I did not expect this mini soundbar to sound so big, and it’s $150 off right now

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• Polk MagniFi Mini AX soundbar currently sells for $349 on Amazon, a $150 discount from its retail price.
• Big, booming sound from a very small package, wireless plug-and-play subwoofer, Bluetooth connectivity, AirPlay 2, Chromecast, and Spotify Connect make this as easy to use as possible.
• Voices in TV and film can sound louder than usual, which is good or bad depending on your preference.

Polk is a name that people who know sound can trust. The company has been around since 1972, and has produced enough high-quality speakers and sound systems to know what they are doing. 

Also: The best soundbars: Expert tested and recommended

So, when I received the MagniFi Mini AX soundbar to review, I had certain expectations. I’d enjoyed Polk audio systems of all sorts, from car stereos and speakers to floor-standing speakers and various pieces of audio hardware. Although it’s been a while since I’d experienced the wonderful world of Polk audio, I knew what I was getting into with this sound bar.

It did not disappoint.  

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Polk MagniFi Mini AX soundbar

This small footprint soundbar will fill your space with plenty of lows and highs (and voices that can actually be heard).

View at Amazon

The main speaker is only 15″ wide, so it can be used in tight spaces, without sacrificing sound. The soundbar is both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X certified and delivers Polk’s fourth-generation SDA technology for a more accurate soundstage that will fill your room so you never miss a word of dialog or a thundering boom of deep bass.

The specs

The Polk MagniFi Mini AX specs look something like this:

• Channels – 3.1
• Surround Format – Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital, DTS:X, DTS HDMA, DTS Digital Surround.
• Front Panel Display – OLED
• Polk VoiceAdjust – yes
• Subwoofer dimensions – 7.2″ x 15.6″ x 14.6″
• Soundbar dimensions – 4.1″ x 14.4″ x 3.1″
• Inputs – HDMI eARC, Optical, 3.5mm
• Maximum output – 10 Watts
• Weight – 14 pounds

Don’t let the ten watts of output fool you, as this soundbar delivers some fairly impactful sound. 

My experience

I have to preface this by saying every soundbar I use and test is compared to my default Klipsch soundbar, which is roughly a decade old and no longer in production. That soundbar has the best overall sound I’ve ever experienced in a two-speaker (main and sub) soundbar. Because of that, I’m a bit biased toward the Klipsch sound that is produced by that device.

Also: I replaced my expensive Klipsch soundbar with a $300 Hisense, and it surprised me in the best way

With that said, with one exception, I was thoroughly impressed with the Polk MagniFi Mini AX soundbar. The sound was spacious, accurate, and rich. What really impressed me the most about the soundbar was the bass. Given the small size of the unit, I was certain the bass would fall short. It did not.

The bass on the MagniFi Mini AX is punchy, without muddying the whole. It isn’t quite up to what my Klipsch delivers, but that’s a fairly high bar. The crossover for the Polk does a great job of not sending too high a frequency to the subwoofer. 

For those who aren’t certain of what crossover does on a subwoofer, imagine you have a range from 1-10, with 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest. For a truly accurate subwoofer, you want to limit the range to the lower end of the spectrum. It wouldn’t make any sense to send anything above 5 to the subwoofer, because that would muddy the sound. Instead, you might want sound in the 1-3 range sent to the subwoofer. The Polk does a great job of keeping the mids and higher ranges out of the sub to keep it all sounding tight and clean.

Also: The best sound systems: Expert recommended

And believe me when I tell you, this soundbar can produce. I tested it both in our TV room and my exercise room and found the MagniFi Mini did a stellar job in both instances.

My only gripes

Understand that I’m very picky about sound, so keep that in mind. My only problem with the Polk is the midrange (where voices hit) can be a bit tinny. This is a very common complaint from me for many soundbars. I believe there’s a reason for this trend.

You see, movies and TV (especially movies) are produced such that music and special FX overpower dialog. This problem is getting worse and worse. To remedy that, manufacturers are having to punch the midrange on their devices so dialogue can be heard. 

Also: These skull-rattling headphones spoiled watching movies at home for me – in the best way

Because of that, voices tend to sound a bit too tinny for my taste. However, I will say that my wife says the same thing (and she’s not an audiophile). That particular take on midrange can tend to make a speaker sound cheap. The tradeoff is that you can always hear dialogue, no matter how loud the music and FX are. 

For many, that particular pro far outweighs the con of tinny midrange. And, to be honest, most users won’t even notice the overpronounced mids and will rejoice that they can hear what’s being spoken by the characters they are watching. Besides, if you’re not happy with the mids, you can always lower the “voice” volume on the remote or change the sound from Movie, 3D, Music, or Night to better fit the sound to your needs and particular hearing ability.

My second gripe is the optical connection was so tight that I was unable to get it pressed in far enough such that the soundbar could receive sound from my TV. The optical connection was fine to the TV but, for whatever reason (and no matter how hard I pushed or oriented the plug), I couldn’t get the connection to work.

ZDNET’s buying advice

At $499 (or, better yet, $349 when it’s on sale), the Polk MagniFi Mini AX soundbar is a great buy, especially if you are limited on space. And although the mids can be a bit harsh, if hearing dialogue is a priority for you, this soundbar will have you smiling and hearing every word spoken.

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