STACK #189 Jul 2020

LIFE TECH FEATURE

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RAISING THE BAR Continued

POLK MAGNIFI MINI Good things come in little packages, and this indeed applies to the Polk Magnifi Mini, a perfect solution for an apartment or bedroom set-up (just warn your neighbours). The sturdy soundbar comes with a wirelessly connected subwoofer, a remote and features three connection options: AUX, optical for older TVs, or HDMI ARC for newer TVs so you can control the volume from your TV remote. For the soundbar, Polk has squeezed in six drivers here and the results are impressive. Despite its size, Magnifi Mini puts out a lot of noise, ably assisted by the sub. A broad balanced sound, the soundbar has a Night Mode that lowers the bass to stop waking the

house and also has a feature called VoiceAdjust that allows users to raise the dialogue in a film or TV show. If you’re searching for a budget level soundbar that punches well above its weight class, this one has to be on the list.

Did You Know? The most expensive amplifier created was made by Italian designer Andrea Pivetta. It stood at 2.4m high, weighed 1.5 tons and belted out a whopping 120,000-watts of power. The price? US$2.2 million.

SAMSUNG Q800T The Q800T has been engineered to adapt to your living space, with Samsung’s Acoustic Beam technology making use of the ceiling and room surfaces to create effects previously impossible to achieve from a soundbar. A wireless subwoofer adds to the convenience, as does built-in voice assistance, and Bluetooth connectivity for two devices. The Q800T can work with any pre-existing devices you have, although to get the best out of the impressive onboard technology such as Q-Symphony, level up with a compatible QLED from Samsung such as their flagship Q905T 8K. Normally when a soundbar is in use, the TV speakers become secondary at best. However, Q-Symphony enables seamless working between compatible QLED speakers and the Q800T soundbar to deliver a deeper sound immersion. Add to this compatibility with Samsung’s SmartThings App and you have your smart home entertainment covered.

SONY HT-G700 Fresh out of the factory, the stylish HT-G700 comes complete with a wireless subwoofer that can be positioned anywhere within the room. On the back there’s an HDMI in, HDMI ARC/eARC out, and the option for optical connection - the unit has three speakers. Utilising Sony’s Vertical Surround Engine wizardry, the soundbar decodes Dolby Atmos and DTS:X to accurately simulate height and surround sound with excellent effect. On the petite remote included with the package there are a number of presets that work exceptionally well. Cinema mode switches the soundbar into impressive, punchy room-filling sound that best accompanies a movie or a TV show, while the music setting is optimised for streaming tunes. An adjustable voice mode will lift or decrease dialogue while a night setting provides sound that is still easy to hear, but lacks the bass. The HT-G700 is the complete all-in-one package that performs remarkably well.

20 JULY 2020

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