may prefer its compact design.
Depending on your listening habits, you may prefer either the JBL Bar 5.1 Surround or the Polk Audio MagniFi MAX SR. The JBL is better built, and it comes with a room correction feature and a better surrounds performance. It also supports more wireless playback options. That said, the Polk Audio has a better soundstage and a unique adjustable dialogue enhancement feature.
The Polk Audio Signa S2 and the Polk Audio MagniFi MAX SR are two different soundbar setups. The SIGNA is a 2.1 setup that's decent for dialogue-centric content and music. The MagniFi MAX is a 5.1 setup that scores better overall. Unlike the SIGNA, it comes with discrete satellites and more wireless playback options. It has better center and surround performances, too. However, we noticed a lot of issues with the audio when listening to real-life content on the MagniFi Max. Other users have reported similar experiences.
The JBL Bar 9.1 is better than the Polk Audio MagniFi MAX SR. The JBL is better built, and it supports Dolby Atmos content. It also has better soundstage and surround performances, and it supports more wireless playback options. It even comes with a room correction feature. However, only the Polk Audio comes with a dialogue enhancement feature.
The Bose Smart Soundbar 700 with Speakers + Bass Module is better than the Polk Audio MagniFi MAX SR. The Bose is better built, and it has better soundstage and surround performances. It also comes with built-in voice assistant support and a room correction feature, unlike the Polk Audio.
Depending on your listening habits, you may prefer either the Sony HT-G700 or the Polk Audio MagniFi MAX SR. The Sony is a 3.1 setup that's ideal for listening to vocal-centric content, and unlike the Polk, it supports Dolby Atmos. The 5.1 Polk has a better surrounds performance thanks to its dedicated satellites, and it can reproduce a more extended low-bass. Unfortunately, we noticed a lot of issues with the audio when listening to real-life content on the MagniFi Max.
The Samsung HW-Q950A is better than the Polk Audio MagniFi MAX SR. The Samsung is better built, and it gets louder with less compression at max volume. Unlike the Polk Audio, it supports Atmos content and has built-in voice assistant capabilities. It also has better soundstage and surround performances. There are even more sound enhancement features available, including room correction and a graphic EQ.
Depending on your listening habits, you may prefer either the Klipsch Cinema 600 or the Polk Audio MagniFi MAX SR. The Klipsch is a 3.1 setup with a better soundstage. However, the Polk Audio is a 5.1 setup with discrete satellites that's better-built. It also has a better surrounds performance.
The Vizio M Series M51ax-J6 is better than the Polk Audio MagniFi MAX SR. The Vizio is a 5.1 setup with better surround sound performance. Unlike the Polk, it also supports Dolby Atmos content and has more sound enhancement features.
The Samsung HW-Q800A is better than the Polk Audio MagniFi MAX SR. The Samsung is better built and supports Dolby Atmos content. It has a better soundstage and more sound enhancement features, such as a graphic EQ. Also, it has built-in voice assistant support. That said, the Polk Audio has a better surrounds performance.
The Samsung HW-Q700A is better than the Polk Audio MagniFi MAX SR. The Samsung is a 3.1.2 setup that's better built. Unlike the Polk Audio, it supports Dolby Atmos content. Also, it has some more sound enhancement features, like a graphic EQ. That said, the Polk Audio comes with dedicated satellites.
The Vizio M Series M512a-H6 is slightly better than the Polk Audio MagniFi MAX SR. The Vizio is better built, and unlike the Polk Audio, it supports Dolby Atmos content. This 5.1.2 setup also has a better soundstage performance.
The LG SP9YA is better than the Polk Audio MagniFi MAX SR. The LG is a better built 5.1.2 setup that supports Dolby Atmos content. It also has a better soundstage performance, and more sound enhancement features like room correction. That said, only the Polk Audio comes with discrete satellites included.
The Samsung HW-Q800T is better than the Polk Audio MagniFi MAX SR. The Samsung is better built and comes with more sound enhancement features like a graphic EQ. Unlike the Polk Audio, it supports Atmos content and comes with built-in voice assistant capabilities. That said, the Polk Audio has a better surrounds performance.
Depending on your listening habits, you might prefer either the Polk Audio MagniFi MAX SR or the Samsung HW-Q70T. The Polk Audio is a 5.1 setup with satellites that offers a better surrounds performance. However, we did experience some issues with the audio during our testing. Also, the 3.1.2 Samsung is better built, and unlike the Polk Audio, it supports Atmos content.
The Samsung HW-Q600A is better than the Polk Audio MagniFi MAX SR. The Samsung is a 3.1.2 setup that's better built and supports Dolby Atmos content. It has more sound enhancement features, including a graphic EQ. The 5.1 Polk Audio has a better surrounds performance, however, we noticed some sound issues during our testing that may make it less than ideal for some users.
The Polk Audio MagniFi MAX SR is better than the Yamaha YAS-209 for most uses. The Polk Audio is a 5.1 setup with better center and surround performances. It gets louder, albeit with more compression at max volume. However, the 2.1 Yamaha has built-in voice assistant support. Also, we noticed some audio issues with our Polk Audio model, which may not be ideal for all users.
Test Results
The Polk Audio MagniFi MAX SR is a sleek, stylish soundbar with a somewhat unique design. It's mostly plastic, and there's fabric covering the front and top of the bar. There's also a golden ring surrounding the center channel. On its ends, there are open passive ports.
The Polk Audio MagniFi MAX's sub is mostly plastic and sits on four pegs with rubber grips. The port and the speaker are located underneath.
The Polk Audio MagniFi MAX's satellites have a similar design to the bar. They're mostly plastic, with fabric covering the front and the top. There's also a small Polk Audio logo on the front.
The Polk Audio MagniFi MAX SR is wide and likely won't fit between the legs of a 55" TV stand. That said, it also isn't very tall, so it shouldn't block your TV screen unless your TV sits flush on your table.
The sub is a bit larger than some of the others we've tested, but it shouldn't take up much more room than an average desktop computer.
The satellites are a bit wide and tall, but they connect to the bar wirelessly, so you have more flexibility when placing them in your setup.
The Polk Audio MagniFi MAX SR has a decent build quality. The bar and the satellites are both mostly plastic, which feels pretty solid and durable. The fabric coverings are tight, so it's unlikely that they rip easily. However, they still seem prone to collecting dust over time. The subwoofer is also mostly made of plastic.
- Manuals
- Mounting templates
- Mounting brackets
- Power cable for bar (4.9 ft / 1.5m)
- Power cable for sub (5.6 ft / 1.7m)
- 2x power cables for satellites (9.6 ft / 2.9m)
- Power brick for bar (built-in cable 4.9 ft / 1.5m)
- Remote with 2xAA batteries
- HDMI cable (6.6 ft / 2.0m)
- AUX cable (6 ft / 1.8m)
- Optical cable (4.9 ft / 1.5m)
The Polk Audio MagniFi MAX SR scores well on our stereo frequency response tests, conducted using a sine wave tone. However, when we listened to the bar with real-life content, we noticed that it doesn't perform as well as the score suggests. With some audio, it had a pretty neutral sound profile on its 'Music' preset, suitable for listening to most types of audio content.
With other content, we noticed a U-shaped sound that adds extra emphasis in the bass and treble ranges. As a result, audio has extra thump and punch, and vocals and lead instruments are bright. Audio could also seem a bit diffused and unnatural, and there are noticeable port noises when listening to bass-heavy content.
The Polk Audio MagniFi MAX SR has a great stereo frequency response with calibration. With its bass set to '-1', it has a very neutral, balanced sound profile suitable for listening to many different types of audio content. We conduct this test using a sine wave tone, and we noticed some inconsistencies in the bar's performance when listening to real-life content like music and movies.
The Polk Audio MagniFi MAX SR has a decent stereo soundstage. The soundstage is perceived to be wider than the bar itself, which is good. However, we noticed that the bar tries to push the sound, which can sound diffused and processed, especially around the far edge of the soundstage.
The Polk Audio MagniFi MAX SR gets loud enough to fill larger, more open rooms with sound. However, when you push it to max volume, there's a lot of compression in the bass range that's quite noticeable with real-life content. Sound seems like it's forced and lacking control. You'll want to listen at a more moderate volume for a more natural sound with less compression.
The Polk Audio MagniFi MAX SR comes with a discrete center channel, which helps to more accurately localize voices within the stereo image. Its frequency response is quite balanced, so voices reproduce clearly and accurately. However, the bar is lacking bass on its center channel. It may not be too noticeable with real-life content, though, since there typically isn't much bass reproduced on this channel.
The Polk Audio MagniFi MAX SR comes with two discrete surround speakers, which help to more accurately localize sound objects like voices and footsteps within the sound image. When conducting our surround channel tests using the sine wave tone, we noticed a lot of bass, and the subwoofer overpowered the satellites. It wasn't very noticeable when listening to real-life content, however.
The Polk Audio Magnifi Max AX SR is a good alternative for a soundbar with Atmos support.
The Polk Audio MagniFi MAX SR has a poor selection of sound enhancement features. It has a Voice Adjust feature that enhances dialogue by making it more clear and crisp, and you can even adjust the volume level for this feature using the controls on the bar. There are a few EQ presets to help you customize its sound, including 'Music', 'Stereo Dimensional Array', 'Movie', and 'Sports'. The 'Stereo Dimensional Array' preset is advertised to help create a wider soundstage. This soundbar lacks some more premium sound enhancement features like room correction, so it may sound a bit different depending on the room you're listening in.
The Polk Audio MagniFi MAX SR has several physical inputs. There are three Full HDMI In ports, meaning that you can use the bar as a hub between different devices like your PC and your TV. There's also an AUX port, so you can use the included AUX cable to wire older devices to the bar for audio playback.
Over its ARC port, the Polk Audio MagniFi MAX SR supports both Dolby Digital and DTS content. These surround sound formats are commonly found on Blu-ray discs and streaming platforms.
The Polk Audio MagniFi MAX SR only supports Dolby Digital via Full HDMI In. Dolby Digital is the most common surround sound format, so this should be suitable for most users who like to watch Blu-ray discs. That said, it's disappointing for users who want to watch lossless and object-based formats like Dolby Atmos.
The Polk Audio MagniFi MAX SR supports Dolby Digital and DTS content via Optical, commonly found on Blu-ray discs and streaming platforms.
Latency falls within good limits over an ARC connection. You can listen to common surround sound formats like Dolby Digital without any noticeable lip-synching issues. Some apps and TVs compensate for latency differently, though.
You can also enjoy videos and movies over HDMI In without latency issues. The audio you hear is in sync with the visuals on screen. Since some apps and TVs compensate for latency differently, you may notice some differences with real-life use.
Latency falls on the higher side over an Optical connection. Our results indicate a likelihood of some lip-synching issues with videos and movies. However, it isn't quite as noticeable with real-life content as the numbers suggest. Apps or TVs may compensate for latency differently.
This soundbar can passthrough many common resolutions and refresh rates, which is handy if you want to use it as a hub between devices like a PC and a TV. Text on the screen appears clear and crisp as a result. It also supports high-quality video signals like HDR10, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision, so you can passthrough from gaming consoles and Apple TVs. It can't passthrough variable refresh rate technologies like ALLM, though, which is disappointing if you like to use these for a tear-free gaming experience.
The Polk Audio MagniFi MAX SR has incredible wireless playback support. You can wirelessly stream audio from your mobile device to the bar over Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Chromecast built-in. However, some Apple users may be disappointed by the lack of AirPlay support.
The Polk Audio MagniFi MAX SR doesn't have a display. Instead, lights flash different patterns when you change the input and adjust the volume. They turn green when you're listening to Dolby Digital content and yellow when listening to DTS content.
On top of the Polk Audio MagniFi MAX, there are some physical controls you can use to power the bar on/off, change the input, mute the bar, and adjust the volume for Voice Adjust as well as your main audio.
