The Vizio Elevate SE SL512X-0806 is a stripped-down version of the Vizio Elevate. The 5.1.2-channel soundbar system supports most audio formats, including Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, but it doesn't come with an HDMI input port, video passthrough, or even a remote. Instead, you connect to it via a single HDMI eARC port. But it still has height speakers that automatically rotate upward upon detecting compatible content, reflecting sound off the ceiling to add a sense of verticality to your audio.
Our Verdict
The Vizio SL512X 0806 is satisfactory for mixed usage. Its warm sound suits everything from music to TV shows, but EDM fans may miss the lowest octave of low-bass thump. You can customize the bass and treble amounts, which is great for ensuring mixes sound as you like, regardless of your room acoustics. Also, added features like a dialogue enhancement mode make understanding whispered voices easier. The bar gets nice and loud without any compression, and the satellites do a good job of placing you in the middle of the action. While the bar does support Atmos, dedicated fans of spatial audio may want to look elsewhere as the rotating up-firing drivers don't add much of a sense of verticality to your audio.
Well-balanced mid-range suits most audio content.
Can customize bass and treble amounts.
Low bass extension could be deeper.
Height channels don't add much sense of verticality to your audio.
The Vizio SL512X 0806 is a good choice for dialogue-centric content like TV shows, thanks to its dedicated center channel, which keeps centrally panned elements like voices audible even during busy scenes. Out of the box, the soundbar has a well-balanced mid-range that ensures voices sound true-to-life. At the same time, additional features like treble adjustment and a dialogue enhancement mode mean you can adjust the dialogue presence to taste.
Well-balanced mid-range suits most audio content.
Can customize bass and treble amounts.
Dialogue enhancement mode.
Low bass extension could be deeper.
Height channels don't add much sense of verticality to your audio.
The Vizio Elevate SE does a decent job playing back music. It has a generally balanced sound that reproduces mid-range content like vocals and lead guitars accurately. It's a little warm, so basslines can overwhelm the mix at times, but you can tweak the bass and treble amounts to taste via the companion app. EDM fans may wish for a slightly deeper low-bass extension, but since this bar gets loud without any compression, most won't mind. Its soundstage also does a good job of helping you hear the panning of different instruments in your favorite tunes.
Well-balanced mid-range suits most audio content.
Can customize bass and treble amounts.
Low bass extension could be deeper.
Height channels don't add much sense of verticality to your audio.
The Vizio Elevate SE is decent for watching movies. Its generally well-balanced frequency response suits action movies and period dramas alike, while its dedicated center channel and dialogue enhancement tool means you never have to miss a word. And its soundstage has great focus, so picking out where an individual voice is coming from is easy. Since this package comes with dedicated satellites, you'll feel immersed in content that pans around you, but even though its height drivers "elevate" when listening to Atmos content, they don't add much of a sense of vertical immersion to your audio. Still, latency is very low, so you shouldn't need to adjust for lip sync issues.
Well-balanced mid-range suits most audio content.
Can customize bass and treble amounts.
Low bass extension could be deeper.
Height channels don't add much sense of verticality to your audio.
Changelog
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Updated Dec 02, 2025:
We've added a comparison to the Ultimea Skywave X70 in the Video Passthrough to TV box.
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Updated May 16, 2025:
We've updated the review to mention the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus with Sub + Speakers in the Style box.
- Updated Mar 03, 2025: Review published.
- Updated Feb 19, 2025: Early access published.
Check Price
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Vizio Elevate SE 5.1.2 comes in one color variant: Black. You can see the label for the model we tested.
If you come across another variant, let us know in the comments.
Popular Soundbar Comparisons
The Vizio Elevate SE soundbar is a more affordable entry within Vizio's Elevate lineup. It's cheaper than both the Vizio M Series Elevate M512E-K6 and the top-of-the-line Vizio Elevate. All three soundbars feature height channels that rotate to face the ceiling (they 'elevate') upon detecting compatible content such as Dolby Atmos. Unsurprisingly, as the cheapest of the bunch, the soundbar under review here is the most basic: it doesn't offer video passthrough, optical in, or even a remote. And the up-firing drivers themselves have been changed, replaced with a single full-range driver instead of a woofer and tweeter combo. But its audio reproduction performance is still broadly on par with the other bars in the Elevate lineup. If you can live without the niceties and extra inputs, it might be the best value of all.
You can also check out our picks for the best soundbars under $500, the best soundbars with a subwoofer, and the best budget soundbars.
The Vizio Elevate SE SL512X-0806 is a more affordable entryway into Vizio's Elevate lineup of soundbars than the top-of-the-line Vizio Elevate. The cheaper sibling loses video passthrough to TV, WiFi playback, optical inputs, a full HDMI input port, and a remote. Whether you need those features is a question only you can answer. But if you don't, the cheaper Elevate SE SL512X-0806 is well worth considering as it performs very similarly to the more expensive flagship in terms of audio reproduction.
The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus with Sub + Speakers and the Vizio Elevate SE SL512X-0806 are both positioned in the budget-to-mid range. Unlike the Amazon, the Vizio has up-firing drivers, which help add a sense of verticality to your audio. That said, the Vizio requires a wired connection between its satellite speakers and its wireless external sub, while the Amazon's sub and satellites all communicate wirelessly.
The Vizio Elevate SE SL512X-0806 and the Hisense AX5125H both target budget-to-mid-range customers and have different strengths. The Hisense has a deeper low-frequency extension, so it reproduces even the thumpiest lows of a kick drum (though you can't adjust the subwoofer level independently like you can with the Vizio). In contrast, the Vizio has a wider stereo soundstage and can get louder with less compression. The main differences come down to input ports: the Hisense offers more, including full HDMI in, Optical in, and up to 4k @ 120 Hz video passthrough. You can only connect to the Vizio via eARC, but its latency performance is better.
The TCL Q85H is a better soundbar for most people than the Vizio Elevate SE SL512X-0806. The TCL has a more balanced frequency response, better Atmos performance, and more inputs, including Optical and full HDMI in. It also offers lower latency performance than the Vizio when connected via eARC. But some people might appreciate the Vizio's stripped back, simplistic approach. Fewer options can mean fewer moments of frustration while hooking up your system.
Test Results
This soundbar has a sleek, modern design with a durable fabric-wrapped front and a solid plastic back that feels sturdy. Lightweight aluminum caps magnetically attach to the ends, rotating up and down for Atmos and DTS:X playback. LEDs are built into the bar at the ends, where the height channels are. You can change the colors of these LEDS in the app or even have them display a dynamic rainbow effect.
The subwoofer has an oval shape with a downward-facing woofer and a rear port. The back also houses color-coordinated ports for connecting surround speakers. It sits on small rubber-padded feet, leaving a slight gap between the sub and the floor. Visually, it's similar to the sub that comes with the Vizio M Series Elevate M512E-K6.
The satellites share a similar design to the bar, with a plastic body and a tightly wrapped, thick mesh fabric front. They're lightweight but still feel well-built. Small pads on the bottom keep them stable wherever they're placed, and they connect to the subwoofer via 8m/26 ft color-coordinated cables for easy setup. If you're looking for a wireless solution so you have more freedom with subwoofer placement, check out the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus with Sub + Speakers.
This soundbar is a little wide, so it can't fit between the legs of a 55-inch TV stand. But it's not very tall, so it doesn't block your TV screen.
The subwoofer is very similar in size to the one that comes with the Vizio M Series Elevate M512E-K6. It takes up a similar amount of floorspace to a desktop PC but isn't as tall.
The small satellites don't take up much space at all. They're not wireless, so you do have to wire them to the subwoofer for them to work, but their small size and unobtrusive styling means they'll slot into most living rooms easily enough.
This bar also includes a quick fit mount, which works with compatible Vizio TVs to simplify the mounting process.
The Vizio Elevate SE 5.1.2 has impressive build quality. In general, the overall design and feel of this setup are similar to those of the Vizio M Series Elevate M512E-K6. The different speakers feel well-built from a mix of durable materials like plastic, cloth, and aluminum. The aluminum height caps can even be removed for cleaning or repairs since they attach magnetically to the bar.
- Quick setup guide
- Warranty
- Wall mount guide
- HDMI cable (1.8m / 5.9 ft)
- 2x power cable (1.5m / 4.9 ft)
- 2x satellite audio cables (8m / 26 ft)
- 2x satellite mounting screws
- 2x soundbar mounting screws
- 2x satellite mounting brackets
The Vizio Elevate SE has a decent stereo frequency response that resembles that of the Vizio M Series Elevate M512E-K6. Its sonic signature trends warm, with extra bass to give effects like explosions some added punch. It doesn't offer as much low-bass thump as the Vizio Elevate, but the boosted high-bass ensures basslines sound warm and enveloping. All that bass can muddy dialogue and instruments up a touch, but since the mid and treble ranges are pretty well-balanced, that's not too much of an issue. Voices generally sound clear and present without ever being harsh.
The Vizio Elevate SE 5.1.2 soundbar lets you customize its bass and treble amounts to your taste. In our room, we obtained the most balanced sound by turning the bass to '-1' and the treble to 3, which reduced some of the mud present in the default setting. That said, the settings you choose will depend both on your taste and on the acoustics of your room.
This soundbar has a good stereo soundstage. It's not the widest, but does extend an inch or two further than the left and right edges of the bar. Happily, the focus is great, so sound effects and dialogue are well-positioned within the soundstage. Voices come from where you'd expect.
The Vizio Elevate SE 5.1.2 soundbar has great stereo dynamics performance. Not only does the bar get plenty loud enough to fill a medium sized living room, but it leaves your audio virtually untouched by compression at its loudest volume. That means you'll get pure audio reproduction when listening loudly, and explosions won't lose any of their impact.
The center channel performance is great. It offers a well-balanced sound that represents sounds like voices accurately and with plenty of detail, making them easier to pick out during busy scenes. You shouldn't have too many issues understanding what characters are saying. If you do, you can always tweak the bass and treble amounts to taste.
The surrounds performance is satisfactory. The dedicated surround satellites mean the bar can deliver a more immersive sound than setups without satellites. For instance, it's easy to make out sounds passing from front to back and left to right in this setup. These satellites don't put out much bass, but that's okay, as the subwoofer handles those frequencies. They also lack a little clarity, which can rob sounds like clashing swords of some shimmer.
The Atmos performance is acceptable but doesn't excel. Only the bar itself has up-firing drivers, not the satellites, which limits the sense of height the system can produce. The up-firing drivers do add some sense of verticality to your audio, but never make you feel truly immersed in a vast soundscape. Sounds feel like they come from above the bar, but not from above you. The satellites do a good job representing detail, so you can easily pick out sounds like a helicopter zooming around you, but less well when something flies over you from behind. The subwoofer also delivers a solid amount of rumble in bass-heavy scenes without overwhelming the mix.
The Vizio Elevate SE 5.1.2 soundbar offers the same set of enhancement features found on the Vizio M Series Elevate M512E-K6 as well as the original Vizio Elevate. As with other bars in the Elevate series, there are three options for controlling the sides of the bar (with the up-firing drivers). AUTO rotates the sides upwards automatically when the system detects Atmos or DTS:X content, while UP and WIDE let you set the rotation manually. You can also set the surrounds to play the same stereo audio as the sound bar using DUAL mode.
This soundbar has a fairly stripped-back selection of ports. In addition to the power socket, you get an HDMI eARC output port to connect the bar to your TV and a USB input port for file playback. But you can only playback WAV and MP3 audio files. Sorry, FLAC fans.
The Vizio Elevate SE 5.1.2 offers remarkable audio format support over ARC. Blu-ray enthusiasts will appreciate its support for DTS and DTS:X formats, and streaming fans can enjoy watching both Dolby Digital and Dolby Atmos content.
This soundbar does not support HDMI in.
This soundbar does not have an Optical input port.
The Vizio SL512X 0806 has very good latency performance via ARC. You probably won't need to adjust the AV Delay function unless you're watching Dolby Digital content. But whether you'll have to will depend on the specifics of your setup.
This soundbar doesn't support video passthrough. You can take a look at the Ultimea Skywave X70 if you're looking for a similar bar with HDMI passthrough capabilities.
You can wirelessly stream content to this bar via Bluetooth, but it doesn't support Wi-Fi playback, and there's no support for Chromecast or Apple AirPlay.
This soundbar has a vertical strip of small LED lights that change based on the selected source and settings. These lights indicate volume levels as well as adjustments to audio settings like bass and treble amount. The system is fairly intuitive, but it lacks the clarity of a text display.
A simple set of physical buttons is located on the left side of the bar. There's a power button, a Bluetooth pairing button, and buttons for volume up and down.
This system doesn't come with a remote, so you have to use the Vizio App to access any controls that aren't found on the bar itself. Check out this video of the app in action. In our testing, we experienced pairing issues with the app. Twice, it failed to reconnect after powering the bar off, so we had to manually repair our phone and the bar. The lack of a physical remote means connection issues like this could become bothersome.