Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar vs Polk Audio MagniFi MAX AX SR Soundbar Comparison

Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar vs Polk Audio MagniFi MAX AX SR

Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar

5.0.2-channel | $999

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Polk Audio MagniFi MAX AX SR

5.1.2-channel | $899

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Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar vs Polk Audio MagniFi MAX AX SR: the short answer

Across 13 features we can compare from the published specs, the Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar comes out ahead on 3 and the Polk Audio MagniFi MAX AX SR on 4. Only the Polk Audio MagniFi MAX AX SR comes with a subwoofer, which matters when comparing the prices.

Reasons to choose Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar over Polk Audio MagniFi MAX AX SR

Room correction: Yes vs No
Voice assistant: Alexa built-in, Google Assistant optional vs Alexa & Google Assistant optional
Height: 2.25 in vs 2.88 in

Reasons to choose Polk Audio MagniFi MAX AX SR over Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar

DTS:X: Yes vs No
HDMI inputs: 3 vs 0
Subwoofer: Included vs Optional
Rear speakers: Included vs Optional

Side-by-Side Comparison

	Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar	Polk Audio MagniFi MAX AX SR
Channel layout Counts speaker channels the bar actually has. More ear-level and height channels means a wider, taller sound field.	5.0.2	5.1.2
Height channels Drivers aimed at the ceiling, which is what makes Dolby Atmos sound overhead rather than just wide.	2	2
Dolby Atmos	Yes	Yes
DTS:X	No	Yes
HDMI to the TV eARC carries lossless Dolby TrueHD and Atmos from the TV; plain ARC compresses them.	eARC	eARC
HDMI inputs A spare HDMI port for a games console or disc player.	0	3
Video pass-through	—	4K
Subwoofer Included beats optional beats none: a separate subwoofer is where deep bass comes from.	Optional	Included
Rear speakers Real rear speakers put effects behind you; without them surround is simulated from the front.	Optional	Included
Room correction	Yes	No
Streaming	Wi-Fi + AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect	Wi-Fi + AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect
Voice assistant Built in, rather than through a separate smart speaker.	Alexa built-in, Google Assistant optional	Alexa & Google Assistant optional
Dialogue enhancement	Yes	Yes
Height Lower is less likely to block the bottom of the TV picture.	2.25 in	2.88 in
Width / suits TVs from Neither is better: match the bar to your TV. See the size simulator below.	41.19 in / 50-inch	44.94 in / 55-inch
Drivers in the bar	9	10
Weight	12.7 lbs	12.85 lbs
List price	$999	$899

Green marks the better figure where one is better. Dashes are specs the maker does not publish.

Size: Both Soundbars in Front of a TV

Drawn to scale. The solid bar is the Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar, the dashed outline the Polk Audio MagniFi MAX AX SR. Pick your TV size and how it stands to see whether either would cover the picture.

Full Specifications

Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar Specifications

Sound
Channels	5.0.2
Dolby Atmos	Yes
DTS:X	No
Drivers	Tweeters: Dome (1); Midrange: Cone (4); Woofers: Cone (4); Enclosure: Ported
Subwoofer	Optional
Rear speakers	Optional
Virtual surround	TrueSpace
Dialogue enhancement	Yes
Night mode	No
Room correction	Yes
Connections
HDMI to TV	eARC
HDMI inputs	0
HDMI version	2.0b
Optical inputs	Yes
Analogue input	No
USB	No
Subwoofer output	3.5mm (Proprietary)
HDMI CEC	Yes
Streaming and Control
Wi-Fi	802.11ac
Bluetooth	Yes
Streaming	AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, Amazon Music, Pandora, SiriusXM, TuneIn
Voice control	Alexa built-in, Google Assistant optional
App	Apple iOS, Android
Remote included	Yes
Learns TV remote	No
Physical
Dimensions (W x H x D)	41.19 x 2.25 x 4.25 in / 1046 x 57 x 108 mm
Weight	12.7 lbs / 5.76 kg
Wall mounting	Yes (bracket sold separately)
Warranty	1 Year parts, 1 Year labour
List price	$999

Power is the maker's total across all drivers and is not comparable to an amplifier's per-channel rating.

Polk Audio MagniFi MAX AX SR Specifications

Sound
Channels	5.1.2
Dolby Atmos	Yes
DTS:X	Yes
Drivers	Tweeters: 0.75" Soft-Dome (3); Midrange: 2.5" Full-Range Drivers (; Woofers: Racetrack Mid-Woofers (6); Subwoofer: 10" Cone; Enclosure: Ported
Subwoofer	Included
Rear speakers	Included
Virtual surround	SDA Surround
Dialogue enhancement	Yes
Night mode	Yes
Room correction	No
Connections
HDMI to TV	eARC
HDMI inputs	3
Video pass-through	4K
HDMI version	2.0b
Optical inputs	Yes
Analogue input	No
USB	No
Subwoofer output	Wireless
HDMI CEC	Yes
Streaming and Control
Wi-Fi	802.11ac
Bluetooth	Yes
Streaming	AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, TIDAL, Amazon Music, Pandora, SiriusXM, TuneIn, YouTube Music
Voice control	Alexa & Google Assistant optional
App	Apple iOS, Android
Remote included	Yes
Learns TV remote	Yes
Physical
Dimensions (W x H x D)	44.94 x 2.88 x 4.63 in / 1142 x 73 x 118 mm
Weight	12.85 lbs / 5.83 kg
Subwoofer size	11.94 x 15.69 x 17.31 in (W x H x D), 26.3 lbs
Wall mounting	Yes (no bracket supplied)
Warranty	3 Years parts, 3 Years labour
List price	$899

Power is the maker's total across all drivers and is not comparable to an amplifier's per-channel rating.

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