Side by Side Comparison of: VIZIO

Chose to take a chance on this refurb system. Locally, brand new, its $300.00. $180.00 here on amazon, worth it so far. i have it hooked directly to my PS4 using a optical digital cable. The ps4 has port on the back for optical digital audio output. Couple things to know about this system:* comes in a rectangular box about the same size of a 42" flatscreen TV box . I clicked on the option to have amazon put it in another box for discreet packaging but they didnt. Can't blame them because of the size of the factory box. The factory box says "Vizio" on the sides, so if you have neighbors you can't trust, be careful.* Its packed really well, from the factory. For a refurb, it looked like it has never been open. All the cords wrapped up very neat, and components looked new.* comes with a digital optical cable as well as the standard A/V yellow, red, white cables we have seen for years.* the rear speakers use pre made speaker wires with male audio prongs that plug in from the subwoofer to speaker. No stripping and wiring in your speakers like the old days. The pre made wires are very long. Didnt measure them, but i can tell you they are over 10 feet long for sure.* two power cords. One is longer than the other. You can use either cord on the center speaker or subwoofer. Yes you have to plug the subwoofer to an outlet as well.* remote works well and you can adjust practically everything from treble, bass, subwoofer output, surround sound center/rear balance, etc etc.* sounds really well. Can understand the dialog better. Can turn off closed captioning.* facing the center speaker, your audio cords connect to left, power on right. Incase your like me and dont want to see cords everywhere. Wish they connected all on same side to zip tie them up and hide them easier.* sound bar and subwoofer go into sleep mode after being idle. once you start using your tv or other connected device they turn back on. Sound bar quickly re connects with subwoofer.

Let me start off by saying that I am not a professional review writer or tech savy and it has been along time since I have had a surround sound system. I must say that this Vizio product was really beyond my expectations!!! The set up is REALLY EASY !!! The Sound is AWESOME !!! I was skeptical at first as I was looking at a few other products that were more expensive as well. Before purchasing this system I did a lot of research and read a whole bunch of reviews not only on Amazon but other resources as well. Like I said I was a bit skeptical, mostly because of the price and I was looking for something that I could really enjoy. I will conclude by saying that this surround system fills my living room with awesome sound and has brought movie watching to a whole new level . I also use it to Bluetooth my music from my phone that works flawlessly and it sounds amazing. Did I mention The set up was SOOOOOO EASY !!! Set up in minutes the Bluetooth Sub and satellite speakers made this a breeze. I couldn't be happier with this product!!!Thank you Amazon and Vizio.

**** Update ****Still works great ... but this unit DOES NOT support Dolby Digital Plus. When I feed a DD+ signal in, I get only buzzing sound. Going through tech support they confirmed this.Some programs (like amazon fire tv) have something called Dolby Digital Plus Auto. The Auto means if the receiver does not support the DD+, it changes the signal to just Stereo. Luckily ... this soundbar does a good job of making stereo sound like surround, but it is not 5.1.I still like this system and at under $200 bucks ... is still 5 star IMHO.******end update******Very pleased with this and got it at a good price (watch price, it fluctuates a lot).Center and L & R speakers are in the front bar. Bar fits perfect under my 52" TV in the stand (sound bars are made in different length bars, so pick the right size).The subwoofer is wireless (but does plug into wall outlet) and the Rear R & L speakers plug into the subwoofer only (no extra power needed). This is great as you get no wires going from TV to back speakers.I have the Sub behind the couch and the Rear L & R on either side of the couch. So there are zero wires exposed anywhere!Sound is good. Bass is pretty decent, but not room shaking.I use this a lot for playing music from my phone, bluetooth connection works great.Remote is good, it has display to show you what input you are on and settings you are changing.Front speaker has a series of small circular lights which tell status, settings as well as volume level.I highly recommend this when it is reasonably priced.

For the money the performance is excellent. It should be noted that most TV's down convert or dumb down their audio signal coming from their optical digital output to 2.1 so in those cases the soundbar will receive only 2.1 channel audio. My Sony KLD52V5100 only puts out 2.1 audio from the optical output. Having said that the soundbar creates a faux 5.1 surround sound and unless one is a true audiophile they won't be able to tell the difference. The bass from the subwoofer is simply great. You can adust the center speaker level, bass and treble levels, subwoofer level, surround levels(rear speakers) and even surround balance on the rear speakers should your sitting location be not centered. The true volume option works great also if used. To get a TRUE 5.1 surround channel effect and if your TV only puts out 2.1 as mentioned earlier then simply use the audio sources optical digital out and connect it directly to the sound bar to achieve true 5.1. I did this by using my satellite receivers optical digital out which puts out true 5.1 directly to the optical digital input on the soundbar. TRUE Dolby, DTS 5.1 surround sound. For the money its a great buy and so simple to set up and adjust to ones on personal likes. The sound bar will show the Dolby or DTS logo briefly to indicate if the source to the soundbar is Dolby or DTS. Only the optical input or coaxial digital input on the soundbar will give you Dolby or DTS.

Purchased the Vizio4251w-B4 to replace a Toshiba SBX1250 sound bar that I was VERY unhappy with. I am very pleased with the performance os the Vizio and the $300-ish Amazon price tag is definitely worth it for the powerful, easy to use audio improvement over my TV's internal speakers. This system is not for audiophiles but for folks that want better (not world class) sound from their television without the fuss of a full-blown 'home theatre system.'Why did I buy a second sound bar inside a year? Because the remote on the Toshiba was absolutely worthless and there was no way to use a programmable, universal remote to make the Toshiba soundbar respond from across the room. Getting up off the sofa to physically press the buttons on the top of the sound bar was frustrating - so a good remote was definitely something I was looking for.Several reviews praised this Vizio model as a fix for all the things that plague most sound bar systems - and those reviews were spot on! The sound from the Vizio is great and it took me very little time to set up. There are a couple of set-up/installation niggling issues (most of which could be cleared up with a better owners manual) but I am very pleased with the performance and ease of use for the Vizio.Program the sound bar to read the volume up/down/mute commands from your TV/Satellite/Cable remote and you will probably never need the Vizio's (excellent) remote again after the first hour. Thumbs up!MINOR ISSUES1. I gather that my TV (a Samsung) doesn't push a Dolby 5.1 signal through the TV - which is fine. That is not the fault of this Vizio sound bar, but the instructions about "looking to see if the 5.1 light flashes on start up" didn't help me. I have no idea where on the soundbar that light is - since it isn't detailed anywhere in the manual. Not a big deal, since I've read the specs on my TV and it isn't capable of sending the 5.1 signal anyway.2. The two, wired satellite speakers that feed off the woofer are color coordinated - one blue and one grey. There is a blue or grey surround on the input jack on the back of each speaker, on the outputs from the subwoofer and similar colored rings on both ends of the cables - one blue and one grey. Sounds perfect, right? But, nowhere could I find which color was Left and which was Right. Maybe I am dim, but I didn't see the info in the manual/specs - either in the paper version in the box or the online PDF I downloaded. I had to power up the system up and then go into the settings (nice display on the Vizio remote is super-useful here) and shift the surround balance all the way left and then all the way right - and that is how I learned that the blue speaker should be positioned near my left ear as I sit on the sofa. Grey goes to the right. Why not include that in the manual?

ATTENTION PEOPLE WHO CAN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO PREVENT THE SOUND BAR FROM GOING SILENT INBETWEEN CHANNEL CHANGING/inbetween cutscenes in a game:::I have seen several people mention that they dislike how the sound bar automatically seems to turn off the moment it stops receiving any audio signal, even if it's very brief. I have even read how some customers ended up returning the product because they couldn't figure out how to turn off this feature. Reading the manual I found the solution where I least expected it. You can turn off this automatic default feature by turning off the VZtv Rmt setting. For some reason, they combined the automatic sound bar turn off with the VIZIO TV remote setting. Anyways, once you turn it off the soundbar no longer automatically turns off when changing channels or in-between custcenes while playing a game.As for the rest of the product: It's great as long as you plug it in correctly. If you do not see the DOLBY DIGITAL /DTS light when you turn on your sound bar and TV, then it's because your tv is not outputting true 5.1 sound. Yes, your sound bar will automatically create a faux 5.1 surround, but for the real 5.1 quality you will have to connect your soundbar directly to whatever you are using to stream or play movies and not the TV.Something else I haven't seen other users mention is how shows you may be watching via a streaming service, such as Netflix and Crunchyroll, will not output true 5.1 even though all the settings are set up correctly and the soundbar is lit up with the DOLBY/DTS light. It seems to be because the show you are trying to stream isn't calibrated to output at true 5.1 for whatever reason and you end up not having any output in the satellite speakers. To get around this I take advantage of the previously mentioned faux 5.1 surround that you hear when you connect your soundbar directly to the tv.This is how my setup works so that I choose between true 5.1 and the faux 5.1 depending on what I'm watching:I have both my PC and my PS4 connected to my TV.I have my Sound Bar connected via optical cable to my PS4 for true 5.1, which I use for playing games, movies, and streaming services.Additionally I have component cables connecting my sound bar to my TV for when something I am streaming on my PS4 isn't outputting true 5.1 and I want to switch to the faux 5.1, or for when I am using my TV to watch content I downloaded on my PC. You will have to change some computer settings to have your PC send audio signal to your TV for the component cables to pickup and send to the Soundbar.Just use the remote control to switch which input you want to use for sound for what you watching (Optical Cable for true 5.1, Aux for faux 5.1).You'll want to pump up most of the sound settings from 7 to like 9s and 11s though to get the best sound output.NOTE:::: When I connected my Sound Bar directly to my PS4, I noticed the TV was no longer in sync to the sound. This was quickly resolved by locating and selecting the "GAME (standard)" viewing mode on my tv. Apparently if your TV has some special effects that it applies to what you are viewing, it may cause the picture to go out of sync with the sound. Selecting the GAME view mode on your TV automatically disables any special effects your TV may be trying to apply so that it resolves any sync issues.Well that about covers it. I tried to discuss the technical stuff that I didn't see other users mention. It's a great buy and great value. Great product. 5stars.

I purchased this VIZIO sound bar after reading many of the reviews on Amazon. I was not disappointed. I had received a new 60 inch Vizio TV for Christmas, but gosh golly geez I had to crank the sound up to 50+ to hear much of anything. I went on the hunt for a solution and was surprised to see this sound bar also made by Vizio on Amazon with some of the highest reviews amongst available sound bars. The Bluetooth on the bar was very appealing. The price was on point for what I was looking to spend so I decided to give this bad boy a try.The initial setup was pretty straight forward and the included instruction manual was very clear. I initially tried using the included optical cable hooked into my TV, but the sound was hit or miss. Sometimes the sound would come out of the TV sometimes it would come out of the sound bar. I decided to give it one last try with the other included cables and now it works perfectly! I found the sound to be very crisp and consistent. When I use Spotify on the sound bar the music sounds great as well. I would definitely recommend this sound bar to anyone looking for a reasonably priced bar for their new or old TV.

I saw all of these other more negative reviews, and wanted to post my experience. Also note that I got this on an Amazon Goldbox deal for $52, so my review is based on this price point.Firstly, the soundbar was packaged well, wrapped in foam with foam pieces around the end, and the box itself shipped in a larger box with paper padding. The soundbar looks new - no evidence of any prior owners like you sometimes get with refurbished products. The remote was wrapped, with separate wrapped batteries. It came with a digital optical cable, a digital coaxial cable, and stereo (red/white) RCA cables, so that you could hook it up no matter what output your TV supports (they get extra points for coming with a digital optical cable! Even my 5.1 surround Samsung unit didn't come with one).Setup was easy, and it perfectly matches the horizontal space my 32" LG TV takes up (the soundbar was for a smaller TV in the bedroom with a Chromecast hooked up to it). I simply plugged the provided digital optical cable into my TV's optical output, and into the input on the soundbar, then plugged the soundbar into the wall.I started casting some music to the Chromecast, and the soundbar switched to the appropriate input automatically. The sound quality is leaps and bounds over the built in speakers of my LG TV. I read the instruction manual (took ~5 minutes - very well written manual - clear and concise), and tweaked the sound a bit. Bass and Treble can be adjusted -6/0/+6, and the settings that sounded best to my ears were +4 Bass (to compensate for no subwoofer) and +1 Treble. With these settings you get a surprisingly large amount of Bass (certainly more than my TV speakers provided) and very clear highs and mids. I only have the soundbar turned up to maybe 10% of the maximum volume and it's plenty loud - the power this little bar can put out is good. I also have the DTS TruVolume option turned on, since it's for the bedroom and this allows me to keep the volume quiter on the soundbar while still hearing the lower volume parts of a show/movie. The DTS TruSurround I kept turned off - I didn't like how it sounded. That's my one true negative - the TruSurround option just makes the sound more muddled - you lose the bass even if you crank it to +6, and it mixes the treble and mid more closely together. I didn't buy the bar for a surround sound replacement though, so I won't remove a star.Perfectly for me, my LG remote's power button and volume buttons turn on/off the soundbar and turn the volume up/down. So turning on/off my TV also turns on/off the soundbar, and I can use my TV remote to change the volume, so after setup I was able to stow the soundbar remote away. The remote has a Bluetooth pairing button on it, but the top of the soundbar does as well, so I wasn't losing that functionality. Speaking of the Bluetooth pairing, it was simple. Hold the Bluetooth button down for 5 seconds, and the soundbar's LEDs start running up and down, letting you know it's in "pairing" mode. My phone saw it right way, and paired immediately. Range seems about the same as my Amazon Echo - just fine. I don't see myself using the Bluetooth feature often with the Chromecast, but I wanted to test it for this review.I think the negative reviews for this product didn't know how to set it up properly. For 2.0 units you should always (in my opinion) tweak the treble/bass settings to accommodate for the missing woofer. This unit makes it so easy to do too. Also, my LG TV's audio options (fake surround, ClearVoice, etc.) were initially affecting the output to the soundbar, making it sound much worse. I went into the audio options and disabled the TV speakers (which disabled these additional options) and the audio coming out of this soundbar is excellent now. Other reviewers need to be cognizant of the fact that your TV's audio settings may be affecting the quality of the sound pushed to the soundbar, and since most are designed for the tinny television speakers in the TV, it makes the sound coming out of the bar worse.All in all, for $52, this is a great unit if you're looking to add great sound to a smaller TV set (fits my 32" TV exactly). Has great volume range, sounds great, has Bluetooth, and (for me at least) works with my television remote, so I don't have to keep two remotes on my nightstand. If you can find it on sale again, it's definitely worth the price. It might even be worth the regular $99, though I haven't researched what else is available at the price range - there may be better options. For $52 though, you can't go wrong with this Vizio.P.S. - even though the soundbar doesn't come with a subwoofer, it still has a subwoofer output. This means at any point in the future, if you buy an RCA powered subwoofer, you can add it to this soundbar to turn it from a 2.0 setup into a 2.1. I like that it has the option.

I bought this for my fiance's birthday today. Below is my post previous to finding on google an Amazon post back in 2013 that helped us resolve the issue. Read what our problem was then I posted below a review I found through google that helped us solve. So anyone with this problem read my entire post. On 5-28-2016: Hooked up today and already having issues. Hooked it up to my 65inch Samsung TV and whenever we rewind or fast-forward on the DVR the sound bar sound cuts off the sound completely but the sound bar is still on. In order to fix the issue we have to turn off the TV and then turn the TV back on. This has happened 6 times in the past 3 hours that we have had it hooked up. I am very disappointed. I think I will send this back and get a different brand. SOLUTION FOUND On 5-29-2016: ATTENTION PEOPLE WHO CAN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO PREVENT THE SOUND BAR FROM GOING SILENT INBETWEEN CHANNEL CHANGING/inbetween cutscenes in a game:::I have seen several people mention that they dislike how the sound bar automatically seems to turn off the moment it stops receiving any audio signal, even if it's very brief. I have even read how some customers ended up returning the product because they couldn't figure out how to turn off this feature. Reading the manual I found the solution where I least expected it. You can turn off this automatic default feature by turning off the VZtv Rmt setting. For some reason, they combined the automatic sound bar turn off with the VIZIO TV remote setting. Anyways, once you turn it off the soundbar no longer automatically turns off when changing channels or in-between custcenes while playing a game.As for the rest of the product: It's great as long as you plug it in correctly. If you do not see the DOLBY DIGITAL /DTS light when you turn on your sound bar and TV, then it's because your tv is not outputting true 5.1 sound. Yes, your sound bar will automatically create a faux 5.1 surround, but for the real 5.1 quality you will have to connect your soundbar directly to whatever you are using to stream or play movies and not the TV.Something else I haven't seen other users mention is how shows you may be watching via a streaming service, such as Netflix and Crunchyroll, will not output true 5.1 even though all the settings are set up correctly and the soundbar is lit up with the DOLBY/DTS light. It seems to be because the show you are trying to stream isn't calibrated to output at true 5.1 for whatever reason and you end up not having any output in the satellite speakers. To get around this I take advantage of the previously mentioned faux 5.1 surround that you hear when you connect your soundbar directly to the tv.This is how my setup works so that I choose between true 5.1 and the faux 5.1 depending on what I'm watching:I have both my PC and my PS4 connected to my TV.I have my Sound Bar connected via optical cable to my PS4 for true 5.1, which I use for playing games, movies, and streaming services.Additionally I have component cables connecting my sound bar to my TV for when something I am streaming on my PS4 isn't outputting true 5.1 and I want to switch to the faux 5.1, or for when I am using my TV to watch content I downloaded on my PC. You will have to change some computer settings to have your PC send audio signal to your TV for the component cables to pickup and send to the Soundbar.Just use the remote control to switch which input you want to use for sound for what you watching (Optical Cable for true 5.1, Aux for faux 5.1).You'll want to pump up most of the sound settings from 7 to like 9s and 11s though to get the best sound output.NOTE:::: When I connected my Sound Bar directly to my PS4, I noticed the TV was no longer in sync to the sound. This was quickly resolved by locating and selecting the "GAME (standard)" viewing mode on my tv. Apparently if your TV has some special effects that it applies to what you are viewing, it may cause the picture to go out of sync with the sound. Selecting the GAME view mode on your TV automatically disables any special effects your TV may be trying to apply so that it resolves any sync issues.Well that about covers it. I tried to discuss the technical stuff that I didn't see other users mention. It's a great buy and great value. Great product. 5stars.

Good sound upgrade from our new LG TV; can hear netflex dialogue much better with this sound bar! Be sure to buy the additional Amazon Basics Digital Optical Audo toslink cable that is necessary to hook up to back of your TV and to this sound bar. This sound bar does not have an HDMI slot, so do not order one. We struggled with how to connect the sound bar as only the red and white and a yellow analog cable was sent.This caused us a big of confusion at the beginning! We wanted the digital hook-up so had to then order the above optical toslink cable;suggestion, buy the one for $5.49 as No one bestseller as advertised on Amazon. At first we had TV sound and that was great but when we put on netflex NO sound!, So had to go into the TV settings, then audio, then take it off TV speakers and scroll down past external speakers and on the LG TV put it on the fourth one down LG sinc optical! Walla, then it brought in the netflex sound. On the other settings no sound when we put on netflex! Took a bit for us to get it set up, but happy now and the Amazon Tech. support is great, very patient with the older folks! Call them and they will guide you through it all! Hope this saves someone a little of hook-up frustration and an easier path! Best part for us the 29" is small and the sound it great!!

Awesome addition to our 50 inch Vizio TV. Very easy to mount it to the wall. It seriously took my husband like 10 minutes and we had this up and running. I LOVE that when I turn my TV on(with my TV remote) it turns the sound bar on automatically and I can use my TV remote to adjust the volume on the sound bar!!!!!! We use this in our bedroom, and it's perfect.

I received my speaker in 2 days. Took me 1 hour to completely install and teach myself the remote control options. My $1,200 samsung TV's sound was good for MOST tv shows and sporting events BUT when I watched public tv and the english progamming I couldnt understand what people like Sherlock Holmes, the detective masterpiece mysteries and most all of the "kings and queens" movies, the accent was hard to understand. With this product I understand ALL the dialog. With this sound bar you can not only get digital audio but also trebel, bass, surround and subwoofer all easy access. It sounds better than my stereo speakers on my stereo music receivers. Small, easy to operate, easy to install (I'm 69 years old) its just great, now I can watch all my favorite shows and understand every word.

VIZIO S4251w-B4 42-Inch 5.1 Channel Sound Bar with Wireless Subwoofer & Satellite Speakers (2013 Model)This setup sounds awesome. I got a great deal on this cause it was last years model when I bought it. The sound and volume capability are fantastic. I still get a kick out of it when a car door shuts and I automatically look toward the window,very realistic sound. I would give it five stars but I had a problem with the optical cable and can't get it to seat. That would have been alright, I thought I could just buy another one, but I can't find a replacement. The girl at Vizio thought I was some kind of idiot because it wouldn't sit properly. It's supposed to click when its seated and it won't click. I had it set up before but I had to disassemble and move it. I might try calling or chatting with Vizio again cause the girl kept to her troubleshooting matrix and didn't seem to have much practical knowledge of sound bars I have it hooked up with an audio cable but the optical would be better. Still sounds fantastic though.

I want a surround sound system in my living room but I didn't want to run any wires so I bought this 42" Vizio wireless sound bar and I didn't regret.Of course, it can't be compared to my Denon receiver surround sound system that I have setup in the theater room but this sound bar produces excellent surround sound for an unconventional quick setup surround sound system. The treble and bass are clear and pretty powerful for a little subwoofer, especially wireless. Very easy to setup, probably 10 minutes most. The reason I'm rating it 4 stars is because I believe this model was manufactured in 2012 or 2013 but there's no HDMI input which is ridiculous IMO. I think Vizio has included the HDMI port in the 2015 version.

I give the bar 5 stars as it sounds amazing. I give the sub 4 stars because every once and a while a specific note will distort or rattle at medium to high volume levels.NOW let's get to the rear speakers which I give 4 stars: When I first set the system up I was impressed with the sound. But when I put my ear close to the rears I noticed that they sounded different. Before I knew better I would describe the sound as broken, bad, low quality, underwater, choppy, muddy, and with muffled voices. I searched reviews and questions here and several people have commented the same, so I hope this review can help align peoples expectations of what the rears are supposed to sound like. Before I knew any better I thought they would sound the same as the fronts. But after research and getting a second opinion from my dad ,who is musical and knows better, I've discovered that the reason the rear speakers sound like they do is because they are (in true surround sound fashion) only playing ambient background sound. The voices sound quieter and muffled than the rest because it is trying to exclude them; you only want to hear voices coming from the front to create a theater effect. The rears are literally picking and choosing a few sounds from the rest. All together the system sounds great once balanced to the room they are in Personally I've concluded that the rears are fine and that surround sound is more for movies and not for listening to music. So when listening the music I turn off the rears. I gave the rears 4 stars because they seam a little cheap and they are playing through Bluetooth connection (not the best). My dad thinks these ones are a slightly on the "gimmick" side but you'd have too spend way more for a system with perfect rear speakers. I hope this helps some of you who had the same initial reaction to the rears as me. Overall and altogether it is hard to tell the deficiencies: 4 out of 5 stars

Compared to older 5.1 systems that required a lot of speaker wiring, this is quick and easy to deploy. The wireless sub & rear speakers work great and linked up with the system controls immediately upon plugging it in. Both my cable system box and my Xbox One are able to control the unit as well. Bluetooth works well and is able to connect to all my devices. Sound quality is good.Complaints are minor, but will affect some peoples' decision. Here they are.(1) The remote control has a small display that is not back-lit. In any dimly lit or dark situation, it's difficult to read the display.(2) Bluetooth can only pair with one device. To use it with my iPod or tablet, I have to re-pair the Bluetooth option to a different device. The remote should have had a "quick pair" button on it, instead of scrolling through the dozen-plus options on the hard-to-read remote screen every single time Bluetooth pairing to various devices is desired.(3) The volume LEDs on the front of the control bar are so small, they're a difficult to see.(4) The volume control increments up & down too quickly. With only one or two clicks of the remote to increase sound, volume increases dramatically. If you have a house with small children or light sleepers, it's hard to keep the sound from increasing from very soft to too loud during quieter hours of the day.(5) Sound quality falls off with noticeable distortion above 80% volume. Since I almost never play it that loud, this is negligible to me.Fix that handful of problems, and this is easily a five-star product.

***Update - 7/13/2017*** 3 years and counting...System is still going strong. No issues, especially while using the optical port for sound. For electronics, this was one of the best purchases I ever made. Because this one has worked so flawlessly, I ended up getting another set (newer model) for another TV. If you can find a set, pull the trigger, you won't regret it.Caveat: Only two days in after adjusting to listening preferences so these are FIRST impressions. I will update review and/or score after a few months worth of usage. I plan on using the setup daily.Pros: Good sound for $250. I've spent quite a few dollars on the traditional man cave setup so the $ spent here for the bedroom for a sound bar, two satellites, and a sub was nice. The additional surround sound from the two satellites is a nice compliment to the sound bar. You can really notice it when you turn the surround speakers 'down' or off altogether. Inclusion of every cable that could possibly be useful or helpful. Bluetooth has already proven useful...not only for sub but for streaming music from phone.Cons: Digital interface on remote functional but no remote back lighting is annoying - especially with lights off. Don't expect to get AVR-like digital read-outs from remote; minimalistic is the word of the day. Satellite speakers MUST plug into the sub. Really wish they had been bluetooth capable like the sub, which would have opened up more placement opportunities. As it stands, if you have a larger master bedroom, being beholden to speaker wires may be a hindrance.I like it so far. Worlds better than the TV speakers! Good lows and clear mids and highs. Have only used it for satellite programming so far. Will run it through the paces with bluray, Plex, and Roku in the coming days and weeks.

I can't add or refute praise buyers have posted for this soundbar system's audio fidelity and quality. After all, it was picked by CNET to receive the 'Best Product of CES' award at this year's Las Vegas "Consumer Electronic Show". I've waited since January to buy it, and finally, it became available locally at one of the discount box stores near me.But, I can tell you, the unit I purchased was not ready for prime time, as several others have pointed out in their reviews. Recent reviews give me more hope. One reviewer said, "..the first unit I had would go silent when changing channels while using cable. Probably due to audio format changes between hd and regular channels but not sure. I would then have to turn the sound bar off then back on to get sound.", he said.Folks, that was an understatement. After a pretty easy set up and using only the optical cable link from my optical output of my large flat screen Samsung to the soundbar, I immediately heard a dramatic difference in sound quality when compared with my older Vizio 2.1 system that had performed well despite it's inherent limits.Then, using my whole system Logitech remote, I switched from a live cable program source in HDMI 1 to my Blu-Ray device. So far, so good. That is until I skipped DVD chapters or fast-forwarded the DVD. The audio dropped out and would not return unless I rotated through the various inputs to re-initialize the audio in the "optical" input on the Vizio remote. No amount of tries or even DVD changes would prevent this. Next, I tried switching to the HDMI input for the Roku streaming device, but any fast-fowarding of video of a movie in progress suffered the same audio loss, no matter if I used Amazon Prime content or Netflix.I called Vizio customer service and the representative had me go through setup and connectivity to be sure the problem wasn't caused by me. He claimed he was unaware of any such issue, put me on hold to check his tech bulletins or reports, then came back on the line to tell me he couldn't find any reported instances of this problem. Then, in a step I hate, he proceeded to find fault with my brand of TV (as opposed to a Vizio large screen TV, which he said contains a circuit that allows consumers to change the audio phase delay and compression format. Right answer, they prefer PCM..or pulse code modulation).Now, I'm a life-long broadcaster and electronics buff, schooled in PCM audio and much more. So, I knew he was putting me on the E-ride at Disney World. His answer, I felt, was designed to blow off a serious Vizio model defect. It was similar to experiences I'm sure we all have had with PC manufacturer tech support "experts" who when they reach the limits of their knowledge or troubleshooting, claim the problem lies with your PC software or operating system. I reminded him Samsung is the world leader in flat screen product sales, in ratios of up to 9-1 over competitors (probably wider for Vizio sales).He had no answer for that, and he asked to again place me on hold to "check with his manager". And, "Eureka", he came back with the revelation that a firmware fix was needed and due out, but he didn't know when. He then admitted there was a defect and quoted the exact issue from "what his manager told him". He wouldn't budge on my suggestion to replace the unit as another reviewer said was done in his case. When I told him that's an offer one Amazon reviewer received as good customer service, he said they did replace some in early cases before a firmware upgrade was developed.I said that when a customer purchases his company's products they expect it to work and if it doesn't, to not have to tie up good money for a poor experience until a solution or fix is found, which presently has no target date.Now, his attitude went from authoritative to meek, and he was flummoxed when I asked how would I ever know when the firmware upgrade was available. Of course I knew Vizio wouldn't send me a message by taking my name. You have to check..daily, weekly or maybe until eternity.Of course, I returned the unit back to the point of purchase and cautioned the store clerks they might see more returns.I suspect this huge discount store chain bought this batch under an early contract for some of the first units to roll out of the factory. I am a faithful and constant Amazon customer. Amazon stock may be of a later vintage, but at the time, the discounter I purchased from had a significantly better price, including local sales tax.Vizio, if you are monitoring customer feedback, may I suggest you add some employee training on candor, and admit upfront there are problems with firmware early versions of this model. It's the only way to become truly mainstream as this product far and way produces great sound and solves a common problem with inexpensive soundbars with wireless bass only that can't produce room-filling 5.1 sound and eliminate wires to satellite speakers from the soundbar or amp.To potential buyers: Be sure to check out your purchase thoroughly and return it asap if you have these symptoms, or if you experience similar problems, check to see if the firmware upgrade has become available. I'm impressed enough that I'll wait to buy this model from Amazon after a decent interval in the hope I'll get a later version that has had a firmware change or upgrade. Normally, if you report any malfunction to Amazon within the specified time, you'll be treated right, but, note the Amazon disclaimer on this product, "This item is non returnable". What prompts Amazon to make this caveat? What does it know we don't, or have they had to eat the return costs too many times for defective units?And congratulations to those who made the choice and got a defect-free unit. I'll upgrade my rating level after I purchase a newer model version.UPDATE: 9/7/2013: Vizio has finally acknowledged and reacted to complaints by adding a firmware update to address this problem. Here is an excerpt from the Vizio website: "Firmware update version 1017 for the VIZIO S4251w-B4 Sound Bar. Download and follow the instructions below to update your S4251w-B4. This update addresses audio dropout on some units when changing channels using your Cable or Satellite Set Top Box. If you do not experience this issue, it is not necessary to update your sound bar."Nonetheless, I'll upgrade my rating by one-star but not amend my overall description of the problem in the interest of alerting buyers who purchase remaining stock with this problem. I am encouraged now to the point I will repurchase the unit. It is great sound for the money.Update: 10/6/2013I'm updating my rating one level to 4-stars now that I have repurchased this model. So far, it is glitch free but I have the Vizio website download file for the firmware fix on a USB thumbdrive in case it's needed. Can't rate it perfect because the buyer shouldn't experience this with a new product and then have to arm-wrestle the U.S. customer service rep until he finally admits they knew of the glitch all along and there will be a fix at an as-yet undetermined date -- despite the fact, you now have their unusable product and a debit on your credit card. Until confronted, he was perfectly satisfied to let me end the conversation with his apology that I had a bad experience and to send it for repairs under warranty. Show more respect for your customers, Vizio.Update: 2/11/2014 - Be sure to visit the Vizio website and download and install the latest firmware upgrade. Should fix problems with earlier versions of this model if switching between peripheral inputs such as DVD, SmartTV sources (Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc) and DVD players and main TV or HDMI source for your cable set-top box and DVR AND the soundbar can't find audio. From Vizio support site: "Firmware update version 1017 for the VIZIO S4251w-B4 Sound Bar. Download and follow the instructions below to update your S4251w-B4. This update addresses audio dropout on some units when changing channels using your Cable or Satellite Set Top Box. If you do not experience this issue, it is not necessary to update your sound bar."

Sounds excellent and was a significant upgrade to our crappy samsung built-in speakers. That said, when watching movies and some tv shows with multiple audio channels, the soundtrack/BG music can be much louder than the voices, which is annoying, since there are no advanced equalization or audio customization options.

Got a new tv and the sound was pretty crappy. SO my usual cure for anything is Amazon, which led me to this. Bought it, LOVE it and can finally hear every single episode of SVU! Now if only football season would hurry up, I am so ready to use it even more for that!!! Not too big and annoying and easy to use and I didn't find the price bad either!

I have a LG 34UM94-P "Ultrawide" 21:9 34" display attached to my 27" iMac. It looks beautiful, but the built in speakers are, well... built in speakers. They can't handle much and I like to listen to music and often, to watch movies in glorious 21:9 aspect ratio (No black bars anywhere!). The display is on an ergotron articulated arm for a zero footprint, adjustable effect. Desktop speakers aren't what's called for here and I'm not after a true surround installation, 2[.1] is just fine, DTS TruSurround is a good compromise.Given the very favorable reviews and extremely modest price of this Vizero SB2920-C6 29" 2.0 Channel (w/ subwoofer output) soundbar, I decided to take a chance, I am not disappointed. I purchased the Mounting Dream MD5420 Sound Bar Bracket Universal Sound Bar TV Mount hoping it would work and it almost didn't. However I found that by dispensing with the base mount arms and bolting together the two sets of long and short secondary arms it worked *perfectly*. I am quite pleased at the result, wherever I swing the display, the soundbar moves with it and the sound placement is thus perfect for videos, audio and video conferencing (I have a Logitech C930 stacked on top) and of course it enhances the music experience while working.NOTE: The combination of the display, mount and soundbar are somewhat taxing on the Ergotron LX articulated mount, I had to tighten the adjustment to the point I was worried that it would not have the range and I might break it. However I found a point where it seems to be working out fine. I'll update this review if anything fails.The next step will be to locate a modest subwoofer that I can place behind the desk and cable into the subwoofer output on the soundbar. The upgrade to 2.1 audio will be a swell enhancement to this successful project.

I really like this sound bar. The quality is terrific for the price. But the install was a freaking nightmare.I've got Verizon. Apparently, the audio output isn't in PCM. It was a disaster to switch over. Figuring out the problem took a long time. Was it the sound bar? My TV? The optical cable? The scientific method got a lot of use.Vizio, Sony (I have a Bravia) and Verizon couldn't help me. I called all three. I spent a lot of time problem-solving this. Too much time. I've aged quite a bit.There are some decent resources online to help, but this is really a mystery. Most reviewers have said this is an easy install, and, frankly, it should be a piece of cake. But my piece of cake took over ten hours.Basically, once you can figure out how to convert your devices to PCM, you're golden. But... my Sony Bravia doesn't have an option for that. The Verizon setting for that is on their "secret screen," which is a riddle to find ("press this button twice, then this button, then pray, or try again"). And nobody can really help you (unless you have both a Vizio TV and Vizio sound bar).I would buy this again. I'm now a semi-expert at all the audio device formats and outputs. But I'd prefer to have the time I spent on this back.

Hey this thing is a nifty little speaker with better than average sound - and for this price, you really can't go wrong. No it isn't as good as whatever you'll find from the more expensive models, but if you're looking in this price range you're probably not expecting that anyway. This baby will do the job for 90% of the people out there, so buy without hesitation. Movies sound great with fantastic detail and clarity.One con that you should be aware of...the sound bar was shipped in its original packaging with no shipping packaging and was dropped off outside my apartment door, meaning that anyone who walked by would be able to see exactly what it was from the picture on the box. Luckily I have trustworthy neighbors, but if you do not, this would be one major consideration. You might want to have it shipped someplace else more secure, if you can.

If you want to replace the typically "tinny" and "echoey" sound of your LED TV's internal speakers with much clearer sound that includes a realistic level of base reproduction...at a reasonable price...then this 29-inch Vizio sound bar has to be one of the very best on the market, dollar-for-dollar. There are only two reasons I haven't given it five stars: first reason is that the top end of its loudness range seems to be reached rather quickly when I occasionally feel a need to pot up the volume level to its maximum level...such as when there are noisy surroundings or when I'm more than 10-12 feet or so away from the TV/sound bar. (But I'm also hard of hearing, so I suspect most "normal" people might not find that to be an issue; and I don't either when I'm watching the 29-inch TV from my normal listening range of about 8-9 feet away from the sound bar.) Having said all that about what I believe is a very respectable (or "realistic") base capability of this sound bar...and about it's somewhat limited top volume level...I would NOT recommend this sound bar to anyone who likes to rupture their eardrums or feel base vibrations that rattle the floor-boards! This is a very satisfying, realistic-sounding sound bar meant for folks who just want good clear sound at normal hearing levels. The second issue I had was during the set-up procedure...and although the instruction manual told me to make sure to set my audio selection to one setting, after quite a lengthy, frustrating process that produced no sound at all, I finally tried the "raw" setting, which DID get the desired audio results. One final comment...this sound bar was purchased after I did a LOT of online research and reading of reviews...and I'm very pleased with my purchase of this model, especially at this relatively low price, as sound bar prices go. But it still irks me (this being my FIRST LED TV to which I needed to mate a sound bar for decent audio) that these TV manufacturers can't simply design their TV sets with better INTEGRATED/internal speaker systems! My old CRT TVs costing half the price of even the cheapest LED TVs produce very acceptable audio...maybe it's time the manufacturers start designing LED TV housings that include an extra 3-inches of height to house front-facing internal speakers with at least modestly respectable base range capabilities!!!!!!

While this is certainly better than the built in speakers on any flat panel TV, it certainly leaves something to be desired. First off, let me say that the form factor and ease of setup and use of this sound bar is great! The wireless subwoofer with satellite speakers was a smart idea. The sound quality is pretty decent, but I wouldn't call it amazing. I purchased this unit to replace a 15 year old Onkyo 5.1 system that I was too big for the room I had it in. This unit pales in comparison to that older unit in terms or sound quality. There are only two real problems with this sound bar (for me). The first one is that the difference between the volume levels is far too big. It gets loud quickly, and I have never set the volume louder than 4. For me, 3 is often too soft and 4 is often too lous, so I'm constantly switching back and forth. The second problem is that the subwoofer resets itself to max volume whenever you turn on the unit. It's a weird quirk and extremely annoying. It's easy enough to fix, but you'll have to do it nearly every time you turn the sound bar on and off. There's a few quirks as well. Every now and then, the unit will simply stop producing sound. This happens the most often when I pause my DVR for a minute or two. I've now had the sound bar for just over a month, and I am considering switching to something else. Yesterday, my other half told me they hated it (I wouldn't go that far, but have a high tolerance for fidgety things).

This sound bar is very good once you figure it out. As is usual for most products the instructions that come with the product hardly ever tell the whole story. There is a "quick set-up" guide, if you are lucky that will be all you need. If you have any issue I'd suggest checking their web site for support. There are lots of "secret" settings on the sound bar, on your TV, and on your cable box, that can give unexpected results, both good and bad. I tried the phone support and had to convince the person I wasn't a total idiot before I was treated to some moderately useful advice. Probably just having a bad day, but you aren't allowed to pass that attitude on to the customer. One thing I did get out of the conversation was to check their web support. That worked.

I'd give this a 4.5/5 if it weren't for issues connecting with my laptop.The bass is pretty overpowering even when I lower the bass setting but sound is crisp and clear. It has a really neat Night mode feature which dims the bass, perfect for apartment use during off hours. I have trouble getting it to connect with my laptops BT. Works flawlessly with my iPhone but takes fidgeting around to get it to connect with my laptop most of the time... I need to forget the device then reestablish connect and click reconnect most of the time.I've also had several instance where I thought my phone wasn't working but it has automatically connected to the bar which is turned off and is trying to push sound through that instead of the phone speaker. I just need to hit disconnectin my iPhones BT settings to fix it but it's another annoyance.

I purchased the refurbished unit which was described as follows: " - A refurbished VIZIO sound bar is a sound bar that has been returned to the manufacturer, refurbished, tested, and certified to work as If purchased new. This includes proper packaging, labeling, and the inclusion of all necessary accessories inside the box - VIZIO refurbished items may have minor cosmetic damage.I was amazed at the unit I received, which had a packing that was clearly nothing like from the original manufacturer. Yes, there were a couple of scuffs, the worst being the separation of the soundbar front from the back at the right corner. I suspect the attachment was broken, but it did not affect the sound or functioning so I am willing to forgive and forget. There were no manuals but just a copy of one page of the manual, which described how you link the bar to the sub woofer and how to do Bluetooth pairing. Again, the instructions were on the web, so I am willing to forgive. The original speaker wires (which are 12 feet) were missing, and was substituted with two wires each 6 feet long, so the required separation of the speakers were impossible. I had two speaker wires each at $10 purchased through Amazon, which took a couple of days. The AAA batteries which they claim was provided were not, so a trip to the local drug store solved that problem. No template to attach the speakers or the soundbar, and certainly no hardware. If this was "Factory certified", shame on you Vizio; if it was not, then you misled me into this purchase. After assembly, the unit is performing as expected, and therefore the 3 star rating. I buy factory refurbished goods, because of the savings as well as the fact that I am giving a home for a product dumped by someone else. This is clearly an out-lier, I will still buy factory refurbished units in the future. I will re-post my satisfaction of the unit itself in a few days after I have had a chance to use it

I bought this about 15 months ago and have had plenty of time to suss out what the pros and cons are for me.Pro:GREAT soundflexible ways to connect to audio sourceInconspicuous appearanceCons:Not very clear instructionsSometimes have difficulty getting it to connect to sourcesThe RCA wire between the sub and the satellite speakers is TERRIBLE!Customer service leaves something to be desired.My main issue really has been the sub to satellite wires. In both wires, the metal jacket on the rca plug broke off and got lodged inside the outlet on the subwoofer. One of them came right out and I was able to gorilla glue it back onto the plug tip. The other one got lodge inside the outlet and it took (I kid you not) 6 months of different trial and error to get that thing out of there. I tried using sharp objects, pushing from below, sticky tape, and exacto knife, gorilla glue on a toothpick , you name it. Keep in mind, I had to disassemble the sub woofer a little to get the circuit board out to do all this. When I contacted Vizio for help (specifically that I needed a new subwoofer board since the chunk of metal was stuck inside mine) they referred me to three outside vendors who sell their parts. First of all, if you supply s***ty cables and they break apart, you should just give me a new board and be glad I'm not just returing the whole shebang. Secondly, if you're going to be a douche about it and just expect me to pay for the parts myself, at least refer me to a vendor who actually sells the part that I told you I needed - none of the sites sell the subwoofer board. So much for that.Eventually, by some act of God, I got the second metal tip out and when I tried to gorilla glue that one back on , the plastic tip broke off in my hand. So now I at least have a working subwoofer board but will have to buy new RCA cables. I certainly won't buy the OEM ones but will get some better quality ones off Amazon.It's too bad that they dropped the ball on this, because the sound (when I can actually use it) IS really good.

Great intentions do not always make a great product. I purchased the S4251 system to use in my apartment living room. Overall the system is OK, but I have a few nits to pick. I have the system working with my Amazon purchased Vizio 55" 3D smart TV. I have the TV connected to the S4251 via fiber optic cable.The remote control redefines the word 'cheap'. It feels flimsy in the hand, the LCD display is not backlit, and without good visual feedback it's difficult to tell what actions have been accepted. Due to the cheap remote, fine tuning the sound bar is a hit or miss proposition.Do not confuse this set up with a free standing receiver with the related wiring problems and getting matching speakers. The performance of the Vizio doesn't get anywhere near that level. For the price this system will give modern slim LCD TVs far better sound up front and some sense of depth of field with the appropriate source programming.Perhaps the best feature of this system is that it's wireless. The rear speakers connect to the subwoofer. These speakers connect to the soundbar via bluetooth. The pairing is automatic and painless. There are no wires to run along walls to get to the front soundbar.If you have a couple of hundred dollars and want improved sound from your TV, this system will be fine. Just don't expect it to perform anywhere near the level of a dedicated receiver or a soundbar from Sony that costs 4-5X more. It does it's job in an apartment living room, and perhaps a dedicated media room in a house. If you don't have great expectations going in, then you'll never be disappointed. This is one area that Vizio needs to invest a bit more time. If the remote weren't so cheap and not user friendly I would have given this a higher rating.

The sound is decent, but we had an issue with a blaring/static noise after only a few days. It turns out it was the optical cable. I bought a new one and it worked fine after that. That said, who wants to have to buy new cables for their new equipment. It operated with my vizio tv remote, which was great, but I haven't figured out how to operate it with my directv remote, yet. It definitely works better than using the speakers on the tv, by far.

I owned a Vizio sound bar prior to buying this one and said I would not own another one because the one I had was quirky and quit completely after a couple of years. But, after reading the reviews on this one, I decided to try another one. It was delivered as promised and was well-packaged and there was no damage. Setup was relatively easy since I was familiar with the previous bar I had owned.First off, I tried the digital optimal source and it did not work even though it did on my earlier Vizio. So, I switched to the red/white connections since my TV does not have the coaxial port. I also hooked a subwoofer to it that I already had.Sound quality is so-so but is better than the TV speakers. A couple of times I have had to re-set the source detect as I was getting no sound even with all the other settings correct. No explanation for why this has happened. The bar shuts off after a period and then has to be turned on with the remote again when I turn the TV on - I had assumed it would turn on automatically, but it doesn't.All in all, the bar is acceptable, but don't expect high quality sound but sound that is better than the TV. I won't send it back as I also bought a 2 year warranty on it but because of the reviews I read here, I expected better.

Sound quality is great! Connectivity is great all of it is fantastic. But my remote control isnt working at all? I tried all the instructions in the manual even went on the internet to find ways to connect. Nothing worked. But i bet its just me. Everyone else seems happy with the product

The problem with this sound bar is that there is an extreme gap between "too quiet to really be audible" and "so loud it is annoying." You get what you pay for (and the price is cheap; which is why I bought it), but I wish I would have bought the bose sound bar.

It arrived yesterday, worked great for the first couple minutes. Then it stopped working and began to emit a high pitched electronic squealing sound. I turned it off and back on. It worked again for a little while, then more of the same annoying noise. Eventually it wouldn't work at all. Nothing but the high pitched noise when I turned it on. At the beginning of my trouble shooting, I tried switching from the digital optic cable to the RCA cable to see if that would fix it. The same. It would work for a couple minutes, then more electronic screeching noise. I'm returning this item and have asked for a replacement. I hope the replacement actually work.Update: amazon sent me the replacement right away. They give you 30 days to return the defective one. I must say, the replacement works great so far. It's a great addition to our 40 inch tv and the Bluetooth works with our phones too for playing music and podcasts. Great deal for the price.

I picked this up because my older parents were using my Samsung plasma TV and blowing out the rear speakers because my mother is hard of hearing. This plugged right into the back of the TV via digital optical cable.The sound is decent, much clearer than stock flat screen TV speakers. The audio also emanates out towards the viewer, thus, my mother can actually hear the audio much clearer on lower volume setting. The stock TV audio would buzz off of the back wall and my mother could not hear it, even though the decibels were significantly louder and seemingly clear to a normal hearing person.The sound quality is better than stock TV speakers, however, if you want a quality home theater surround sound experience, look elsewhere.I actually want to confess something: this item really helped me because I no longer hear the loud TV speakers buzzing through the walls across the house. You can only hear the TV now if you are watching television in the TV room. That alone deserves a 5/5 for my sleeping schedule.

I bought two of these, one as a gift and one for myself. This was a year and a half passed. Speakers sound good still, but the remote in one is useless. The LED screen went out (by the way, the remote is a pain anyway. Hard to see as is not backlit). There is NO other way to adjust these speakers or change the input of the remote goes out. So far I have tried to order a replacement remote once... and the replacement had the same issue. I would avoid these speakers .

I bought this refurb model as I was very happy with a non-refurb version of this model and wanted to save a bit of cash.The refurb bluetooth range is horrible compared with the exact same new model I have.With the refurb model, the connection drops intermittently if I take my phone 10 feet away from the speaker bar. With the non-refurb model, I can take my phone to a separate floor and it still plays music consistently.The return policy doesn't cover bluetooth connectivity, so I'm stuck with a very mediocre sound experience.I'm giving it 2 stars instead of 1 star because the sound quality over bluetooth is good when I keep my phone within ~10 feet of the sound bar.

worked great until it didn't work. About 1 1/2 years after purchasing this item it just stopped working all together. First the subwoofer stopped receiving a signal, then no controllers worked with it and finally it stopped putting sound out completely. I tried power cycling it and resetting it but nothing worked. 6 months after the warranty expired, perfect timing.

It was easy to set up and sounded ok playing movies. Music was another thing. Lots of buzzing in the trebles. And then the remote started to act up, only working sporadically. And then there were the times there was simply no sound at all. I tried the reset a few times, but it never worked like it was supposed to (lights on the front were to flash 3 times to let you know it worked). Had to unplug and hook it all back up. I know it was inexpensive, so I wasn't expecting super sound, but I didn't know it was cheap.I returned it.

As others have, when I received the item, it appeared as though the box had been previously opened and then poorly retaped up with packing tape. When I opened the box, the four speakers were there, but there was no remote or cables inside, making the sound bar useless. I called amazon to fix it, and the first customer service representative was less than helpful (rare for amazon), but the manager was more than helpful. I'll update my review once I get everything sorted out.

I've had this soundbar for about 4 months now. The two little side speakers are a joke. They hardly put out any sound at all. Maybe if you're using them in a 7 x 7 foot room you'd hear them. Otherwise, it's a waste. As if that wasn't enough, now, after four months of use, the sound keeps cutting off from the soundbar. I have to turn it on and off several times and even then the sound sometimes cuts out in the middle of what I'm watching. Even when it was working, there was a time lag between what I was seeing and what I was hearing.Unfortunately, it's too late to return this piece of crap for a refund. Save your money on this one.I gave two stars because it did arrive in a timely manner and was well packaged. That, unfortunately, is the best I can say for this set of speakers.UPDATE: I'm on the phone with technical support right now. First I went to their website for troubleshooting and was directed to download a firmware update and install it onto a thumb drive which I was instructed to insert into the back of the soundbar. I did all that was instructed and now I'm getting no sound at all. Technical support has taken me through a number of repetitive steps, none of which have resulted in my getting sound back yet. I will update if (and when) that happens.UPDATE #2: It's now been two days since speaking with Technical Support. They couldn't help me get the sound back on my sound bar and said that the download was in fact causing some soundbars to malfunction. The only solution was to send me a "re-certified" soundbar. But first I would have to send back my nonfunctioning unit. The rep said they would email me a label to return it to them and that I should be receiving the label within the next 5 minutes. It's now 12 hours later, and I have not received the mailing label.I will say that everyone I've spoken with in Customer Service has been extremely nice and apologetic. Hopefully this means this issue will be satisfactorily resolved soon. Will update as new developments occur.UPDATE #3: After much back and forth, I finally sent back the defective soundbar. I had to send it in two separate boxes as I had to damage the original box in order to open it. I bubble wrapped the items, and double boxed them, to make sure they arrived undamaged. I took photos as I had a feeling they would try to say they arrived damaged. I sent the items Fedex Ground. I checked the tracking number and saw that they arrived the following day at the Vizio warehouse, which is located in California, not too far from me. Sure enough, I received an email saying they had received the items and that they are damaged. So now I think they're going to try to say that they can't replace them because they received them in damaged condition.UPDATE #4: I just hung up the phone from another call to Vizio trying to resolve the situation satisfactorily, again to no avail. I was told by a representative that, since the unit arrived at the warehouse damaged, the warranty has been voided and, if I want, at my expense, they can return the same unit back to me. I asked to speak with a supervisor and was put on hold. Forty minutes later, after being on hold and listening to the same song being looped, I was switched back to another representative (not a supervisor) and told that there was no record of the previous conversation and could I repeat what transpired. I hung up out of frustration and because I have things to do. However, I will be calling back again later, as I refuse to just eat almost $300!My advice to you if you're considering purchasing this: DON'T BUY THIS PIECE OF CRAP! Save yourself lots of frustration and lost time and buy something more reliable.

Sure, it "works", but the telling factor was the 5 volt 1 amp power supply. That means this thing BEST CASE could create 5 watt total output. I found that it distorts horribly if you turn the volume up to overcome ambient noise. I struggled with the input selector. The TOS link input works fine, but suddenly you can't control the sound from the TV in ANY WAY, not volume, not mute. I finally fell back to Analog from the TV that allowed both volume control and mute functions from the TV.I would NOT purchase again, but it does work so hard to just throw it away.. So far..My biggest upset is the wimpy sound output that MOSTLY reveals itself as distorted bass lines.. Turn the bass WAY down and it is still a bit better then the built in TV speakers, but honestly? Just barely.

Good little cheap soundbar. Sound quality drops off past a certain volume level, but for normal everyday use, this is not a big problem. Optic cable they provide i found to be just barely long enough for my set-up. I recommend buying a longer one. The only major problem I have had is that the bluetooth won't pair easily to your device. It's actually quite f-ing ridiculous how hard it is to pair to a device. I will literally have my phone laying on top of soundbar and they won't be able to find each other. If i would have know that, I more than likely would've gotten something else. With that being said, I give it an average rating.

this thing is a piece. it worked wonderfully when i first bought it. i connected it to my TV and also used it via bluetooth with my phone, ipad, etc. after about 2 months of light use, the bluetooth signal got shaky and would disconnect and then take a really long time to pair and then, it wouldn't pair with any bluetooth devices. now, the unite won't even work with my HDMI or AUX cord to my TV. but it would still work with my phone and ipad for music...for a little while. now, every time i plug a device into the aux, it will work for a couple minutes, then it stops. and won't work again until a day or so later. i have NO clue what the deal is. it's collecting dust under my TV now...

I purchased this because I needed a external speaker to hang above a couple treadmills. I didn't need anything fancy so this vizio seemed like the right choice. I purchased a 25' optical digital cable also. I am technically savvy so I had it hooked up correctly and the television set up to work with it. NO SOUND. I went through the whole hookup process again to make sure I had installed everything correctly. NO SOUND. I called Vizio's support line and the gentleman was very helpful but after an hour of tearing my house apart hooking up different devices and using different cables...NO SOUND. Not to mention he blamed my TV first. So...Vizio would replace it after they received it back, in 7-10 business days. It must be coming by stagecoach. I opted to not excersize that option but went back to Amazon for a replacement. Hooray for Amazon, they are sending a replacement in two days. BEFORE I send back the defective one. Bless you Amazon! I will update this after I install the new one. By the way I bought a 65" Vizio TV from Costco for my son and that was defective also. Took Vizio a month to come out and replace it. Boo Vizio! UPDATE: 1/30/17. I received the replacement sound bar and quickly hooked it up. WTF?? The optical cable input on the new sound bar didn't work. Got on the phone with Vizio tech support and once again jumped through hoops trying to get it to work.I've used different optical/digital cables (brand new) and two different devices ( New Samsung 65" TV and 3rd Gen Apple TV with optical; output. The sound bar would not " recognize either device. "So what to do? I bought this originally to hang above a couple treadmills in an adjoining room. Although I wanted the best sound, typically I'm just watching the morning news so sound quality isn't absolutely necessary. So after going through all this trouble I hung the sound bar up and tried it with bluetooth, which worked. The whole process has worn me out so i've decided to keep it for awhile and see if it will work out for me.Amazon is great with their returns so I've got time to give it a try. I will never purchase another Vizio product nor will I ever recommend one, regardless of price. Buyer Beware.

Disappointing sound increase too drastic and not even

I liked it when we first got it, but after 3 months it suddenly started stopped working. We were watching TV and it just started buzzing. We tried different channels, and different inputs, but it just buzzes. We've restarted it, unplugged competing channels, everything we can think of. The only thing that stops the buzzing is if we "mute" it. I'm so disappointed!

The clicker that comes with this unit is needlessly complex, and its liquid crystal display is nearly impossible to read except in the absolute best lighting conditions, which aren't exactly conducive to watching a movie.But it did work -- for a week. Then all of a sudden it just stopped working. So back to amazon.com it went.

Purchased the refurbished soundbar from XtraSaver. Received this item an hour back. The sub-woofer is dead and won't turn on. Tried pairing it following the instruction but that did not work either. The pairing indicator (LED) won't turn up even after pressing and holding the pairing button on the sub-woofer for more that 5 seconds.So called up Vizio for help and here comes the bummer. Although this item is refurbished, XtraSaver is NOT AUTHORIZED with Vizio and this item DOES NOT HAVE A WARRANTY from Vizio. So technically XtraSaver is lying by claiming this refurbished?Have requested refund. Let's see how that goes.*First bad experience from an Amazon purchase. Well everything has a first time I guess.Update==================================Bought the same model from amazon again which is the 2013 version and not refurbished. Differences between the two1. The DTS Circle sound did not work properly in this one. The splitting was awkward, probably based on decibel levels. The 2013 version does a way better job.2. The BLUETOOTH connectivity did not function properly. Had to connect my laptop everytime. The 2013 connects automatically after the first sync. Also the sub-woofer was delivering higher bass when connected via BLUETOOTH compared to the audio cable. This problem does not exist in the 2013 model.3. The remote had to pointed directly towards the speaker to make it work. The 2013 remote works better.4. Wall mounting fittings for the rear speakers were absent in the package. @013 model came with all the fittings.Summery- This refurbished version is $191 and you have to pay around $30 for shipment. There's no point not buying the 2013 version which is $ 180 right now (I paid $169 a couple of weeks back). Also, my conversation with the vizio customer support reveals that the third party sellers on amazon are NOT vizio authorized. Which means vizio products purchased from them are NOT covered under vizio warranty.This is my hunch- the third party sellers merely got the casing and assembled using cheaper chips and programs which results in a much worse out put.

And yet, I won't send it back. Because I'm lazy.But yes, I am one of thousands (millions?) of dupes who bought this product and deal with it just automatically going silent. Between songs playing on my iPhone. Between commercials on TV. Whenever it damn well feels like it.I did read a reviewer on this thread who claimed that turning off the VZtvRmt setting would fix this mildly irritating (read: infuriating) "feature". Do not believe the lies. I have repeated this process over and over again, only to find that I am in fact insane because it hasn't worked once. I reset the sound bar to factory settings: no dice.So, I'll keep living a life where I have to power down my sound bar then back up again any time I want it to do its most basic function: play sounds. But VIZIO, if you read these (doubtful), know that I hate your product with the fiery hatred of 1,000 suns.

This sound bar was a problem from day one. I should have returned it then, but made the mistake of thinking one of my friends could make it work. The volume control is a joke, there is no 'control'. It goes way up with the slightest touch one day and then the next I can fiddle with it for several minutes to get any sound at all. Not until this month am I able to purchase a replacement (different manufacturer) and then found out it is beyond refund or replacement. My bad, I guess.

Update - Round 2: Amazon sent a replacement. Still very easy to setup. Still works for about 30 minutes before sound starts cutting out. This time both the sound bar and the base module stopped working intermittently. I am returning and going with another brand.I bought the Vizio soundbar when I moved to a new house with built ins that would not fit my receiver and 5.1 system. The 42 inch system had good reviews on Amazon and some tech sites said the sound quality was great for the price. Setup is very easy. It only took a few minutes to run wires and pair with my universal remote. Bluetooth pairing is also very easy. I only set up the soundbar and the wireless sub to begin with but the sound was still very good while it lasted. I started up a BluRay and sat back to enjoy but about 30 minutes into the movie I noticed the base was significantly diminished. It turns out the sub was no longer operating properly in fact all it was doing was thumping at a regular interval which is worse than just shutting off. I've spent the better part of a month trying to trouble shoot the issue to no avail. I'm giving up and returning it if I can. Very disappointing.

This was nice at first and everything worked as advertised but about 3 months into owning it the sound would just drop off randomly and not come back until I powered it or the tv off. I'm a professional AV guy and followed the instructions exactly as they are written to update the firmware and still no luck. I then called tech support at Vizio and went through various steps to do the update and yet again got nowhere. The final straw was when I noticed that it won't even pair with my cell phone anymore. It's not right that a unit only 6 or 7 months old just stops working. I was really happy with it at first but now I'm kicking myself for buying this and will pass the word on to my friends and family that Vizio is a brand to stay away from.

When I first turned this on, the sound quality was great. Then, mere minutes later, the great sound quality turned into loud static. Now, every time I try and use this (not even at a high volume) I almost immediately am met with static. After going to Vizio Customer Service, they strung me along for two months until telling me they can't help and I had passed my warranty. Don't waste your time or money on this.

Terrible. Every once in a while the it would produce high volume screeches. Customer servive told me how to soft boot & factory reset. But of course now that the warranty has run out nothing stops the frightening sounds.

I ordered this as a father's day gift and it actually worked really fantastically. For about 7 months. Back in the end of Feb 2017 (was purchased June of 2016) the bar starting making a horrendous high pitched buzzing noise and wouldn't play any other sounds from the TV. We had to physically unplug it. It came with a 1-year warranty, but I emailed about it when it first broke and as of today (3.24.17) I have not heard back. DO NOT BUY THIS!!

Took us awhile to get sound to come out of it. Finally it was working. It sounded great. But then we change shows and it stops work again. We tried cycling power. Changing inputs. Unplugging. It doesn't work. We get it to work again hours later but the same thing happens again. I do not recommend. We are returning!!

I tried plugging it in with every cable to either the Direct TV box or the TV itself. First of all, there was a delay with the sound and the TV (AQUOS Sharp 60"). Secondly, the speakers to the sound bar would suddenly cut out randomly into a buzzing sound. This happened at varying times, but usually within a minute of turning the sound bar back on. I tried adjusting the treble, bass, etc, but to no avail. I looked up a few questions where some others have had this problem and there's no answers to fix it. Either I got a defective one or this is fairly normal. I'm not going to risk going through this again, it's being returned. Very disappointed with VIZIO.

Only lasted 37 days and then died! This sound bar sounds great and is easy to set up. However, I purchased it on 9/11/15 and it died today. I tried to return it but the company only has a 30-day return policy. Imagine, I missed it by 7 days. I haven't contacted the manufacturer yet but I can't believe that it didn't last more than 2 months. Now that's just sad!