- Table of Contents
- Intro
- Our Verdict
- Test Results
- Differences
- Compared To Others
- Deals
- Discussions
The Vizio M Series M512a-H6 is a 5.1.2 setup released in 2021. This soundbar offers a pretty neutral sound profile, making it suitable for listening to many different types of audio content. It also comes with two discrete surround speakers, and it has two up-firing speakers built into the bar for watching Atmos content. There are some sound customization features available; unfortunately, it lacks more premium options like room correction.
Note: We bought and tested another unit in compliance with our out-of-spec policy. We've tested the new unit and have updated the review accordingly.
Our Verdict
The Vizio M512a-H6 is great for mixed usage. On its 'Direct' preset, this soundbar has a pretty neutral sound profile suitable for many different types of audio content. Its dedicated sub can accurately reproduce the deep rumbling bass in bass-heavy music and action-packed movies. There are discrete surround speakers to enhance your listening experience, and it supports Dolby Atmos content. It also offers an excellent center channel performance, so voices and dialogue are clearly reproduced and are accurately localized within the sound image.
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Bass and treble adjustments.
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Gets loud.
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Excellent center channel performance.
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Good surrounds performance.
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No graphic EQ.
The Vizio M512a-H6 is great for dialogue-centric content like TV shows. Its balanced mid-range can reproduce voices clearly and with detail, and its discrete center channel helps localize dialogue to an accurate location in the sound image. There's even a dialogue enhancement feature to make voices more crisp and an auto-volume mode to balance the volume across different programs. Also, it has an excellent center channel performance that ensures voices and dialogue are accurately localized within the sound image.
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Excellent center channel performance.
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Dialogue enhancement feature.
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Bluetooth-enabled.
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No graphic EQ.
The Vizio M512a-H6 is very good for music. On its 'Direct' preset, it has a pretty neutral sound profile suitable for listening to many different genres. Thanks to its dedicated subwoofer, it can accurately reproduce the extended low-bass found in bass-heavy music like EDM and hip-hop. There are also some EQ presets and bass and treble adjustments so you can customize its sound. While it also gets loud, it lacks premium sound enhancement features like a full graphic EQ.
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Bass and treble adjustments.
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Gets loud.
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No graphic EQ.
The Vizio M512a-H6 is very good for movies. It has a neutral sound profile that can accurately reproduce dialogue and the deep, thumpy bass in action-packed scenes. It also comes with discrete surround speakers, so surround objects are clearly and accurately localized within the sound image. It even has two up-firing speakers that support Dolby Atmos content.
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Gets loud.
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Good surrounds performance.
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No graphic EQ.
- 8.2 Mixed Usage
- 8.5 Dialogue/TV Shows
- 8.1 Music
- 8.1 Movies
- Updated Mar 31, 2022: Based on user feedback, we have confirmed that updating the bar to latest firmware 1.3.0.7 improves the bar's latency. All relevant text has been updated throughout the review.
- Updated Feb 16, 2022: Added more info about EQ presets.
- Updated Sep 17, 2021: Updated sound and latency test results and texts after testing a new unit.
- Updated Aug 04, 2021: Review published.
- Updated Jul 30, 2021: Early access published.
Test Results
The Vizio M512a-H6 has a simple design. It's mostly made of plastic that's draped with fabric. In the middle of the bar, there's a metal grille protecting the two up-firing speakers.
The sub is mostly made of melamine, and the top is made of plastic. It sits on four plastic pegs with rubber grips.
The satellites are mostly made of plastic. There's fabric covering the front and the sides. They need to be wired to the sub to work. If you don't have space in your setup for satellite speakers, you may prefer a different Atmos setup like the Polk Audio Signa S4.
The Vizio M512a-H6 likely won't fit between the legs of a 55" TV stand. That said, it isn't very tall, so it shouldn't block your TV screen unless your TV sits flush on the table.
The sub is the same size as the sub for the Vizio M Series M51a-H6. It's a bit shorter than the average desktop PC.
The satellites are fairly small. They need to be wired to the sub to get them to work, but they don't require a power cable, which is handy.
The back of the bar has two openings for the inputs and the power cable. There are also universal holes on the underside of the bar so you can mount it to your wall. The wall-mounting brackets and screws are included with the bar, which is nice.
The back of the sub has a port. There's also an input for the power cable and two jacks to connect the satellites.
The satellites have a fairly plain back. There's an input for the cable that connects them to the subwoofer. Also, there are proprietary mounting holes so you can mount them to your wall.
The Vizio M512a-H6 has a good build quality. The bar is mostly made of plastic, which feels solid and durable, and there's a metal grille on the top middle of the bar to help protect the up-firing speakers. The sides of the bar are draped with a tight fabric, though this could collect dust easily. The sub is mostly made of melamine with a plastic top. The satellites are also mostly made of plastic, with fabric covering the front and the sides.
- Manuals
- Wall mounting template
- 4x wall mount brackets
- 4x wall mount screws
- 4x cable ties
- Remote with batteries (2xAAA)
- Optical cable
- HDMI cable
- 2x audio cables for surround speakers
- 3.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable
- Stereo RCA to 3.5mm audio cable
- 2x power cables
Update 09/17/2021: The manufacturer contacted us since they suspected that some of our results were unique to our test unit. In compliance with our out-of-spec policy, we purchased and retested another unit and can confirm that that was the case. We've updated the results for all of our sound tests accordingly.
The Vizio M Series 5.1.2 has a great stereo frequency response. On its default 'Direct' preset, it has a pretty neutral sound profile suitable for listening to most types of audio content. Its dedicated subwoofer helps reproduce an extended low-bass, meaning that you feel the deep thump and rumble in bass-heavy music and action-packed movies. There are EQ presets and bass and treble adjustments so you can customize its sound more to your liking.
The Vizio M Series 5.1.2 comes with bass and treble adjustments so you can customize its sound profile. However, if you prefer a more neutral sound profile, its default settings already have a slope within the ideal range.
The Vizio M Series 5.1.2 Soundbar has an impressive stereo soundstage performance. Its soundstage is perceived to be a bit wider than the bar itself, and its focus is very good. It's easy to pinpoint sound objects like voices and footsteps to an accurate location in the sound image.
The Vizio M Series 5.1.2 has an impressive stereo dynamics performance. The bar gets pretty loud, and there isn't a lot of compression when you push it to max volume. As a result, it's suitable for listeners who like to crank up the volume to fill up large spaces and crowded parties, since your audio remains clean at loud volumes.
The Vizio M Series 5.1.2 Soundbar has a good stereo THD performance. At normal listening volumes, the amount of THD falls within good limits, resulting in clean and pure audio reproduction. There's a small jump in THD when the bar is pushed to max volume; however, this can be hard to hear with real-life content.
Update 09/17/2021: We've updated our test results and the text after testing a new unit.
The Vizio M Series Soundbar has an excellent center channel performance. It comes with a discrete center channel which helps to more accurately localize voices within the sound image. It also has a neutral frequency response that's quite balanced in the mid-range, so vocal-heavy content like dialogue is reproduced clearly and accurately.
The Vizio M Series 5.1.2 Soundbar has a good surrounds performance. It comes with discrete surround speakers, so surround objects like voices are clearly and accurately represented in the soundstage. Audio seems to be coming from all around you, rather than just from speakers placed in front of you. Its frequency response is also slightly bass-heavy, so your audio content packs a little extra thump and punch.
Update 09/17/2021: We've updated our test results, as well as the text after testing a new unit.
The Vizio M Series Soundbar has a middling Atmos performance. It comes with two up-firing speakers that bounce sound off the ceiling and back down towards you to create the illusion of height. However, the localization of objects is diffused, especially compared to the discrete localization found with down-firing speakers in home theater setups. That said, the new unit we tested offered a slightly more immersive height performance when its height level was increased, though this isn't part of our testing process.
Update 02/16/2022: Added more information about the setup's behavior with each EQ preset.
The Vizio M Series Soundbar has a decent selection of sound enhancement features. You can customize its sound using its EQ presets: 'Direct', 'Movie', 'Music', and 'Game'. Stereo files play from the bar and the subwoofer on all four EQ modes. When you play surround files on 'Direct' mode, audio plays from the subwoofer and the satellites. However, when you play surround files on 'Movie, 'Music', or 'Game' mode, audio plays from both the bar, the subwoofer, and the satellites.
Also, there's a dialogue enhancement feature to make voices more clear and crisp and a night mode feature that helps balance the volume level across different programs. Unfortunately, it lacks more premium sound enhancement features like room correction, so it may sound different depending on the room you're listening in. Unlike the Samsung HW-Q59CT, it also lacks a graphic EQ.
The Vizio M512a-H6 comes with several physical inputs. There's a Full HDMI In port, meaning you can use it as a hub between different devices. However, even though the bar comes with a 3.5mm to RCA cable, there isn't an RCA In port, which can be disappointing if you want to use that connection to link your bar to your TV.
The Vizio M Series Sound Bar has incredible audio format support via ARC. It supports all of the formats we test for, including Dolby Digital, which is the most common surround sound format. It also supports lossless and object-based formats like DTS:X and Dolby Atmos.
The Vizio M512a-H6 also has fantastic audio format support via Full HDMI In. It supports Dolby Digital and DTS, which are commonly found on Blu-ray discs and streaming platforms. Also, it supports more premium object-based formats like DTS:X.
The Vizio M512a-H6 supports both Dolby Digital and DTS via Optical, handy for listeners who watch lots of Blu-ray discs and content from streaming platforms.
The Vizio M Series M512a-H6 has great latency performance. While its latency was fairly high at launch, updating the bar to firmware version 1.3.0.7 improves the latency over ARC, Optical, and HDMI In connections. The audio that you hear is in sync with the video that you see, so it's a solid choice for watching videos over these connections. Latency can vary based on different factors, including the apps and TV you use, so your experience may vary.
The Vizio M Series Sound Bar lets you wirelessly stream audio from your mobile devices to the bar via Bluetooth. However, Apple and Google users may be disappointed that it doesn't support Apple AirPlay or Chromecast built-in.
The Vizio M Series Sound Bar can passthrough the highest bandwidth signals. When connected between your PC and your TV, text on the screen appears clear and crisp.
The sub connects to the bar wirelessly. You only need to plug it into a power outlet to get it to work.
The satellites connect to the subwoofer using the included cables. They connect to the bar wirelessly, so you don't need to wire them to a power outlet, which is nice.
This soundbar doesn't have an interface. Instead, there are a series of vertical lights on the left side of the bar that flash different patterns depending on the settings you control. There's also some voice audio feedback when you change between one of the preset modes or change the input.
On top of the bar, there are physical controls that let you power the bar on/off, change the input, activate Bluetooth pairing, and adjust the volume.
The remote is fairly simple and lets you control all of the bar's functions. It even comes with a display screen.
The Vizio M Series Sound Bar has an AUX VA In port that lets you connect voice assistant-enabled devices like an Amazon Echo to the bar. However, this isn't considered built-in support, since it requires that you purchase a third-party device.
The Vizio M Series Sound Bar has an auto-off function that shuts off the bar after a period of inactivity. You can turn this feature on and off by pressing and holding the power and volume down buttons for five seconds.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Vizio M512a-H6 comes 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.
Compared To Other Soundbars
The Vizio M512a-H6 is a 5.1.2 soundbar released in 2021. Unlike the Vizio M Series M51a-H6, it comes with two up-firing speakers to help create the illusion of height when watching Atmos content. Unfortunately, it lacks premium sound enhancement features like a full graphic EQ to customize its sound to your liking.
See our recommendations for the best 5.1 soundbars, the best Vizio soundbars, and the best Dolby Atmos soundbars.
The Vizio M Series M512a-H6 is better than the Vizio M Series M51a-H6. The M512a-H6 is better built, with a better soundstage performance. It also comes with two up-firing speakers.
The Vizio M Series M512a-H6 is slightly better than the Vizio M Series M51ax-J6 overall. The M512a-H6 is better for music. It has a better soundstage, and it's also better built. It even comes with two up-firing speakers. While the M51ax-J6 can get slightly louder, the M512a-H6 has slightly less compression present at max volume, resulting in cleaner audio at louder volume levels.
Depending on your listening habits, you may prefer either the Vizio Elevate or the Vizio M Series M512a-H6. The Elevate is better built and has a better Atmos performance. It supports more wireless playback options. That said, the M Series has a better surround performance. It also has less compression at max volume, so your audio sounds cleaner during louder listening sessions.
The Vizio M Series M512a-H6 is slightly better than the Vizio SB36512-F6. The M Series is better-built, with better soundstage and surround performances. It also comes with more sound enhancement features like dialogue enhancement. That said, the SB36512-F6 supports more wireless playback options.
The Vizio M Series M512a-H6 is better than the Vizio SB46514-F6. The M512a-H6 has a better stereo soundstage, and it comes with more sound enhancement features, including dialogue enhancement. That said, the SB46514-F6 is better built with more wireless playback options.
The Vizio M Series M512a-H6 is a better soundbar for mixed usage than the standalone Sonos Arc. The Vizio has a better surround performance, and unlike the Sonos, it has a Full HDMI In port and EQ presets. It also reproduces a more extended low-bass thanks to its dedicated sub. The Sonos is better built and comes with a room correction feature and built-in voice assistant support. You can also upgrade it as the Sonos Arc with Sub + One SL Speakers for better performance.
The Vizio M Series M512a-H6 is better than the Vizio V Series V51-H6. The M Series is better-built, with better soundstage and surround performances. Unlike the V Series, it supports Atmos content and comes with a Full HDMI In port.
Depending on your listening habits, you may prefer either the Vizio M Series M512a-H6 or the Bose Smart Soundbar 900 with Speakers + Bass Module. The Bose is a better built 5.1.2 setup with better soundstage, surround, and Atmos performances. Unlike the Samsung, it has built-in voice assistant support. However, it doesn't support DTS content like the Vizio, and it also lacks a Full HDMI In port.
The Vizio M Series M512a-H6 is better for most uses than the Sonos Beam (Gen 2). The Vizio is a 5.1.2 setup with a dedicated sub and satellites. It offers a better surrounds performance, and it gets louder with less compression at max volume. Unlike the Sonos, it even has a Full HDMI In port for high-quality passthrough. That said, the 5.0 Sonos is better built. Some users may also prefer its smaller, more compact design.
The Vizio M Series M512a-H6 is better than the JBL Bar 5.1 Surround. The Vizio comes with discrete satellite speakers, and it has better soundstage and surround performances. Unlike the JBL, it also supports Dolby Atmos content. That said, the JBL is better built with more wireless playback options.
Depending on your listening habits, you may prefer either the Sonos Arc with Sub + One SL Speakers or the Vizio M Series M512a-H6. The Sonos is better built, and it has better surround and Atmos performances. Unlike the Vizio, it has built-in voice assistant capabilities and a room correction feature. That said, the Vizio has a more neutral sound profile out-of-the-box, which some users may prefer. Unlike the Sonos, it also has a Full HDMI In port for high-quality passthrough.
The Samsung HW-Q950A is better than the Vizio M Series M512a-H6. The Samsung is an 11.1.4 setup that gets louder with less compression at max volume. It has better surround and Atmos performances, and it supports more wireless playback options. It also comes with more sound enhancement features like room correction and a graphic EQ. Its voice assistant support is built into the bar, whereas you need a third-party voice assistant-enabled device to use them with the Vizio. That said, the Vizio offers a better stereo soundstage.
Depending on your listening habits, you may prefer either the Vizio M Series M512a-H6 or the Samsung HW-Q850A. The Vizio is better built, with a more neutral sound profile out-of-the-box. It also has a better stereo soundstage and a better center channel performance. However, the Samsung has better surround and Atmos performances. It comes with a graphic EQ and built-in voice assistant support. It also supports more wireless playback options.
The Vizio M Series M512a-H6 is better than the LG SP8YA. The Vizio is a 5.1.2 setup that comes with discrete satellite speakers, so it offers a better surround performance. It also has a better stereo soundstage. That said, the 3.1.2 LG has more wireless playback options as well as a room correction feature.
The Vizio M Series M512a-H6 is better than the Sony HT-G700. The Vizio is a 5.1.2 setup with dedicated satellites. It has better soundstage, surround, and Atmos performances, and it gets louder with less compression at max volume. Also, it can reproduce a more extended low-bass.
The Vizio M Series M512a-H6 is slightly better for mixed usage than the Samsung HW-Q800A. The Vizio is a 5.1.2 setup that comes with discrete satellite speakers. It has better surrounds and soundstage performances. The 3.1.2 Samsung is better built with more wireless playback options. Unlike the Vizio, it has voice assistant support built into the bar as well as a graphic EQ to customize its sound.
The Vizio M Series M512a-H6 is better than the JBL Bar 9.1. The Vizio is a 5.1.2 setup that gets louder with less compression at max volume. Also, it comes with more sound enhancement features, like bass and treble adjustments as well as dialogue enhancement. However, the JBL is better built with more wireless playback options.
Depending on your listening habits, you may prefer either the Samsung HW-Q900A or the Vizio M Series M512a-H6. The Samsung is a 7.1.2 setup with more wireless playback options and more sound enhancement features, like room correction. It gets louder, and it has built-in voice assistant support. That said, the 5.1.2 Vizio comes with discrete satellites. It has better soundstage and surround performances, too.
Depending on your listening habits, you may prefer either the Vizio M Series M512a-H6 or the standalone Bose Smart Soundbar 900. The Vizio comes with a sub and satellites, and unlike the Bose, it even has a Full HDMI In port for high quality passthrough. It also offers a better surrounds performance. However, the Bose is better built with a better Atmos performance. You can also upgrade it with a sub and satellites if you prefer.
The Vizio M Series M512a-H6 is better than the Samsung HW-Q700A. The Vizio is a 5.1.2 setup that comes with dedicated satellite speakers. It reproduces a more extended low-bass, so you feel more thump and rumble in your audio. It also has better soundstage and surround performances. That said, the 3.1.2 Samsung is better built with more wireless playback options. Unlike the Vizio, it also has a graphic EQ for sound customization.
The Vizio M Series M512a-H6 is a bit better for mixed usage than the LG SP9YA. The Vizio comes with discrete satellites, and it has a better surrounds performance. It also has better stereo soundstage and center channel performances. That said, the LG is better built with more wireless playback options. It also comes with room correction, unlike the Vizio.
The Vizio M Series M512a-H6 is better than the Samsung HW-Q600A. The Vizio comes with discrete satellites and offers a better surround performance. It also reproduces a more extended low-bass, and it has a better soundstage. The Samsung is better built, though.
The Vizio M Series M512a-H6 is better than the Vizio V Series V51x-J6. The M Series is a better built setup that supports Dolby Atmos content. It has better soundstage and surround performances. Also, it can reproduce a more extended low-bass.
The Vizio M Series M512a-H6 is better than the Klipsch Cinema 600. The Vizio is a 5.1.2 setup that comes with discrete satellites. It's better built, and it has better soundstage, center, and surround performances. Unlike the Klipsch, it also supports Atmos content and has a Full HDMI In port for high-quality passthrough. There are even some additional sound enhancement features available, like EQ presets.
The Vizio M Series M512a-H6 and the Sony HT-A5000 are two very different soundbar setups. The Vizio is more versatile, and it's a 5.1.2 setup that comes with a dedicated sub and satellites. It reproduces a more extended low-bass, and it has better soundstage, surround, and Atmos performances. That said, the standalone Sony is ideal if you don't have a lot of space in your living room. It has more sound enhancement features than the Vizio, too, and you can also upgrade it with a sub and satellites if you want.
The Vizio M Series M512a-H6 is better than the Polk Audio MagniFi MAX SR. The Vizio is better built, and unlike the Polk Audio, it supports Dolby Atmos content. This 5.1.2 setup also has better soundstage and surround performances.
The Vizio M Series M512a-H6 and the Sony HT-A7000 with Speakers + Bass Module are both very versatile setups, but the Vizio scores better overall. The Vizio gets louder than the Sony with less compression at max volume. It has a better soundstage, and it can reproduce a bit more low-bass. That said, the Sony comes with more sound enhancement features, and it has a better surround sound performance.
The Vizio M Series M512a-H6 is better than the Sonos Beam. The Vizio is a 5.1.2 setup with a dedicated sub and satellites. Unlike the Sonos, it supports Atmos content and has a Full HDMI In port for high-quality passthrough. It also gets louder, and it has a better surrounds performance. That said, the 3.0 Sonos is better built with built-in voice assistant support. Some users may also prefer its more compact design.
The Vizio M Series M512a-H6 is better than the Samsung HW-Q65T. The Vizio supports Dolby Atmos content, and it has better stereo soundstage. It also reproduces a more extended low-bass. That said, the Samsung comes with a graphic EQ for sound customization, unlike the Vizio.
The Vizio M Series M512a-H6 is better than the Vizio M-Series M21d-H8R. The M512a-H6 is a 5.1.2 setup that comes with a dedicated sub and satellites. It's able to reproduce a more extended low-bass, and it has better surround and soundstage performances. It even has Dolby Atmos support, unlike the standalone M21d-H8R.
The LG SN11RG and the Vizio M Series M512a-H6 offer similar overall performances. The Vizio is a 5.1.2 setup with better soundstage, center, and surround performances. That said, the 7.1.4 LG is better built with more sound enhancement features, such as room correction. It also supports more wireless playback options.
The Vizio M Series M512a-H6 is better than the onn. 42" 5.1. 2. Dolby Atmos Soundbar. The Vizio is a 5.1.2 setup with discrete satellites, and it has better surround and Atmos performances. Its soundstage is better, too, and unlike the onn, it has DTS support.
The Vizio M Series M512a-H6 is better than the Polk Audio Signa S4. The Vizio is a 5.1.2 setup with discrete satellites that offers better soundstage and surround performances. It can reproduce a more extended low-bass than the Polk, too. Unlike the Polk, it has DTS support and a Full HDMI In port for video passthrough. If you don't have space for satellites in your room, the Polk is still a fair option with Dolby Atmos support.
The Vizio M Series M512a-H6 and the Samsung HW-Q950T are both very versatile setups, so depending on your listening habits, you may prefer one over the other. The Vizio is a more budget-friendly pick with a better soundstage. However, it doesn't get as loud as the Samsung, and its surround sound performance isn't quite as impressive. The Samsung also comes with a graphic EQ, so you have more ability to customize its sound.
The Vizio M Series M512a-H6 is better than the Sony HT-Z9F. The Vizio comes with discrete satellites, and it has better surround and Atmos performances. Also, it can reproduce a more extended low-bass out-of-the-box. It even has a better soundstage.
The Vizio M Series M512a-H6 is better than the Samsung HW-Q59CT. The Vizio supports Dolby Atmos content, and it has better soundstage, center, and surround performances. Unlike the Samsung, it comes with discrete satellite speakers. It also reproduces a more extended low-bass. However, only the Samsung has a graphic EQ, which some users may prefer for sound customization.
The Vizio M Series M512a-H6 is better than the Polk Audio SIGNA S2. The Vizio is a 5.1.2 setup with discrete satellites. It can reproduce a more extended low-bass, and unlike the Polk, it supports height content. Its soundstage, center, and surround performances are better, too.
The Vizio M Series M512a-H6 is better than the Samsung HW-Q800T. The Vizio is a 5.1.2 setup with satellites. It has better soundstage, surround, and Atmos performances. That said, the 3.1.2 Samsung is better built.