Polk Magnify Mini (Big sound from a small package)
When we buy an expensive flat panel or even a good entry level TV chances are the stock sound system doesn’t do the picture justice. It’s a fact of life and more often than not we are compelled to buy a sound bar just to get a decent feel of “cinematic” sounds that is worthy of the sights in front of us...
Most of these entry level sound bars are unfortunately, just a few steps above what the TV can already produce..Now can we or should we live with it? With the Polk Audio Magnify Mini we definitely shouldn’t.
Just for the heck of an “improved” sound quality for my bedroom, I needed a sound bar that is small, compact and above all... can pump a decent audio performance for as much as it’s price can take me! And boy was I surprised! But before we go to that lets take a look at the Magnify Mini’s...
Build Quality:
Small and compact is an understatement. The Magnify Mini’s main sound bar is almost the size of a huge sandwich! Kind of like a thick foot long hot dog. The Polk devise is made of high quality plastic and despite it’s diminutive size, it’s unusually hefty! Heavier than most entry level Sony or Samsung sound bars giving off that semi-premium feel. The wireless sub has a down firing speaker which is also made of above decent plastic. All in all they look good on top of any entertainment stand and the minimalist design will blend well with most set ups (Downside being I don’t think you could mount this).
Connectivity/Features:
The Mini has an HDMI (ARC) port, an optical port, and an auxiliary port. It also has blue tooth and WIFI connections enabling you to stream net music content if that’s your stuff.
Sound Quality (Movie)
For it’s size?! The Mini packs a walloping sound that will fill up most small or mid size rooms! Playing the UHD blu ray “Dawn of Justice”, I was enthralled by the clanging sound of Batman’s steel gloves smashing against Superman’s forearms! The sound of breaking wood, metal and glass as the Man of Steel plummets to the ground were very clear and detailed. Explosions were also rumbling with more than an adequate low frequency that you could actually feel! Separation was more than above average with very discernible directional sound. However, since the Mini does not have a set of rear speakers, a true enveloping audio experience could not be felt but hey! It’s a 2 set system and you shouldn’t expect that in the first place.
The Codec:
The Mini supports Dolby Digital alone so make sure your video player supports conversion of DTS content to Dolby. Otherwise, the mini will play a non Dolby track in PCM and believe me it will rob all the benefits I’ve written above. PCM tracks played by the Mini sounds flat and lacking any vibrancy of quality (Warning for PS4 pro owners using the Mini as a blu ray player). The Xbox one, one X and even the older PS3 fortunately supports DTS conversion to Dolby along with most modern blu ray players and all UHD blu ray devices.
Music Quality:
Again for a small system the Mini does pretty well for music with a powerful and clear rendition despite steep volume levels. Don’t expect the clarity of a dedicated music set up for obvious reasons but enough quality for my GF to prance and dance to the tune of “Rebel yell” in the bedroom as I write this review😛
The Remote Control:
Special mention to the cumbersome and difficult to use remote! Its just unresponsive at times, you may need a couple of presses for it to take action. Do yourself a favour by connecting the Mini via HDMI and use the TV remote instead.
Conclusion:
The saying “big things come in small packages” is truly exemplified in the Polk Audio Magnify Mini. A compact system that delivers superb sound that punches way above its weight and size class. Limited only by the fact that its not a high end system therefore could not match upper tier sound bars and full packages way above its price level.
Test set up:
Display; Samsung 40 Mu6103
Source: Xbox one X
Volume level during review: 80%
Bass level: 75%
Untested feature: Voice Adjust.
Thank you Ricky Ongkeko for the introduction and sale of this
system.
Topic: Polk Audio Magnify Mini (Short Review) (Read 2507 times)