The onn. 42" 5.1. 2. Dolby Atmos Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer is a budget-friendly 5.1.2 bar. It's part of the Walmart brand's lineup, which includes several different budget-friendly soundbars that you can only purchase from the retailer itself. Unlike the brand's 36" 2.1 setup, it comes with a dedicated subwoofer to improve bass reproduction. Compared to its 36" 5.1 setup, it also comes with additional support for Dolby Atmos content. As a result, it's the most premium offering available in the lineup.
Our Verdict
The onn. 42" 5.1. 2. Dolby Atmos Soundbar is alright for mixed usage. The bar has a really bass-heavy and dark sound profile right out-of-the-box, but there are some adjustment features to help you customize its sound to your liking. You can balance out the mids, so voices in movies and TV shows are clear and present in the mix. There's also Atmos support, which is great if you watch a lot of movies on streaming platforms. That said, its Atmos performance isn't very impressive, even when compared to other budget-friendly bars. Not all of its features work, as its EQ presets can't change the frequency response for a different sound.
- Subwoofer level adjustment.
- Supports Dolby Atmos content.
- EQ presets don't change frequency response.
- No dialogue enhancement mode.
The onn. 42" 5.1. 2. Dolby Atmos Soundbar is okay for dialogue-heavy content like TV shows. Using its subwoofer level and treble adjustments, you can get an even, neutral response, especially in the mid-range, where most voices are reproduced. That means that dialogue is clear and detailed in the mix. Its discrete center helps localize those voices to clear points in the soundstage, too. However, unlike many other budget models, there's no dialogue enhancement mode, which is quite disappointing.
- Gets loud.
- Great center channel performance.
- EQ presets don't change frequency response.
- No dialogue enhancement mode.
The onn. 42" 5.1. 2. Dolby Atmos Soundbar is a decent choice for music. Out-of-the-box, it has a really bass-heavy and dark sound that overwhelms vocals in the mix, but you can use its treble and subwoofer level adjustments to customize its sound more to your liking. It gets really loud, so you can crank up the volume for parties. However, there's some compression at its max volume, meaning that audio isn't as clearly reproduced at loud volumes.
- Subwoofer level adjustment.
- Gets loud.
- Compression at max volume.
- EQ presets don't change frequency response.
The onn. 42" 5.1. 2. Dolby Atmos Soundbar is acceptable for movies. Once you adjust its frequency response, dialogue is clear and present in the mix, so you can hear the characters on your screen. However, since there aren't any surround speakers, its surround performance isn't the most impressive. It's one of the only bars in its price range offering Atmos support, but its performance doesn't stand out from the competition since it fails to create a really immersive sound.
- Subwoofer level adjustment.
- Supports Dolby Atmos content.
- EQ presets don't change frequency response.
- No dialogue enhancement mode.
Changelog
- Updated Sep 24, 2024: Updated the Stereo Dynamics, Stereo Frequency Response With Preliminary Calibrations, and Surround 5.1 results with new methodology from Test Bench 1.3 and accompanying text. Added text to the Audio Latency: ARC, Audio Latency: HDMI In, and Audio Latency: Optical boxes.
- Updated Sep 19, 2024: We've converted this review to Test Bench Update 1.3. If applicable, we've retested stereo sound based on the manufacturer's recommendations. Additionally, we've expanded our audio latency tests to the following boxes: Audio Latency: ARC, Audio Latency: HDMI In, and Audio Latency: Optical. You can see the full changelog here.
- Updated May 05, 2023: Updated Audio Format Support and Video Passthrough To TV results with new methodology.
- Updated May 05, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 1.2. Updated the results for audio format support via ARC/eARC, HDMI In, and Optical. Added Video Passthrough to TV results as well.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The onn. 42" 5.1. 2. Dolby Atmos Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer is available in a Black variant with Grey fabric. You can see the label for the tested model here.
If you come across another version of the onn. 42" 5.1. 2. Dolby Atmos Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer, let us know in the discussions below so we can update our review.
Popular Soundbar Comparisons
The onn. 42" 5.1. 2. Dolby Atmos Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer is a budget-friendly 5.1.2 setup. It's one of the few models in its price range with support for Dolby Atmos content, which is nice. That said, it lacks a lot of features, even when compared to other price-friendly models. For example, you can't enhance its dialogue, and its EQ presets don't change the frequency response, either, which is quite disappointing. Its Atmos performance isn't quite as good as the Polk Audio Signa S4 or the Vizio M Series M51ax-J6, either.
See also our recommendations for the best soundbars under $500, the best Dolby Atmos soundbars, and the best budget soundbars.
The Sonos Arc is better than the onn. 42" 5.1. 2. Dolby Atmos Soundbar. The Sonos is a bit different, as it's a 5.0.2 standalone bar with a more premium design that you can later upgrade with a sub and satellites. Still, it has better soundstage, surround, and Atmos performances. There are more sound enhancement features available, too, and DTS support. It can't reproduce as much bass on its own compared to the onn.
The Vizio M Series M51ax-J6 is better than the onn. 42" 5.1. 2. Dolby Atmos Soundbar. They're both affordable 5.1.2 setups with Atmos support, but the Vizio soundbar's Atmos performance is better. The Vizio comes with discrete satellites for a better surround sound, too. More sound enhancement features are also available, and DTS support, which the onn. lacks.
The Samsung HW-Q950A is better than the onn. 42" 5.1. 2. Dolby Atmos Soundbar. The Samsung is an 11.1.4 setup with discrete satellites and offers better surround and Atmos performances. Its soundstage is better, too, and it supports more sound enhancement features. Unlike the onn, there's even DTS support.
The Vizio SB36512-F6 is better than the onn. 42" 5.1. 2. Dolby Atmos Soundbar. They're both budget-friendly 5.1.2 setups, but the Vizio offers better surround and Atmos performances. It comes with discrete satellites, unlike the onn, and there are more sound enhancement features available. Also, it can reproduce a more extended low-bass to help you feel the rumble in action-packed movies and bass-heavy music.
Test Results
