Customer Ratings & Reviews

I got this soundbar in order to complete my home theater setup and ditch my TV’s wimpy integrated speakers. Good sound makes a difference to the movie watching experience and I was happy with the performance I got from the Vizio V51-H6. DESIGN The soundbar and satellite speakers have a nice industrial design with their U-shaped textured black plastic and cloth cover over the speakers. The cloth does collect dust over time but can be cleaned with a vacuum. The soundbar is not that tall, but it did block the IR receiver of my Samsung TV so make sure to check that your TV stand is tall enough. The soundbar connects to the subwoofer wirelessly which allows an easy installation of the sub and the satellite speakers. The only wires are those connecting the wireless sub to the satellite speakers. The remote is intuitive and has a little screen that helps to navigate the setting menu. The only indicator on the soundbar is an array of vertical LEDs which help show the volume level as well as the type of audio connection. CONNECTIVITY The soundbar has an HDMI ARC port, headphone jack, and optical TOSLINK connector on top of the ability to connect via bluetooth. HDMI ARC and TOSLINK support only Dolby Digital 5.1 (compressed surround sound) or 2.1 PCM (uncompressed stereo). This means that the best sound that you can get from the Vizio V51-H is compressed 5.1 surround sound (Dolby Digital). In order to get uncompressed surround, you need a soundbar with an eARC connection or an HDMI-in port. You can only send a stereo audio signal using the headphone jack and bluetooth. When sending a stereo signal to the soundbar, you have the option to turn on a virtualized surround sound mode which will utilize the satellite speakers, the subwoofer, and the center channel of the soundbar. In my experience, the virtualized surround is actually pretty good. I conducted a couple of tests playing Dolby Digital 5.1 and then playing 2.1 PCM virtualized surround sound, and there wasn’t a perceptible difference. I had no trouble getting Dolby Digital 5.1 from my TV using ARC when streaming from HBO Max or Netflix, but I did have trouble getting it from my 4k blu-ray drive. I couldn’t force my blu-ray drive to convert DTS-HD MA to Dolby Digital on the fly using HDMI ARC. I would recommend using the optical TOSLINK connector directly from the blu-ray drive to the soundbar if you want DD 5.1. SOUND QUALITY This soundbar is a definite improvement over any integrated TV speakers since it gets very loud without distortion and can fill a large room. Each channel can be separately adjusted to your liking. I personally boosted the center channel for clearer dialogue in movies. The sub is fairly small, but it’s adequate for my medium sized living room. This soundbar is not without its quirks. When watching a movie for example, the audio from the soundbar occasionally lags because it is resyncing with the wireless sub. It might happen once or twice in every movie, but this is to be expected from any wireless sound system. Overall, the sound quality is great even with its quirks. TLDR: This soundbar is a great budget 5.1 surround sound system if you are ok with listening to compressed 5.1 surround sound (Dolby Digital). If you want uncompressed 5.1 PCM, then I would suggest looking into the Vizio M51a-H6.

Pros: Sound range Sound quality Bass Bluetooth All black Cons: None I’ve tried a few sound bar systems in the $200 price range. I’ve tried both the previous Vizio 5.1 channel surround sound and a Samsung r40m sound bar. The previous Vizio had a lot of issues ranging from volume to connection issues, so I was very skeptical about this model but surprisingly I have not had any major issues, the only issue I’ve ran into was regarding the volume but I’m not sure if it was the sound bar or Hulu messing up. For instance, after commercials the volume would get very low on the sound bar but just changing the surround sound back and forth to the same setting fixed it. Overall I love how you can have the speakers either in the rear or have them in the front. I would love to see true wireless speakers in the future because I hate cords but for this price range they will do. I have this setup in my living room apartment.

I usually don't write reviews but I realized that I use reviews to make decisions all the time lol. So here we go! The price was definitely within my budget, and I used a $50 gift card to offset the cost. The ease of set up is great but requires patience! I have very little knowledge about sound systems so it took me probably 45mins to make sure my TV was connected properly through HDMI. Just note, if you have something already using the HDMI slot you will most likely have to swap it out like it did. Luckily my TV has two HDMI ports so I could still keep my Roku hooked up. I also searched YouTube to switch the sound output on my Insignia TV. Overall this was a very easy setup if you have no knowledge but you have 1hr worth of patience. Lastly, the sound quality is amazing!! Again, I'm new to this BUT it works so well in my living room and I can hear the effect throughout the apartment. I've also used the Bluetooth function to play music from my phone when the TV is off. The system is sleek and not too large which makes it great for apartment living. As you can see in the photos I used the suggested placements that were recommended None of the issues I read about previously have occurred. I'll update the review if that changes.

Sound: The soundbar itself is good for the price, and the satellite speakers offer a decent surround experience. Even if you don’t have room to place them behind you, they add more to the soundstage when placed beside the soundbar. The sub is good, a bit loud for my apartment, but it’s able to be turned down. User experience: Decent EQ customization options, easy to update firmware, remote is pretty straight forward, and setup was simple. Pros: Good for the price, nice sound stage, easy setup, includes HDMI ARC for seamless integration with your TV Cons: The voice that plays to announce changes in settings is a bit… jarring. Bass is a little heavy on the sub out of the box. Settings are a bit hard to figure out at first. I recommend EQ: Direct and Surround On or Surround Front, depending on placement of satellite speakers.

Good soundbar for the price - but not $250. I was able to price match it a few times and get it down to about $150, and for that price I'm happy with it. At $250 I was originally upset I didn't just spend the extra couple bucks for the M series. Do you research before buying, people! I have it hooked up to my LG C2 and so far so good. At first I thought audio was cutting out, but that seems to have resolved. I do wish the surround speakers got a little louder when I am cranking up on the surround settings and they are maxed out and I still desire more, but they're good enough at the price point. I think this soundbar often goes on sale so I'd grab it during a sale, not a full price. I like the long wires on the speakers and how sleek everything looks. The subwoofer being wireless is a nice touch and is nice and responsive. The remote and all the settings are easily understood and you will master the system in less than 30 mins. The night mode is nice if you have others around you. Overall this will be a big improvement over your TV speakers at a low price.

If you're deciding between the vizio 5.1 and the 2.1, definitely go with the 5.1. The surround speakers make a huge difference. The subwoofer is only 5 inches but delivers nice deep bass due to its ported design. It gets really loud without distortion and can really rattle your windows, picture frames, decorations, etc. at high volumes. Another nice advantage over the the vizio 2.1 is the backlit lcd remote, which allows you to read, select, and adjust a ton of things instead of deciphering the illuminated dots on the sound bar. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking to improve their TV, gaming, or party experience.

This is a great sound bar system for the price! It sounds way better than a more expensive Samsung and just as good as the Polk audio surround system that is $500. It has great base and surround sound features when listening to music or a movie. It does sound like the sounds are coming from all over the room. It can have a delay but if you mess with the delay option you can usually get it to be pretty close. Usually with streaming there is no delay. The Bluetooth feature makes an impossible delay, it's best to go with the HDMI cable. The back speakers can cut out if it is not on the right setting, you have to make sure that it is on music or movie. Again, if you just mess around with all the different settings you can get it to dial in at exactly what you want to sound like. It sounds fantastic and you do not need to spend $1,000 to $2,000 on a giant system. The subwoofer is wireless so you can put the speakers that do have wires behind you without running speaker wire across your living area. It's a great deal, I would recommend it to others and buy Vizio again. Thank you so much for making a great product.

Super nice soundbar, it was super easy to set up pretty much just plug it in and it works. The subwoofer connects right when you plug it in and the surround sound speakers just plug into the back of the sub and start working right when you plug them in. The sub is loud although the vent hole could be bigger because when you turn the bass up you can hear a loss in volume from the lack of air flow. Other than that and when you first set it up you have to change the surround sound mode to dual or front to really get sound out of the surround speakers it’s a really nice and clear soundbar.

For the money truly don’t think there’s anything better. Base level is more than adequate actually have it turned down a bit. Vocals are crystal clear. And setup was smooth. For the money you can’t go wrong. I’d say this thing stacks up pretty good against my $900 soundbar in my living room

This is our first soundbar/surround system, We bought it for 169.99 for black friday and for the price I think it's good bang for the buck. So much so that we also bought it for another friend. The box did not come with an optical cable even though it was advertised but in all probability you would still use it with an HDMI arc cable. There is only 1 port though. The sub is small but the bass is more than ample and it connects wirelessly to the sound bar so you have more flexibility on where to place it. Sometimes we hear some clipping while watching content buts it's rare. All in all pretty good deal

After many hours over a couple of days looking at reviews I finally found the one. Went to the store a half hour away because it was the only one with vizio on display and it sounded the best besides the JBL 9.1 which if you have the $1000 I'd say go for it but for budget vizio sounded the best to me. Note that maybe some were scewed reviews because at the store over half of the subwoofers wernt working but going just by the bar sound system without the sub vizio still won (I'm a bass head and approve) And paying the bit extra for the sourround (I believe the best quality for the cheapest sourround) was totally worth it considering some sound bars without sourround were more expensive. I will NOTE while adjusting your new sound system go into the effect and turn sourround sound to DUAL. I didn't really read the manual and missed this, dual allows your sourround sound to actually work 100% of the time, while it is sourround sound while set to ON not everything you listen to is 5.1 Dolby/set up for sourround specifically so it won't come through as sourround without DUAL on. So I spent like 2 months without sourround, while still good it's even better when they all work. Comes with all cables needed, I only had a port for optical/no hdmi audio output and it works fine, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference. I will mention that the cables from the sub to the sourround/side speakers are VERY long so no need for extra cables, you'll have the freedom to put them anywhere, you'll just have to route the cables (they have to be connected to the sub to have power, but the sub doesn't connect to the sound bar so you can place anywhere) also I'd suggest putting the sub by/behind the couch for best effect, it'll shake the couch too ;) If you're looking for someone to finally tell you to buy this sound system then here it is: Buy this! It's worth the price, dont let name brands make you think otherwise so you spend an extra $100-200 for lesser quality... besides JBL's 9.1 haha

$400 sound bar for $200 price. This sound bar is awesome. Coming with a subwoofer and two wireless speakers . This is such a great deal. It was easy to set up and it sounds great!

For a budget surround soundbar, this thing is awesome! If you’re not looking to break the bank go with this setup. Is easy to setup. Soundbar connects to TV via hdmi and subwoofer connects wirelessly to the soundbar. The left and right surrounds connect to the subwoofer with speaker wire so that helps keep the clutter to a minimum. Easy to hide wires in the back of the room vs rubbing them across your room. Quality is good and sound is even better for the price, can’t beat it!

Amazing sound bar for the money surround sound speakers are a cool touch great base. The bluetooth sub is nice make putting where you want the base easy and the surround sound speakers plug into the sub.

Overall solid soundbar. Does its job perfectly when gaming with Dolby audio. Fits nicely in front of a 55 inch tv. Deep and strong bass, well-above average overall speaker performance. Tip: the subwoofer supplies strong bass and will shake the walls a bit. And if you plan on having the two small speakers behind you, use dual surround setting for more immersive 360 audio. Overall I’m pretty happy with the soundbar. Only paid like $200 for it and it’s worth every penny for sure.

Hey this system is Awesome.!!! Love the remote because you can change the settings depending on what your up to. Like music setting is perfect for music but if im watching golf, that setting is weird so i put it on "direct" and it just uses the soundbar which is perfect. Im seriously so satisfied with this system. I had just purchased a smart tv and wasnt all that impressed with the sound so added this system and "BAM"!!! Now LOVE watching music vids when in music mode and also surround is amazing in movie mode. Go for it.!! Affordable and well worth it.!!!

I bought 2 systems. One for my bedroom and one for my living room(both with an Apple TV 4K). I have them set up differently though. My bedroom has the surround sound speakers on my bedstands while my living room has them in the front next to the soundbar. Both set ups deliver a loud and clear sound considering the brand and price. I highly recommend this system to anyone who doesn't want to spend more than $200 on an expensive system like Sonos or Bose.

This new addition to the man cave has lived up to my expectations. First of all, I have a 5.1 Denon receiver with Klipsch Center and Jamo surround and Polk sub. This is great for early release movies. I was looking for the same type experience with the ability to enjoy 5.1 on a daily basis. I watch a lot of sports and streaming service shows. This Vizio is honestly the best money spent. As the theatre experience is more than adequately for my daily needs. Sound is crisp with couch vibrating bass. My man cave is very open and the sound is not lost with the openness. The two unique featureson the remote is night setting and EQ direct. These allow for good listening experience after everyone is sleeping. Great value for the money.

I had my doubts coming from Bose but this has superb sound quality for the price. I tested it with variety of music, DTS-X, Dolby Atmos and HDR 4k content and I was astounded how well this thing did. I’m a bit of an audiophile and can confirm this soundbar system will not disappoint. Great all rounder. It’s not the most amazing sound I’ve heard but for the price, you’ll really be impressed and happy you were able to achieve a thousand dollar sound with a couple hundred bucks. I really like how seamless the installation was and how easy it was to sync it with my 4K tv. Extremely happy the mounts for the surround sound units were included. That’s a huge plus.

This sound bar far exceeded my expectations. The small but powerful subwoofer provides a deep warm rumble, the center speaker provides clear crisp dialogue and the surround speakers give great immersive ambient sound at $199 you get more quality than bargained for. I really enjoy watching movies listening to music and playing video games using this sound bar for audio.