Vizio soundbars are an amazing choice, but having so many to choose from can be a daunting task. To help you choose the best model, we will look at the capabilities of this soundbar in this Vizio SB3820-C6 review.
What We Like
- Slim and sleek design with flexible placement (wall-mounted or not)
- Lightweight and compact
- Crystal clear superior sound quality with 100 dB of sound
- Minimal harmonic distortion even at higher volume levels
- Comes with a mounting kit and everything you need for the setup
- Remote control or control panel
- Balances all sounds
- Deep bass modules (no need for subwoofer)
- Full range drivers
- 7 connection options
- Built-in Bluetooth
- Simulates surround sound
- Dolby Digital DTS technology (TruSurround, Studio Sound, DTS TruVolume)
- Easy setup
- 2 channels
- Can be extended to create a home theater system
- Can be paired well with medium or large HD TVs
- Wide frequency range
What We Don't Like
- Without rear speakers
For our review, we are going to look at the design and features in detail for the SB3820-C6 soundbar. As something from the Vizio brand, you can already expect reliable performance from this model. And although it has a few drawbacks, which we’ll get into later, it’s still a significant upgrade from your boring TV speakers.
The Design Of The Vizio SB3820-C6
The Vizio 38″ sound bar is great for larger TVs. Although it’s not as compact as other soundbar models, all Vizio sound bars have one thing in common, and that’s the sleek and modern design that fits into any living room.
The modern design blends in really well with your TV. It can be mounted on the wall or placed on a cabinet or entertainment unit. Since it’s sleek and slim, it takes up less space than other bulkier soundbars.
If you decide to mount it on the wall, the mounting kit comes with the package so you don’t have to buy a separate one yourself. For larger sound bars, the Vizio SB3820-C6 is relatively lightweight, coming in at just 2.61kg.
SB3820-C6 Features Review
Sound Quality
Of course, the heart of our Vizio SB3820-C6 review is the sound quality. The addition of the DTS TruVolume gives a cinematic experience to your home theater. After hours of testing, our experts agree that the audio experience that this soundbar provides is comparable to higher-end ones.
Just like other amazing soundbars, the Vizio SB3820-C6 is capable of pumping out 100 dB of clear sound with minimal distortion (total harmonic distortion is less than 1%) even at high volumes.
Although you may not always turn up the soundbar to reach 100 dB and most people keep them at safe decibel levels [1], it’s useful to know that this particular sound bar can balance all audio sounds in the mid and upper ranges at max volume.
Full Range Drivers
The drivers, or speakers, produce a full range of sound that’s capable of reaching the entire scale of notes we can speak and hear. With this, the speakers give audiences a great realistic take on the audio so you can enjoy a detailed soundstage whatever the content is.
Connections
As for how to pair your soundbar to your TV, the SB3820-C6 sound bar offers a number of choices. It’s quite a flexible model compared to other soundbars we’ve tested.
The Vizio SB3820-C6 features a whopping 7 connectivity options that include: the subwoofer output (this is meant for the external subwoofer output), the digital optical cable input, the coaxial cable digital audio input, auxiliary cable 3.5mm, the stereo RCA, power input and the USB port.
With these options, users have the versatility to connect different devices they want with different inputs, which also makes this Vizio sound bar one of the most diverse.
Bass/Subwoofer
The sound bar itself is already capable of producing superb bass tones because it’s equipped with deep bass modules. This renders an extra wireless subwoofer unnecessary.
In our review, the Vizio soundbar itself already provides a dynamic audio experience, but for audiophiles who love to tweak the sound and are looking for that deep bass performance, you can use a top-quality external subwoofer. There’s no problem building on this system, so you’re free to connect a sub if you’d like.
(Having troubler with your soundbar and sub? Here’s how you can fix Vizio soundbar and subwoofer issue)
Bluetooth Connection
The sound bar works with any device that supports Bluetooth. If you want to stream music from your mobile device, just pair it with the Vizio SB3820-C6 sound bar and let the audio fill the room.
Bluetooth connection is also useful in pairing your TV to the Vizio soundbar. Because it’s wireless, Bluetooth minimizes the mess and clutter of wires.
Also, if you prefer having an external subwoofer for that deep bass, Bluetooth connection is also your best bet. A subwoofer only requires Bluetooth to pair, and it significantly improves the home theater experience as well.
However, a drawback to this is that an external subwoofer can be quite large and take up more space than you’d like. If you can place the subwoofer out of the way and not have it wired to your TV, you can have a more flexible sound system placement.
(Got a newly purchased Vizio tv? Then, get web browser on your Vizio smart TV with this guide)
Surround Sound
One prevailing comment in many customer reviews is about the surround sound that the sound bar has in place.
Basically, the sound bar operates at 60 Hz to 19 kHz frequency. It comes complete with Dolby Digital technology, including Dolby Digital, DTS Studio Sound ™, DTS TruVolume ™, and DTS TruSurround ™. These are all top standards in surround sound, so all the different sound levels are amplified and defined for a well-rounded listening experience.
The DTS TruSurround allows the Vizio soundbar to produce realistic sound effects that bring content to life. This atmospheric effect recreates sound to make you feel like you are part of everything that’s happening onscreen.
TruVolume, on the other hand, ensures you get great sound all the time with this 38-inch 2.0 channel sound bar. It consistently adjusts the volume depending on the content, so you’ll enjoy consistent audio volumes and well-balanced audio performance all the time. You only have to set your volume once and True Volume does the rest.
The Vizio SB3820-C6: Is It Easy to Set Up and Install?
The Vizio SB3820-C6 soundbar is very easy to set up under your TV or on your wall. It features everything you need right out of the box, which makes it great for the price since you don’t have to buy any additional paraphernalia. That’s also one comment we see in many customer reviews.
If you happen to encounter any problems while using your soundbar, you can always use the user manual for troubleshooting (or refer to our soundbar troubleshooting guide). But in our experience, the installation was smooth and trouble-free.
Other contents of the box include the remote, one power adapter, one coaxial power cable type, one digital optical cable type, and the RCA and 3.5 mm cable plus all that you need to use for wall mounting. Overall, the setup is straightforward and even newbies can do it with ease.
Channels
The Vizio SB3820-C6 38-inch is a 2.0 channel sound bar, which means it comes with two channels. For those that aren’t familiar, a channel is a point of sound emission on the soundbar.
To further explain, a 2 channel soundbar produces sound from its left and right speakers. This doesn’t seem like much, but because the Vizio has Dolby Digital DTS, the 2 channels would suffice for a room-filling sound experience.
Generally, a 2 channel soundbar is the most basic one you can get, because anything less than that is just an ordinary speaker. In the world of audio, 2 channel sound bars are cheaper, but the two full-range speakers are still better than your TV sound.
If you truly want advanced surround sound, you should find a soundbar that has 5 or more channels or speakers. But if you just want a value-for-your-money upgrade, the Vizio SB3820-C6 38-inch 2.0 channel sound bar is a great choice.
SB3820-C6's Remote and Controls
The Vizio SB3820-C6 comes with a remote control in the package, but if you already use a universal one, it could pair with the system as well. Aside from the remote control that allows you to input speaker settings without having to get up, there is also a control panel built right onto the soundbar.
On the control panel of the audio system, you can find the on/off power button, the two-volume controls for increasing and decreasing your speaker sound levels (which can also be used to control the external subwoofer), input control, and the Bluetooth input button.
Warranty
The manufacturer offers a 1-year warranty that comes with your sound bar. One great thing about having a warranty, guarantee, or both is the peace of mind it provides.
Just in case you find a faulty feature or something else undesirable in the speakers, a warranty gives you the option to exchange and replace the existing product for another. So aside from considering the price and reading product reviews, it’s best to search or look for a warranty when you buy something.
Want to weigh more of your options? We pitted the Bose TV Speaker against the Sonos Beam, which you can read about.
Vizio SB3820-C6 Review Conclusion
The Vizio SB3820-C6 38-inch 2.0 channel sound bar is a top device that provides 100 dB of high-powered, high quality, and virtually distortion-free sound. For people looking for a soundbar that pairs well with a TV larger than 38 inches, this is the one to get for your home theater system.
The Visio SB3820-C6 also offers the highest standard for surround sound in the industry with Dolby DTS. You’ll definitely be able to experience the height of cinematic sound with this soundbar. Overall, its performance is great for the price.
There are other models from the brand that are worth considering. You can head over to our review of the Vizio SB3651-E6, for starters.
