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VIZIO S3851w-D4 38" 5.1 Channel Sound Bar with Wireless Subwoofer & Rear Satellite Speakers - VIZIO
Samsung
Samsung HW-F450 / HW-FM45C/ZA 2.1 Channel 280-Watt Soundbar - (Certified Refurbished) - Samsung

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VIZIO http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41EEQsi-BvL._SL160_.jpg
VIZIO S3851w-D4 38" 5.1 Channel Sound Bar with Wireless Subwoofer & Rear Satellite Speakers - VIZIO
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Samsung http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51FEXLp7UCL._SL160_.jpg
Samsung HW-F450 / HW-FM45C/ZA 2.1 Channel 280-Watt Soundbar - (Certified Refurbished) - Samsung
Rating info
eComparisons Score
eComparisons ScoreThe "Comparison Score" Is calculated based on the average number of times this item was compared with other items in this category by our users
8.4
7.4
User Rating (Amazon)
User Rating (Amazon)

Five Star Reviews:

67%
Worth. Every. Penny.
April 20, 2015
By no means am I an audiophile, so this review will in no way pertain to those that are. For the price, this setup is perfect for my living room where I have the Benq 1085ST just in front of the ottoman. The soundbar is wired to the projector, and the sub and rear speakers are sitting at the back of the room. The wireless flexibility with the sub and rear speakers worked well.

The system has Bluetooth capability, which I use for Pandora through my smartphone. The rear speakers shouldn't work since Pandora is not 5.1, but the sound still works in the rear (although there is a little bit of digital wonkiness going on, but barely noticeable).

I have a friend that tried to talk me into a $700-800 sound system including a $300 receiver, but I figured I'd check this out first, and I'm glad I did. It is loud, clear and carried a lot of bass. I can't be happier than the pairing of this with a 150" projected screen!
Excellant for the $ Spent.
April 14, 2015
For the $ spent, this system sounds like a much more expensive one.
After you get the speaker placement right for your crib, dial in how much surround, bass, treble that suits your taste, you will be amazed with the results.
The fact that other devices besides your TV can be bluetoothed into the system will please one also.
I've been listening to my entire music library because the songs sound ever so much more so better on a surround system.
The default system settings are a lot too "bassey" for my taste because ,no fooling, this little system will rattle your windows.
Bass, treble, how much surround you want, how much sub-woofer and balance can all be adjusted with the remote.
Well worth my hard earned cash.
Mind Blowing that a speaker can do all of this!
March 7, 2015
I wouldn't call my self an audiophile, but i am as close to one as you can get. I pay very close attention to how things sound though speakers, and want my music and TV and movies to sound as good as possible.

I don't normally write reviews but I had to with this one. They power is more than enough. The treble is EXTREMELY clear and the mids are perfect and the bass is surprisingly full and hard hitting (in a good way).

But my favorite part BY FAR is the surround sound aspect of these. I was just considering a normal 2.1 sound bar for TV and a few movies and some music to listen to, but i am SO glad i went with these. Somehow, they take bits and pieces of, lets say a TV show, and play them on the back speakers. This gives EVERY TV show, even ones that are NOT in surround sound, a very well done and, to me, flawless, surround sound feel! My TV is even hooked up to the sound bar with a 3.5mm stereo cable (which is not capable of transmitting anything other than stereo sound) but the sound bar somehow picks out sounds that should be played through the rear speakers and does just that. Makes shows like a 1998 simpsons episode, the news, and even documentaries sound like they were shot in 5.1 surround sound.

When i have friends over i love to play music on these speakers using bluetooth from my phone. Just like it does with the TV sound, it splits the music into surround sound too. Lets take a hip-hop sound for example, because thats what i listen to the most. The singers voice and main instruments will of course come through the front speakers as normal, but ANY sort of echo, or extra person saying "yeah" or "uh huh" in the background is exclusively played through the rear speakers. And hi-hats are sometimes sent to the rear speakers as well, depending on the song, but not once have i heard a song that wasn't split up into surround sound perfectly.

The remote has little lcd display akin to a typical alarm clock which makes changing settings super easy. i like to turn the surround sound effect up when i listen to music because it adds so much depth (i can seriously sit on the couch and listen to songs I've heard 100 times and be amazed at how much different and amazing it sounds) and i turn the surround sound effect down to a normal level for TV and movies.

The wireless subwoofer can fill an entire room with all the ranges of bass you could imagine. the bass from the center bar alone is WAY more than my flat panel TV has alone, And i can only turn up the subwoofer to half way at the most without disturbing my neighbors. Luckily you have full control over all the aspects of the sound, like bass treble and surround, so you can tune it to your liking and not have to worry about disturbing neighbors.

If you have never had a sound bar on your TV before (like me) then this is a great pick. TV alone will sound like a whole new beast. You will be blown away from all the sounds you have been missing.

I have bought hundreds of items off amazon, and this is probably the only item i can recommend to anyone with no doubt in my mind what so ever.

Also don't forget to by speaker stands for the rear speakers as they are not included!
The sub was very easy to sync with the sound bar (press of a ...
February 9, 2015
I set the sound bar, sub woofer, and speakers up without a problem. The sub was very easy to sync with the sound bar (press of a button) and the two rear speakers have plenty of cord to be placed wherever you want them. For anyone wondering, the sub woofer is wireless from the sound bar, but requires a power source. The two satellite speakers are wired and plug into the sub woofer for both sound & power. Also, regarding menu/setting navigation. The remote makes it quite easy to since it displays the menu you are on via the little LCD screen on the top of the remote.

I ended up mounting the sound bar and the brackets/screws they include are sufficient. Drywall anchors are not included so if you plan on mounting somewhere without a stud, I would suggest purchasing some. The sound bar slides right into the brackets and can be easily moved on/off the brackets. The sound bar is quite sleek mounted, but one negative is that once mounted the ports are not easy to access. In order to access any of the ports (aux/optical/etc.), you'll need to temporarily take the sound bar off the wall.

While I was using the system, I was running into a problem where the sound would randomly cut out (via optical) for a brief moment. I plugged in the optical that was included (I was using one I had already had) and it seemed to correct the problem.

As for actual sound quality, I was blown away by the set. While I was not expecting horrible speakers, the quality astonished me. The set has a very nice-sounding bass and everything seems to be crisp and clear. I've played both movies/games on the speakers and it truly gives the 5.1 sound effect. Every now-and-then I'll hear or a doorbell and it will take me a moment to recognize that it was the speakers, not someone actually at the door. The sound isn't limited to movies/games and music also sounds phenomenal. This blows Vizio's 2.1 sound bar out of the water (I also own it has since come a music player in another room) and I would certainly purchase it again.
Outstanding System
December 23, 2014
I set this up as per the enclosed instructions and was up and running in very short time. I am a real novice and usually terrified of electronic connections which outwardly may appear complicated; however, this unit is definitely the exception to the rule. I was surprised at the ease of hookup and setup; and after the initial changes to some settings, the sound surpasses what I had expected. this is a superior unit which truly delivers outstanding quality sound and performance. If you are the least bit interested, this is the unit to purchase. It is definitely worth the investment; you will be very pleased at the resulting sound from the system. It makes the TV speakers sound as if they were never functioning properly at all. I can only reiterate - try it, you will love it too!!!
42%
Great sound and feature set
October 9, 2015
This is great. It has dramatically improved the sound from our Samsung television. Setup was very easy - the subwoofer paired right away without the issues others seem to be experiencing. The sound quality is excellent without much configuration.The small remote gives quick access to all the features which can further refine your sound. The subwoofer volume buttons are particularly helpful when switching between talking head documentaries and films with lots action scenes.The compressor can be a bit aggressive and cause loud parts of a soundtrack to be much too loud relative to the dialogue. Some tweaking of the EQ presets and the dynamic range compressor fixed it, although I wish it was but more automatic for the novice user.The HDMI in/outs are great so you can set this up with minimal wiring. The additional inputs are useful. I have an Airport Express going into the aux jack so I can listen to AirPlay music through the system. Autoswitching of sources would be nice but manual adjustment is easy.If you're still listening to TV through your lousy onboard speakers, take the plunge and upgrade. You'll be pleasantly surprised at how much better your viewing experience is.
Great purchase!
May 23, 2015
Sounds great and very easy to install. Sound quality is very clean and the bass isn't overwhelming. If your looking for something that pounds loud enough to shake pictures off your wall and piss off your neighbors, this might not be exactly what you're looking for. Don't get me wrong, the sound quality is very clean and to me the bass is a perfect complement. I bought this to use in my game room to be able to play music wirelessly from my phone/tablet or to run my tv's audio through it and it is perfect. Even though this was a "refurbished" product, it came in the factory sealed box with the factory plastic covers still on the entire unit. No scuffs, dings or scratches...looks brand new! Very happy with this purchase.
but happily, to find out that this model was different ...
February 12, 2015
This is the second Samsung HW-F450 that I purchased. The first one was to replace a surround system connected to the HDTV in the family room. This same model was purchased to replace the surround sound in my bedroom. I was surprised, but happily, to find out that this model was different than the one in the living room and was an updated version.Connecting to the TV was easy via the Optical cable. This version even came with the Optical cable, which the other version did not. I connected this to an LG, so the TV doesn't have to be a Samsung, like the one in the family room. I then connected the cable DVR and a blu-ray media player to the TV via HDMI and all worked fine with sound to the sound bar. My computer was connected either by blue tooth and/or RCA to aux input jacks. I even enjoy listening to my iPhone via blue tooth.A very nice sounding system and I highly recommend this for the price.
Great Sound for the Budget Conscious
November 8, 2014
This is a refurbished item. I was hoping for receive the HW-F450 model, but received the HW-FM45C/ZA model. From further research, they seem to be about the same. Other than that personal preference, everything is great. I installed it on an older Samsung Plasma TV. The speakers on the TV are terrible compared to this. I can finally hear sound clearly instead of muted. I don't have the volume set very high - usually only about 10. The sub-woofer doesn't do to much at that volume, but you can tell it is there. If I increase the volume to 15 or higher, you can really feeling the sub-woofer kick in. The setup was easy. The provided remote even controls my TV. It came with a digital audio cable. I didn't realize that and had purchased another separately. The only item included that you could tell was not new was a photo copied manual. It was also missing the Toroidal ferrite core on the unit I received. I am very happy with the purchase on performance of this product.
Easy set-up for Samsung TV's with "SoundShare"
October 28, 2014
If you are expecting audiophile or surround-sound quality (for only $160), you won't get that, but it's a BIG improvement over the TV speakers. To sync the sub-woofer to the soundbar, you simply press a paper clip into a hole and then press MUTE on the remote for 5 seconds. The sub-woofer links up to the soundbar wirelessly. Put the subwoofer wherever you want.For Samsung TV owners: If your TV is a model that has "SoundShare", a window then pops up on your TV screen that says that it has detected an external sound device and would you like to connect it? "Yes". The soundbar hooks up wirelessly and takes over the sound. The TV's remote operates the volume, making the soundbar's remote unnecessary.If you have a different brand of TV, or maybe an older Samsung or one with fewer features, there are 4 other options for hooking up, but they may require a cable from the soundbar to TV and it is "possible" that your TV remote will not control the volume. Or maybe it will.I turned off the soundbar and the TV sound came back and you realize how much depth the soundbar and sub-woofer add -- much fuller, although this little sub-woofer "fills in" nicely but is not going to rock the room. But the tiny TV speakers have almost no base at all, so the improvement is significant.The refurbished unit I received looked new in every way - no guarantees, of course - and for the price, I thought it was a good value. If you have a Samsung TV with SoundShare. set-up is easy - no cables required.
Awesome Buy!!
February 26, 2014
Works just as advertised. I wanted something I can connect to my Mac, or my iPhone and listen to my iTunes library and watch a movie in surround sound. Connects to any Bluetooth Device. Fast shipping. Would definitely do business with seller again. And, it's VERY LOUD !! Won't have to worry about not hearing a thing.

Four Star Reviews:

18%
Good purchase on a budget
June 29, 2015
Gets the job done. Remote could be better. It powers off and takes a minute to get out of sleep mode. But it's the best sound quality without going super high end. When I have company over somebody always comments. Subwoofer placement is key. The two "surround" speakers are hard wired to the subwoofer. So if you want to hide them behind your couches the sub can't be in the front of the room under the TV. But that wouldn't be ideal placement anyway for most scenarios. This thing is pretty great for the money. Are there better systems? Of course. But hifi sound is kind of like wine; you don't know your drinking the cheaper stuff unless you just had a glass of the really expensive stuff. Just don't get the CHEAPEST and your good.
Wish I had bought this sooner
March 31, 2015
I didn't buy into all of the other reviews about how great it sounds but I trusted them anyways and wow. The system sounds amazing, however I can't compare this to a high end $1000 system or anything. Booming bass, great surround effects, and great sound in general.

I was a bit concerned it would look a little goofy under my 65" TV but it looks just fine thankfully.

Just one optical wire from my TV to the bar controls all of my media devices so it's simple to hook up. The Bluetooth is a nice bonus too.

Now for the cons. My TV is also a Vizio so the remotes for the two miscommunicate and it gets annoying. I don't need surround sound to watch Guy Fieri cook up some bold flavors but when I adjust the volume on the TV remote the sound bar will turn on. Shouldn't be a huge deal for most people but the power button on the bar's remote turns on/off my aquarium lights screwing up the timers.

The rear satellites aren't truly wireless, which isn't a big problem but the wires aren't normal speaker wires. They're plug-ins, akin to older RCA A/V cables if that makes sense (maybe this is how they all come now perhaps? It's been years since I've bought a new home audio system). That bugged me because I already had small holes drilled and wires ran from my old set up. To run the wires through walls/floors a hole roughly the size of a quarter would need to be drilled. No thanks.

The bass in music seemed to sound a bit dull compared to movies and video games.

Bottom line a great home theater sound system worth every cent so far.
unknown problems
March 13, 2015
been having a problem with stability of sound. system and i do not know if its due to television or rather direct tv signal or its a problem with electronics of the dolby sound system. a positive about the system it works very well with a visio 4x television system. the bluetooth isconected to my Bluetooth laptop has terrific sound qualities, better than with tv signal. why I do not know yet. any ones advice would be greatly appreciated. contact me at ghunting@cox.net .I will up date once I resolve what is really wrong. I did have a lot of ice on the roof for months like all of us in eastern half of the us. let me say this about the new TV's that no one realizes when they buy one is the sound is in the rear with the poorest sounding speakers one can imagine. the Walmart's ,amazon's and best buys don't really tell you this until you go home with you beautiful picture and hook it up to cable or satellite and when you first hear your first sound bite. your in your car wanting a replacement tv and they tell you its not the tv you need to buy a sound bar like the one I am reviewing. so add a min. of another 200 bucks to end up with a tv like 5 years ago with speakers up front. oh forget the equalizers, bass,and treble controls built into the TV's you cant make garbage speakers sound
better. if you want a sterio sound use your sterio amplifier receivers and sterio boom box woofers and you will have an amazing tv system but you will need to turn both on and off manually. if someone knows how to do that with a tv remote please advise and I will eliminate this sound bar at the drop of a pin. if i can't resolve the problems I am having I will be turning on the sound through my steio system. but I thought that's what a sound bar suppose to do in the first place. yes I did turn off the TV's speakers. once resolved I will give them 5 stars or they are back in the box to amazon.
advise anyone please any one
gordy
Performs as well as the advertising agency deceives!!!
March 11, 2015
Although I love the sound, looks, and computability with my Vizio TV I don't like being "fooled" by advertising that would lead anyone to believe that "Sound Bar with Wireless Subwoofer & Rear Satellite Speakers" would be anything but all wireless speakers from the sound bar. I started a return but decided to keep this unit because of the value and quality performance. Please reword your product advertizing. You don't need to mislead to sell a great product!!! RSVP
Easy buy, I can finally understand the dialog even at low volume
October 4, 2014
I previously had a Samsung 2.1 sound bar. I had to buy a new one because I could NEVER understand the dialog with the Samsung. Comparing the Samsung to the Vizio is like comparing a station wagon to a sports car. It's like comparing a standard TV from the 70s to a 1080p LED HDTV.

I'm certainly no audiophile but the Vizio sounds quite good to my ears. The audio is really clear. I can make out dialog well even when the volume is low. The sound effects all seem very distinct to me. If anything, these speakers are too good for me since I live in an apartment building. If I didn't neuter the settings, my neighbor's walls would rumble. I have to enable TruVolume, which lowers the volume of the sound effects, like gun shots. The overall audio quality decreases I suspect due to this but at least it doesn't bother my neighbors as much.

Originally, I wanted to just get simple stereo speakers, but my projector has a smooth motion mode that creates an audio lag. Thus, I would need a costly AV receiver. However, with this sound bar, I can adjust the audio lag without an AV receiver. It's also easy to setup 5.1 surround sound.

My only annoyance is that I bought these for $280 and they went on sale for $200 less than 24 hrs later.
25%
Good unit
August 2, 2016
Love the look of unit. But I can't seem to get full affect. Prompt me. Quality was great. Working on the sound hookup.
Great for a refurb
November 20, 2015
Great for a refurb. A few hairline scratches here and there, but nothing beyond what would be there in two weeks if I had purchased brand new. The sound is decent for 2.1 - but there is a lot of trial and error with sources (cable used) and settings until you find the sweet spot where you can hear dialogue, but louder sounds like explosions in movies don't start knocking pictures off the wall.
... the HW-HM45C but for the refurbished price and the excellent condition, it is a pretty good deal
August 7, 2015
It is not the pictures F-450 but instead the HW-HM45C but for the refurbished price and the excellent condition, it is a pretty good deal. The bar sounds great in my apt living room and the sub is subtle but definitely there. Adds much more depth and clarity to sound than the Samsung TV speakers we currently were using. Using the Bluetooth to connect my phone is pretty convenient for music and video sound too. Setup is straightforward. Id recommend it for sure.
Thank you Samsung
March 9, 2015
We are happy with this sound bar. Our son was knowledgeable enough to tell us which connecting wires etc. we needed to buy at a supplier (we went to Radio Shack just before they closed out the store). Others who could not get it to work probably needed other connections because of the brand of TV they have. (We have a Phillips) We would have given it a five star rating except for the fact that the sound broadcast by TV stations are not clear enough for this sound bar to amplify them well, but the signal from movies work much better. The appearance is like new.
Sounds Nice, Fast And Easy Set-Up
August 12, 2014
I love the sound, the easy set-up, all in all it is a great compliment to my Samsung TV. I especially like the Anynet function which allows me to control the power and volume with my TV remote. My only two complaints are that the glossy finish is a magnet for dust, and I mean within minutes you will begin to see specks. The second is that even when hooked through the HDMI, the device will default back to the digital input within a few seconds of powering up. This alone is what prevented me from giving 5 stars.
Money Well Spent...a HUGE improvement to TV speakers
August 7, 2014
Really impressed by the quality of these speakers. Bought a refurbished model from Amazon Warehouse Deals and it was a HUGE improvement. Without these components the TV sound was muddled, muffled and tinny. After hooking these up, the sound is bright and crisp with surprisingly good base and mid-range coming from the sub-woofer. Had it plugged in to the TV and working perfectly within 5 minutes of opening the Amazon box. Very easy to switch to bluetooth streaming from my phone and the sound was equally impressive. Definitely enough sound to fill your average size living room. By far the best thing about this unit is that dialogue is MUCH easier to distinguish from background, action, music etc. Also, this unit powered on and off with Samsung TV, via the TV remote.

Three Star Reviews:

4%
Spend more for a better unit it will save you time in your life.
February 21, 2016
Just ok. There is feedback when you try turning the volume up. Its a hair louder than the tv itself before it starts an echo. This might be able to be fixed if I played with it for another 10 hours. But since I already played with it for an entire day it's not worth my time or money. I would recommend spending more and buying a better unit.
The Bose unit is 450 and no fuss hook up excellent sound quality!
If your looking for a cheap kids room video speaker this could work for that.
Nice unit but sound goes up and down.
October 12, 2015
It was really easy to set up and the manufacturing quality seem good. The few things I am not happy about are the center channel when turned up can sound tinny like they are speaking into a can. The worst problem is that the sound goes up and down by itself. (I do not have a smart TV) It does not matter if you are watching a show or on a commercial it happens randomly. Tip: If you do purchase one, keep the packaging so you can send it back if this happens to you.
GOOD SOUND, TRICKY SETUP
April 16, 2015
PRO: Good sound for a relatively low price. Looks great.

CON: Rear speakers are a little staticky. The subwoofer is made to be on the right (with a speaker on its left side); I did not know this before and unfortunately, my room is not setup to allow this. Would have been good to know before purchasing.

ADDITIONAL: DOES NOT COME WITH STANDS! The sound bar itself is tall, so if your TV rests on a low stand, it might cut off part of the picture -- or the receiver to your remote. Check the dimensions. The rear speakers are also physically shallow, so if you purchase the recommended stands, be prepared to set aside time to adjust (TL;DR big stands, little speakers... Perfecting aesthetics will take time).
Decided to return the bar due to a terrible delay between audio and video
March 22, 2015
Decided to return the bar due to a terrible delay between audio and video. I was using the optical audio out on a sony bravia led tv. Delay may not be present on other tvs. The sound quality was above average and the sub and rear channels worked perfectly and conveniently.
Decent low end sound bar at the right price, but with many flaws
March 13, 2015
Good sound, and the price is right, ($200 with the offered "Prime member discount", but with persistent and annoying product faults. Using with a late model Vizio TV. NO HDMI input, so you can't get surround from Netflix, which encodes surround in DD+, which can only be transmitted through HDMI. Sound bar has trouble switching from Bluetooth to optical input -- sometimes cycling through all inputs on the sound bar fixes it; sometimes need to turn the sound bar off and back on to fix. If you read the reviews, you find out the surround sound is faked -- even with real surround signals fed to the sound bar, the rear channels are to some extent "blended" in the course of wireless transmission from the sound bar, so the rear channels do not produce the correct discrete sound. Sometimes and with certain program material, produces a really distracting "transistor noise / white noise" from the surround speakers and/or the subwoofer. And it's not the sound bar's fault, but the Vizio TV (as do many) does not pass surround sound to its optical output, except when receiving over the air program material (i.e. surround doesn't get passed through from HDMI or other inputs to the TV except an actual antenna). No automatic room level adjustment -- you really need to get a sound meter and calibrate this thing. Out of the box, bass was way too high in our room. So really, since real surround doesn't work for most listening situations when connected to a Vizio TV, about the only reason to buy this model over the 2.1 channel Vizio sound bar is to get the center channel speaker featured on this model. But with a sound bar that's only 38 inches wide, does that really matter?
13%
Decent sound and reasonably easy to set up and use
November 6, 2016
Decent sound and reasonably easy to set up and use.The Bluetooth connection to the sub can often cut in and out. Would help to have a hard connection option to eliminate that issue.
it's better than typical TV speakers
January 21, 2016
this soundbar is sufficient for a small to medium sized room. it's better than typical TV speakers, obviously not as good as high end sound systems but at a better price....I gave it 3 stars because around 80 days into the 90 day refurb warranty the sub stopped connecting to the bar. Samsung was very difficult to contact and turnaround was a few weeks but they did repair it. a refurbished Samsung tablet I bought stopped working within 30 days. I can't recommend refurbished Samsung devices without a huge disclaimer
No HDMI or Optical cables
September 23, 2015
Just be aware this is not the HW-FM45C in their main listing, but the HW-HM45 model.You may ask what is the difference?You cannot use this without the purchase of extra cables...there are no HDMI or optical cable included (this model does not include them)I am not sure if this sound bar even works (this is refurbished after all) until I buy new cables. Seems like bait and switch to me!
Beware of non-returnable refurbished items
September 3, 2015
I purchased this item as refurbished Amazon Prime. It didn't work so I called Samsung service for troubleshooting and was informed that the item was out of warranty. Whe i tried to return it i learned that due to the size it was not returnable. Disappointing. Fortunately Amazon stepped up and made an exception, replacing the item. Something to be aware of with large and refurbished items.
Sound Bar Face Plate Blemishes and Operation Manual is limited and not clear
April 3, 2015
Arrived as promised, sound quality is OK, however, I am disappointed about the numerous blemishes on the face finish of the sound bar. The blemishes appear to from the manufacturing process (not wear and tear like on demo models). Still trying to work out all the blue tooth and aux functions. The operation manual is not exactly clear, in several areas.
Sounds Good but it looks nothing close to reconditioned.
March 30, 2015
The sound system works as advertised and sounds great, however I expected it to look in new condition. The base unit looked very good but the sound bar had multiple scratches and scrapes on the front surface and in general looked like it was poorly handled. Very disappointed in that regard.

Two Star Reviews:

4%
Lasted 20 months
November 26, 2016
I bought a 2014 leftover in March of 2015. With very light use, it lasted 20 months and will no longer power on. Sound was marginal.
Good if you like disposable speaker bar systems
July 24, 2016
Utter Junk. This is the second one I purchased. The first one simply went dead after 18 months. It was out of warranty, so I purchased another one in March 2015 and now the second one simply is dead, won't light up or anything, in July of 2016.

Won't be purchasing another one, will spend a little more bread and find something that doesn't have the habit of dying shortly after the warranty expires.
Works well, but not for long.
March 2, 2016
Worked great for a while--pretty clear sound, large range of volume.

After about 6 months of use, Bluetooth devices stopped playing sound.

Not more than 2 months after that, no sound comes from the soundbar or speakers for any input. Input is correct, power is on, but no sound. Very disappointing.
Very - NOT - pleased any more.
June 11, 2015
UPDATE: After weeks of working fine, stopped pairing with bluetooth devices. Dealing with Vizio customer services was like getting a root canal without the benefit of pain killers. I had run through all troubleshooting options before ever calling and the rep I reached had been on their tech support desk for three days. Did not know what a sound bar was and was clearly reading from the manual while I waited. Excruciating. Finally she put me on hold and was clearly calling someone else who would ask questions which she would ask and then pass back my answers. They could not solve it, kept trying to blame it on my iPhone, despite the fact that my iPhone pairs perfectly fine with every other bluetooth speaker in the house and car. After getting nowhere I called again to try to get it replaced under warranty to find the first rep had not recorded all the troubleshooting steps she made me repeat endlessly and so by "policy" this rep said she had to make me start over. I put my foot down and she YELLED at me that she would record that I was refusing assistance. What is this, the hospital? I'm checking out against Doctor's orders? Finally I got a supervisor to call me back who wanted me to try another device to make SURE it wasn't my phone. I didn't have another device here at home. I sent an email and someone on their end finally responded that we should swap it out with a new (actually it was refurbished) sound bar. Of course, they couldn't send out just the sound bar. They had to send the entire system. As predicted, the replacement worked and after boxing it back up I took it to a fedex location who refused to take it (don't get me started) and sent me to a fedex freight location by the airport who took it, no problem.

All in all, a disappointing and annoying experience. When it is working, I like the system. But I have to tell you, given the choice of a root canal and dealing with Vizio again......? At least the dentist has good drugs...

ORIGINAL REVIEW: I am not an audiophile by any stretch but when moving into a new house decided 1) I didn't want to haul a bunch of stereo components and speakers any more and 2) I wanted something that I could use for TV/music and also bluetooth connection to my phone for music, etc 3) I wanted something unobtrusive and not large. This is perfect for me. It fits under my TV nicely, it was easy to pair and simple to change from TV input to bluetooth. The subwoofer and rear speakers are not too big and all of it delivers a great sound. Watching a movie the other night I loved how much more impressive it was with the surround sound. Great buy for the money for me.
Bummed out by poor Bluetooth Capability
February 10, 2015
I could not get the bluetooth to link up over the course of three days with this product. Even at a mere 7' away...
6%
Probably shouldn't have bought factory refurbished
October 9, 2015
Everything works great but the woofer. Can't get no base or volume out of it no matter what I do. If you put your ear touching it, you can hear a faint sound of base, but that doesn't do any good. Very dissapointed. I did purchase the square trade protection plan with it, but have not received it as of yet.
Slightly better than original TV sound
June 14, 2015
Didn't have the audio output I wanted. Sound is not crip or clear, but muffled when turned up. Slightly better than original TV sound.
but better than the built-in speakers on my TV
May 20, 2015
Mediocre sound, but better than the built-in speakers on my TV, which is all I was looking for. The sub woofer is very weak, but again this did not bother me; I got a sound bar because I don't wish to disturb my neighbors in my apartment complex.Sub woofer died after 7 months, so I do not recommend this product.
Two Stars
December 27, 2014
Subwoofer wouldn't hook up. I was refunded by Amazon.
Works, but not as intended.
March 26, 2014
This soundbar is mediocre, even for the price. The treble is only discernable at higher volumes. The mid is all you'll hear. The Bass is tuned to Dolby, and leaves a whole lot to be desired. I have this unit in a 15X20 room, and must regularly turn the volume higher for guests, and myself, to hear what is being said. Then, I must turn it down because the following scene has action in it.Furthermore, there is no essence of surround sound, even with the subwoofer behind the viewer. The sound all hits the viewer from the front, and there is little/no feel of surround sound.Although not related to the quality, the appearance of what you receive is very clearly "used" and NOT remanufactured. I can tell the unit was returned working, tested to ensure proper functioning, and repackaged without cleaning.All in all, if you are in the sub $200 range, you may be better off shopping closeouts at the local retailers, or used on craigslist. I searched for a while before I found this sound bar and was more impressed with a 4 year old onkyo system than this unit.
Going to return
March 9, 2014
Looks cool, but the sound is very mediocre. Most importantly, once it was all set up, whenever something with expectedly HD sound was playing, the sound would cut out every minute or so for a second, as if it was syncing the wireless subwoofer. Pretty sure this is the case as certain things would play nonstop when the source was a nonHD source (ie streaming old television shows or most music through bluetooth), but whenever there was sound from an HD source (ie bluray or HD streaming) it would happen.The "sound effects" settings did not sound good at all, and basically encompassed various levels of reverb that made it sound like different levels computerization and echoing rather than actually different settings of preference. Ultimately, the sound was not better than my television (louder maybe), and the issue with the cutting out is the clincher for a return. It's kind of a hassle to return as well, as it is a third party vendor and now I have to wait for it to be approved with this large box taking up space, and loading and unloading the large box is not fun. Overall regret the somewhat impulse buy on this sale item.

One Star Reviews:

7%
Waste of money
November 28, 2016
First speaker stopped working after a couple months and was replaced by Vizio. The replacement speakers also stopped working after a month. Waste of money. I should of read all the critical reviews. This is not just a lemon - seems like a common problem with this speaker.
I liked the product when it worked
May 26, 2016
Purchased this item a year ago, one month and six days ago. With that being said, I liked the product when it worked. The sound bar crapped out a week ago, making the whole system useless. Warranty is only a year. Now I'm stuck with three working speakers, but no way to power them. Oh, and no way to fix the sound bar.

On another side, anyone want to purchase three speakers for $209?
Died after 15 months.
April 17, 2016
The sound bar died after 15 months. Visio support is only 12 months long. It was waist of money. Stay away form they sound system. This is first negative review on the Amazon I ever had to write.
Defective Unit Stops Working
September 13, 2015
After less than a month of usage the unit stopped working. Power light is lit, but unit won't turn on! This is the second Vizio soundbar that's stopped working within months of being plugged in. Crappy service, no replacement. DO NOT BUY THIS ITEM!
Barely lasted two months
June 14, 2015
I've had this for two months. Worked well enough. Sub has died and that kills the audio output to the rear speakers so I'm left with a soundbar and that's it. Ran the speaker test via the remote - left and right channels work fine - center is good - sub is silent as are the rears. Reset, reseated plugs and cabling. No change.
14%
Shame on the seller!
February 17, 2016
I bought this 2 months ago. I had to wait to find someone to install it. Well it doesn't work. The subwoofer light comes on but the sound bar does nothing. This is so frustrating because I was unaware this item was refurbished. No returns and I'm out a couple hundred dollars.
Samsung can do better
November 13, 2015
Worked for three days, and while it sounded better than my tv, the sound is a joke, total rip off, thank you amazon for the refund! The sound is so poor that I didn't even bother trying to get it replaced or fixed through the warranty.
Complete Waste of Money, didn't even last a year.
November 10, 2015
I purchased the item in March and here were are n November, not even a year later and it's dead. The soundbar just shut off in mid-use and won't turn back on. I expected better from Samsung. The product only has a 90 day warranty. Don't waste your money....
I ordered a samsung hw-f450 and i expected that im ...
July 28, 2015
I ordered a samsung hw-f450 and i expected that im going to get the same as in this picture. Instead i got a different soundbar.i got a little disappointed
Bluetooth worked fine w/ my ipod touch
April 24, 2015
So version shipped was not the one in picture. I have a 50" samsung tv and hdmi would not work. Did not have a usb cable or optical to try that. Bluetooth worked fine w/ my ipod touch. Also worked fine hooked to computer via 3.5mm jack. Sub had just faintest sound. Tried repairing it mulitple times and moved it 5 feet from sound bar with no success. Honestly sound bar was not very loud. Was more ok id say. Packed nicely and looked fine just sucked that hdmi cable which I know work would not and that nothing evening following instructions on their website would get the sub to work. I rarely return things on Amazon but this one sadly is going back.
not the product on the picture
February 16, 2015
Not the same as shown in the picture. Crazy right. We might what is shown. I guess it works fine but wasn't the look I wanted. I will never buy from this seller again
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Pricing info
Old Price
Old Price
Price
Price
$24.99updated: Mar 19, 2020
$159.00updated: Mar 16, 2020
Features
Answered Questions
Answered Questions
Article Number
Article Number
0845226010767
0727908818284
Binding
Binding
Electronics
Electronics
Brand
Brand
VIZIO
Samsung
Color
Color
Black
-
Currency
Currency
USD
USD
Formatted Price
Formatted Price
$279.99
$329.99
Height
Height
778.0 in
110.2 in
Legal Disclaimer
Legal Disclaimer
No shipments to Hawaii, Alaska, P.Rico, PO BOX or APO/AFO.
-
Length
Length
340.9 in
1405.5 in
Manufacturer
Manufacturer
VIZIO
Samsung
Model
Model
S3851w-D4
HW-FM45
MPN
MPN
S3851w-D4
HW-FM45C/ZA
Name
Name
English
-
Number of Items
Number of Items
4
-
Number of Parts
Number of Parts
S3851w-D4
HW-FM45C/ZA
Product Group
Product Group
Home Theater
Home Theater
Product Type
Product Type
HOME_THEATER_SYSTEM_OR_HTIB
HOME_THEATER_SYSTEM_OR_HTIB
Publisher
Publisher
VIZIO
Samsung
Quantity
Quantity
1
1
Release Date
Release Date
2014-06-20
-
Reviews
Reviews
Score
Score
8.6
7.6
Size
Size
Sound Bar
-
Studio
Studio
VIZIO
Samsung
Warranty
Warranty
1
-
Weight
Weight
91.7 oz
57.1 oz
Width
Width
1766.9 in
70.9 in
Feature
Feature

Best in class audio performance: 100 db of room filling, crystal clear surround sound with less than 1% total harmonic distortion* (Sound Pressure Level measured using pink noise at 1 meter, C-weighted. Total harmonic distortion calculated as electrical measurement of amplifier distortion)

Best in class audio performance: 100 db of room filling, crystal clear surround sound with less than 1% total harmonic distortion

Wirelessly stream your music from a smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth, even when the TV is off.

Premium audio with Dolby Digital and DTS Digital Surround decoding, plus DTS Studio Sound, DTS TruVolume and DTS Circle Surround audio post processing

This Certified Refurbished product is manufacturer refurbished, shows limited or no wear, and includes all original accessories plus a 90-day warranty

High-Performance Wireless Active Subwoofer - Experience dynamic and rich bass sounds

Stream your music to the AudioBar from your connected devices with Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity

High Definition Sound - 3D Sound Plus, Dolby Digital, DTS

Includes Remote Control, Wall Mount Bracket, HDMI Cable, Optical Cable, USB Cable, Audio Cable and User Guide

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