The Vizio M Series M213ad-K8, also known as the M Series All-in-One (AiO) Sound Bar, is a budget-friendly 2.1 setup released in 2022. It's a standalone bar with a similar design to Vizio M Series M21d-H8R, but it adds support for Dolby Atmos. There are two subwoofers integrated into the bar to improve its bass reproduction. It's one of the only bars in this price range with Dolby Atmos support, although it has to downmix it into stereo to play it.
Our Verdict
The Vizio M Series All-in-One is decent for mixed usage. This budget-friendly 2.1 bar reproduces voices and lead instruments in your favorite songs with clarity and detail, and dialogue in TV shows is clear and present in the mix. As a standalone bar, it does struggle to reproduce an extended low-bass, which isn't surprising. You notice it most with bass-heavy music genres and action-packed movies. It supports lots of audio formats, but since it downmixes this content into stereo, it's not an impressive choice for surround sound or height content.
- Bass and treble adjustments.
- Dolby Atmos support.
- Lacks low-bass.
- Downmixes surround sound to stereo.
The Vizio M Series All-in-One is good for dialogue-focused TV shows and podcasts. It's a 2.1 bar, so you don't find a discrete center channel to improve vocal clarity. Still, you don't have any trouble following the dialogue on screen, thanks to its balanced mids that reproduce these frequencies with clarity. You can even use the 'Dialogue' EQ preset to enhance voices in the mix, which is nice. Podcasts and audiobooks are easy to stream to the bar via Bluetooth, but unfortunately, it doesn't support Wi-Fi, Apple AirPlay, or Chromecast built-in.
- Dialogue enhancement tool.
- Bluetooth compatibility.
- Lacks Wi-Fi, Apple AirPlay, or Chromecast built-in support.
The Vizio M Series All-in-One is satisfactory for music. Its balanced mids mean that voices and lead instruments are clear and present, so the bar's suitable for lots of different genres. There's a little extra punch in the high bass, too, that brings some excitement to the mix. There are two subwoofers integrated into the bar to help with bass reproduction, but as with most standalone setups, it struggles to produce an extended low bass. It's most noticeable in bass-heavy genres like EDM and hip-hop, which lack rumble and thump.
- Bass and treble adjustments.
- Gets loud.
- Compression at max volume.
- Lacks low-bass.
The Vizio M Series All-in-One is okay for movies. It supports many different audio formats, from 5.1 surround sound formats like Dolby Digital to object-based formats like Dolby Atmos. You're likely to come across both on streaming services and Blu-rays. However, since it's a 2.1 bar, it has to downmix this content into stereo to play it. As a result, the sound isn't very immersive, and it doesn't seem like sound effects stretch around you. There isn't a lot of bass to bring the rumble in action-packed scenes, either.
- Bass and treble adjustments.
- Dolby Atmos support.
- Lacks low-bass.
- Downmixes surround sound to stereo.
Changelog
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Updated Jun 11, 2025:
The Height (Atmos) section was updated to correct a data error, which changed the section's score. The verdict scores also changed slightly.
- Updated Jan 29, 2024: Updated Stereo Dynamics results with new methodology. Added Audio Latency: ARC, Audio Latency: HDMI In, and Audio Latency: Optical results.
- Updated Jan 29, 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 Jun 02, 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.
Check Price
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Vizio M Series All-in-One is available in 'Black', and you can see the label for the model we tested here.
If you come across another version of this soundbar, let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.
Popular Soundbar Comparisons
The Vizio M Series All-in-One is a budget-friendly bar that offers Dolby Atmos support at a more affordable price, like the TCL Alto 8i. That said, since it downmixes this content, it doesn't offer a very immersive sound. It's best suited for those who prefer to listen to stereo content, like music and TV shows, but want the flexibility to enjoy surround sound and Atmos movies every once in a while.
See also our recommendations for the best standalone soundbars, the best Dolby Atmos soundbars, and the best budget soundbars.
The Vizio M Series M213ad-K8 is better than the Vizio M Series M21d-H8R. They're both 2.1 budget bars with a similar standalone design, but the M213ad-K8 adds support for Dolby Atmos. Of course, it has to downmix it into stereo to play it, which isn't very immersive-sounding. Still, it adds eARC support, and it has lower latency.
The Vizio M Series M215a-J6 is a more versatile 2.1 setup than the Vizio M Series M213ad-K8. They're both Dolby Atmos soundbars, but with different designs. The standalone M213ad-K8 is better suited for those with smaller living spaces. However, the M215a-J6's dedicated subwoofer means it can reproduce a lot more bass, bringing more thump and rumble to bass-heavy music and action-packed movies.
The Vizio V Series V51-H6 is more versatile than the Vizio M Series M213ad-K8. The V Series looks pretty different than the standalone M Series—it adds a dedicated sub and two satellites to the package. It means it can reproduce a more extended low-bass and performs much better with surround sound. That said, the M Series' standalone design is ideal for those without much space. It supports Atmos content, too, unlike the V Series.
The TCL Alto 8i and the Vizio M Series M213ad-K8 are both 2.1 soundbars with Dolby Atmos support at a budget-friendly price. The Vizio is better overall, though. It offers more sound enhancement features, like dialogue enhancement, and supports eARC and DTS content, unlike the TCL soundbar. It has lower latency, too.
Test Results
