Polk Audio – MagniFi Max AX Dual 2.5” Drivers Three 0.75” Tweeters and Four 1” X 3” Mid-Woofers Sound Bar with Wireless Subwoofer – Black

BACKGROUND: Since 2018 I have been using a stereo only sound base with incorporated AccuVoice Dialogue technology (advance hearing aid audio) that boosts the center channel for clear and audible dialogues. That unit has functioned extremely well, so much so, that I purchased a second sound bar model in 2019 from the same company for our master bedroom. Although both have embedding 4-inch sub-woofers, I use additional subs on each system for added bass response. My comparison will be judged against these 2.1 systems.
OVERVIEW: The Polk MagniFi Max AX system far surpasses my expectations for an overall immersive theater-like experience versus my current two systems. Sound emanates from all 11 sound bar speakers, along with the added thunderous bass response from the 10-inch sub-woofer. To quote “The Polk’s Voice Adjust technology works with MagniFi’s integrated center channel speaker to deliver crystal clear dialogues without affecting the rest of the soundtrack.” I can attest that Polk’s “Voice Adjust” does raise the dialogue (set to +3 or +4) above a movie’s background effects to be able to hear dialogue clearly similar to my existing units. Another major plus!
Setup can be as easy as plugging in the supplied high speed HDMI cable from the sound base’s HDMI ARC/eARC port to your HDTV’s HDMI ARC/eARC port. And then supply AC power to your sound bass and sub woofer. After about a minute, the system was “self aware” and providing a high-performance home theater sound experience.
I actually first tried the quick setup using my current HDTV as the HDMI switch since everything was already connected to it. But later reconfigured everything to use the MagniFi Max sound bar as the HDMI switch. (See pictures.) Using the MagniFi as the HDMI switch allows me to have my Roku stream Dolby Atmos media directly to this system.
ISSUE #1 Google Home App: This unit will not connect to the Google Home app that is required for WiFi connectivity, firmware upgrades, and possibly undocumented setup options. (There is no Ethernet port.) I have attempted to connect using two different vender’s Android-10 phones, along with an iOS-15.7 tablet. All encounter the same error. They all are able to find the Polk MagniFi AX device, all are able to connect to the device (a tone is confirmation), but all fail to complete the connectivity.
During this “hand shaking” process, the sound bar’s WiFi light is lit light blue but will go dark after about 2 minutes after failing the connection. The scroll on the sound bar says “CAST SETUP”. The specific Android error is “Connection problem during setup. Please check your WiFi network settings.” My mesh WiFi system does recognize the Polk MagniFi AX device and lists it as a “Sound United LLC” with the correct MAC address. And my Android’s both will recognize the MagniFi Max AX-0950.1087, WiFi Network SSID. No matter how many times I reboot, use different devices, remove and reload the app, it will not complete the connection.
After about three hours of online research, I have found many others who have encountered this error (fails to connect with Google Home app) with the previous Polk MagniFi (non AX) systems without a documented resolution. Apparently this system follows in those footsteps.
ISSUE #2 Limited Documentation: Currently the only Polk online documentation for this system is an info sheet. I require a detailed operations manual (PDF is fine) that will explain what all of the system’s scrolling options mean. The quick start guide is fine for those just wanting to plug-and-play, but insufficient for providing how this system functions, especially when errors are encountered.
ISSUE #3 No Factory Reset: OK, I am fairly certain there must be a method to factory reset this system, but there is zero documentation on how to do that. Earlier Polk systems have a dedicated reset button, this system does not. I would assume then there is a specific sequence of holding down a combination of the top panel icon buttons. But again, without documentation, it is not an option at this point in time.
ISSUE #4 PCM 2.0: The scrolling display will only reflect PCM 2.0 (2 channel stereo) when stepping through the current information (using the remote INFO button). I do hear sounds out of all of the speakers, but the display is saying PCM 2.0. I have streamed Prime Plus and Disney Plus with movies in Dolby Atmos. Does not matter, this system says everything I am watching is PCM 2.0. My question is, it this system actually outputting in Dolby Atmos, or just Polk’s SDA surround technology simulating a 5.1.2 audio experience? Again, I will reiterate that this system sounds pretty fantastic, even if it is a simulated 5.1.2 experience. But my gut tells me I need to see something other that PCM 2.0 being displayed.

ISSUE #5 Support: Because I am a Best Buy Tech Insider Network (BB TIN) member, I was supplied a unique two page data sheet of information with this system. One of the notes was a contact name with email address for any questions I have and/or any support required. Great, I need a dedicated support contact!
After completing an email with all of the above issues and questions, I hit send. Got a very quick response “I am currently out of the office, for assistance please call 800-xxx-xxxx Option x”. Ok, I understand employees need their quality time off for numerous reasons, I get it.
So I called the number and spoke with a very professional individual who listened to all of my questions and issues with this system. And I did inform her I was a BB TIN member who was sent this system for trial and review. She asked to put me hold (nice touch to ask). When she returned she stated that the individual I had sent the email to was the only person who has the documentation on this new system. And that the current Polk support personnel (800 number I was provided) was waiting on that documentation. Therefore I now need to wait until he returns to work to obtain resolution to the above issues and questions.
RECOMMENDATION: Would I recommend to a friend? Not at this time unless they are conformable without Googe Home connectivity, being able to obtain firmware updates, may only be able to play PCM 2.0 audio, OK with limited documentation, and no customer service support availability.
CLOSING: I will state for a third time that this is a superior sounding system as compared to either of my current HDTV sound base/bar systems. Simple to install, and if your video devices use HDMI CEC, then all remotes will work somewhat flawlessly.
I will also mention I have used Polk products in the past that I have been extremely satisfied with both their operation and performance. Speakers and sub-woofers to be exact. And have worked in the computer services industry for over 50 years.
Because of all of the unresolved questions and issues, I honestly can only rate this new Polk MagniFi Max AX system a 3 on scale of 1 to 5. If or when I am provided resolutions for all of questions and encounter issues, then I will gladly write an update to this review.

There is a lot to love about this sound bar and subwoofer in addition to the price. Having just recently set it up, that is the part that I still find most amazing. There was virtually no setup other than unpacking it and plugging it in. I plugged the HDMI cable into the eARC/ARC port of the sound bar and TV and then plugged it in. Turned on the TV and the sound bar simply worked. It turned off and on with the TV and the TV remote controlled the volume with no additional setup at all. Next, I plugged in the wireless subwoofer and within seconds it had automatically paired with the sound bar. There is a sync button on the back of both to pair them. However since they automatically pair, I assume this is only for connection issues. In literally less than 10 minutes both units were out of the box and working. Setup really was totally automatic.
The next thing I did was setup AirPlay. This was as complicated as holding the power button for 7 seconds and then connecting to the WiFi setup in the settings of my iPhone. This process was less than five minutes and worked flawlessly. My setup was fairly simple as I only wanted to use it with my TV and AirPlay. However there are three additional non-ARC HDMI ports to attach other devices to the speaker should you have a more complicated setup. It also has optical digital input.
The controls on the speaker are very simple and straightforward. They are pretty much the same on the speaker or the (rather bland and unimpressive looking) remote. I do wish that the controls on the speaker were in the front rather than in the back (center on top), so they were more accessible since I had to put my sound bar on the floor as there was no way to fit it on my TV stand between the TV legs. (The bar is not compact by any means, likely enhancing the sound) However, there is an elevation adjustment on the sound bar (haven’t been able to find anything that explains what it does exactly) that I adjusted all the way up and the sound actually sounds like it is at the TV level. I assume that is what this adjustment is for, to adjust the sound relative to where the bar is located.
Regardless, this speaker system sounds amazing for the price. The sound is clear and crisp, and the subwoofer, while not house shaking, provides more than adequate bass. The system maintains a superior sound to a very high volume, much higher than I would ever listen to it at for any period of time. The system has several more bells and whistles for real audiophiles. It supports Dolby Atmos which sounds great. It has a few modes such as TV, Music, Movie, etc. However, so far I have been content with the auto mode which appears to select the most appropriate mode for what you are listening to. AirPlay sounds just as good as the wired sound. There is also a VoiceAdjust feature which I expected to be just a gimmick, but the adjustable feature really does make a significant difference in how dialogue is heard.
Finally, I have to address how this speaker looks. While not as glossy or edgy as more pricey speakers, the sound bar looks very good. It has a cloth like exterior that would fit into any décor. The bar has a (very) small LCD screen that displays such things as the source, mode, and volume. While small, it actually is quite functional and looks good. The subwoofer is larger than I would have liked, but looks good and is basically a black box like most subwoofers. All lights and controls are on the back leaving a clean look to the cube.
My only major complaint is that there is no app to control the system from my phone. I kept waiting to find this in the quick start guide, but it doesn’t appear it is possible without third party hardware. I searched the App Store and found nothing. This was very disappointing. Other negatives are that it only has built in support for Alexa. No HomeKit/Siri compatibility. Also only has Spotify built in unlike other systems I have with multiple streaming services built in. For the money, this is a solid, great sounding speaker system, lacking only in Smart Home technology.