Vizio M-Series 5.1 Sound Bar Review (M51a-H6) | How is it this good?

Vizio has been turning out solid sound bars for several years, but the new M-Series 5.1 sound bar with virtual Dolby Atmos is shockingly good, especially for the price. As good as the Vizio Elevate sound bar system may be, this sound bar makes way more sense for most people.

0:00 - Intro
0:58 - Design
1:19 - Speaker Overview
1:42 - Ports and Connections
2:23 - What's In The Box
3:19 - Setup Options
4:02 - Potential Issues
4:19 - Control System
4:42 - How Does It Sound
5:09 - Dolby Atmos
5:46 The Subwoofer
6:37 - Audio Clarity
7:01 - What About Music?
7:30 - Should You Buy It?

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[Caleb_Denison]

Which soundbar should I do next? Seeing a lot of interest in Klipsch I think!

[blingdream]

I purchased the 5.1 v series and I was blown away by the system. Serious bang for the buck.

[kylenuber]

Thanks for the review, I actually just bought this exact sound bar last week. Matched it up with the Vizio M-series 55" TV. Honestly stumbled on this purchase. These are my 2nd Vizio sound bar and TV, and I would highly recommend to anyone. Quality and price! Great reviews and thanks for the info.

[gerardi]

I thought the same thing. I thought it was incredible. I was thoroughly surprised. I told all my friends about it. The only place I could find it was Costco. It sold $300 and then went on sale for $200. This is a GREAT buy. I’m a speaker snob too and this was good for a speaker snob like me.

[G-flo]

"If you want to feel like you're sitting in a theatre in the comfort of your own home, this system absolutely pulls that off."

That's all I needed to hear. Thank you DT!

[davebenthimer]

Hi ... love this review... bought this sound bar to pair with my m series vizio 70 inch. I LOVE IT.... FANTASTIC... I wont be going to the theater any time soon. Thanks again for the review.

[bensherwinbs]

For any wondering, this is Virtual ATMOS. It supports ATMOS content and tries to simulate sound above you without the up-firing speakers. I recall he said in the video it isn’t that great compared to true ATMOS, but the overall quality of the sound would make it less noticeable. I have the older VIZIO SMB3651-F6 (the version without up-firing speakers) and it sounds fantastic. Most of the specs are similar to this one, to be honest. Vizio made really good bars and then scaled them down for a few years to have different price points, but this bar seems to be getting back to the VIZIO sound bar roots of getting premium sound at a budget price. Awesome work by VIZIO for not gauging it’s customers.

[scottivlow]

Ok Caleb I finally did it. I just bought this on Amazon for $311.00. I can't believe I finally did it. I can't wait to get this set up. I'll post tomorrow about why I bought this sound bar.

[jaimeivsuarezherrera]

I bought it 4 years ago and I still love it. ❤❤❤

[MrThisguy]

This soundbar is incredible for the price. It’s perfect for a small room and is really immersive. First test was Man of Steel and I thoroughly enjoyed watching with this audio setup. Only thing is that sometimes when I power on with my directv remote it doesn’t transfer audio. But powering on with my tv remote it works as it should. Very small complaint but doesn’t affect the value of this soundbar IHMO.

[johnsanchez]

Hi! I got this last week after buying it from Costco at $199. This soundbar is powerful enough to fill my living room (19x17.5x8) and it sounds amazing! I think anyone who is looking for quality sound and is on a budget would be absolutely satisfied with this.

[ericbryant]

Yes, I'm shocked how good it sounds and even for music...bought on sale for $199 so wasn't expecting much, but DANG! Surround is great, and as you said, perfect balance, dialog is clear and Sub has some punch for its small size. Has to be "best bang for the buck" winner!

[GracefulTumult]

I also saw Rtings excellent review and how it was recommended over others more expensive. I now have it in my bedroom with hardwood floors and the performance is awesome. The sub thumps and sound is coming from above from every direction. For the price it's unbeatable.

[Masochst]

I have a real atmos system, and I can tell you I would never want anything less now. It is an absolute MUST.

[operator]

Perfect timing, I was looking to slap this onto my gaming PC

[GrzegorzDurda]

The perpetual hangover looking dude is my favorite reviewer! His clips should be all slow motion shots of mixed drinks, dropping ice cubes, beer flows and the like.

[KraknDfx]

Just ordered these based on your review, Caleb, thanks! Didn't want to pay a grand for a sound bar setup, but for $300, I'm onboard.

[danielosarfo-akoto]

I bought this for around 150 on Black Friday at Best Buy I think. I watched your top 10 soundbars of 2020 list and I was shocked this wasnt on there. This thing is amazing!!!! Id say wait for a sale as this usually goes on sale for quite a bit more off of it.

[jasonsimmons]

I bought this at Sam's for $160 one day. They were out of the one we went to get and I got the last one of these they had. Was so happy after getting it installed and running. Great sounding system for the money honestly.

[minnybiker]

I bought this. I have 17' ceilings. I think it sounds excellent for the price. I'm sure there are better units out there, but I wasn't willing to spend more than $500 (at that point, I'd rather put that money towards an actual component system).