Customer Ratings & Reviews

I really want to love this, I really do. I have no complaints about the sound although the satellite speakers sound a bit tiny but at this price, most sound bars don't come with satellite speakers anyway. My problem with this is that when I watch TV, the sound sometimes doesn't come out at the start. Like it's muted so I have to shut off then turn on the TV again. On my first setup, it also didn't recognize my TV so I had to use the TV remote and the Vizio remote (one to turn on the TV and another for the Vizio). The app is buggy and there is a few seconds of lag while changing the settings on your phone until it transfers to the speaker. It even takes a bit of time before it recognizes the speaker on the app. When it works, you'd be hard pressed to get the Sonos Arc by itself because of the value over this (I got it on sale for about $300 with tax) although it does require some patience to use and set up.

If you're on the fence about buying this, I would highly recommend it! I have had a real 5.1 setup for a number of years, which includes a center channel, two front and two rear surround speakers, as well as a subwoofer, all powered by an audio/video receiver, and it is remarkable how much comparable quality this provides in such a streamlined setup through a main soundbar. If this type of quality sound in such a micro-5.1 setup gets better, I don't know if I would ever go back to the traditional setup, even or a dedicated game room (aka mancave); and this is coming from a home theater enthusiast, though I would hardly consider myself a video and audiophile. I would likely only go back to a traditional 5.1 setup if it were for a bigger, fancy home theater room, which I doubt I could ever afford to have anyway. For the general consumer, however, ala non video and audiophile enthusiasts, who want to maximize their nice TV with Atmos sound, this is an outstanding value. This is especially beneficial for those who are more into streaming and would prefer to watch the occasional 4k blu-ray discs in order to get the most out of their available content with Atmos sound. As for set up and connection, I think this is best used for those with smaller rooms (mine is 16x16) preferring simple surround setups, because, apart from the power cords and HDMI to the TV, there are literally only two speaker wires you have to connect in order to get this running. My main issues, albeit far from being a dealbreaker, is how slow the app works. It also took a few tries in order for it to connect through my WiFi in order to finalize the setup. But, in general, the main app (Vizio Smartcast) that this is powered by has a lot to improve upon, and reviews have indicated that for the last few years with respect to Vizio TVs...but, once you can get through that, it's such an outstanding value, and still not enough to keep me from scoring it any less than 4.5 stars (I scored this a 5 because this rating doesn't allow half star ratings).

I honestly cant decide if I really like this sound bar. My speakers went out on my bedroom television and I went into best buy to find an inexpensive soundbar. After looking and listening to a few (this one was not on display) I decided to purchase this due to the overall good reviews and the Atmos feature. I do like that the sub powers the rear speakers so there is not much exposed wiring. What I do not like is that every time I watch tv I have to toggle through the audio inputs and select the optical and press ok for the sound to start. Seems it should recognize where it is coming from and not add this step to the process. Overall sound is acceptable sub puts out nicely for its size in this smaller room. It does sound a bit tinny on the upper frequencies but acceptable. I have not experienced Atmos yet due to other equipment not being compatible but I already knew that. Bottom line for full retail I would probably have returned but at the sale price I feel it is worth keeping.

After my many years old stereo had finally died, I needed something new to replace it. Lets face it! The speakers on televisions now days are horrible. While browsing the soundbars, I found the Vizio 5.1.2 system...and on sale at that! well, since I have a Vizio display, why not get a Vizio soundbar? The reviews were all over the scale, but I decided to get this anyway. Everything that was related to purchasing from Best Buy was awesome. I went to the store listed to have them, (two units,) in stock. I browsed other soundbars, and listened to others. Nice, but they were only one soundbar and a subwoofer set. I wanted the two additional speakers for my surround sound experience for games and movies! When I got home, I set up my soundbar and everything synced with no problems. The two rear speakers that plug into the wireless subwoofer were working great; my subwoofer, not at all. I called Vizio customer support, and they walked me through the steps to get my subwoofer back in action. I was happy, everything was working great! That is, until I used the phone app to update the firmware on my soundbar. For some reason, the soundbar decided it was going to update to the point of being 80% finish, then shut off and start all over again! Once again, a call to Vizio customer support. However, this time, they couldn't work any magic and bring my soundbar to life. Even the next level of tech experience was mystified at the situation. Next solution: they were going to send me a new system, in place of my old one. In hindsight, I would have probably been better off returning it to Best Buy, (and it would have taken a lot less longer for results,) but I decided see how Vizio would handle this. I was giving a service number, and link to start my return process. I just needed to take a photo of my receipt and attach it to the service form on the link provided...except that after attaching the digital image of my receipt, the page would, like my eternally updating soundbar, show an infinite circle of "uploading." Back again on the phone with Vizio customer support! Okay. This time I was sent an email with a return email, where I could send my receipt image directly, and they would notify me when they had reviewed it, and begin the return process again. SUCCESS!!! The direct email worked! I was notified of my approval for return! I followed the appropriate steps and within 5 days, I was presented with my new soundbar! (Although, after observing how the delivery driver was carrying my new soundbar, I was in fear of it having issues as well.) I connected my new soundbar and accompanying items. I was rewarded, once again, with wonderful sound from ALL SPEAKERS!!! (For a true test of your soundbar and subwoofer, may I recommend Star Wars, "Attack of the Clones, Asteroid Chase scene. TURN IT UP AND HOLD ON! You'll never want to hear seismic charges any other way, again!) After a bit of fear and trepidation, I finally took a chance, and held my breath, and synced up the Vizio phone app with my soundbar. Then watched as my soundbar begin to update it's firmware...IT WORKED! I can breathe again! The soundbar has had no further issues, other than it shutting off on it's own. That is easily solved by using the Vizio soundbar remote and turning off the ECO feature. It's there to save you energy and money, but will turn your soundbar off, usually at the most inopportune time. When it does this, it will shut down my Vizio display as well. (Non Vizio televisions not using the ARC HDMI port may not have to worry about the television turning off, along with the soundbar, just the soundbar itself.) The sound on the entire system is incredible and truly fills the room. The soundbar itself has two upward facing speakers, that direct sound up, and three that direct sound towards the viewer/listener. The rear speakers give a good sense of action moving around you as you listen to a game or movie, while the subwoofer will give deep enough sound to make you feel the action! Since I have no ATMOS producing movies, I can't attest to the quality of the ATMOS features of this soundbar. Even without the ATMOS, I'm very well pleased with the sound quality. After a rocky start, and long arduous journey, I am overall, pleased with my soundbar, Vizio customer support and life in general. I will confess that my loyalties to Panasonic were unshakable before. But now, I will say that Vizio has proven to me that they are a company that wants to produce quality products, and they want their customers to be happy with their products as well. They went to great ends to make sure my purchase was a satisfactory one, and they came through for me.

The sounds bar has good bass and overall sound quality. Setup was straightforward and the Android app is decent. The remote eats through batteries like they're going out of style. Energizer lithium batteries last less than 2 weeks. The ARC connection frequently loses connectivity with the TV and requires me to reboot the TV to correct. I've tried to contact support a half dozen times, and each time the wait time was estimated to be over 30 minutes which I haven't had time for.

Love the sound. Set up is easy. Make sure you look for the measurement for how low below your TV to put it for the top speakers to not be impeded. My only issues is occasionally it has an issue when powering on. Sometime the input (I'm using HDMI ARC) does not turn on. You need to switch inputs to another kind.. then back to the one you are using. Wish it had a little better selection of settings. Got mine on sale for 299.. would be more upset if I spent the 499 (full price). Also, the rear speakers have a plug in head on both sides. This makes it a little more difficult to run the wire through a wall if you want to hide them. You need to make a bigger hole in the wall to fit the connector through. Kind of wish it had the bare wire end

I bought this to pair with a nice oled tv and it’s a pair made in heaven. Movies look and sound great. It’s pretty easy to setup this sound system and sounds amazing for all sorts of content. Only problem I have is if I turn the TV off, when I turn it back on I have to use the sound bar control to recognize the output but there’s probably a way to fix that easily. I bought this new for $450 and writing this review I didn’t see this item listed as new on this site but I did saw it for cheaper as “open box” or used so if you can get it in great condition for cheaper, it’s a steal.

After spending quite a few hours with this soundbar system, my initial impressions are a bit of a mixed bag. First the good: Set-up was a breeze and everything connected, turned on, and started playing like a dream. The rear speakers each connect to the subwoofer via a single cable respectively, and the subwoofer gets connected to the outlet, making the subwoofer a receiver of sorts. This minimizes the number of cables you need to use and cuts down on running speaker wire to a separate receiver like with the rear speakers on my Samsung HW-N650. The cables are all very long, so you should have no trouble connecting them across distance if you need to. The soundbar connected via HDMI ARC just fine, and once power was sent to it, it paired with the subwoofer and rear speakers beautifully. The bar is pretty compact at only 36", and fits perfectly on my TV stand. The included remote is better than most, with a display that lets you adjust a lot of the system settings like EQ mode, night mode, surround levels, center channel levels, turning the height speakers on, off, or to virtual height channels, syncing the surround system, and even an info button which when pressed has the soundbar tell you what connection you are currently using and what sound technology is currently playing through the system (i.e. Dolby Digital+, Dolby Atmos, DTS, etc.). The system supports DTS: Virtual X and Dolby Atmos object based surround technologies, which is nice, and when Dolby Atmos activates, a green light appears on the soundbar for about 5 seconds, indicating that the sound system is running Dolby Atmos. Now for the mixed bag: The 5.1 surround quality of the soundbar is very good, sounding much wider than the bar and rear speakers would leave you to believe they are capable of. In playing the Amaze Atmos Demo, when the bird flies around you in 360 degrees, the transition between channels is seamless and the detail is superb and clear. You really feel like a bird is right there in the room with you. Likewise, bass is plentiful for the small subwoofer, and integrates very nicely with the system. It is not overpowering, but adds a nice rumble that you can feel when it is placed next to my couch. Overall the system is clear, plenty loud when you want it to be, fills the space, and does a commendable job of creating a convincing 5.1 surround experience. But... The key selling point on this system over a simple dedicated 5.1 system is the Atmos capabilities, and this is where the system falls on its face a bit. The worst offender in this respect is the fact that, in many cases, the system will either not play Atmos outright when it is sent an Atmos signal (both over HDMI In and HDMI ARC), or in many cases, it will play it in Atmos, but then transition out of Atmos a few seconds later and move to Dolby Digital+. Not only this, but it doesn't clearly inform you when it does this, so in order to check if the system is still playing Atmos, you need to manually head to the info button on the remote. I have found that if I stop the Atmos source, and then re-start it, I can often get the system to pick up the Atmos signal again and it will generally hold it, but not always. To do this though, I often have to be using HDMI IN, if I do from the TV to the bar over ARC then the system often just won't pick up the Atmos signal again. I have been reading on A/V forums that others are experiencing this same problem, so it doesn't look like at HDMI cable issue. For reference, I have the bar connected to an LG B7 OLED. When Atmos is working though, it is admittedly also a bit disappointing. For reference, my ceiling is only about 9-10 feet, and flat as flat can be, so it should be an ideal environment for the height effects to reflect off of. I am also seated directly in front of the bar the recommended distance away. For the good part, the bar provides a good front bubble of sound, with a nice depth to the soundstage (albeit not very wide but that is to be expected given there are no side-firing drivers), and with very clear distinctions between where objects are placed in the sound environment. However, the height effects that people commonly look for in Atmos content feel almost non-existent. Switching the height channels on and off does make it apparent that the height channels are doing some good work, in that the sound does get more flat with them off. But even so, with them on the verticality just isn't that apparent. You can tell there is a sense of vertical growth to the sound, like a front bubble of sound, but barely anything overhead. Occasionally I can hear something in the ceiling area above the TV, like when watching Deepwater Horizon, but it isn't clearly defined and almost sounds fuzzy. Likewise, the height effects never go overhead, and stay very front focused when they do appear. I am going to keep testing with a variety of sources and settings, and will update this review if my opinion changes, but as of now I would say that the atmos effects are definitely disappointing, and the atmos connectivity issues are just inexcusable given that it is a selling point of the system. Likewise, HDR passthrough has been hit and miss. It works most of the time, but other times it won't send the HDR signal through. This hasn't happened as frequently, but when it does it can be annoying. Finally, I haven't been able to get the bar to connect via the SmartCast App. I have a very fast internet connection, but I tried many times and the bar would not connect via SmartCast to my phone using WIFI or Bluetooth. It may be a problem on my end, but I never have trouble connecting my phone to anything else, so I think it might also be an issue with the bar's connection. SUMMARY: While the bar has very good overall sound quality and clarity, the lack of consistent Atmos connectivity, and Atmos height effects, really makes this hard to recommend. The Atmos effects at ear level are great, and the depth to the sound is very nicely reproduced, but it just never truly reaches that far into the room or that far overhead. If you are looking for an accurate Atmos-like experience, as of right now, I do not think you will find it here. If you are more interested in a strong 5.1 system, with some addition of height and width, and a very easy clutter-free set-up, then this soundbar might fit your tastes. For what it is selling however, it just doesn't follow through, making it tricky to recommend. I will be sure to update this review if my opinions change or if these problems are fixed before I decide to return the system. However, as of right now I cannot recommend this based on what it is marketed as.

I really didn't want to give this unit such a poor review but circumstances have left me with little choice. I've replaced the same Vizio model 3 times in 3 years. Every single time, the sound bar stopped working. The first sound bar stopped powering on within a year of my purchase so I had it replaced through the Vizio Manufacturer's warranty. After a power surge, the second sound bar also stopped powering on. Then, the ARC connection on the third sound bar stopped working altogether. (The HDMI input couldn't detect any devices and there was no signal being sent through the HDMI output). The sound quality is fine for the price. The Build Quality is NOT fine. It's a low cost model and it shows in the construction. Yes Vizio only warranties the sound bar for a year, but there is no excuse for a $500.00 sound bar failing 3 times in such a short period of time. Needless to say I will not be purchasing a Vizio sound bar again and I do not recommend this model to anyone. Do yourself a favor and avoid this model. The low price is not worth the hassle.

Sound is great...I have a big family room - 20x20 with cathedral ceiling and the sound fills the room and the bass is strong. There are times when the voices can be overpowered by the bass/music...not sure if that is the soundbar or the show. Biggest issue I have is that the system does not stay "active" when inputs are changed on the TV. I am running the system through the HDMI-ARC and if I change TV input from HDMI 1 to HDMI 2 (for Apple TV for instance) the sound-bar sometimes loses connection....and I have to turn both the TV and the sound bar off and back on in order to get them to sync and work. The remote does not seem to work very well at all when trying to sync the inputs, or volume etc....not very useful....and the phone app is also not very useful (very delayed and glitchy). Overall, it does provide much better sound in my large room than the TV speakers, and watching movies is great!

We replaced our Samsung because we could not get the subwoofer to work. We are so glad that we picked the Vizio. It was easy to set up and the sound quality is very good. The subwoofer works very well and adjusting the setting is very easy with the app. This is a very nice choice for the great price.

Most noticeable visual difference between 5.1.4 version and 5.1.2 version is this one is wrapped in cloth, and the 5.1.4 version has metal speaker covers. So 5.1.4 looks and feels more premium, with a larger subwoofer. Bass is amazing, maybe too much for apartment living, lol! This thing is not short on sound at all! ARC works well with HDMI Passthrough from my X950G Sony TV. I'm not sure if ATMOS is doing anything, but 5.1 sure sounds great! It's very much a set it and forget it type of device. Initial system setup could have been better. Had trouble getting the SmartCast app to work with the speakers. This is important because it puts the device on your WiFi network for firmware updates, and allows you to control/monitor the device via smartphone. I set the audio to Direct, and skipped the built-in equalizer. I like my sound to be unaltered. However, movie mode gives you that added punch! The device has movie, music, and direct audio modes. Pick direct for unaltered sound. It was a little glitchy at first. Kept turning off every 10 minutes or so when I paused the TV. I'd have to manually reconnect to the device each time via the TV menu. Happened less with EcoMode turned off. I think the Sony TV setting was the issue. However, once I switched my Sony X950G to **HDMI passthrough auto**, it's been pretty solid ever since. Even with EcoMode turned on! I really hate bugs and glitches because it makes the device seem unreliable, and undependable. I'm a bit hesitant to adjust anything now, because a random bug might pop up that can't be fixed. Very frustrating! Sounds great with Netflix, Plex, and YouTube. For the price, it's great. I wanted to upgrade to a Sony Z9F soundbar later, but I don't think I'll need to anymore. The glitches are the reason why I wanted to go with Sony all the way, to avoid any compatibility problems. If this soundbar is a good boy, then I'll keep it. It not, I'm moving to Sony or that stellar newcomer Nakamichi Shockwafe!! You've been warned Vizio, lol!

Easy to set up and use and really great sound over all! Though I'm going to point out some flaws in this review, I really was blown away by the overall sound quality and almost gave it 5 stars. Movies sound truly incredible with Dolby Atmos, and this setup delivers clear, full audio at all levels. The subwoofer provides impressively deep, rumbling bass. We actually had to lower the subwoofer levels because it was so intense. Music sounds very good, but not as impressive as movies. I may just be jaded because I usually listen to music with a set of high-quality studio headphones that are hard to beat. I like how Vizio included all the cables you'll need, and then some, and the instructions are very clear and easy to follow. A few negatives about this system... Besides the music audio being less than overwhelmingly amazing, I don't like the remote control at all. Using it is not entirely intuitive and it is very difficult to see in low light (like when watching a movie). Also, I could never get our system to connect to our home wifi, which isn't a big deal but a frustrating inconvenience. Most frustrating for me was its performance with HDMI-ARC - it didn't work well with our TV (a new JVC). You may get better results on your TV, but when we had it connected with HDMI-ARC, the communication between the TV and sound system was very slow and finnicky - sometimes the soundbar wouldn't turn on, sometimes the volume would randomly go up or down, and it was always very slow to respond to input. So now we use optical and though it's not as slick as HDMI-ARC working right, it's better than HDMI-ARC working sporadically. Having said all this, we are very happy with this purchase, especially at the low price we scored it at.

I purchased this system on a sale for $330 so I decided why not get this Dolby Atmos system. I have had previous soundbars before from different companies so I wanted to give this a fair shot. I will describe this with pluses and minuses. Pluses: 1. Dolby Atmos can be used over HDMI Arc without any problems. The soundbar itself will even state which sound source you are using (Dolby Atmos, Dolby digital etc). 2. Great stereo separation in using the satellite speakers. They work really well. 3. Subwoofer is small, but has punch. It does rumble decently for its size. 4. Vizio app helps support the different audio qualities and settings 5. Affordable. You will not find a Dolby Atmos at this price, especially on sale. Minuses: 1. Set up/sourcing has some troubles. Even when setting it up, you may have to take a moment to get the right source. Tip: remember to press the source or Bluetooth button if the bar is “searching” 2. Too many options. This can be a bad thing if you are very picky on finding the right sound for you. The direct, movie and music sound modes are great options (especially with volume leveler) but it took me three weeks to get my perfect sound. Again this can be for picky people like me. 3. More HDMI inputs. There is only one input and then one output to the arc on your tv. Some Atmos soundbars have multiple inputs so your source can go right to the soundbar first. 4. No DTS-X. This doesn’t concern me, but some audiophiles want this Overall, I think this soundbar is great, especially if you have a starter system or smaller living room. Also, I thought the wired surrounds would be an issue with the wires, this is something that I kind of prefer now after using the soundbar. Overall school letter grade, B+ for me (because of the sale). Regular retail price at $500, it would be a B.

I purchased this for Fathers Day. We have no regrets with purchasing except we can’t figure out how to keep the system on with PS5 w/o unplugging and plugging again.

I was on the hunt for a new soundbar that would compliment all of the features included with the LG B9 OLED TV. I researched even the expensive high end soundbars and eventually decided to purchase Vizio's SB36512-F6. This soundbar has the best value in the market for the features and quality it offers against more expensive soundbars: Dolby Atmos, 5.1, chromecast, DTS-X, ARC, WIFI, etc. The sound quality is great and loud enough for the size of my living room space. the Dolby Atmos feature is immersive and the satellite speakers improve on that. The subwoofer is smaller than my previous soundbar, but still packs a punch! The system set-up is fairly easy also. I do not regret buying this sound system at all. Do not let the VIZIO name brand steer you away to a more expensive product that could be matched, or bested by this sound system.

Amazing sound quality, easy to setup! Would recommend getting some sort of speaker mounts for the satellite speakers if, like me, your couch isn't against a wall. Had a bit of trouble setting up HDMI-CEC at first with my TV (LG OLED) but now that it's setup it works a charm. Only real complaint is that the indicator of input on the remote screen is very dim and hard to see in low-light settings. Other than that, very satisfied!

I was VERY suspicious that this would sound like junk compared to my 5.1 Surround system, but my AVR was not playing nice with my new TV, so I wanted something I could use with ARC connection. I was shocked watching "The Mandalorian" in Dolby Atmos. I had never heard it before, and with the sound bar at the front of the TV, and ceilings about 8', the sound just blew me away. The bass is good. Not QUITE as good as my powered 12" sub, but matches the bar well. My only complaint is the wired rear speakers mandate the sub be placed in the back of the room, or wires be run across the room if placed up front. The crossover is well placed though, so there is not a lot of directionality to the sub, and it blends in well with the sound bar, even when placed against the back wall of the room. Highly recommend for those that cannot afford a full blown AVR based Atmos system. Dialog is also very understandable, and the remote allows you to balance things to your liking.

My wife has a pretty strict "I don't want to see any wires" rule in the living room, so a soundbar was the only option for me. My requirement was to have Dolby Atmos compatibility at a good price. On paper, this was really the only possibility for me. Setup was fine, though you need to decide if you want to use Vizio's application for setup. I found it to be a bit cumbersome, with confusing voice driven prompts that often led nowhere. It's worth it to do this at least once to get it connected to Wifi and get the firmware updated. I used this with my Samsung 55" TV's ARC port to get the best sound with the highest number of sources. This worked well until I found out that ARC on many Samsung TVs is just plain awful, forcing full resets of the TV, only to have it fail again later. So, I've resorted to reverting the setup to having the sound bar plugged into one of the HDMI inputs on the TV, and using my BluRay player in the Vizio's HDMI in port. Sound quality is fairly impressive for the size and cost of this device. We have it in a living room that's roughly 15' x 22'. The subwoofer has decent output, and the sound quality of the center/right/left is good. The Atmos effect is not quite as impressive as I would like, but not all of my content is Atmos enabled. Honestly, for the price, it's a great find, if you can deal with some slightly wonky setup procedures. The remote works well, and you can fairly easily change presets and levels for each speaker. Compared to the competition, it's great for a small to medium sized room.

After much research I went with the Vizio 5.1.2 Atmos Soundbar and all I can say is WOW. I replaced an Onkyo 5.1 receiver and Energy Plus 5.1 speakers. There were a few reviews about the system shutting down and the subwoofer being over bearing. Like any sound system you have to tweak the settings. After shutting down the energy save and the remote peaking there was no shutting down (it happened once to me). The sound out of this basically younger brother to the Vizio 5.1.4 Atmos Soundbar is really WOW. The height is amazing in Dolby Atmos and the enveloped surround sound again is WOW. I tested it with Blackhawk Down and the overhead chopper scenes make you feel that you are in the scene. I also watched Netflix 6 Underground and again the sound is really thrilling (the chase scene in the beginning is beyond WOW). Even movies in Dolby Digital (Kong Skull Island) sound thrilling. For the price and quality of the sound you cannot go wrong Vizio hit this one out of the park.