Vizio V21-H8 Soundbar Review

The new Vizio V21-H8 promises to change your expectations of sound. but is that a promise meant to be broken? From DTS Virtual technology that fully envelops you to decoding of high quality audio, what else is there to make you take the plunge?

Let’s find out all that, and then some, below.

What We Like

What We Don't Like

Design

Most soundbars are small, but for a 36” soundbar complete with a 5” subwoofer, the Vizio V21-H8 has a very small footprint. It’s also lightweight for such a long soundbar that makes it easy to place. You can either wall mount it or set it down on a flat surface.

The subwoofer is only a mere 5”, which makes it smaller than most subwoofers. However, the small size does not take away from its power. Being small also offers another layer of convenience when it comes to placement.

You can easily maneuver the subwoofer and adjust its location depending on your preference. The brushed black metal exterior makes the soundbar subwoofer pair a great match for all your other devices.

To make things even easier, the soundbar has indicator lights for different functions. There’s an on/off light and Bluetooth light, among others.

Features

The Vizio V21-H8 has almost every feature needed for a complete viewing experience. Let’s take a look at each one in more detail.

Sound Quality

Dolby Audio is the undisputed master of sound that is commonly utilized in many blockbuster movies. You can now take that experience home with you in the form of the Vizio V21-H8 soundbar.

Equipped with loud and clear audio capabilities ranging from 96 dB of sound pressure [1] and a frequency range of 50Hz – 20kHz, you can expect audio as clear as if the events were unfolding in the same room.

Sound Technology

The soundbar has been optimized to be compatible with 4K content, which can be delivered through the HDMI ARC. To fully push the sound to maximum potential, the soundbar is capable of DTS Virtual: X technology for room-filling 3D sound.

To make speech and dialogue even clearer, the Dialogue EQ is able to tune and calibrate the soundbar, emitting crystal clear voices and words.

Bluetooth

Most soundbars nowadays are integrated with Bluetooth capabilities. This is also a feature that’s present in the Vizio V21-H8. Bluetooth allows users to connect your soundbar to mobile devices to enjoy streaming wirelessly.

You can choose to play your favorite tunes or content directly through the soundbar. The soundbar can pair with any device with Bluetooth enabled, including your TV.

Voice Assistant

The Vizio V21-H8 comes ready with voice assistant compatibility. You can program the soundbar to work with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa or Siri. It can be controlled via Bluetooth or the aux connection.

Voice assistant reduces the need for you to keep track of the remote and allows you to perform controls hands-free. It gives users a higher level of convenience when dealing with an advanced technological device.

Subwoofer

A soundbar with a subwoofer will outperform a soundbar on its own. Thankfully, this Vizio subwoofer has a small profile of just 5”, which is easy to find space for. It is also wireless  via Bluetooth, which not only presents a reliable connection  but also a neater setup.

Setup

Setting up your new Vizio V21-H8 soundbar is easy as all the necessary cables are included. All you need to do is locate the input and output ports and connect the cable accordingly. 

With wireless Bluetooth connection, the placement of the devices will be more flexible. This way, you can tailor your own surround sound experience as you please.

Control

The soundbar comes with its very own remote that allows you to control the soundbar with ease. The remote itself also provides a comfort grip and has an intuitive interface.

Channels

The Vizio V21-H8 is a 2.1 channel soundbar. This means that there are 2 full-range drivers (speakers) and one subwoofer. For surround sound, the industry standard is 5 channels [1] (left, right, center, rear) for 3D surround sound. Two channels means that the soundbar has left and right speakers and 1 pertains to the number of subwoofers.

With the two full-range speakers, the Vizio V21-H8 soundbar is able to produce crystal clear audio. When working together with the advanced Dolby Sound technologies, the soundbar is able to simulate surround sound with only 2 channels.

The LG LAS551H is also a 2.1 soundbar that’s worth checking.

Vizio V21-H8 Review Conclusion

With extensive testing, we have found that the Vizio V21-H8 is quite an amazing soundbar despite its lack of rear speakers. With the most advanced sound technologies from Dolby Audio, it can simulate a 3D surround experience with crystal clear dialogue right in your own living room.

Writer

Willie Greer
Willie Greer
Willie Greer is the founder of The Product Analyst. A cinephile, he has made it a personal quest to achieve the awesomest home theater possible. He now shares what he has learned through the years on the site, and has enlisted the help of tech-savvy colleagues in providing more insight about today’s most sought-after gadgets.