VIZIO - 5.1.4-Channel Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer, Dolby Atmos and Voice Assistant - Black

I have a Dolby atmos home theater in the basement and bought this for in the living room. I am very impressed by the overall sound quality! I thought it had pretty decent atmos compared to others I have heard. It’s not as good of atmos as a home theater but does a great job producing it for being a soundbar. I was a little disappointed that the rear speakers have to be plugged into the subwoofer and don’t have their own power source. I would absolutely recommend this soundbar and for the price point it is a great value for atmos in a soundbar! Bass can thump as well!

But not that great, For some reason I kept on having no sound when my Tv is tuned on. I have to keep unplugged and plug back in another to get the sound from my system.

I have a good 5.1 surround sound system, but I wanted to move to Dolby Atmos. I decided a soundbar based system was a way to do that and also simplify the wiring and speaker clutter in my living room. Vizio’s new SB46514 is a true 5.1.4 Dolby Atmos system with 5 surround channels, sub-woofer, and 4 Atmos channels, and seemed to fit the bill. The question was whether a soundbar would leave me wanting. So far I’ve been very Impressed. The system comes in a big, awkward box. There was some obvious shipping rash, but everything was well protected and without damage. It’s a complete package including every cable type possibly needed to connect to your TV. However, I suggest getting stands for the rear speakers for easy placement. They are small but have both forward and upward speakers since Atmos sound is bounced off the ceiling. They can’t be placed with anything blocking them from above. This is true for the Atmos speakers in the 46” bar as well. It can’t be tucked closely under your TV for that reason. To get the sound to bounce back down, the room needs a flat ceiling suggested to be 8-12 feet high. If you really want a theater-like experience to match the sound, a 4K Blu-ray player and a large a UHD or DolbyVision 4K TV is the way to go. Physical setup was straightforward. Connections, setting up the Vizio Smartcast app and syncing things was fiddly and at times frustrating. Only HDMI connections can transfer Atmos sound, and you need to use the HDMI ARC connection with your TV to have flexibility. The bar will search for a connection when first powered on, and if your TV’s ARC sync and HDMI control (CEC) are enabled, they should find each other and link up for automatic use and handle power and volume from your TV remote. The sub-woofer connects with the bar wirelessly, and the rear speakers wire from the sub giving good flexibility in arrangement and keeping wire runs to a minimum. Typical of Vizio there’s a small, basic remote which I used some for initial setup. The Vizio Smartcast app syncs your phone to the bar and connects the system to your WIFI. As I said, that process was less than quick and easy in my case. Your phone then becomes a decent remote and Chromecast is enabled. Bluetooth is also supported for using the system like any wireless speaker. There is only one HDMI IN port on the bar to connect other devices such as a DVD player, RUKU or game console. If you have multiple HDMI sources, all but one will have to connect to the TV. The TV’s input selection will switch between sources and the HDMI ARC connection will send all the sound to the bar. If the other devices are CEC enabled, source switching “may” be automatic when they are powered on. I’ve always found HDMI CEC setup to be finicky. Now to the essential part … the sound. To really hear what this system is about, you do need an Atmos source. There’s a test DVD included which has some nice demo clips which show how the 360 effect really adds to the experience. Spatial or 360 sound is what you hear in a good theater with sound enveloping you from all directions. The 46” soundbar provides good left/right separation and sound width. The large 10” sub-woofer is amazing. It’s precise and powerful. It can provide room shaking bass and effects without muddling other frequencies, and yet it’s subtle and tight at lower volumes. The entire system is clear, the channels are discrete and separate, and they are well balanced. There’s an astounding amount of sound power available in this small package. I used a 4K DVD of “The Greatest Showman” for a serious Atmos listening test. I switched between my “big” system and the Vizio while watching various scenes over. I really expected 900 watts of discrete power and big speakers to win hands down. While the old system may have a bit more presence at lower volumes, that was the only potential win. The big musical numbers were astounding on the Vizio, and my wife thought the Vizio sounded better overall. I also switched the Atmos (height) effect on and off, and there’s no doubt it adds to the experience by filling the room with sound as does that excellent sub-woofer. That pushed the soundbar into the win column. I typically used my old surround system just for movies and big TV productions. Now I use this system for all listening. It just makes all TV better. The only reason for 4 stars not 5 were the setup issues.

1st; I am replacing an old Samsung 61" DLP TV with a Samsung 65" Q80 QLED TV, an old receiver with large front, center, rear speakers and many cables surround system. Clutter gone I am choosing a Sound Bar. I started with the JBL, it sounded a bit tinny. Then the Nakamichi Shockwafe Pro ($650), great sounding system with many features but didn't play nice with the new Samsung TV. So, I bought the highly recommended Samsung HW-Q90R ($1500) from a local Best Buy store. The Q90 had many issues including little sound from rear speakers and the bars right up-firing speaker was defective with a bad crackling sound - added to Samsungs known Firmware issues. Next I tried the Visio 36" 5.1.2 that I just happened to see at Sams Club ($290). Wow, great sound from such little speakers but at 36" wide it didn't fit the 65" TV. Then I found this Visio 46" 5.1.4 on sale and ordered online. This an awesome system, amazing surround sound, Dolby Atmos test sources wrap around your head, and all for a great price ($755). The Visio also automatically paired with the DirecTV sat box/remote. One con: only one HDMI input, but that's why they make HDMI switches. Bottom line: I should have tried the Visio in the 1st place.

I originally got the Nakamichi Shockwafe Pro 7.1.4 system which had much better surround sound than this Vizio. BUT the Nakamichi had a ton of technical problems and would not work consistently, so I returned it. This Vizio 5.1.4 is the same set up with a soundbar, subwoofer, and two rear surround speakers. Since it's a 5.1.4 system and not a 7.1.4 system, I could hear a big difference in surround sound quality from lacking those two additional side-firing speakers on the Nakamichi. Listening to the Nakamichi was like driving a Porsche, while listening to the Vizio is like driving a Mustang. It's kinda thumpy and still a solidly performing home theater sound system, but it's not mind-blowing like the Nakamichi. The Nakamichi sounded like being in a movie theater, but this Vizio sounds like a good, solid home theater system. It has been working absolutely consistently and has not had any of the same problems I had with the Nakamichi. Before getting this Vizio SB46514-F6, I listened to the Vizio ELEVATE in store and was going to buy it, but it was out of stock. I liked the ELEVATE but the rotating Dolby Atmos speakers seemed gimmicky and a potential issue. Others mentioned that since the Dolby Atmos speakers were on the ends of the ELEVATE, it diminished the sound stage width because the forward firing speakers were closer to the center. This Vizio SB46514-F6 has the upward firing Dolby Atmos speakers closer to the middle (around the middle thirds of the soundbar) than the ELEVATE. Plus, rtings.com gave the SB46514-F6 a better review for it's more balanced sound quality. I could hear that. The ELEVATE had overwhelming bass. The SB46514-F6 has a more neutral sound profile that makes it a better sound system for movies, music, and television shows. The ELEVATE is supposed to be better for movies, but not necessarily as good for music and TV shows. In addition, the SB46514-F6 only has an ARC connection and one HMDI input, while the ELEVATE has an E-ARC connection and two HDMI inputs. This is not an issue for me, but I could see how it could be an issue for others. Sometimes, I wish I got the ELEVATE instead because it's the hottest, latest model from Vizio. But the SB46514-F6 fulfills my needs fine. The HDMI is hooked up to my Sony PS4. The ARC connection alternates between my Toshiba FIRE 4K Smart TV and my old Sony BRAVIA 3D TV depending on my content. What I really like is how I can switch between TVs without any issues, while the Nakamichi was an absolute nightmare, the biggest headache with this! So while the Nakamichi was like that hot chick you had a crazy affair with, the Vizio SB46514-F6 is the solid, mature woman you settle down with. Good bass, good sound quality, fulfills your needs.

This is for the Atmos soundbar with the surround units. The soundbar itself sounds great and balanced. The subwoofer is loud and powerful maybe too loud by default, mine is set to -2. The ARC just works (as it should) which some other companies have an issue with. The actual surround effect is fine, not life changing but it works well. If you don't want to actually get speakers in the ceiling this is as good as it gets. Dialogue is clear and understandable when you are watching non-surround content and surround content. Overall I love the soundbar and for the price it was worth every penny. The biggest problem I had was getting it set up on wifi, I suggest you skip this step unless you have to for some reason. I only did it because I started to set it up and refused to give up. Seriously it was 2 hours of frustration and I have yet to use Wi-Fi for anything.

Great for a surround sound bar but doesn't surround you quite like having a traditional 5.1, and as for the .4, it was barely noticeable and I had perfect conditions. And has a poor remote design that you can't see if it's a little dark, but there is an app that you can use in place of the remote that works much better. It's really Great for those who dont want the hassle(fun) of buying/connecting their own 5.1.4 by buying a reciever, speakers, wire...etc. ultimately, that's what I did. I went with a pioneer 9.2 channel reciever($600), and manufacturer refurbished pioneer Andrew Jones speakers to get 5.0.4($400), and got a Klipsch 12" subwoofer ($250). With wires, it totalled $1,325.00, all entry-level products, but it is well worth the extra $400. A much higher quality, more encompassing surround sound, and I always have the option and ability to up/downgrade,add/subtract, or reconfigure any/all of my components which is something that you're unable to do with this product & most all other soundbar surround packages. you're basically stuck with what's included in that package, and not able to add, upgrade or substitute any of the speakers being that they won't be able to connect to anything different as they are configured to only connect and communicate with only the other components inside the same package. Don't get me wrong, All in all, if you're looking for an easy, clean setup with great sound, this is an awesome soundbar setup. One of the best I've heard! And has a nice app and works well with Google assistant but again, it still doesn't match up to the real deal(a/v reciever to speakers) when it comes to truly surrounding you.

My old soundbar finally died so I began a search for a new one. The first really good one I found was the Vizio SB36512-F6. This is the baby brother of the Vizio Atmos family and overall, it is quite excellent. It produces great sound and the Vizio app connected to my Motorola phone without issue. Still, I wanted to try the Granddaddy of the Vizio line in order to see if it was worth the difference in price. I am glad that I did, but that's no cut on the 36 inch model which is quite good in it's own right. Many people have left reviews on the SB46514, so I won't go over everything already addressed there-in. My bar came fully up-to-date with the latest firmware which corrected many of the issues discussed in the other reviews. Most important of these is that all 4 Height speakers now deliver their own content. There is also a Height Level adjustment to increase/decrease the volume of the Height channels, although it adjusts all 4 at the same time, not independently. However, that does not seem to pose any kind of listening issue as the VIZIO app allows for a lot of customizing of the overall sound profile. While the Vizio remote is hard to read in lower light as others have noted, I hardly ever use it as the smart phone app is excellent and very comprehensive. I started off using the Movie EQ mode and it is rich and full in it's sound spectrum. However, when using an Atmos source or the Virtual setting, I have found that selecting the Music EQ mode often creates an even more enveloping soundscape, even for movies and TV. Further, the Virtual mode is an excellent substitute for when Atmos is not available. I tested this by comparing the Fifth Element in both HD and UHD versions. The HD version does not have Atmos, but the UHD version does. In my comparison, the Virtual mode kept pace with the Atmos mode very well, with only minor differences noted. It is a really nice addition to watching regular TV and it is nice that Vizio gives you so many optional ways to adjust their soundbar settings. As hoped for, I have noticed that the extra 12 inches in the length of the 46" unit does provide a bit wider soundstage than does the 36" unit. The massive 10 inch Subwoofer is also a bit of a step up from the one provided with the smaller unit. Again, the 6" one is good, but the 10 incher is just a bit better. All this works well with my 82" Samsung Q70, although getting Atmos from Netflix remains difficult. However, I don't think that is a soundbar issue, but rather a problem between Netflix and Samsung. In fact, the system has no problem playing Atmos on Amazon Prime selections or from my UHD BluRay player. Sadly, many calls to Netflix have resulted in no help on this whatsoever. In my online searches, it seems that many others have reported the same problem with Netflix and none of it seems related to Vizio's bars. While the two Vizio units are very close overall, the 46" unit does outperform the 36" unit, but the difference in price should be considered. I was lucky to get my SB46514 as an Open Box, thus cutting the price difference significantly. I should mention that both units are 2018 models and software wise, they operate pretty much identically. Vizio introduced the SB36514-G6 in 2019 which might be a great compromise between the 2 older models as it has added the 2 rear Height speakers missing in the SB36512. Also, Vizio has announced that newer units are on the way once the pandemic is under control. None of the current models support DTS:X, which upcoming models are supposed to. Not a big deal, especially since the Virtual mode works so well. Still, many of my BluRay's use DTS:X so it would be a nice upgrade if they decide to offer it in a firmware update. Generally, Vizio support is excellent. If you have an issue, they will work hard to resolve it for you. If they determine that your issue is covered under warranty, they won't hesitate to send you a replacement unit. My Open Box unit did have a problem and the team at Vizio got my new unit to me in just a few days, along with a prepaid return label for the defective unit...sweet. Finally, I must say that the SB46514 is a really good sound system. I have had component systems and this setup will hold its own with anything in its price category that I have heard and even beyond. The sound is as close to being at a movie theater as anything I have tried. And, the SB36512, isn't too far behind in that regard. Either way, Vizio provides truly enjoyable solutions to your home audio needs. Now, I just need to find a new home for my 36 inch unit!