CEDIA 2016

Polk Audio's new Signature Series of speakers and MagniFi Mini compact soundbar are bristling with bright aspirations and cunning engineering, including ideas pioneered by now-retired cofounder Matthew Polk himself.

The MagniFi Mini packs four 2.75-inch mids and two half-inch tweeters into an enclosure just 14 inches wide and 3 inches tall. Yet it produces a soundstage worthy of a decent conventional soundbar. Part of the magic is Matthew Polk's separation-enhancing SDA circuitry. The little miracle worker includes HDMI and Toslink inputs, operates with the CEC codes built into many remotes, offers a separate voices-only volume adjustment, and streams via Google Cast using either wi-fi or ethernet. It ships in October for just $299, which might qualify as yet another miracle.

The Signature line replaces the TSX line with an audacious cosmetic aesthetic that evokes the acoustic guitar, most noticeably in the grain of the curved and heavily braced medite MDF cabinet, which resembles a guitar body. The Matthew Polk reference point is the Power Port, which has been moved from back to bottom in the towers, coupling them to the floor. In the demo, they could really woof.

Drivers include Terylene tweeters and mica-reinforced polypropylene woofers. Wondering what the tweeter material was, we Googled "Terylene driver," and the first thing that came up was "Attractive Black Terylene Women's Sexy Racing Driver Costume," so it might be a high-tech fabric, therefore a soft dome. You read it here first. Choose from conventional or slimline centers, both of which are voiced to "keep up with the towers." The line is Hi-Res Certified.

Prices: S60 tower, $449/each; S55 tower, $329/each; S50 tower, $249/each; S35 center, $299/each; S30 center, $229/each; S20 monitor, $299/pair; S15 monitor, $229/pair; S10 satellite, $199/pair.