LITTLE RAD COURGETTE Polk Magnifi Mini AX

Micronecta scholtzi is a species of water boatman that likes to hang out at the bottom of ponds and rub its wang against its abdomen. “So what?” you might sniff. “What a 2mm-long aquatic insect does in its spare time is none of our business.” But what makes it notable is that the sound this underwater critter makes by doing so is the loudest, relative to body size, of any animal: a whopping 99.2db. That’s as noisy as a train roaring past from 15 metres away.

Well, Polk’s new Magnifi Mini AX is the Micronecta scholtzi of home cinema. Despite measuring just 37cm wide, its five-speaker array supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X to fill your lounge with noise, while its 3D mode can upmix soundtracks to 360° virtual surround sound. Its performance is boosted by a separate sub, for a soundstage that can compete with much bigger bars, but it’s wireless so you still only need one cable to connect the Magnifi Mini AX to your telly.

When you’re not watching anything you can play music over Wi-fi or Bluetooth, with support for Airplay 2, Chromecast and Spotify Connect. No rubbing required. As hot as… underwater insect porn £429 / polkaudio.com