VIZIO - Elevate™ 5.1.4 Channel Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer and Rotating Speakers for Dolby Atmos / DTS:X - Charcoal Gray

============================ >>>>> Bottom Line Up front: <<<<< ============================ The VIZIO Elevate 5.1.4 Home Theater Sound Bar delivers a quality theatre style surround sound experience at home - without the traditionally high price tag that normally accompanies it. The Elevate 5.1.4 packs in state of art Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support that really helps make your cinema experience significantly more immersive when watching supported titles at home. The Elevate 5.1.4 sports a nice sleek industrial look that effortlessly hides all the 18 speaks in your living room. Auxiliary input for Voice Assistant support, Chromecast Built-In and Bluetooth support is simply icing on the cake. Unfortunately, in my time with the Elevate 5.1.4, I was consistently let down by poor Vizo SmartCast Mobile App setup integration, and even had a couple of odd instances where the eARC channel failing to output audio, even though it was setup and worked fine for several days between each issue. Regardless, Vizo delivered a solid surround system that is everything you’d expect in a top-notch Surround system. ============================================== >>>>> Detailed Observations after a regular usage: <<<<< ============================================== I have always associated Vizio with delivering products that meet or exceed the traditional “bang for your buck” quotient that is ever so popular these days. Having owned previous Vizio flat panel televisions over the years, I can attest to their long-term durability and the value they offer compared to a lot of their competition in a particular segment. One of the areas I felt Vizio traditionally saved on “cost” while still being able to deliver the feature department – often was felt/seen in the physical housing/exterior styling department of their products. The Elevate 5.1.4 is big “step up” in opinion, particularly from my pre-conceived expectations and prior experiences with their products. Packaging/Unboxing: ================== Unboxing the Elevate 5.1.4 Soundbar system was a breeze, and I appreciated the little “open here” markings on the exterior of the box so I did not end up taking it out upside down or anything like that. It was interesting to see all the “awards” the Elevate had accumulated, so I was already preparing myself mentally for a mind-blowing theater experience. Inside the box, there was your traditional foam blocks, foam pieces and protective wrappings. The Elevate arrived to me without a scratch, so no issues there. Speaking of packaging, I HAVE TO take a moment to give some serious “kudos” to the engineer/product manager that decided to neatly organize, label, and package ALL of the included cables/connections/wires into a single, easily identifiable box. For starters, it is nice that VIZIO includes ALL of the cables you would need to get connected. Everything from an HDMI cable, digital audio cable, 3.5mm audio auxiliary and everything in between to get sounds flowing from the soundbar. It has always been my experience that most manufactures rarely include this many “extras” in the box, as they expect you to purchase your own right out the box. Styling/Setup: ============ As I previously mentioned, I really appreciated the industrial “brushed metal” appearance of the soundbar itself and I thought the metal speaker housing and plastic unit cover blended well. The grey color is pretty “neutral” by home theatre component standards, so the Elevate 5.1.4 should go well with just about any color scheme you most likely have at home. Needless to say, this is a pretty subjective category, so make sure you take the time to look at the pictures your self if this is a big area of concern. Interestingly, the rear pair of speakers are “wired” to the subwoofer, which in turn (the subwoofer) is wirelessly connected to the main soundbar unit. I think for most people (myself included) this shouldn’t be an issue, as its pretty easy to set up the rear par and subwoofer to “hide” the cables, but for some I could see this being a deal breaker since at this price point it is not that out of line to want “wireless” speakers all around. On the bright side, wired connections means less signal degradation and troubleshooting issues…. which bring me to the main unit setup…. Trying to setup the main soundbar proved to be more difficult that I anticipated. Maybe, I just had bad luck, maybe it wasn’t my day … but I have setup more than my fair share of electronic devices ranging from tablets, to building computer systems and writing computer code (I have a degree in Computer Science) Needless to say, I know my way around a “mobile app”. The well laid out, and easy to follow instructions suggested I download the Vizio SmartCast Mobile App to complete setup – so I did just that. Unfortunately, the first warning sign was made apparent when the Google Play App store had the SmartCast Mobile App app rated at about 3.1 stars (out of 5 stars at the time of this review). I hope Vizio takes the time to read over some of those reviews and feedback, because knowingly reading and seeing them for myself first hand, I can see where some of the user’s frustrations where coming into play. Upon completing physical setup and double checking my connections, I attempted to pair the SmartCast Mobile App to my phone several times. The app kept “hanging” during the setup either while trying to find the soundbar device itself, or trying to connect to my home wi-fi network. If I attempted to “skip” any of the “hanging steps” I would not be able to “save” my changes to the soundbar device itself. Throughout this process, the soundbar would default to naming itself a “default” Vizio name (such as VIzio 4563 for example) and would not disappear from the “devices” inside of the SmartCast Mobile App – even though it was not properly setup. As confusing and frustrating as this sounds, it was more so when trying to make it work in person. I ultimately had to power cycle the soundbar main unit several times to get it to “disappear” from the know devices in the SmartCast Mobile App, each time hoping it would not hang on one of the steps….I then made the bold attempt to “update” the system firmware/software…and that turned out to be a mistake. The SmartCast Mobile App hung for about 30 mins saying it was updating/downloading the update and that is could take up to “10 mins” to complete. At about the 30 min mark AFTER the 10 mins had passed….I decided to power cycle the main unit again – only to discover it erased all my previous efforts in pairing the device to the SmartCast Mobile App . I had to repeat everything I listed above several times over… again. The good news is – 2 hours later, I am good to go! – Where there is a will, there is a way! Sound Quality/Movie Experience: ============================= After the rough setup process – I was ready to sit back and stream/watch a nice Star Wars Marathon session in full Dolby Atmos glory on Disney+ (from a streaming device). Compared to my PCM/5.1 surround system I had previously used – it was night and day. As gimmicky as the “rotating” Dolby Atmos speaks may sound – I really felt that they added another level of immersion on the soundstage that I simply wasn’t getting out of my previous system. The spatial and positional audio effects were notably sharper and on point. The Elevate 5.1.4 didn’t jut “get louder” It pin pointed blaster fire or a daftly dropped lightsaber hilt on the ground – syncing perfectly as pictured on screen. Switching my input sources to my HTPC (Home Theater PC) – the Elevate 5.1.4 produced equally pleasing audio results across Video and Music playback from movies, web pages, and PC games. Bluetooth audio streaming was also on point. It my humble opinion, the “default” audio eq profile is more focused on pronounced dialogue and speech/vocal tones. I think it tends to run a little on the high side of the treble range when it comes to music playback – but fortunately there is the option of fine tuning the EQ to better reflect the sound profile your looking for. On an interesting note, I actually lost audio output on 3 separate occasions while passing audio through the eARC input on the soundbar. Despite my best efforts to trouble shoot the settings in the SmartCast Mobile App and the provided VIzio remote control unit – I ended up having to power cycle the main unit a few times to get the audio back on the eARC input. I have attempted to replace the HDMI 2.0 cable on each subsequent power cycle – but I can’t say for certain that cabling was the issue. I can’t rule out the my TV itself, because I didn’t have an extra 60 inch home theater grade TV lying about. ========================= >>>>> Closing thoughts: <<<<< ========================= Make sure you understand that you need to have a TV or device that supports eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel), or at least ARC (classic “older” Audio Return Channel) in order to truly get the most out of the Dolby Atmos/Dolby Digital+ features. As confusing as that may sound not all TVs that have the older “non-enhanced” ARC standard – may not play nice with Dolby Atmos, even though they have the bandwidth and speed to support Dobly Digital+ playback. Vizio does it again – they produced a top-notch Soundbar surround system that brings a lot of top shelf tech into a more affordable price bracket. Their build aesthetic quality is noticeably improved in my opinion, but I can’t help but wonder if some of the internal networking components and/or SmartCast Mobile Application development were the areas that they decided to not invest heavily into for this product. Even with the issues I had, I am very happy with the performance and appearance of the Elevate 5.1.4 Soundbar surround system. I hope VIzio takes the time to continue to address the deficiencies sin their SmartCast Mobile App and make the setup process more user friendly in the future.

PROS: - Great sound quality - Auto Rotating Atmos Speakers for Atmos sources - Ability to play Atmos, DTS:X, and most other formats - Unique LED display system - Backlit display remote - 2 HDMI inputs and 1 eARC HDMI - eARC (not just ARC) - Voice assistant input (AUX). Use the VA you prefer, not only something built in - Includes rear speakers WITH upfiring Atmos speakers (wired to subwoofer) - Decent amount of adjustment controls and customization for a soundbar - Night mode, auto level adjustment, and dialogue level adjustment - Well packaged and organized in box CONS: - Slight learning curve with LED lights “display” on front - lack of mids out of box but with some minor adjustments you can get a good sound - rear speakers are wired. This should help quality and avoid wireless interference but still means you have to run wires to the sub (which connects wireless to bar) Overall Thoughts (TL:DR): Bottom line is, for the retail price of $999 (and sale prices even lower) you can’t find a better value in a sound bar. Vizio prides themselves on bringing high end quality without high end price and even at a steep $999, this sound bar is still a great value, competing with bars in the $1500 or more class. The Vizio Elevate made waves at CES and won the Red Dot design award proving that Vizio has really outdone themselves with this sound bar. But how does it sound in real world testing? Well for me, very well. After a minor bit of tweaking and adjustments, I was able to produce a solid, clean sound with full range, crystal clear highs and floor shaking bass. It’s still no match for my full size floor speakers and AVR but when that’s not possible, this sound bar is a fantastic alternative. The packaging is really well done including a nice “briefcase” box of cables and a soft cover over the subwoofer. That said, I have seen other reviews saying they had damage to their box that showed on the subwoofer, but it was only cosmetic. Unfortunately, I think that’s a common issue with the standard for soundbar packaging. Until that terrible tetris piece design changes, we’ll see damage reports. I tested multiple audio/video files once I had the device hooked up and was able to get Atmos signals, DTS:X, and Dolby Digital+ among others. When I successfully got an Atmos signal, the Atmos speakers did indeed rotate up automatically and when the playback ended, they rotated back down. The “bounce technique” is just as good as any atmos bouncing speakers, that is to say, just ok. And that’s testing inside a standard square room with a flat ceiling. (if you have a vaulted ceiling you won’t have a lot of luck bouncing audio.) But it is a noticeable difference from having the speakers facing directly out. Overall, I am enjoying this soundbar more than others I’ve had and if you pair it with a newer Vizio TV, you’ll have a seamless experience including a quick snap-on mounting to certain Vizio TV stands making it easy to get your soundbar mounted below your Vizio TV. Sound quality is fantastic for those looking for a decent surround sound and Atmos experience without buying an AVR or expensive speaker systems. DETAILED REVIEW: UNBOXING/SETUP: There’s not too much to say about the unboxing and setup. The packaging was really well done (for a sound bar) and instead of having wires in bags scattered all over, Vizio chose to put a briefcase style box inside that includes all the cables and accessories. One note, personally, I did not receive the velcro wire ties that the box said was included which is a bummer because I actually use those, but possibly they fell through a crack during shipping. Everything else was included as described. Once I unboxed the bar, I started the setup process. This was fairly easy and as expected and if you are unsure what to do, Vizio does include help in the manual and online to make sure you’re set. I was replacing an existing soundbar, so for me all I had to do was run a new power cord and use my existing HDMI from the TV’s arc and I was setup. The subwoofer should auto connect once you plug it in and the soundbar will audibly confirm that it is connected as well. The rear speakers have color coded cables that easily plug in and connect to the subwoofer. Even though they are wired, the subwoofer is still wireless, so you could put your sub behind or in the back of your room and pretty easily connect the rears, hiding cables under or behind your couch. This is what I did and found it to work quite well. SOUND QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE: I have had the Vizio Elevate for about a week and have tested music, movies, streaming, and gaming and have found the quality to be outstanding in almost all categories. There have been a few learning curves as far as operation and I have had a few hiccups in playback, but overall it’s a pretty user friendly system that may take a little bit of fine tuning early but eventually will work without much needed from you. One thing to remember about Atmos, at least currently, it is a great audio option that’s unfortunately a little difficult to actually get to play back. This is no fault of the soundbar, but usually something else along the chain. For example, yes, netflix or disney+ will say Atmos supported but you must make sure your TV can pass it to the soundbar over your specific TV’s ARC channel, and that you have the proper HDMI cable to handle this, and that you have a strong enough internet connection if you are streaming, etc etc etc. There is a lot of info online about this and I won’t bother with it here, but suffice it to say, if you know what you are doing with your A/V gear and you are confident in operating your devices properly, then you will have no problem getting good, clean audio in any format you choose from this soundbar. OTHER THOUGHTS: The remote is really nice for a soundbar remote. I really like the backlit screen at top, and combined with Vizios LED light display on the front of the soundbar, you can make adjustments on the fly without annoying pop-ups on screen or bright lights flashing on the bar, distracting other viewers. It takes a bit to get used to, but once you do you’ll enjoy the ease of changing settings and adjustments with this remote. I have not put it fully to the test yet, but the little testing I did this week, I also thought it was worth noting the night mode and auto volume adjustments. I had the auto volume on most of the time I was testing this bar and it did a decent job for the most part. Movies and action is still so dynamic these days (on purpose) that it’s difficult to have a good compression tool built in, but at lower volumes, I found the soundbar was able to keep things relatively level. The night mode is similar but also adjusts the bass levels to not be so boomy at night. I thought this was cool and worked pretty good as well and I really enjoyed that night mode will reset to OFF when you power down the bar. Meaning the next day when someone else uses the TV to watch some action movie, they won’t be wondering why everything is quiet and no bass. The subwoofer is the last thing I’ll mention. Usually I find soundbars subwoofers are just ok and lack any real punch. This sub is definitely the better of the group of soundbar subs I’ve heard. It still doesn’t have a crossover setting option which is a bummer but it is a down firing sub and really packs a good solid thud. I’ve actually had to set the level down around 30% for everyday viewing and late night because it’s so powerful. But even with the sub turned down, I’m not losing out on any low mids that I was concerned may be caught in a crossover, meaning the soundbar itself is still covering a lot of those low-mid range sounds. Overall I really am enjoying this Vizio bar and have always had good luck with Vizio products. They pride themselves on their value and price and this Elevate soundbar is no different. I’m not surprised it won so many awards!

Got it discounted over Cyber Monday. Amazing value, great design, good sound, easy to hook up to the TV. The Vizio iOS app is very buggy, keeps disconnected form the soundbar. Based on online reviews, I know that I'm not the only one having issue with this app. And when I pick it up at BestBuy, the box is pretty banged up. The agent claimed it is brand new, she didn't know what happened. Such a disappointing respond, especially with a My Best Buy Elite Plus member. The only good thing that nothing seems damaged.

I really wanted to be 100% happy with this purchase, but I can’t help but feel let down by the quality of this product. I will start off by saying I had no issues setting this bar up. Was very careful unpacking the bar from the box, etc as I read read many reviews and tips before purchasing mentioning to handle by the center of the bar and such. I also have had Vizio products before so appreciate the packaging of these bars and the setup process. I have this hooked up to earc on a 2019 Samsung QLed TV with zero issues so far. It’s been 24 hours or so. Love the sound quality. The bar updated when connected to WiFi and have had no issues that plagued prior bars I have owned. What I’m having a problem accepting is my unit has cosmetic factory defects that Vizio support this morning would not stand behind. These appear to be metal casting issues/chips that were just painted or powder coated over. For a premium soundbar in this price range, I shouldn’t have to look at uneven paint work all around the right rotational speaker. The foam padding around the soundbar was not ripped or torn in the box, so I know this is a build issue on Vizio part and not damage on behalf of bestbuy. I can’t recommend this to others if these defects make it to the consumer and Vizio will not stand behind to correct. See pictures attached of the numerous chips around the rotational speaker that were painted over. This is just the right side on my unit, the left rotational speaker does not have this issue and is smooth all the way around. No paint is chipped either, so this is certainly factory issues and because the surface seems rough, they are noticeable when light hits the bar.

Take negative reviews with a grain of salt. Only certain TVs have earc working properly, and if they mention Xbox problems, disregard it all together. As of today, 10/20/20, the hdmi inputs need a firmware update to pass Dolby vision and hdr10(it will pass hdr, but it uses chroma subsampling). Also, ive heard many say that passing atmos on the Xbox is an issue when plugging directly into the soundbar. Xbox has issues with everything it touches. Use earc/arc, and you will not experience one single issue. I won't give a negative review on something that sounds so good just because it needs a firmware update to pass Dolby vision. I use apple tv 4k and have a CX. I use earc and set the rest to passthrough. Download the app. My ears are tuned. The speakers need a lot of adjusting, and the remote is a last resort and will not serve you well. The app is the only way to get these speakers tuned where you want them. And where you'll want them will be. Treble, bass, subwoofer, height channels, surround speakers, and surround balance all needed to go way up. The center channel is extremely crisp and powerful. The subwoofer will follow mostly any bass guitar in a rock song, freeing up the speakers (each channel has a small woofer for mid range and a tweeter for highs) to do the rest. It really is a fantastic unit once you find the proper balance for your room. Xbox and ps4 have very weak implementations of audio. Xbox has atmos but only on certain apps and almost every device that comes out needs to update its firmware to be fully compatible with it. When you buy something on day 1, its going to need firmware updates. This is the case for every single piece of a/v technology in the world. Every tv and soundbar needs at least 3 months to work out its kinks, and this doesn't have any kinks if you're using arc or earc and you set your audio passthrough correctly. If you plug into the bar, you'll likely experience some issues until the firmware update. Its coming. I've spoken with Vizio, who spoke with their engineers and got back to me. I've never gotten closer to movie theater sound with so little effort(meaning price and only 4 pieces to set up). It blew my expectations out of the water. Truth be told, I wasn't expecting it to be a great experience. Being a day 1 buyer often has drawbacks. And generally,, I don't trust Vizio after returning many of their higher end products. The 7.1.4 LG and 9.1.4 Samsung have absolutely horrible customer reviews. Their bugs have lasted a long time and are much more serious. This is not a great year for soundbar systems. Often times it can be the tvs earc. It can be the streaming source. It can be your settings. I've seen people write negative reviews and I just want to tell them "that's a user malfunction, just change this!" Anyway this thing us gorgeous too. It really feels like you're getting your moneys worth. The sub box is humongous. I was concerned about the 8" sub. Its an 8" sub in one of the biggest boxes I've ever seen and distributes bass very evenly. I can't speak to longevity. We can only hope. Remember, even if you want to use the remote in the long run..at first you want to download the app to get all your values in front of you on your phone, and adjust the sound accordingly. Each EQ is very different, but I find that all of them I'm increasing almost every single speaker to different levels. In movie EQ and direct eq I have my center on 2, and height speakers to 5, and everything else at 4. I am still playing with direct eq, but for the most part, that's a good place to start for movie eq. The surround balance was way low. It is on all Vizio systems. I have the surround speakers right behind my head and I still put volume and balance up to 4 with height channels at 5. Remember, the rears don't have tweeters like every speaker in the soundbar does. So its all about where you sit, the acoustics in your room, balance between front and back and most of all, personal preference. Also, I have my bass set to 6. I find it gives the best balance of highs and lows on the soundbar, because the tweeters are so powerful, the bass levels it out, and the subwoofer level will depend on placement and personal preference. I'm really making neighbors mad with that thing. Hope this helps someone

PROS: - Really impressive sound quality - Bass is punchy and loud, downward firing - No compromises on formats, supports LPCM, DTS-X, Dolby Atmos, eARC - Remote is much improved over past Vizio remotes, has backlight LCD - 2 additional HDMI inputs that support full 2.0 features (4k/HDR,Dolby Vision) (3 total including the eARC one) - Price is about half of what comparable bars run - Great wireless Support (Bluetooth/Google Cast built in) CONS: - Smartcast app is hard to setup, flakey after setup - Firmware issues (many bugs, hdmi handshake issues) (current v1.01.04.1, released Nov. 2020) - Rotating parts are fragile, questionable longevity - Originally announced as having HDMI 2.1 inputs, but that was removed by launch. ABOUT: Hooked up to a LG C9 via eARC, all devices hooked directly to TV and passed via eARC (Xfinity X1 cable box, PS4 Pro, Nintendo Switch, WebOS apps: Netflix and Disney+). Have tested Multichannel LPCM, DTS, Dolby Digital, Dolby Atmos DD+. Have not tested any DTS-X content or any lossless Atmos. SOUND: I've been really impressed by the sound. First, the center channel really pushes out some impressive voice, its easy to hear, clear, and doesn't get overpowered by the music/sound fx. The rotating Atmos upfiring speakers, while no replacement for ceiling speakers, does a good job at producing the desired "Atmos bubble" when watching Mandolorian on Disney+, and honestly its pretty cool to see them automatically move to the up position. When not in Atmos mode, you get a very wide soundstage, 5.1 TV and music sound great. The bass might be too much for some people; but as someone with a stand alone house and no sleeping children, I'm happy with its literal room shaking abilities, but you might need/want to dial it down (theres a dedicated night mode which drops the bass and automatically returns to normal after its powered back on). Unlike some cheaper bars, the lower volume levels continue to sound great and theres a wide range from lowest volume to max. The eARC support means things just work, no fiddling with extra remotes for normal day to day use. Just really impressive sound in both Atmos and standard modes. WHY THIS BAR: I chose this soundbar because I needed something that supported all the formats (DTS-X, Dolby Atmos and LPCM) via eARC, which is actually pretty rare in soundbars (high-end Samsung, LG, and JBL are among the others). Google Cast and Bluetooth support round out its wireless capabilities, letting you power your music selection from your phone/computer. As a bonus, this thing comes with every single cable you'd ever need. I also like the wired back speakers (wired to the sub, sub is wireless to the bar) because it only requires one power outlet (but might be a con for some people), while wireless back speakers would need three power outlets (or for you to charge them daily like the JBL 9.1). Finally the price, while the comparable Samsung and LG can do the same things, they're much more expensive (basically double the sale price of this one). SOFTWARE: The negatives around this bar are its current state of software. The Smartcast app is nightmarish to setup the first time, it takes multiple attempts but does eventually work and offers an ease/improvement over the standard remote. Post setup, theres times where the app just doesn't see the bar, then 20 mins later it does without changing anything; changes from the app are super laggy and sometimes just don't work. But the biggest frustration is around the firmware, this thing is brand new so hopefully Vizio squashes these bugs (issues are after the first firmware update v1.01.04.1). I ran into several HDMI handshake issues, particularly with Nintendo Switch (Multi-Channel LPCM) and would get stuck with just stereo or no audio at times, after literal hours of troubleshooting I got it working via earc, but I'm not sure why it worked when it did and not the previous times. Theres been several times the bar's software or audio output just locks up, requiring a reboot to fix. Reading reviews here and on forums shows a lot of people having a lot of software issues. I also get a loud popping noise from the speakers whenever the audio type changes (changing inputs, changing audio settings in a device, sometimes even just turning the tv off). I've spend way too much time troubleshooting issues and have to reboot the bar far too often. BUILD QUALITY: I'd also caution about the rotating speakers, the quick start instructions tell you to never to touch the rotating part when handling the bar, and while I thought I was doing a good job at that, after changing an HDMI input on the back I noticed that it started making a creaking noise during rotation and a grinding noise for a second or two after rotation was done. After examining the rotating piece closely, I noticed that I must have bumped into the moving part which pushed it slightly out of alignment. The rotating piece sits near flush with non-rotating parts (like less than a mm away), and the slightest bit of force will skew it to rub either the table its on or its own non-moving parts. I had to gently manipulate the rotating shell so it was no longer in contact with anything and the noises stopped, it honestly doesn't take much to any force to slightly move it. So if you're going to be careful and just mount thing thing and never touch it again, you should be good, but if you have small kids or have to move the bar from time to time this should be a concern for the longevity. CONCLUSION: This is a really great sounding system but I cannot give it 5 stars nor recommend it to a friend in its current state, the bugs are really annoying and its taken a lot of time to troubleshoot issues. The rotating speaker issue isn't a dealbreaker for me (might be for you), but the current stability issues/bugs are. Luckily Best Buy's holiday return period gives me peace of mind and gives Vizio a few months to squash these bugs, if they do this will be one of the top bars there is, but if they don't its going back and I'll probably hold off until a 2021 bar with HDMI 2.1 passthrough.

This is my first 5.1 sound system with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X capability and so far, it's been an awesome experience paired up with my new Sony X90CH TV! Pros: - Easy set-up and connections. Wireless subwoofer with the satellite speakers connecting to it. Sound bar to the TV via HDMI E-ARC/ARC. Download Smartcast app on mobile and pair together for set-up and firmware update. Took me maybe 20 minutes altogether. - Has all of the volume you'll ever need. This thing gets loud enough to fill up a large hall. - Has about all the EQ settings I think you'll need. 4 Main EQ settings and all the main adjustable sound signature settings you'd expect like bass and treble. - Auto-rotating speakers are super cool when they trigger Atmos content. They work well in providing height sounds given that it is coming from a sound bar and not ceiling speakers. - Satellite speakers are great and can also get pretty loud, upfiring speakers in them also contribute to Atmos immersion decently. - Even in the normal wide setting, the soundstage on this thing is absolutely impressive. Listening to concerns on Youtube makes me feel like I'm actually at the concert. - Clarity and separation of sound is shockingly good for a sound bar. Even with the over-tuned amount of bass, dialogue, mids, and highs come through extremely clear and sound separate from the bass and low frequency instead of sounding like they're coming from the same speaker. If you adjust the bass properly for the content you're watching, the clarity I think is top notch of any sound bar on the market. - Build quality on everything seems sturdy, nothing seems flimsy or easy to break. Cons: - Vizio Smartcast app is extremely buggy. Anyone with experience with their app and any other Vizio products knows exactly what I'm talking about. The app is slow and unresponsive considering how high quality the hardware it supports is. You'll press to change an EQ setting and it'll take multiple tries and up to 60 seconds to register as you fiddle back and forth. - Accompanying the buggy app seems to be buggy firmware that doesn't work 100% properly. Audio will cut out and I'm unsure if it is a problem with the E-ARC function of my TV or the sound bar itself. - The current firmware version causes the sound bar to not automatically power off when the TV turns off. Overall, for the Black Friday price I got it for + open box (~$500) I think this sound bar system is absolutely worth it. I think with time and further firmware updates, it's value will only increase, as it has only some software and connectivity issues plaguing what is itself amazing hardware. I wouldn't pay full MSRP for it, but at a sale price, I think it absolutely beats any other comparable sound bar system out right now.

It took me a little bit longer for this review because of the delivery problems, but once I got a few days to hook everything up and listen to it, I was blown away! The blend of sound as the highs, mids, and bass are over the top! I have mine in my master bedroom, so I believe since it's a smaller space the sound is that much better. I promise you, the sound is like I'm in the theater! I've watched different programs, the news, and YouTube videos to see the differences and how the system would sound. Every single thing I watched was crystal clear no matter if I use netflix, Amazon prime, or DC universe online, they all sounded phenomenal! I didn't hear any crackling or any pauses throughout the day, as I switched to different video outlets. One thing I really didn't like, was the app for the surround sound system. I spent more than 3 hours trying to get it to work, like uninstalling and reinstalling, turning my phone on and off, and trying to pair the system with the app multiple times. I have the newest most expensive phone, so I don't think that's the problem. So I figured I would use the remote that came with it instead. I also had difficulty trying to get the speakers to rotate once I watched movies with Dolby Atmos or DTS:X on the different movie platforms. But because I'm not a technical guy, it could possibly be something I'm not doing right. Other than that, this would be a phenomenal addition to anyone's personal entertainment area, and I would definitely recommend this system!