Polk Audio Magnifi Mini Home Theater Sound Bar System Reviews

Our Verdict

Polk's MagniFi Mini is pocket-sized in stature but big in sound, delivering powerful bass and rich vocals.

For

• Powerful bass and clear vocals
• Wireless subwoofer
• Google Cast audio integration

Against

• No onscreen display or mobile app
• Harsh treble

Tom'south Guide Verdict

Polk'south MagniFi Mini is small in stature but big in sound, delivering powerful bass and rich vocals.

Pros

• +

  Powerful bass and clear vocals

• +

  Wireless subwoofer

• +

  Google Cast sound integration

Cons

• -

  No onscreen display or mobile app

• -

  Harsh treble

The Polk MagniFi Mini is proof that size doesn't always matter, even when it comes to soundbars. It's so dinky it looks more like a wireless Bluetooth speaker than something you'd put in a home theater setup, but if you close your eyes and mind you'd recall it was three times equally wide. It's that good.

Only is it worth buying today, having launched all the style dorsum in 2016? We think not just that yeah, it is, only that information technology remains one of the best soundbars and best Google Home compatible devices you tin can buy. Keep reading this Polk MagniFi Mini review to find out why.

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Pattern

At 13.4 x 4.iii x 3.1 inches, the MagniFi Mini is slightly larger than the viii.8 x 4.vii x 2.2-inch $370 Creative iRoar (a Bluetooth speaker that also has some soundbar skills cheers to its digital optical audio connection) and smaller than the 14.eight 10 iv.8 x three.3-inch $200 JBL Heave Telly.

Inch for inch, information technology packs a lot into a small space. It includes 2 0.five-inch tweeters and four ii.25-inch drivers; by comparison the JBL Heave Television receiver has just two 2-inch drivers. The MagniFi Mini also includes a xiv.v x 14.4 10 7.iv-inch wireless subwoofer — a key component of the system's large sound. Artistic sells a split up $150 subwoofer for the iRoar, while the Boost TV doesn't back up a subwoofer.

The MagniFi Mini offers several ways to connect, both wired and wireless. Information technology has one HDMI input, which requires an HDMI ARC (sound return aqueduct) connection, and a digital optical audio input. Both of those support v.i audio. It as well has a 3.5mm analog input too as an Ethernet port to connect to your network. For wireless music playback, you tin cull Bluetooth audio or Google Cast over Wi-Fi.

If you were to mind to Polk's MagniFi Mini without seeing information technology, you'd imagine you lot're hearing a 42-inch soundbar with a full-sized subwoofer.

The remote includes the essential functions, such equally power and volume, besides as buttons to switch among sound modes and inputs. Alternatively, yous may be able to program your existing remote to control it. In that location are also controls on top of the speaker.

The Mini lacks an onscreen display or even a mobile to help with set up and use. Instead it opts for combinations of lights on the forepart to show when a style is engaged, such as Movie or Music. Deciphering the light combination requires a glance at the instruction manual — a downside to an otherwise well-designed speaker.

Functioning

The MagniFi Mini impresses with both movies and music. For many people, it could be the sole music system in an apartment or bedroom.

Few soundbars do well on music and movies, just the MagniFi Mini offers some of the best audio from a small speaker that I've heard.

Sound is spread broad, making movie and Television scenes more encompassing. The dialogue in such shows equally Gilmore Girls sounded clear and resonant. The subwoofer delivered satisfying rumbles during explosions and laser shots in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The system handled the complex layers of The Get Down Brothers' raps over DJ Shaolin Fantastics grooves in the finale of The Get Downwards — a scene that many soundbars struggle with.

Few soundbars do well on music and movies, but the MagniFi Mini offers some of the best sound from a small speaker that I've heard. The Weeknd'south vocals on "Starboy" were full and articulate higher up a rumbling bass line, and Lady Gaga's vocalism soared above the piano chords on "Millions Reasons."

Much of the depth and resonance is due to the subwoofer, which few Bluetooth speakers include. The unit of measurement'due south main flaw was a harsh treble tone that made the pianoforte on Steely Dan's "Aja" and Miles Davis's trumpet on "Summer" sound too bright.

For a small soundbar, the unit cranks: I measured 90 decibels at 10 anxiety—enough to fill the medium-sized room. The Creative iRoar maxed out at 85 decibels from the same distance.

Setup

Because the MagniFi Mini just requires a single connection to the TV, I had the unit fix in minutes. I used the digital optical cable to connect to my TV since the HDMI ARC input was in employ. It also paired quickly via Bluetooth and Google Cast using the Google Habitation app.

The wireless subwoofer came paired with the soundbar and connected automatically when I turned it on for the first time.

There are limited tweaks you can make to the output, but they exercise help customize the audio. You increment the phonation and bass levels, or switch sound modes between Movies, Sports and Music. The unit would benefit from a mobile app with more than features, like the iRoar offers.

Bottom Line

The mini soundbar, a relatively new category for abode theater speakers, has found its benchmark in the Polk MagniFi Mini. It produces splendid audio for movies, TV and music, and costs just $300 — many of the best sounding Bluetooth speakers toll that much or more, and few full-size soundbars in this price range match its overall performance.

With its versatility, the MagniFi Mini could serve as both a soundbar and the main music speaker in many situations, especially in an apartment. And since it has several inputs, you could connect components like a turntable to go far even more flexible. Don't let the pocket-sized size of this excellent soundbar size fool yous.

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Michael Gowan covers soundbars, TVs, portable speakers and other sound- and video-related topics for Tom'due south Guide. He'due south written about music and technology for more than 20 years for a raft of publications including Wired, Men'due south Periodical, PC World and Macworld. When he's not reviewing speakers, he's probably listening to one anyway.

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Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/us/polk-magnifi-mini-soundbar,review-4081.html

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