VIZIO now has a wide range of sound bar products and apart from a couple of high-end products, the majority of them are in the sub-$200 price range. The VIZIO V21d-J8 is even cheaper at just $99. How does the cheap sound bar perform and is it a good upgrade for your audio system?
Unboxing & Sound Test
Design & Features
The VIZIO V21d has a very compact and lightweight design, so you can install it on the wall or simply place it underneath your TV. It is also super easy to set up; I just needed to plug it in and connect to my TV with an HDMI cable. There is only one HDMI (ARC) port on the sound bar, so you can connect it directly to your TV and use the TV’s remote control to change volume up/down. There is also an Optical audio port but I’d recommend the HDMI connection because it supports Dolby Audio and DTS Digital Surround
The sound bar’s remote control is useful when you want to change audio source, adjust bass, treble, EQ, or enable DTS Virtual:X. I hardly use the remote control after adjusting the sound.
Although the V21d is a 2.1 home theater system, it only comes in one piece. It is 36-inch long and fits well under my 55-inch TV.
The sound bar features Bluetooth connection to help you enjoy music from your mobile devices easily. You can also connect it to your voice assistants to get better sound quality.
Audio Quality
I was shocked when playing movies with this sound bar for the first time. Really I couldn’t imagine such a compact sound bar could produce such an amazing sound.
Although it doesn’t sound as great as my previous Samsung sound bar, the Vizio is a huge upgrade over my TV’s built-in speakers at a fraction of the cost. I am very surprised with the bass; There is no external subwoofer but the sound bar still can produce decent low frequencies. The bass is, of course, not really deep and punchy but it’s good enough for us to enjoy movies.
I watched some TV shows and listened to music with this soundbar; Overall, it delivers clear mids and highs for a variety of content. I also tried the DTS Virtual:X but it is nowhere near the experience of a real 5.1 system. The only problem of the sound bar is that I need to sit in front of the speaker to get the best sound quality. As soon as I stand up or move around, the sound alters significantly and doesn’t sound good anymore.
Overall, I think the Vizio V21d-J8 is a great budget sound bar for small living rooms. The price tag of $99 is unbeatable as it sounds better than most budget sound bars I’ve tested. We at TechWalls highly recommend the product.
Buy Vizio V-Series Sound Bar on Amazon
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