Polk Audio - MagniFi Mini AX

If dialogue is your main issue, a soundbar alone is already a big upgrade over TV speakers. Focus on models with strong voice clarity rather than power. You do not need a subwoofer right away. Soundbars like Sonos Arc, Bose Smart Soundbar 900, and Sony HT A5000 sound good on their own and let you add a sub later if needed. Dolby Atmos is nice but not essential in most apartments. Clear dialogue makes the biggest difference. For compact and affordable options, Polk MagniFi Mini AX is solid. If you want a premium buy once option, Sonos Arc or Bose 900 are safe choices most people stay happy with.

Polk Magnifi Mini AX +sub. My room bedroom is small so it’s perfect for me.

I went Polk Mini AX that I got of Amazon for $275 after taxes. Sounds good enough to my ears.

It totally depends on the soundbar. I am still impressed with the Vizio 5.1 system’s ability to produce a really nice sounding virtual atmos experience. I also have a Polk Mini ax and in my opinion it doesn’t compare to the Vizio. I also have a Vizio 5.1.2 system and I’ll still stand by that system as THE top of the line budget system. Saying all of that I’ll conclude by saying, none of those systems match my Sony HT-A9, but I wouldn’t expect them to. I had an LG SP7Y and took it back within hours of purchase. It soured me on LG soundbars quickly. Also, if you’re looking for a budget system, don’t count out ONN’s 5.1 or 5.1.2. They both are surprisingly good.

Polk magnifi mini ax will not work. It’s exactly 4 inches, but with power cord it’s more like 5.5 inches.

I love my Polk Audio MagniFi Mini AX. It’s perfect for a living space where you still want a soundbar.

If you can get the discount (through education or EPP programs), the Samsung Q990D is the best soundbar+surround in that price range. If not, I was pretty satisfied with the Polk MagniFi MiniAX which was in the sub $300 range when I bought it a year or two ago. I had no complaints at all about it especially at that price, and only got rid of it recently when upgrading to the Q990D

Dude just buy the Polk MagniFi Mini AX sound bar and be done with it. If that's not available in your region then get a Teufel Cinebar 11 with the sub. Support ticket closed..

Polk Magnifi Mini AX

Sorry to hear your experience. I've been the guy who has shit experiences with well reviewed/allegedly reliable products before too. My Mini has worked in two apartments and I added the extra surround speakers. Granted I only spent $300 for the bar vs. 700 so that probably helps

The Polk soundbars haven't really wowed me, apart from the MagniFi Mini, which is really cool. The Bose Smart Soundbar 600 might be the best choice of the bars you mentioned, If you are open to expand it later. It has quite a bit of bass regarding its size and it delivers well on Dolby Atmos, especially regarding its price. Be aware, that Bose has unfortunately doubled down on their Multiroom lineup und is still not offering Atmos-capable rears. The Beam is also really good, if the app works as intended. Sonos lineup of products especially regarding multiroom and accessories are the best in the business. I prefer the Bose sound more, but that's just a personal preference. Regarding bars you haven't mentioned. With your budget, you might get the upper tier ones like the 830 or even better the Q935. If available for 500€, the Q935 would be the bar to get. The Samsung soundbars are a bang for their buck, when discounted before releasing the slightly improved successors. They also support all sound formats, which is also great. TLDR: Q935 or Q835, if budget allows and expandability is no priority. Beam or Smart Soundbar 600, if expandability is a must and the budget should remain under 500€ for now.

From what I gather the main differences are: \- the mini uses software tricks (SDA) to make it feel like you have upfiring speakers and create the illusion of immersion (sort of spatial audio but for Atmos I guess) \- it only has 1 HDMI eArc connection, so you'll need your tv to handle / support all other devices you want to use, whereas the Max has 3 HDMI input and 1 eArc, i.e. I hooked up the PS5, Homatics box and the mini PC as well to it, and the eArc passes the picture to the TV - you would do it by plugging everything into your TV, then connecting it to the soundbar via the eArc. This means your TV should support Dolby Atmos as well as it will pass the audio to the bar. \- obviously you get smaller form factors as well (the bar is 1/3 in size of the Max, the sub is 5x7 instead of 10"). But the Max is really big, I have it under a 55" TV and it almost takes the whole width (\~114cm, while the typical shelf size in IKEA is either 90cm, 110cm or 120cm, that's also a factor to consider). Plus you have to have at least a good 20cm between the top of the bar and anything else to not block the upfirigin speakers. What I do like with this size though is the fact that I could hide a lot of things behind it (via cable organizers) and apart from the WiFi antennas, nothing is visible from the couch :D (I have the router, the Homatics box, some smart home hub and all the HDMI / lan cables hidden behind it). The Mini seems like a good choice if you are tight on space and have a small apartment / room. It also supports all Dolby formats (but lacks Vision passthrough obviously). Plus you can also get the surrounds for the Mini later. In the same price range you should be able to get the JBL Bar 500 or the Samsung HW-Q700/800, which have upfiring speakers, so they ought to provide a more immersive experience (more natural than processed experience regarding the Atmos part). I'm no fan of either of these brands, but I'm also not a fan of software trickery instead of physical solutions, so this would be a hard pill to swallow. I'd probably order the Polk and one of the others, set them up and watch the same movie with each (my go-to is generally The Dark Knight, it has great sounds mixing for the truck chase scene plus the score utilizes almost any possible frequency range), then send back the one that you liked less.