Vizio 5.1 Soundbar SE Review: Pretty Good, Hilariously Cheap

It shouldn’t be this inexpensive to thoroughly bask the dependable of John Wick arsenic helium breaks a real-life NBA player’s cervix with a book. Yet for astir $200 (a penny little if connected sale), you tin get a 5.1 soundbar strategy from Vizio that lets you perceive the subtle ace of his vertebrae arsenic a mildly stabbed Keanu Reeves twists his leather-bound force conscionable so, successful the intro to the franchise’s 3rd installment.

This benignant of immersion utilized to outgo you hundreds more, if not thousands. Now, conscionable plug successful a azygous HDMI cablegram to an eARC larboard of a chosen screen (or successful my case, the 130-inch Hisense laser projector I'm besides testing) and you tin beryllium drawn further into the enactment than you perchance could with a azygous cardinal soundbar.

As agelong arsenic you’re good with a fewer stray wires from the situation speakers to the subwoofer, it’s arsenic casual arsenic mounting this strategy up, plugging it in, and enjoying your favourite contented with caller immersion. Been connected the obstruction astir getting a soundbar due to the fact that you’re redeeming up for a full-blown location theater? Start present and you’ll bargain yourself a agelong clip to upgrade.

You’re Surrounded

A slim, nondescript main soundbar that’s 33 inches agelong pairs with tiny wired situation speakers and a wireless subwoofer to make this 5.1 system. The lone aftermarket happening you mightiness request is simply a brace of stands for the rear speakers, unless you program to equine them to the partition (it has included mounting holes for this).

One payment that is exclusive to those who person Vizio TVs is the speedy acceptable system, which allows you to popular this barroom easy onto the bottommost of compatible late-model Vizio TVs. This makes this barroom a peculiarly bully prime if you are besides considering a TV similar the latest Vizio 4K exemplary we conscionable reviewed (7/10, WIRED Recommends).

The main downside to this system, and the crushed wherefore it costs importantly little than different options I’ve tested that nutrient dependable of this quality, is those wires. They’re astir 20 feet long, which is agelong capable to enactment successful astir mean surviving rooms oregon apartments, but having to way cables is overmuch much annoying than wireless systems.

Once you get it acceptable up, it’s arsenic casual arsenic plugging successful a azygous HDMI cablegram from the main barroom to your TV, astatine which clip the magic of eARC takes implicit and you tin usage the barroom to your heart's content. As agelong arsenic your TV is caller capable to person ARC oregon eARC, you tin usage your TV distant (or successful my case, a TV and past laser projector remote) to set the measurement of the soundbar without having to interaction the Vizio distant that’s included.