shouldn’t be That’s how cheap it is to fully enjoy the sound of John Wick while breaking a real-life NBA player’s neck with a book. However, for around $200 (a penny less if it’s on sale), you can get a 5.1 soundbar system from Vizio that lets you hear the subtle cracking of its vertebrae as a slightly stabbed Keanu Reeves twists his foe bound in leather, in the introduction. to the third installment of the franchise.
This type of dive used to cost hundreds, if not thousands, more. Now, simply plug a single HDMI cable into an eARC port on a chosen display (or in my case, the Hisense 130-inch laser projector I’m also testing) and you’ll be able to get more immersed in the action than you could with a single HDMI bar. core sound.
As long as you’re okay with a few loose cables from the surround speakers to the subwoofer, it’s as easy as setting up this system, plugging it in, and enjoying your favorite content with new immersion. Have you been on the fence about buying a sound bar because you’re saving for a full home theater? Start here and you’ll get plenty of time to upgrade.
you are surrounded
A slim, nondescript 33-inch-long main sound bar combines with small wired surround speakers and a wireless subwoofer to create this 5.1 system. The only thing you might need aftermarket is a pair of brackets for the rear speakers, unless you plan to mount them on the wall (mounting holes for this are included).
An exclusive benefit for those who own Vizio TVs is the quick-attach system, which allows you to easily attach this bar to the bottom of the latest compatible Vizio TV models. This makes this bar a particularly good choice if you’re also considering a TV like the latest Vizio 4K model we just reviewed (7/10, WIRED recommended).
Photography: Parker Hall
The main downside to this system, and the reason it costs significantly less than other options I’ve tried that produce sound of this quality, are those cables. They are about 20 feet long, which is enough to work in most average living rooms or apartments, but having to run cables is much more annoying than wireless systems.
Once you set it up, it’s as easy as connecting a single HDMI cable from the main bar to your TV, at which point the magic of eARC takes over and you can use the bar to your heart’s content. As long as your TV is new enough to have ARC or eARC, you can use your TV’s remote (or in my case, a TV and then laser projector remote) to adjust the soundbar’s volume without having to touch the included Vizio remote control. .