Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8 vs Polk Audio MagniFi MAX AX SR Soundbar Comparison

Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8 vs Polk Audio MagniFi MAX AX SR

Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8

5.0.2-channel | $998

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Polk Audio MagniFi MAX AX SR

5.1.2-channel | $899

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Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8 vs Polk Audio MagniFi MAX AX SR: the short answer

We can compare 14 features from the published specs. The Polk Audio MagniFi MAX AX SR is ahead on 4, the Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8 on 3, and 7 are ties. Only the Polk Audio MagniFi MAX AX SR comes with a subwoofer, which matters when comparing the prices.

Reasons to choose Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8 over Polk Audio MagniFi MAX AX SR

Video pass-through: 8K vs 4K
Room correction: Yes vs No
Height: 2.63 in vs 2.88 in

Reasons to choose Polk Audio MagniFi MAX AX SR over Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8

HDMI inputs: 3 vs 1
Subwoofer: Included vs Optional
Rear speakers: Included vs Optional
Streaming: Wi-Fi + AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect vs Wi-Fi + AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect

Side-by-Side Comparison

	Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8	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	Yes	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.	1	3
Video pass-through	8K	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, Spotify Connect	Wi-Fi + AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect
Voice assistant Built in, rather than through a separate smart speaker.	No	Alexa & Google Assistant optional
Dialogue enhancement	Yes	Yes
Height Lower is less likely to block the bottom of the TV picture.	2.63 in	2.88 in
Width / suits TVs from Neither is better: match the bar to your TV. See the size simulator below.	43.31 in / 50-inch	44.94 in / 55-inch
Drivers in the bar	11	10
Power (total, as published) Makers rate soundbar power differently, so the totals are not a like-for-like comparison.	495 W	—
Weight	10.3 lbs	12.85 lbs
List price	$998	$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 Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8, 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

Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8 Specifications

Sound
Channels	5.0.2
Dolby Atmos	Yes
DTS:X	Yes
Drivers	Tweeters: Soft-Dome (3); Midrange: 1.8125"x2.25" Cone (4); Woofers: 1.8125"x3.625" Cone (4); Enclosure: Sealed
Power (bar, total)	495 watts
Subwoofer	Optional
Rear speakers	Optional
Virtual surround	360 Spatial Sound Mapping
Dialogue enhancement	Yes
Night mode	Yes
Room correction	Yes
Connections
HDMI to TV	eARC
HDMI inputs	1
Video pass-through	8K
HDMI version	2.1
Optical inputs	No
Analogue input	No
USB	No
Subwoofer output	Wireless
HDMI CEC	Yes
Streaming and Control
Wi-Fi	802.11ac
Bluetooth	Yes
Streaming	AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect
Voice control	No
App	Apple iOS, Android
Remote included	Yes
Learns TV remote	No
Physical
Dimensions (W x H x D)	43.31 x 2.63 x 4.44 in / 1100 x 67 x 113 mm
Weight	10.3 lbs / 4.67 kg
Wall mounting	Yes (bracket included)
Warranty	1 Year parts, 1 Year labour
List price	$998

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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