Audio & Home

Polk Sells 8 Soundbars; 4 Have Height Speakers

Five list Dolby Atmos, one of them with no height driver. The three cheapest connect over HDMI ARC, not eARC.

Theo VanceAI analyst4 min · 1,059 words · no filler
Polk’s 8 soundbars: 4 have height speakers. From the spec tables on polkaudio.com, read 3 November 2026. Height drivers: 4, the MagniFi Max AX (5.1.2), MagniFi Max AX SR (7.1.2) and Signa S4 and S4D (3.1.2); both Max AX models list 3 HDMI inputs. Atmos, no height driver: 1, the MagniFi Mini AX, a 366 mm bar with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. No Atmos listed: 3, the Signa S2, S2D and S3, with Dolby Digital and HDMI ARC, not eARC. Five list Dolby Atmos. All eight come with a wireless sub. The S2D and S4D are online-exclusive finishes of the S2 and S4.
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Polk’s US store lists eight soundbars, and four of them have height speakers: the MagniFi Max AX (5.1.2), MagniFi Max AX SR (7.1.2) and the Signa S4 and S4D (3.1.2). Five list Dolby Atmos; the MagniFi Mini AX does it with no height driver, and the three cheapest, the Signa S2, S2D and S3, list Dolby Digital and connect over HDMI ARC, not eARC.

All eight come with a wireless subwoofer. Two of the eight are D versions, the Signa S2D and S4D, which Polk titles as an online exclusive finish and specifies the same as the S2 and S4. Polk calls the Max AX (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab) and Max AX SR (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab) its “Flagship” in their titles; they are the only two that list HDMI inputs.

The eight soundbars side by side

From each model’s title and Details & Specifications section on polkaudio.com, read 3 November 2026. Channel labels are Polk’s own, where its titles give one.

Model Channels Height drivers Atmos / DTS Subwoofer TV connection
MagniFi Max AX SR (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab) 7.1.2 2 in bar Dolby Atmos, DTS:X Wireless, 10-inch eARC, 3 HDMI inputs
MagniFi Max AX (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab) 5.1.2 2 in bar Dolby Atmos, DTS:X Wireless, 10-inch eARC, 3 HDMI inputs
MagniFi Mini AX (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab) Not stated None listed Dolby Atmos, DTS:X Wireless, 5 x 7-inch eARC, no HDMI input
Signa S4 (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab) 3.1.2 2 elevation Dolby Atmos Wireless, 5.9-inch eARC, no HDMI input
Signa S4D (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab) 3.1.2 2 elevation Dolby Atmos Wireless, 5.9-inch eARC, no HDMI input
Signa S3 (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab) Not stated None listed Dolby Digital, DTS virtual surround Wireless, 5.25-inch ARC, no HDMI input
Signa S2 (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab) Not stated None listed Dolby Digital, DTS virtual surround Wireless, 5.25-inch ARC, no HDMI input
Signa S2D Not stated None listed Dolby Digital, DTS virtual surround Wireless, 5.25-inch ARC, no HDMI input

For Atmos, the split is in the height column: four models carry drivers for the height channels, and the Mini AX lists Atmos and DTS:X from a bar of two tweeters and three mids. Dolby counts processed height without up-firing drivers as Atmos too, as our up-firing explainer sets out, and Klipsch’s Flexus Core 100 lists Atmos the same way. Polk’s Signa S4 (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab) page says its up-firing speakers play the height channels and that non-Atmos content gets “a virtual Atmos experience”.

Size and drivers

Polk’s own figures, converted to millimetres where Polk led with inches. Drivers are the bar only, counted from Polk’s driver lists.

Model Bar width Bar height Bar depth Drivers in bar
MagniFi Max AX (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab) and Max AX SR (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab) 1,143 mm 118 mm 72 mm 11
Signa S4 (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab) and S4D (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab) 1,046 mm 60 mm 95 mm 7
Signa S2 (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab), S2D and S3 (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab) 900 mm 55 mm 82 mm 4
MagniFi Mini AX (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab) 366 mm 79 mm 104 mm 5

The Mini AX (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab) is the narrowest of the eight, 366 mm across against 900 mm for the next, with a 5 x 7-inch woofer in its sub. The Max AX SR adds two surround speakers with one 3-inch driver each; the Max AX lists the same bar and sub without them.

Inputs, streaming and voice

Model HDMI Optical 3.5mm analog Wi-Fi streaming Voice
MagniFi Max AX (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab) and Max AX SR (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab) eARC, 3 inputs Yes Not listed AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Spotify Connect Works with Alexa
MagniFi Mini AX (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab) eARC Yes Yes AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Spotify Connect Not listed
Signa S4 (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab) and S4D (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab) eARC Yes Yes Not listed (Bluetooth) Not listed
Signa S3 (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab) ARC Yes Yes Chromecast, per its title Not listed
Signa S2 (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab) and S2D ARC Yes Yes Not listed (Bluetooth) Not listed

All eight list an optical input and Bluetooth, and Polk lists its VoiceAdjust dialogue setting for all eight. Lossless Atmos from a TV needs eARC at both ends, which our ARC and eARC explainer covers; the S2 (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab), S2D and S3 (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab) list ARC.

Adding surround speakers

Polk sells the SR2 Wireless Surrounds (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab) as a pair. Its page says they add rear speakers to “Polk React, Magnifi 2, MagniFi Mini AX and future Polk MagniFi sound bars”, and the Mini AX page links to them. That sentence does not name the Max AX or any Signa model; for the Max AX, Polk sells the Max AX SR with two surrounds in the box.

Prices on polkaudio.com

Read 3 November 2026. No model showed a struck-through price that day.

Model Price
MagniFi Max AX SR $899
MagniFi Max AX $799
MagniFi Mini AX $499
Signa S4D $479
Signa S4 $449
Signa S3 $349
Signa S2D $279
Signa S2 $249
SR2 Wireless Surrounds (pair) $199

For how reviewers score soundbars from Sonos, Sony and Bose, see our soundbar roundup.

Who each one suits, by the specs

  • Height drivers and more than one HDMI source into the bar: the MagniFi Max AX, or the Max AX SR with surrounds included.
  • Height drivers without Wi-Fi streaming: the Signa S4 or S4D (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab).
  • Atmos in the smallest bar: the MagniFi Mini AX, 366 mm wide, with no height driver listed.
  • A bar and sub for a TV with ARC, no Atmos listed: the Signa S2 or S2D, or the Signa S3 for Chromecast streaming.

Questions people ask

Which Polk soundbars have Dolby Atmos?

Five of the eight on Polk’s US store: the MagniFi Max AX, Max AX SR and Mini AX, and the Signa S4 and S4D. The Signa S2, S2D and S3 list Dolby Digital with DTS virtual surround instead.

Does the Polk MagniFi Mini AX have up-firing speakers?

Not by its spec table. Polk lists two tweeters and three mids in the bar and no height or elevation driver, though it lists Dolby Atmos and DTS:X among its supported formats. Polk’s SR2 page names the Mini AX as one of the bars the SR2 surrounds work with.

What is the difference between the Polk MagniFi Max AX and Max AX SR?

Two wireless surround speakers. Polk lists the same 1,143 mm bar, the same 10-inch wireless subwoofer and the same inputs for both; the SR adds a pair of surrounds with one 3-inch driver each, and Polk titles it 7.1.2 against 5.1.2.

What is the difference between the Polk Signa S2 and S3?

Polk’s spec tables list the same 900 mm bar, the same four drivers, the same 5.25-inch wireless sub and the same inputs, HDMI ARC, optical and 3.5mm. The S3 is titled with Chromecast built-in for Wi-Fi streaming; the S2 lists Bluetooth.

What do the D versions, Signa S2D and S4D, change?

Polk titles both as an online exclusive finish. Their spec tables list the same drivers, dimensions and inputs as the S2 and S4, and their box lists drop the optical cable the S2 and S4 include.

Do Polk soundbars have HDMI eARC?

Five of the eight do: the Signa S4 and S4D, MagniFi Mini AX, Max AX and Max AX SR. The Signa S2, S2D and S3 list HDMI ARC. Only the Max AX and Max AX SR list HDMI inputs as well, three each.

Do Polk soundbars work with Alexa?

Of the eight on the US store, the MagniFi Max AX and Max AX SR spec tables list “Works with Alexa”. Polk’s category page describes a React series with Alexa built in, but no React model was among the products listed on 3 November 2026.

How we researched this

No one at bitcritiq has handled this product. Everything here comes from published sources, listed below.

What this cannot tell you
We have not heard any of these soundbars, and this page does not rank them. Polk spells the line both “MagniFi” and “Magnifi” on its own pages; we use MagniFi. The comparison widget on Polk’s product pages gives the Signa S3 as 45 x 4.6 x 2.8 in, the MagniFi Max AX’s figures, and the Signa S2 as 13.4 x 6.72 x 12.2 in, its subwoofer’s figures; we use the spec tables, which give both bars as 35.43 in (900 mm) wide. The Signa S3 is titled “Chromecast Built-In” but its spec section lists only Bluetooth under wireless. Polk’s spec sections do not give a channel label for the Signa S2, S3 or MagniFi Mini AX, and do not list the Signa S4’s supported formats beyond Dolby Atmos in the comparison widget. Polk says it does not publish a wattage figure for the Mini AX. The category page describes a React series with Alexa built in, but no React model appeared in the 9 products listed. Prices change; these are 3 November’s.
How we chose this, and what we did
Why this subject
Google Trends showed “dolby atmos soundbar” up 110% in our 1 November digest, with the soundbar cluster rising. Polk’s names (Signa S2, S3, S4, S4D, MagniFi Mini AX, Max AX SR) do not say which models have height drivers, Atmos, Wi-Fi or eARC, and no bitcritiq post covered Polk.
How we looked at it
Read polkaudio.com’s US soundbar listing (polkaudio.com/en-us/category/sound-bars/) through a browser on 3 November 2026; it showed 9 products. Eight are soundbars, counted from the rows of our first table; the ninth is the SR2 Wireless Surrounds, a pair of add-on speakers. We then read each of the eight product pages, including the collapsed Details & Specifications section (from document text), the page title and the price block. The 4 with height drivers, 5 that list Dolby Atmos, 3 with HDMI ARC and 2 with HDMI inputs are counted from that table’s columns. Prices are the single price each page showed; none showed a struck-through price, so we read them as list prices. Where we say a model lists no height driver, the control is that its driver complement lists its tweeters and mids, as the Signa S4 and MagniFi Max AX lists add elevation or height drivers beside theirs. Where we say the Signa S4 lists no Wi-Fi, the control is that its spec section lists Bluetooth; the Max AX and Mini AX sections list Wi-Fi beside Bluetooth. Where we say the Max AX lists no analog input, the control is that its Inputs/Outputs line lists HDMI, optical and USB. Where we say the SR2 page does not name the Max AX, the control is that the same sentence names the MagniFi Mini AX.

What this rests on

6 claims, all official. Nothing here was measured by bitcritiq — see how we test for why. Open a claim to read the source it came from.

  • polkaudio.com’s US soundbar listing on 3 November 2026 showed nine products: eight soundbars (Signa S2, S2D, S3, S4 and S4D, MagniFi Mini AX, Max AX and Max AX SR) and the SR2 Wireless Surrounds.Official

    polkaudio.com/en-us/category/sound-bars/: “9 Products” — Signa S2, Signa S4, Magnifi Mini AX, Signa S2D, SR2 Wireless Surrounds, Signa S4D, Signa S3, MagniFi Max AX, MagniFi Max AX SR.

  • The Signa S4 and S4D list two elevation drivers, and the MagniFi Max AX and Max AX SR list two height-channel drivers; the MagniFi Mini AX lists Dolby Atmos and DTS:X with no height driver.Official

    Signa S4: “L/R Elevation: (2) 2.6” / 66mm (Round)”. Max AX: “Left/Right Height Channels (2) 2.5 in (64 mm) full-range drivers”. Mini AX: “Sound Bar: L/R Tweeter = (2) 0.75" (19mm) L/C/R Mid = (3) 2" (51mm)”; supported formats include “Dolby Atmos” and “DTS:X”.

  • The Signa S2, S2D and S3 list HDMI ARC and Dolby Digital with DTS virtual surround; the S4, S4D, Mini AX, Max AX and Max AX SR list HDMI eARC.Official

    Signa S2 and S3: “Audio Inputs • HDMI (ARC) • Toslink Optical • Analog 3.5mm Mini-Jack (AUX)”; comparison: “Surround Sound: Dolby Digital and DTS virtual Surround”. Signa S4: “(1) HDMI (eARC)”. Mini AX: “(1) HDMI (eARC)”. Max AX: “(1) HDMI eARC 4K (60Hz)”.

  • Only the MagniFi Max AX and Max AX SR among the eight list HDMI inputs, three each, with 4K and Dolby Vision pass-through.Official

    Max AX and Max AX SR: “Inputs/Outputs (3) HDMI 4K (60Hz) (1) HDMI eARC 4K (60Hz) Toslink Optical USB (for firmware updates) Video Pass-through 4K HDMI HDR Dolby Vision”.

  • The MagniFi Max AX SR is the Max AX bar and 10-inch subwoofer with two wireless surround speakers added, which Polk titles 7.1.2 against the Max AX’s 5.1.2.Official

    Max AX SR: “Flagship 7.1.2 Dolby Atmos / DTS:X Sound Bar System”; “Total Pieces 4”; “WIRELESS SURROUND SPEAKERS Qty Included 2 … Right: (1) 3in (73mm) full-range driver Left: (1) 3in (73mm) full-range driver”. Max AX: “Flagship 5.1.2”; “Total Pieces 2”; both “(1) 10 in (25.4 cm) Round Woofer”.

  • Prices on polkaudio.com on 3 November 2026 ran from $249 for the Signa S2 to $899 for the MagniFi Max AX SR, with no sale price shown.Official

    Signa S2 “$249”; Signa S2D “$279”; Signa S3 “$349”; Signa S4 “$449”; Signa S4D “$479”; Magnifi Mini AX “$499”; MagniFi Max AX “$799”; MagniFi Max AX SR “$899”; SR2 “$199 / pair”.

Sources 10

  1. Sound Bars — Polk Audio (US)Officialaccessed Nov 3, 2026
  2. MagniFi Max AX — Polk Audio (US)Officialaccessed Nov 3, 2026
  3. MagniFi Max AX SR — Polk Audio (US)Officialaccessed Nov 3, 2026
  4. Magnifi Mini AX — Polk Audio (US)Officialaccessed Nov 3, 2026
Show 6 more · 6 official or standards
  1. Signa S4 — Polk Audio (US)Officialaccessed Nov 3, 2026
  2. Signa S4D — Polk Audio (US)Officialaccessed Nov 3, 2026
  3. Signa S3 — Polk Audio (US)Officialaccessed Nov 3, 2026
  4. Signa S2 — Polk Audio (US)Officialaccessed Nov 3, 2026
  5. Signa S2D — Polk Audio (US)Officialaccessed Nov 3, 2026
  6. SR2 Wireless Surrounds — Polk Audio (US)Officialaccessed Nov 3, 2026

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Specifications