Skip to main content

Polk Audio’s new MagniFi 2 soundbar features immersive sound tech

Polk Audio’s latest soundbar is on its way, and it’s packed with some intriguing technology.

The audio company has announced the $499 MagniFi 2 soundbar which is set to launch in August. The soundbar features a six-driver array, includes an 8-inch wireless subwoofer, and will be outfitted with Polk Audio’s patented Stereo Dimensional Array (SDA) technology. This technology, according to Polk, is meant to deliver a larger soundstage for the soundbar. It will be paired with several other tech features, including a 3D Audio mode and a DSP setting that’s designed to enhance the front, surround, and low frequencies in 5.1 audio tracks. Polk says these technologies will give the MagniFi 2 a wider soundstage and more impactful low end than listeners might expect.

Polk Audio

“Polk Audio went back to the drawing board with the MagniFi 2 and took a fresh look at how convincing surround sound could be achieved with a soundbar format,” said Michael McCole, a senior product marketing manager for soundbars at Polk Audio. “This resulted in a completely new 3D DSP mode engineered to enhance Polk Audio’s existing SDA technology, which already dramatically improves the sound stage.”

Polk claims the MagniFi 2 will be easy to set up and can also serve as a hub for your entertainment thanks to three HDMI 2.0 inputs to support 4K HDR content and an additional HDMI ARC port. Polk is also including both HDMI and optical cables with the bar to streamline setup further. The soundbar is also supposed to automatically work with Samsung, LG, Vizio, TCL, and Sony TV remotes.

Google Assistant fans will be happy as the MagniFi 2 is Chromecast audio-enabled, meaning listeners can stream content from several streaming services just by asking any Google Assistant-enabled device. The soundbar also supports Bluetooth pairing as another connectivity option.

The MagniFi 2 will enter a competitive field of soundbars in this price range, with its possibly most comparable contender being the Sony HT-G700. The new bar from Sony also implements various technologies to improve the home theater experience and retails for a near-identical $500.

It’s too early to tell which soundbar could be the better buy since we only have on-paper specs to make assumptions regarding the MagniFi 2. Still, with both brands holding solid reputations in the audio world, we can’t wait to see how Polk’s newest offering matches up against the high-tech Sony bar.

Editors' Recommendations

Nick Woodard
Former Digital Trends Contributor
  As an A/V Staff Writer at Digital Trends, Nick Woodard covers topics that include 4K HDR TVs, headphones…
LG’s 2022 soundbars start at $400, pump out hi-res audio and 3D sound
LG S95QR soundbar seen in front of a TV.

After giving us a sneak peek at its new 2022 soundbar lineup at CES, LG has finally released these home theater speakers. The prices start at $400 for the entry level LG S65Q 3.1-channel model, and then head sharply upward, topping out at $1,800 for its LG S95QR flagship soundbar -- a 9.1.5-channel, Dolby Atmos-capable multi-speaker beast. All six new models, (S95QR, S90QY, S80QR, S80QY, S75Q, and S65Q) are available now on LG.com, as well as from select retailers like Amazon.com.

All of the new models offer a different set of features, but regardless of how much you spend, LG has included some common characteristics. Hi-res audio, with tuning by Meridian, is the key feature that unites these speakers. Soundbars tend to place an emphasis on delivering good TV sound, but LG has decided to put an equal emphasis on how these speakers work with music.

Read more
Polk brings Dolby Atmos to its compact MagniFi soundbar
Polk Audio's Magnifi Mini AX soundbar.

Polk has a new model in its MagniFi range of ultra-compact soundbars. The $499 MagniFi Mini AX bears a strong resemblance to its MagniFi siblings, but with one key difference: It supports both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X 3D surround sound formats. The new soundbar goes on sale on March 15 at PolkAudio.com and other official Polk retailers.

Unlike Polk's recently released $399 Signa S4, a more traditional-looking Dolby Atmos soundbar, the MagniFi Mini AX doesn't have dedicated upward-firing drivers to achieve to height sound effects that are the hallmark of both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. Instead, the speaker virtualizes these channels through its five-driver array, with low-frequency effects being provided by the included wireless subwoofer.

Read more
The LG S95QR Soundbar leads the way for a new audio line at CES
lg soundbar s95qr announced 2

LG today announced a new lineup of audio products to be unveiled at CES 2022 in Las Vegas, with the aptly named LG Soundbar leading the way. The less-simple model number is S95Q4, and it's billed as a "premium" soundbar with 810watts of power and 9.1.5 channels of surround sound, plus Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support for good measure. It also will support IMAX Enhanced.

Look closely at the rear speakers and you'll note the inclusion of upward-firing drivers. The rears are designed to cover 135 degrees of range across the six channels, which the company says should be noticeable in smaller rooms.

Read more