Yamaha MusicCast BAR 400 vs Polk Audio MagniFi 2 review

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I had a chance to test and compare two models: Yamaha MusicCast BAR 400 vs Polk Audio MagniFi 2 and this review should help people who are looking for a good soundbar. The Yamaha MusicCast BAR 400 was rated 8.2, while the Polk Audio MagniFi 2 has a rating 6.6. The soundbars are equipped with a different number of buttons, power, volume down, volume up, input, mute for the MusicCast BAR 400 and power, source, demo, volume down, volume up for the MagniFi 2.

Audio features

Each of the models under consideration has active amplification type. A noticeable difference is the number of channels that MusicCast BAR 400 has 5.1 and MagniFi 2 has 2.1. The built-in subwoofer is not implemented in any of these models. An external subwoofer can be connected to any of the units in this comparison. Rate 7 out of 10 received the Yamaha MusicCast BAR 400 for audio features and specs, but the Polk Audio MagniFi 2 received 4 out of 10. Each of the competitors can play content from Spotify.

Connectivity

Both models have a wireless Wi-Fi interface. Soundbars from this comparison have Bluetooth support. There are 1/1 HDMI inputs/outputs in the Yamaha MusicCast BAR 400 versus 3/1 HDMIs in the Polk Audio MagniFi 2. As in the MusicCast BAR 400, so in the MagniFi 2 there is the HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC). Connecting devices via USB is possible in both models. We rated the connectivity of the MusicCast BAR 400 at 8 out of 10, while the MagniFi 2 was rated 5/10. The manufacturer of the MagniFi 2 provides a device control application. The soundbars in this review are equipped with a microphone. The Yamaha MusicCast BAR 400 may become part of a multiroom system.

Multichannel surround

Dolby Atmos audio decoder support is not implemented in either the MusicCast BAR 400 or MagniFi 2. Devices from this comparison cannot process surround sound due to lack of DTS:X. The MusicCast BAR 400 was rated 6/10, while the MagniFi 2 received a mark of 5/10 for multichannel surround.

Advantages Yamaha MusicCast BAR 400 over Polk Audio MagniFi 2

Advantages Polk Audio MagniFi 2 over Yamaha MusicCast BAR 400