Polk is a company that offers both classic audio components like passive speakers, as well as newer, more technology-driven products like Bluetooth headphones. In its showing at CEDIA on Thursday, the company showed both of those sides, announcing the new MagniFi Mini compact sound bar, as well as its new Signature Series line of speakers.
Measuring only 13.4 inches long and 3.1 inches tall, the Polk MagniFi Mini is described as a perfect companion for TVs in bedrooms and other smaller spaces. Despite the small size, it manages to pack in four 2.25-inch drivers and two 12mm tweeters. Polk says the MagniFi Mini is “universally compatible” with any television, cable box, or satellite remote control, meaning you won’t need a separate remote to control it.
“As home entertainment solutions continue to evolve, and TVs continue to become thinner, sound bars are increasingly in demand for users looking to boost their home theater and, ultimately, their TV-watching experience,” Michael Greco, Polk Audio global brand director, said in a statement “In step with Polk Audio’s tact for innovation, the MagniFi Mini delivers the performance of sound bars more than twice its size.”
For a compact sound bar, the MagniFi Mini is surprisingly feature packed. It packs an HDMI input and wireless subwoofer, as well as Polk’s Voice Adjust and SDA (stereo dimensional array) surround sound, which the company says does away with the audio “clutter” that can come from sound bars, making for a clear center channel. Google Cast is also supported, allowing easy playback from mobile devices.
The MagniFi Mini will sell for $299 and includes an optical cable and HDMI cable in the box. It will be available beginning in October from the Polk Audio website, as well as Amazon, Crutchfield, and other retailers.
While much of the new Signature Series is focused on home theater, the S60, S55, and S50 floor-standing tower speakers are the most audiophile-focused, though they can also work within a surround sound system. The flagship Signature S60 features three 6.5-inch drivers, while the S55 features two 6.5-inch midrange drivers, and the S50 has two 5.25-inch drivers. All of these speakers feature Polk’s PowerPort design, which it says smoothly transitions air flow from the speaker’s port into the listening area.
The S60 speakers sell for $450 each, while the S55 sell for $330 each, and the S50 can be had for $250 each. The S55 will be available at the end of September, while the S60 and S50 will be released in October.
The Signature Series also features two center channel speakers in the S35 and S30. Both are meant to offer clear, full-range sound while remaining unobtrusive at the same time –the S35 only stands 4 inches tall, for example. Both feature 1-inch terylene tweeters, and the S35 features six 3-inch drivers, while the S30 features two 5-inch drivers. The S35 will sell for $300 and will be available at the end of September, while the S30 will be available in October and sell for $230.
Finally, the Signature Series also features two different models of bookshelf surround speakers in the S20 and S15. Meant to act as front or rear speakers in 5.1-channel, 7.1-channel, or 9.1-channel home theater systems, both models feature a 1-inch terylene tweeter. The S20 features a 6.5-inch mica-reinforced polypropylene cone, while the S15 features a 5.25-inch cone. The S20 will sell for $300 and will be available in October, while the S15 sells for $230 and will go on sale at the end of September. An even smaller model, the S10, will sell for $200 and will also be available in October.
For more information on these products, see the Polk Audio website.
Instagram is making its way to yet another screen, and this time, Apple TV is getting a taste of the Reels rabbit hole. The company has launched a dedicated Instagram app for Apple TV, bringing Reels, longer videos, and live shows to the big screen. So, if watching one quick clip on a phone somehow turns into an hour of scrolling, there's now a much larger screen for that.
Instagram brings Reels and more to Apple TV
Audio-Technica, a brand well known for making some of the best studio and professional headphones on the market, has just come out with the ATH-AWX7000, which the company itself claims to be its "finest headphones ever." The new flagship closed-back headphone has debuted at an eye-watering price of $3,799. It combines hand-finished Japanese woodwork with a newly developed 58mm driver.
The earcups are made from Kiso cypress, a prized wood historically used for Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Each housing is finished by hand with traditional Echizen lacquer, which brings out the grain and is expected to darken over time. The frame and sliders are finished in a deep navy kachi-iro shade traditionally associated with samurai.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
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