REVIEW 1 (5 Star) 5.1 made easy!
If you'd asked me a couple years ago which 5.1 sound system to buy, my answer would have been simple: "none."They were a big expensive pain. It seemed like my friends who had these systems would either have them only half set up (say, ditching the surround speakers) or fully set up but not used (because the input selection or the remote was too much of a pain). My previous roommate had a 5.1 "surround" system - with all five speakers under the TV. We rarely used it because we had to change 3 settings in 3 different places to make it work.
Let's review the misery of yesterday's 5.1 systems, shall we?
1) You needed to place and wire six speakers: left, center, right, left surround, right surround, plus a bass module. That's a lot of wires, speaker stands, and connections.
2) To connect the left and right surround speakers, you needed to run wires across your seating area. That's pretty ugly unless you go through the effort to make conduits or buy a special rug.
3) You needed to purchase a separate receiver to power those speakers - and connect it too.
4) You paid for all that - an absolute minimum of $400, with nicer gear easily double that.
5) You needed to manage additional remotes and settings. Good luck if you ever asked a friend to change the volume.
Well, it's almost as though Vizio started with this list, and then eliminated these problems one by one when making this 5.1 soundbar. The soundbar itself combines Left, Center and Right channels into one thin module that will fit in front of your TV, assuming you use a TV stand with at least two inches of space there. There are no speaker stands or speaker wires, and no separate receiver - the amplifier is built in! The only wires are the ones you absolutely need: sound input (an optical cable in most cases) and power.
But what about the bass module and surround speakers? This is where the Vizio really shines. Low frequency sounds like those from the bass module cannot be well localized by the human auditory system. Simply put, you can place the bass module anywhere in the room, and it will sound nearly the same to a human. So why not place it behind your seating area where it can also connect to the surround speakers? Tada! You plug the bass module into a power outlet behind your seating area and the surround speakers into the bass module. No wires run across your living room. The audio signal is sent wirelessly, with pairing automatically set up when you plug in the bass module. Just try to keep the bass module within 60 feet.
But what about the remotes and connections? Again this product is one step ahead. Through an easy setup process, you can program the soundbar to respond to the volume commands from your TV remote. No need to dig up the sound bar remote. Now, even your drunk football buddy can change the volume. But what about turning the sound bar on and off? You must need the sound bar remote for that right? Nope. It also has a power saving feature, so it turns itself off automatically. To turn it back on, just turn up the volume on your TV remote. Genius: these three tweaks mean you don't even need the sound bar's own remote after day one. Something lots of other reviewers have noted (which I somehow took for granted) was that the remote includes a small LCD display to help you navigate options without commandeering your TV's UI or cluttering the appearance of the soundbar itself. Nicely done; other UI designers would do well to copy this.
A point for the fellow TV audio nerds out there: according to various internet sources, "most" televisions downmix the 5.1 audio signals they receive to stereo at their outputs, meaning that if you connect the optical audio output from the TV to a sound system, your sound system only gets two channels, even if the TV received 5.1 input. To work around the curse of those TVs, you need to plug the cable box, TiVo AND Blu-Ray player directly into your sound system, possibly using a switcher, which is a pain! However, there's good news here for Vizio TV owners like me: Vizio is one of the brands of TVs that outputs true 5.1 audio from its optical output. (Or at least it does on my VF550M which is a few years old.) I even borrowed a bitstream analyzer from a coworker and verified it. But you don't have to go that far to check on yours: the soundbar lights up with a "Dolby Digital" light for about two seconds when it detects a Dolby Digital bitstream, which is generally 5.1. Pretty cool.
Even if you don't give 5.1 input to this system, it can create 5.1 for you through a built-in upmixer provided by audio tech company DTS. Just give it stereo and the upmixer takes care of the rest. It's not as good as real 5.1 but it makes pretty good use of all the speakers. I enjoyed this feature when playing my iPod music on the system using its Bluetooth option. Which reminds me: this system has a Bluetooth option. It makes a damn loud party sound system, which Vizio claims outputs 102 dB SPL. I verified that it will indeed put out sound at or above what psychoacousticians call the "threshold of pain."
A few nits. First, the soundbar isn't quite as wide as I'd like: the left, center and right channels in it are all too close to each other. I use my sound bar with a 55 inch HDTV that I sit about 8 feet from. Unless I sit closer, audio from the sound bar generally fails to sound well "spread out." I kind of wish the sound bar would telescope so I could spread the left and right speakers wider! Second, when using Bluetooth the sound quality can be poor - kind of like a pirated MP3 rather than the high quality iTunes audio I'm streaming. I work around this by using the Spotify app on my TiVo to stream music directly from the internet to the soundbar. A final issue, which might be a soundbar bug or a weakness of digital audio in general, occurs when initiating or restarting digital audio, such as on Netflix or TiVo-played cable TV. The sound will either begin after a quick loud "snap" noise, or take a couple seconds to fade in after video has begun playing. Obviously, it should be instant and flawless.
The overall package though is a total winner. As you may know it's won consumer awards including a Best of CES award from CNET. It's priced aggressively at $330 and the convenience is liberating. I recommend buying it and freeing yourself from the headaches of yesterday's 5.1.
REVIEW 2 (4 Star) Great Soundbar; Early Versions May Be Defective (now there's a fix)
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: 10/6/2013
I'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.
REVIEW 3 (4 Star) Great, with some livable quirks.
I got this directly through the Vizio website when it finally came out and have very much enjoyed it.Pros:
- Looks great, feels substantial.
- Great remote. You can see what you are doing in your hand, instead of squinting over to the unit. Why don't all companies do this?
- Sounds very good for a soundbar (better than my previous Samsung)
- Rear Speakers, yay! They make a big difference for movies. In music they quietly play along in stereo, which is nice.
- Easy to use! I can't stand complicated controls, these are simple.
- Bluetooth works great. I use my iPhone, and whenever I turn on the soundbar it automatically takes over the music playing on my phone, like my car does.
Cons:
- Subwoofer level is hard to tweak. If it is set good for movies, it's too loud for music, and if it's set good for music, it's too low for movies.
- Subwoofer has to be in the back, with the rear speakers. I think it would sound better if it could come from the front.
- It's hard to tell if the unit is turned on. The tiny LED just shines a bit brighter.
I think this is about as good value for money as you can get right now in soundbar world. Any serious upgrade in sound quality would require a lot more money.
REVIEW 4 (3 Star) Great Performance But Has Flaws
I was extremely excited to finally get my hands on this system from Vizio. I did a good amount of research before deciding to purchase the Vizio S4251w-B4. I also had to wait a little while to purchase this unit because these things were in great demand the first few weeks or so. I have now tested the item for about 3 weeks and here is the breakdown:
After removing everything from the box I was initially pleased by the look and feel of the sound bar , subwoofer and accompanying components. They were solidly built and did not look or feel cheap. It took me about 30 minutes to set up because I chose to mount the sound bar above my TV with some brackets I purchased off of amazon. This set up turned out to be a great choice and adds a nice look to my overall setup.
Once the sound bar was mounted everything else was a breeze to set up. I powered everything up and I began to fiddle with the sound settings. I bought this system for my home office, which is 12 x 14 feet, so I figured it would be ideal for the size of the room. I basically went down the list adjusting each speaker and it took about 20 minutes to determine the best sound for my ears.
I put the system through the gauntlet. I hooked my Apple TV (optic cable) and HD DVR cable box (Coaxial) up to the sound bar. I played all sorts of music like rap, rock, and R&B and it handled each type very well. I will say that the subwoofer wasn't able too handle the higher frequency of the bass in certain music. I could hear the details in the music and the voice clarity was on point. I also cranked it up and the sound quality did not diminish. The sound was not harsh like it would be in lesser products. I also watched Life of Pi (great movie) to test the movie experience and that's when the Vizio really came to life. The audio truly filled the room. I could hear all the sounds that we normally take for granted like falling rain, breaking glass, blowing wind, rustling in the bushes, and every click of a cocking gun. The sub also performed very well. It delivered a lively boom whenever it was called upon and it also shook the room. I was a little worried that I would be able to tell exactly where the bass was coming from, directionally, but it provided an experience like you would have at a movie theater. The vocal audio was also crystal clear.
There were some bugs that were readily noticeable as well. The first thing I noticed was that when running audio through the optical cable, using the apple tv, the sound would sometimes cut out when I stopped and started a movie on itunes or tv show when watching netflix. In order to get the audio to return I had to power the system off or switch the input. This may be an issue with the system having to re-transmit the audio signal or something. Also, when I pause something I'm watching the audio doesn't immediately return. It slowly fades back in while the video continues. This may be an issue with select units because I've read other reviews and most don't mention these issues or they haven't experienced them yet. These flaws are things I can live with for now but I may return it for a replacement unit real soon, once i have time. I have 3 months to do so.
Overall, i would recommend this product to a friend in spite of the bugs because it truly does perform very well for the price. Good job Vizio!
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