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Reddit Reviews
I used the Samsung Q990F for more than a week extensively for movies and music, but I ended up returning it. Don't get me wrong, I'm not hating on the system; it's just that the subwoofer was underwhelming, to say the least. It always left me wanting more; it never hit the lows quite right or produced the rumble that a few scenes required. After continuing my research for a few more days, I finally pulled the trigger on the Polk Magnifi Max AX SR. I'm fully impressed; the subwoofer is amazing with a 10-inch driver. It hits the notes correctly and produces that rumble wherever it is required. The movie-watching experience is just next level. It may be a few hundred dirhams more expensive than the Samsung, but it's worth every penny. I'm keeping it. Footnote: I had already tried and returned the Sonos Arc Ultra plus Sub Gen 4 prior to the Samsung because it never really justified its price tag with its performance.
I've been very pleased with both music and especially movies with my Polk MagniFi Max AX SR. For under $800 it's hard to beat with 7.1.2, Dolby Atmos, functioning wireless surround, good base, and overall ease of use.
I changed the comparison to the 990D since thats the model I found $22 more than the Polk, and it was still favored by the same scores, but I think I'm going for the Polk since they're an audio company and not a do-everything like Samsung
I have the same. Polk Magnifi MAX AX SR for the bedroom and Polk XT Atmos setup for the living room. I've tried other brands in the past like Klipsch (the treble on those horns is too much a lot of times), and always come back to Polk. They're just a well balanced speaker.
Polk Magnifi MAX AX SR. Comes with everything; 10" subwoofer and surrounds (don't believe for a minute the bouncy room angled speakers in soundbars even come close to proper surround) When I get speakers I get them from companies that only make speakers. I did have Klipsch for a bit but their connectivity was horrendous (using a USB dongle in 2025 and pressing and holding buttons, then dropping out once an hour and requiring it to be done over again). Polk literally connects on its own once plugged in and stays that way. That being said, if you ONLY want a soundbar, the Klipsch Core 300 is insane. The built in subwoofers are no joke.
Avoid the Core 300. Had it, would not stay connected to any of the surrounds and required constant rebinding. Check around, others have the same issue. For an expensive premium soundbar, it uses the cheapest, USB dongle technology to connect. I do have a soundbar (Polk Magnifi Max AX), but moved that to the bedroom. Nothing can come close to an actual AVR setup, so that's in the living room. If you aren't concerned about the look or setup, go with an actual home theater.
I got the Polk Magnifi max ax sr from Greentoe for the same price a couple of days ago - looking forward to it arriving.
I'm happy with it so far. The first one was damaged in shipping, so I had to wait for a replacement. I've only had it for about a week. I read a few reviews saying the rears were weak, but I have not had that experience. I had to turn them down a bit to keep from drowning out the soundbar. The "surround" experience is good. I struggled with dialogue on the speakers I replaced (older Bose CineMate). I have no issues with the Polk. I have a large open living room with vaulted ceilings. I don't get much of the overhead sound from the up-firing drivers. I knew that wouldn't be ideal for any ATMOS system, though. I listen to lots of music during the day (remote work). I like the sound for that too. How about you?
Polk Magnify Max AX SR, should come around 900€. I bought it after selling my A/V and speakers, which included 2 Polk T50. Never regretted those either. Back in the day I had a handful of soundbars going through my hands, and most I found to be "just heavy & loud". Hisense, Sony, Samsung, JBL, no matter all felt like the main goal was to blast my head off, make everything loud and go kaboom. The sound never felt truly full (not dull either, but the feeling of something missing was always there). I found the Polk soundbar completely by accident, I never thought they would make any. I dug deep, discovered it has basically the best codec/format support, minimal if any bloat (I don't use spotify so that was the only unnecessary thing for me), plus it lacks LAN connectivity. Compared to Klipsch, they offer far better bang for your bucks. And I'd also say the audio range is by far the most full you can get (similar to how a Pioneer DJ headphone compares to a Sony one - the latter is to just to casually listen to music, the former is to hear everything and basically be able to disect it if you want. same with the Denon PerL Pro earbuds vs. the other, casual high end ones). Anyhow, TL;DR if you are more on the audiophile end of the spectrum you should go for a proper speaker + A/V setup, but if you have to go with a soundbar, I'd go for the Polk. If you want loud and just simply powerful, everyone will say the Q990F (albeit I read that the sub supposedly sucks, so get the Q990D or E, the one with a single 10" sub)
Polk Magnifi Max AX SR I just bought it for a slightly smaller room (25m²), it is more than adequate even at lower volumes. Sound is rounded, you get deep, powerful bass, crisp highs and there is no loss on the mid-high range for the sake of more bass.
I had a 5.0 setup with A/V, 3 way front speakers, the whole starter kit I bought ~5 years ago. It didn't need a sub, but the fronts took up more space each. When I moved in with my then gf, now wife, we could find the space to set them up. But space is really tight, and our new flat will not have much more either. And I wanted to upgrade to Atmos. So I made the decision to sell off my kit and bought a Polk Magnifi Max AX SR. It saves a lot of space, yes, and the sound is good to be frank, but it doesn't fully compare to the "real stuff". It's physically impossible with all those small drivers. If you never had an A/V and big speakers, you will not know though. Obviously anything is better than TV speakers and a good soundbar will easily trick you into feeling like the real stuff. And they give you way more flexibility with placement, less cords to hide, etc. I'd probably do a proper system again if I had the space and opportunity, but I can appreciate the trade offs and I feel like I only lost about 10-20% of the complete enjoyment.
Spend a little bit more and get the Polk Magnifi Max AX SR. Full complement system - soundbar, rears, and sub.
Look up the Polk Magnifi Max AX SR. You can add another couple of surrounds. Great product and you'll have money to spare.
Rank on your shortlist: 1. The Klipsch - though I'm not sure how/where you'll get a 300 for $600. Maybe used on eBay? The Flexus Core 200 would also be a solid choice at #1 2. The Polk Magnifi. Pretty good all round system 3. The Bose I'd recommend one more which I actually would put at #1: the Sennheiser Ambeo mini.
The Polk magnifi max ar is a true gem.
Rankings by Use Case
Top recommendations from others in the same boat
Best for Apartments

Top pick
Sonos - Arc Ultra
Best for Dialogue clarity

Top pick
Samsung - Q990F
Best for Large open-concept rooms

Top pick
Sonos - Arc Ultra
Best for Music-first listening

Top pick
Sonos - Playbar
Best for Standalone setups

Top pick
Sonos - Arc Ultra





