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Vizio V-Series 2.1 Home Theater Sound Bar V21-H8 Review

This soundbar is loaded with great features and has an enormous sound, making it an exceptionally good value
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Vizio V-Series 2.1 Home Theater Sound Bar V21-H8 Review (While you can connect this soundbar to a smart speaker, it's not as responsive as models with built-in support for...)
While you can connect this soundbar to a smart speaker, it's not as responsive as models with built-in support for Alexa and Google.
Credit: Laura Casner
Price:  $190 List
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Manufacturer:   Vizio
By Michelle Powell and Matt Bento  ⋅  Nov 11, 2021
64
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#5 of 10
  • Sound Quality - 45% 5.6
  • Ease of Use - 35% 6.9
  • Volume - 15% 8.0
  • Style/Design - 5% 5.4

Our Verdict

While the Vizio V-Series 2.1 Home Theater Soundbar may be the least expensive soundbar in our review, it brings an impressive amount of well-executed features to the table, including a whole slew of connectivity and sound customization options and a wirelessly connected subwoofer. This model deftly balances an easy setup with deeper customization and several presets, including bass and treble adjustments, plus a night mode that lowers the volume on the bass frequencies.
REASONS TO BUY
Easy setup
Great price tag
Subwoofer included
REASONS TO AVOID
Not the best overall sound quality
From an audio quality standpoint, this model is far from the best, and its failings will be apparent to more critical listeners, as the bass can be overwhelming and muddy, and the dialogue mode sounds fairly hollow (though it does accentuate the dialogue). Still, the V-series 2.1 crushes pricier models from Yamaha and Samsung and will bring a fun and immersive home theater experience to your living room at an affordable price. Get the scoop on how it stands up to the competition in our best soundbar review.

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Awards Best Buy Award
Best Cinematic Experience On a Tight Budget
Best Buy Award
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Price $190 List
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Bottom Line This is hands down the best choice for folks on tight budgetWhile this model doesn't have a lot of features, it sounds excellent at an excellent priceAn easy to use and compact bar with below-average sound qualityThough audiophiles will want to steer clear of this model, it's a decent option for a home theater setups in smaller homes or apartmentsWe appreciate the price and the included subwoofer, but this soundbar has subpar sound quality and lacks an HDMI connection
Rating Categories Vizio V-Series 2.1... Sony HT-S350 Bose TV Speaker Yamaha YAS-109 Samsung HW-A450/ZA...
Sound Quality (45%)
5.6
7.1
5.6
4.3
4.1
Ease of Use (35%)
6.9
5.8
5.9
6.2
5.0
Volume (15%)
8.0
9.0
7.0
6.0
7.0
Style/Design (5%)
5.4
6.8
9.0
4.9
4.0
Specs Vizio V-Series 2.1... Sony HT-S350 Bose TV Speaker Yamaha YAS-109 Samsung HW-A450/ZA...
Dimensions Bar: 2.28" x 36.00" x 3.20"
Sub: 9.9" x 8.25" x 8.25"
Bar: 2.6" x 35.5" x 3.5"
Sub: 15.4" x 7.5" x 15.13"
Bar: 2.6" x 35.5" x 3.5"
Sub: 15.4" x 7.5" x 15.13""
2.13" x 35" x 5.13" Bar: 2.1" x 33.9" x 2.9"
Sub: 13.5" x 7.1" x 10.7"
External Subwoofer Yes Yes No (optional) No (optional) Yes
Inputs (wired) Digital audio in (optical), HDMI (ARC), 3.5mm AUX VA, 3.5mm AUX, USB Digitcal audio in (optical), HDMI (ARC) Digital audio in (optical), HDMI (ARC), 3.5mm AUX Digital audio in (optical), HDMI (ARC), HDMI in, USB (update only), Ethernet, Subwoofer out Digital audio in (optical), USB
Supported Audio File Formats DTS Dolby Digital, Dolby Dual mono, LPCM 2ch Dolby Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic II, DTS Digital Surround Dolby 2ch, DTS 2ch
WiFi-enabled No No No Yes No
Bluetooth Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Voice Assistants None, but has a dedicated 3.5mm AUX port to connect a VA device n/a n/a Alexa n/a
App n/a n/a n/a Yamaha Sound Bar n/a
Remote control? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Max Volume 95dB 102dB 91dB 85dB 91dB
Syncs with: None None Bose Simplesync enabled speakers None Samsung Wireless Surround Rear Speakers

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Vizio V-Series 2.1 Home Theater Sound Bar is loaded with useful features and can connect to your smart speaker via an aux port or Bluetooth connection. It's surprisingly immersive thanks to its DTS Virtual:X support and satellite subwoofer, and while it can't match the sound quality of some of the high-end models, it holds its own against similarly priced soundbars and even a few pricier ones.

Performance Comparison


vizio v-series 2.1 home theater sound bar v21-h8 - while not the most immersive soundbar, placing the subwoofer behind...
While not the most immersive soundbar, placing the subwoofer behind the viewer adds a lot of boom to movie night.
Credit: Laura Casner

Sound Quality


Sound Quality is our most heavily weighted metric, and a weak point for the Vizio V-Series 2.1, but its performance here isn't bad. It's even commendable considering its price point. While true audiophiles will quickly recognize its shortcomings, folks trying to save some cash after purchasing a big flatscreen will find it a satisfying and affordable option.


Cinematic Experience


The combination of DTS Virtual:X and the fact that the subwoofer is designed to be placed behind the audience makes for a satisfyingly immersive home theater experience. We loved watching loud, high-energy action movies with this soundbar. DTS Virtual:X convincingly simulates sounds from different heights, while the bass rumbling behind you makes for a hair-raising experience. Unfortunately, the bass isn't well-defined, and it can be overwhelming at times. When we turned down the bass and switched to the dialogue enhancement mode, dialogue became easier to understand, but it also sounds a bit thin and noticeably lower quality than the more expensive models from Bose and Sonos.

vizio v-series 2.1 home theater sound bar v21-h8 - vizio recommends putting the subwoofer out in front of the soundbar...
Vizio recommends putting the subwoofer out in front of the soundbar with the audience. It sounds cool but running the power cord to it could be an issue for some folks.
Credit: Laura Casner

Music


When listening to music, this soundbar is bass-heavy, with the highs sounding somewhat harsh. Of the soundbars we tested, this one is far from the best standalone music player despite its multiple connectivity options. However, it's powerful enough to fill a large living room with sound, so it's totally capable of driving impromptu dance parties but isn't great for critical listening.

Ease of Use


The Vizio V-Series 2.1 Home Theater Sound Bar sets up quickly and has an intuitive set of controls, while providing just enough settings to optimize it to your home and listening preferences.


Setup


It took our testers approximately 9 minutes to get this soundbar out of the box, set up, and ready to enjoy (not including popcorn popping). Plugging in the HDMI ARC connection to the television and connecting the soundbar and subwoofer to power is all you need to do to get going, as the subwoofer automatically connects to the soundbar via Bluetooth. The bar features buttons for power, input, volume, and Bluetooth, while deeper customization settings can be found on the remote, which has a mini display for toggling through presets and EQ settings.

vizio v-series 2.1 home theater sound bar v21-h8 - the tiny screen is pretty helpful when scrolling through settings.
The tiny screen is pretty helpful when scrolling through settings.
Credit: Laura Casner

Connectivity


The Vizio V-Series 2.1 offers a variety of options for connecting your TV, projector, or BlueTooth-enabled device, plus some low-tech options like a 3.5mm stereo mini-jack and USB connection to play WAV files off of a hard drive. For the TV, there's an HDMI ARC connection, or you can free up your TV's HDMI port and use the optical connection. This model is not WiFi-enabled, but it has a wired workaround. If you'd like to use a voice assistant, you can connect it via the aux port or with Bluetooth. The soundbar will automatically lower the volume when you're interacting with the voice assistant, but it's not as responsive as other models that connect via WiFi or have Chromecast or Alexa built-in.

Sound Customization


This model has an impressive amount of customization settings, and while it stops well short of having a full band of EQ adjustments, it provides quite a bit more adjustment than other models in its class. Via the included remote, we were able to toggle through different levels of bass and treble, and even independently adjust the subwoofer.

Presets are numerous and useful. You can turn off the DTS Virtual:X and enable the TruVolume mode that makes for more consistent, less dynamic volume levels. Additionally, there is a night mode that lowers the bass levels so as not to disturb sleeping kids or the neighbors.

vizio v-series 2.1 home theater sound bar v21-h8 - checking out the max volume with our decibel meter.
Checking out the max volume with our decibel meter.
Credit: Laura Casner

Volume


With a max volume of 95 decibels (according to our independent measurement), this soundbar has no problem filling the average-to-larger-than-average-sized living room. The additional subwoofer adds plenty of extra power to the mix, though as previously mentioned, it's fairly muddy and ill-defined.


Design/Style


The three internal speakers are protected by a combination of plastic and cloth mesh, and the whole soundbar looks pretty slick and unassuming. Dust is easy to clean off the plastic, and a lint roller works well for cleaning the cloth-mesh covering. At 2.28" tall, this model won't obstruct your TV, though some consideration may be needed when it comes to the 9.9" x 8.25" x 8.25" subwoofer. While it isn't huge, Vizio recommends putting the subwoofer behind the viewer, so you'll need some space plus a way to run the power cord to the speaker.


Value


Vizio V-Series 2.1 Home Theater Sound Bar is a screaming deal. It has many useful features usually reserved for much more expensive models, including the well-implemented DTS Virtual:X codec support. While the sound quality admittedly is not on par with the higher-end soundbars in our review, the V-Series 2.1 sounds better than most of the other soundbars in its price range, with the subwoofer adding an additional level of immersiveness, all for under two hundred bucks. If you're on a tight budget, we can't recommend this model enough.

vizio v-series 2.1 home theater sound bar v21-h8 - black is always a safe style choice, though the cloth cover can...
Black is always a safe style choice, though the cloth cover can collect quite a bit of lint.
Credit: Laura Casner

Conclusion


This soundbar brings all the big sounds, immersive sounds (and the fun) of a home theater system for significantly less money than high-end competitors and is perfect for someone who wants to upgrade their sound system to something worthy of a big beautiful flat screen. While dedicated audio junkies will find plenty to gripe about, we're willing to bet that family movie night will be all squeals and smiles.

Michelle Powell and Matt Bento